Yeasts acquire resistance secondary to antifungal drug treatment by adaptive mutagenesis.

Acquisition of resistance secondary to treatment both by microorganisms and by tumor cells is a major public health concern. Several species of bacteria acquire resistance to various antibiotics through stress-induced responses that have an adaptive mutagenesis effect. So far, adaptive mutagenesis in yeast has only been described when the stress is nutrient deprivation.

Identification of pathways controlling DNA damage induced mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Mutation in response to most types of DNA damage is thought to be mediated by the error-prone sub-branch of post-replication repair and the associated translesion synthesis polymerases. To further understand the mutagenic response to DNA damage, we screened a collection of 4848 haploid gene deletion strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for decreased damage-induced mutation of the CAN1 gene. Through extensive quantitative validation of the strains identified by the screen, we identified ten genes, which included error-prone post-replication repair genes known to be involved in induced mutation, as well as two additional genes, FYV6 and RNR4.

Interaction of amphotericin B lipid formulations and triazoles with human polymorphonuclear leucocytes for antifungal activity against Zygomycetes.

The frequency of zygomycosis has increased considerably over recent years mainly in immunocompromised and diabetic patients. Little is known about the effects of host innate immunity against different Zygomycetes especially under the influence of antifungal agents. The antifungal activity of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) in combination with liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB), amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), voriconazole (VRC) and posaconazole (PSC) against Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus microsporus, frequently isolated Zygomycetes, were studied and compared with Absidia corymbifera, a less pathogenic Zygomycete.

Inteferon gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor augment the antifungal activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes against Scedosporium spp.: comparison with Aspergillus spp.

While Aspergillus spp. have been the most frequent filamentous fungi causing infections in immunocompromised patients, Scedosporium spp. are emerging as life-threatening pathogens.

Effects of interleukin-15 on antifungal responses of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes against Fusarium spp. and Scedosporium spp.

Fusarium spp. and Scedosporium spp. have emerged as important fungal pathogens that are frequently resistant to antifungal compounds.