Pneumocystis organisms are airborne-transmitted fungal parasites that infect the lungs of numerous mammalian species with strong host specificity. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and host specificity of Pneumocystis organisms infecting Southeast Asian murid rodents through PCR amplification of two mitochondrial genes and tested the co-phylogeny hypothesis among these fungi and their rodent hosts. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in 215 of 445 wild rodents belonging to 18 Southeast Asian murid species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs an essential interface between the external environment and the organism, the respiratory tract is particularly exposed to the potential injuries due to microorganisms, such as bacteria. Against these aggressions, the immune system has a key role, involving detection of germs followed by the establishment of innate and adaptive immune processes. During these responses, the adaptor protein MyD88 has a central place in the development of immune response: i) it contributes to innate immune response through the production of cytokines and chemokines, allowing recruitment and activation of effector cells; ii) it is involved secondarily in the development and orientation of antibacterial adaptive response, iii) and participates in sustaining immune homeostasis.
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