KINGDOM

FUNGI

Introduction to Fungi
A

large and diverse group ranging from

a single-celled yeast or filamentous
mold to a fleshy mushroom

Include

some of the most important

organisms, in terms of ecological and
economic roles

Their

ability to breakdown dead

organic material allow continuation of
the cycle of nutrients through
ecosystem

Introduction to Fungi
Symbiotic

fungi, which inhabit plant

roots, supply essential nutrients to
most vascular plants

Mycology

The branch of microbiology that

studies fungi

General Characteristics of
Fungi

Heterotrophic

Use organic compounds as carbon

source
Nonphototrophic

Do not use light as energy source

Absorptive

Take up nutrients in solution

Saprophytic

Obtain nutrients by decomposing deal

organic matter

Morphology of Fungi
Yeasts

Single-celled form of fungus

Do not have chlorophyll
Able to reproduce by budding
Sometimes, the bud remains with the
mother cell and produces a pseudohypha

Form round, pasty or mucoid colonies

with a pleasant odor, when on solid
media

Morphology of Fungi
Molds

Highly branched and loosely

intertwined hyphae that form a
mycelium
Mycelia form woolly growth on damp
and decaying material in nature and
fuzzy spreading colonies on solid
culture media

Morphology of Fungi
Mycelium

A mass of hyphae
coenocytic--undivided
septa--incomplete divisions
Thallus

body of the fungus

Consists of long interconnected
filaments
Hyphae

individual filaments

FUNGAL HYPHAE
Coenocytic
(undivided) hypha

Septate hypha

septum

THALLUS

Morphology of Fungi
Dimorphism

Fungi are able to grow

either as a mold or as a
yeast
In pathogenic fungi, it is
temperature-dependent
Yeastlike at 37C
Moldlike at 25C
Mucor sp.

Morphology of Fungi
Fleshy

fungi

Form the fruiting structures

Consist of tightly intertwines hyphae
Ex: mushrooms, truffles or shelf fungi

Reproduction of Fungi
Assexual

elongation and fragmentation

budding
asexual spores
Formed by the hyphae of one organism
Genetically identical to the parent

Sexual

spores
Result from the fusion of nuclei from two
opposite mating strains of the same species
of fungus

Types of Asexual Spores

Conidia

Uni- or multicellular spores that are not

enclosed in a sac
Ex. Aspergillus
Arthrospores

Formed by the fragmentation of a septate

hypha into single, slighlty thickened cells
Ex. Coccidioides immitis
Blastoconidia

Consists of buds coming off the parent cell

Ex. Candida albicans and Cryptococcus

Types of Asexual Spores

Chlamydospores

Thick-walled spores formed by

rounding and enlargement within
a hyphal segment
Ex. Yeast form of C. albicans
Sporangiospores

Formed within a sac (sporangium)

Each sporangium can contain
hundred of sporangiospores
Ex. Rhizopus

Sexual reproduction
Sexual spores results from sexual
reproduction, consisting of three phases:
Plasmogamy

(+)

Haploid donor cell nucleus

penetrates cytoplasm of
recipient cell ()

Karyogamy

+ and nuclei fuse

Meiosis

Diploid nucleus produces

haploid nuclei (sexual

spores)

Sexual Spores
Zygospore

Fusion of haploid cells

produces one zygospore
Ascospore

Formed in a sac (ascus)

Basidiospore

Formed externally on a
pedestal (basidium)

Divisions of Fungi
The

Lower Fungi

All are coenocytic and lack septa

Chytridiomycetes and
Zygomycetes
The

Higher Fungi

All are septated, terrestrial, and have

nonmotile conidia and gametes
Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and
Deuteromycetes

Basis for Classification

Sexual

reproduction

Shape

and internal structure of the

sporangia
The structure which produce the
spores
Most useful characteristic for
identification

LOWER FUNGI

Chytridiomycetes
Water

molds with uniflagellated

sporangiospores and gametes
Grow as fuzzy, whitish masses on
organic materials in streams or ponds
Sometimes classified under Protista
Ex.

Allomyces

grows in tropical ponds

and streams
produce beautiful bright
orange sporangia

Oomycetes
Form

the cottony masses on dead algae

and animals in freshwater
Function as decomposers
Asexually, resemble the zygomycete fungi
Produce nonmotile female gametes and sexual
spores (zoospores)
Produce biflagellate sporangiospores and male
gametes
Traditionally

classified under fungi due to

its structure
However, Its cellulose cell wall and DNA analysis
confirmed its close relation to other algae

Oomycetes
Saprolegnia

sp.

Parasite of fishes
Phytophthora

infestans

Causative agent of the great potato blight

of Ireland

Zygomycetes
Terrestrial

molds

Able to complete their life cycle with minimal

moisture
Produce

nonmotile sporangiospores and

zygospores

Rhizopus

(black mold)

Usually develops on stale bread

Has a life cycle typical of Zygomycetes
Causes zygomycoses, which attack
immunocompromised individuals

HIGHER FUNGI

Ascomycetes
Produce

sexual spores called ascospores

The spores undergo several meiotic division
producing haploid ascospores within an
ascus
Morchella

spp. (Morel)

Mushrooms with globular heads on stalk

Known for its delicious taste
Aspergillus

Causes opportunistic and systemic mycoses

Blastomyces

Morchella sp.

dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum

Causes systemic mycoses

Microsporum,

Trichophyton

Causes cutaneous mycoses

Basidiomycetes
Produce

sexual spores called basidiospores

Usually form basidiocarps
Commonly known as club fungi,
mushrooms, puffballs or shelf fungi
Have unique phase in their life cycle called
dikaryon
A mycelium that contains two different kinds of
nuclei (one from each parent)

Deuteromycetes
Do

not produce sexual spores

Produce conidia only
Grow as molds or yeasts
Also known as Fungi Imperfecti
Due to lack of sexual stage

Many

species can cause human

diseases
Blastomyces, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma,
and Candida
Aspergillus
Penicillium

Mycoses
Any fungal infection
Generally chronic infection

slow growth of fungi

Classification

according to:

due to the

of mycoses is based

Degree of tissue involvement

Mode of entry into the host

Four

groups of mycoses

Systemic, Subcutaneous, Cutaneous,

Opportunistic

Systemic Mycoses
Fungal

infection deep within the body

Can affect a number of tissues and
organs
Usually caused by terrestrial fungi
Transmission is through inhalation of
spores
Infection typically starts in the lungs,
then spread to other body tissues
Ex.

Coccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis

Coccidioidomycosis
cocci,

desert fever, desert

rheumatism, desert bumps

Etiologic

agent: Coccidioides immitis

A dimorphic fungus
Asexual spores: arthrospores
Sexual spores: endospores
Endemic

in southwestern United
States, and Central and South
America
Considered as a potential biological
weapon

Histopath showing endospore

Coccidioidomycoses
Three

clinical forms:

Primary pulmonary
Signs and symptom: flu-like with
rashes (erythema multiforme)
If the disease does not progress,
the individual develops resistance
for 20 years to a lifetime

Benign form
Hallmark: development of welldefined lung cavitation
May be subclinical for years

Disseminated form
Develops in very few individuals
Spread to various internal organs,
including the brain

Histoplasmosis
Etiologic

agent:

Histoplasma capsulatum

Yeast form

dimorphic fungus
Mycelial form:
produces microconidia
(spores)
Found

worldwide
Mode of transmission:
inhalation of spores

Mycelial form

Histoplasmosis
Three

clinical forms:

Primary acute
May be asymptomatic or may develop flu-like
symptoms
Other symptoms:
chest pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness

Chronic cavitary
Relatively large pulmonary lesions develop
With little signs and symptoms
Often mistaken for tuberculosis

Severe disseminated
Occur most often in immunocompromised
patients
Often fatal

Subcutaneous Mycoses
Fungal

infection beneath the skin caused by

saprophytic fungi that live in soil and on
vegetation

Infection

occurs by direct implantation of spores or

mycelial fragments into a puncture wound in the
skin

Sporothrichosis

Gardeners disease
A chronic subcutaneous mycosis with eventual
lymphatic involvement
If untreated, may become a generalized infection
involving bones, joints and other internal organs
A relatively common disease with predilection to
horticultural workers

Subcutaneous Mycoses
Sporothrichosis

Etiologic agent: Sporothrix

schenckii
A dimorphic fungus that commonly
inhabits the soil and the epidermis of
plants

Acquired through a scratch from a

thorny plant, forcing the fungus
into the subcutaneous tissues
Clinical presentation:
From a small, movable, subcutaneous
nodule, it spread to the lymph vessels
of arm
Open lesions are prone to secondary
bacterial infection

Cutaneous Mycoses
(Dermatomycoses)
Fungi

that infect only the epidermis, hair and

nails
Known as dermatophytes, which secrete
keratinase
Transmission is from human to human or from
animal to human by direct contact
Transmission also by contact with infected hairs
and epidermal cells
Causative

agents:
Microsporum, Epidermophyton, Trichophyton
Monomorphic fungi cultures at room temperture using
Sabourauds medium
Identification is based on gross and microscopic
morphology of the colony

Some Clinical Forms of

Dermatomycoses

Tinea capitis

Tinea barbae

Tinea cruris

Tinea ungium

Tinea corporis

Tinea pedis

Microsporum

Infect hair and skin only

Form both macro- and microconidia on short

conidiophores

Macroconidia:
Multiseptate, fusiform, spindle- to oval shaped,
cell walls vary in thickness and texture

M. canis

Important for species identification

Microconidia:
Single-celled, pyriform and smooth-walled, and
are not diagnostic for any species

Common species
M. canis causes ectothrix hair and skin infection

M. ferrugineum

M. ferrugineum causes tinea capitis; its

branching hyphae has prominent cross walls,
which gives it the characteristic bamboo
hyphae
M. gypseum causes tinea barbae, ectothrix
infection
M. gypseum

Epidermophyton
Infect

skin and nails only

Epidermophyton

floccosum

the only species that infect man

Cause

infection of the groin,

body, feet and nails
Macroconidia:

club-shaped;
singly or in clumps of 2 or 3;
smooth cell wall;
with 2-5 septa

No

microconidia are formed

Trichophyton
Infects

the skin, hair or nails

Infect man and other animals
Characterized by smooth-walled macroand microconidia
Only

a few species form macroconidia

Macroconidia are mostly directly attached on

hyphae and fusiform in shape
Microconidia

Mostly spherical to pyriform or of irregular

shape

Common species of
Trichophyton

T. concentricum

Commonly produce
characteristic circular skin
lesions
tinea umbricata, a form of tinea
corporis

Chlamydoconidia (in old culture)

show typical balloon-shape
T.

mentagrophytes

Cause of athletes foot

Also cause tinea capitis, tinea
corporis, tinea barbae and tinea
cruris
Form numberous, round
microconidia, often in grape-like
clusters

Common Species of
Trichophytom
T.

rubrum

T.

tonsurans

cause long-established foot and

toenail infection, which is difficult to
eradicate
May also cause tinea corporis and
tinea capitis
Microconidia are thin-walled, cigarshaped

Causes endothrix hair infections

The entire hair shaft seems to be filled
with spores

Causes tinea capitis, tinea corporis

and tinea pedis
Microconidia are abundant, clubshaped and attached on the hyphae

Opportunistic Pathogens
Generally

harmless, but can become

pathogenic in immunocompromised host

Aspergillosis

Causative agent: Aspergillus fumigatus

Mode of transmission:

Spores inhaled by people with

debilitating lung diseases or cancer

A granulomatous, necrotizing
disease of the lungs, which often
disseminate hematogenously to
various organs

Microscopic exam:
Hyaline, septate hyphae with
dichotomous branching
No yeast observed

Opportunistic Pathogens
Mucormycosis

phycomycosis or zygomycosis
Caused mostly by Rhizopus and Mucor
Infection occurs mostly in patients with
diabetes mellitus, leukemia or those
undergoing immunosuppressive therapy
Microscopic exam:
Large, hyaline, coenocytic hyphae

Candidiasis

moniliasis, mycotic vulvovaginitis,

thrush
Caused by Candida albicans
A normal flora of the GI tract, vagina and oral
areas
In room temperature, favors yeast form, which
reproduce by budding
Inside the human body, may develop a
pseudohyphae

Frequently occurs in newborn, AIDS patient

and those on broad-spectrum antibiotic

Cryptococcosis
acute

or chronic, pulmonary, systemic

or meningeal mycosis
genus: Cryptococcus (C. neoformans)
Encapsulated yeast
Grows in soil; from pigeon droppings
no.2 cause of deaths in AIDS in
Thailand
Monomorphic

Toxins
Some

fungi produce toxins that are

hallucinogenic or poisonous

Muscarin

Produced by Amanita muscaria mushroom

Highly hallucinogenic
Consumed as part of the religious rites of
people native to the northern rim of the
Pacific Ocean
Phalloidin

A. muscaria

and amanitin

Produced by A. phalloides mushroom

(death cap)
Highly poisonous
Ingestion of a small queantity can cause
death from irreversible liver failure
A. phalloides

Toxins
Ergot

Produced by Claviceps purpurea

A mold that grows on rye which
produces highly toxic ergot
St. Anthonys fire (ergot poisoning)
Manifested by disorientation,
hallucination, gangrene, abortion or
death
Ergot derivative drugs include
methergine

Toxins
Aflatoxin

Produced by Aspergillus flavus

From not properly dried crops, such
as peanuts and cereal grains
can cause severe liver damage and
death
Even low levels may be carcinogenic
Black

mold toxin

sick building syndrome

Stachybotrys chartarum in damp
buildings
can manifest as headaches,
dermatitis and general malaise