Pathobiology of Pneumocystis pneumonia: life cycle, cell wall and cell signal transduction

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Joseph H Skalski1, Theodore J Kottom1, Andrew H Limper2

  • 1Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

FEMS Yeast Research
|June 14, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Pneumocystis fungi cause severe disease in immunocompromised individuals. This review details its life cycle, cell wall, and signaling, crucial for understanding its pathobiology.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Pneumocystis is a pathogenic fungus causing severe illness in immunocompromised hosts.
  • Difficulty in culturing Pneumocystis has limited research into its pathobiology.
  • Its life cycle involves complex interactions within the mammalian lung environment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the pathobiology of Pneumocystis.
  • To focus on the fungus's life cycle, cell wall composition, and signal transduction pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on Pneumocystis.
  • Comparative genomics to infer signaling pathways.
  • Analysis of cell wall components and their functions.

Main Results:

  • The Pneumocystis life cycle is closely tied to the host lung.
  • The cell wall is dynamic, featuring key glycoproteins, beta-glucans, and chitin.
  • Host immune evasion and stimulation are influenced by cell wall components.

Conclusions:

  • Further understanding of Pneumocystis pathobiology requires detailed knowledge of its life cycle and cell structure.
  • Investigating cell signaling pathways, though challenging, offers insights into fungal pathogenesis.
  • This review synthesits current knowledge on Pneumocystis, highlighting areas for future research.
Keywords:
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)cell signalingcell walllife cycleopportunistic infection

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