Biomaterial Database

Yeast glucan of Pneumocystis carinii cyst wall: an excellent target for chemotherapy. 1991

Y Matsumoto, and M Yamada, and T Amagai

Department of Applied Immunology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo.

Pneumocystis pneumonia is the most serious opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with AIDS. Approved therapy is limited to pentamidine and inhibitors of folic acid synthesis, but these drugs show a high rate of adverse reactions in AIDS patients emphasizing the urgent need for additional effective therapies. Progress has, however, been hindered by lack of knowledge about this parasite's cellular characteristics. Previously we reported that beta (1,3)glucan is a major component of the Pneumocystis carinii cyst wall. This study shows that administration of aculeacin A, an inhibitor of beta (1,3)glucan biosynthesis, affects cyst wall formation, inhibits cyst maturation, and prevents severe pneumonia in steroid-treated rats. Thus this study not only demonstrates that beta (1,3)glucan is indispensable for growth of the parasite in rats, but suggests a new therapeutic strategy for human pneumocystosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010456	Peptides, Cyclic	Peptides whose amino acid residues are linked together forming a circular chain. Some of them are ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS; some are biosynthesized non-ribosomally (PEPTIDE BIOSYNTHESIS, NON-RIBOSOMAL).	Circular Peptide,Cyclic Peptide,Cyclic Peptides,Cyclopeptide,Orbitide,Circular Peptides,Cyclopeptides,Orbitides,Peptide, Circular,Peptide, Cyclic,Peptides, Circular
D011010	Pneumocystis	A genus of ascomycetous FUNGI, family Pneumocystidaceae, order Pneumocystidales. It includes various host-specific species causing PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA in humans and other MAMMALS.	Pneumocysti
D011020	Pneumonia, Pneumocystis	A pulmonary disease in humans occurring in immunodeficient or malnourished patients or infants, characterized by DYSPNEA, tachypnea, and HYPOXEMIA. Pneumocystis pneumonia is a frequently seen opportunistic infection in AIDS. It is caused by the fungus PNEUMOCYSTIS JIROVECII. The disease is also found in other MAMMALS where it is caused by related species of Pneumocystis.	P carinii Pneumonia,P. carinii Pneumonia,P. jirovecii Pneumonia,PCP Pneumonia,Pneumocystis Pneumonia,Pneumocystosis,Pneumonia, Interstitial Plasma Cell,PCP Infection,Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia,Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia,Pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii,Infection, PCP,P carinii Pneumonias,P. carinii Pneumonias,P. jirovecii Pneumonias,PCP Infections,PCP Pneumonias,Pneumocystis Pneumonias,Pneumocystoses,Pneumonia, P carinii,Pneumonia, P. carinii,Pneumonia, P. jirovecii,Pneumonia, PCP,Pneumonia, Pneumocystis jirovecii,Pneumonias, PCP
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D002473	Cell Wall	The outermost layer of a cell in most PLANTS; BACTERIA; FUNGI; and ALGAE. The cell wall is usually a rigid structure that lies external to the CELL MEMBRANE, and provides a protective barrier against physical or chemical agents.	Cell Walls,Wall, Cell,Walls, Cell
D004353	Drug Evaluation, Preclinical	Preclinical testing of drugs in experimental animals or in vitro for their biological and toxic effects and potential clinical applications.	Drug Screening,Evaluation Studies, Drug, Pre-Clinical,Drug Evaluation Studies, Preclinical,Drug Evaluations, Preclinical,Evaluation Studies, Drug, Preclinical,Evaluation, Preclinical Drug,Evaluations, Preclinical Drug,Medicinal Plants Testing, Preclinical,Preclinical Drug Evaluation,Preclinical Drug Evaluations,Drug Screenings,Screening, Drug,Screenings, Drug
D005936	Glucans	Polysaccharides composed of repeating glucose units. They can consist of branched or unbranched chains in any linkages.	Glucan,Polyglucose,Polyglucoses,Glucan (BO),Glucose Polymer,Polycose,Polymer, Glucose
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000935	Antifungal Agents	Substances that destroy fungi by suppressing their ability to grow or reproduce. They differ from FUNGICIDES, INDUSTRIAL because they defend against fungi present in human or animal tissues.	Anti-Fungal Agents,Antifungal Agent,Fungicides, Therapeutic,Antibiotics, Antifungal,Therapeutic Fungicides,Agent, Antifungal,Anti Fungal Agents,Antifungal Antibiotics