Carroll Scott F, Guillot Loïc, Qureshi Salman T
Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Comp Med. 2007 Feb;57(1):9-17.
The rising incidence of serious fungal diseases represents a growing threat to human health. Cryptococcus neoformans, an encapsulated yeast saprophyte with global distribution, has been recognized as an important emerging pathogen. Humans frequently develop asymptomatic or mild infection with C. neoformans, but individuals with impaired host defense systems may develop severe pneumonia and potentially fatal meningoencephalitis. Insight into the biology and virulence of C. neoformans is advancing rapidly and will be propelled even further by the recently completed and published genome sequences for two related strains of C. neoformans serotype D. Several mammalian model hosts including the guinea pig, rabbit, rat, and mouse have been developed for the study of cryptococcosis. The combination of microbial genomics with well-characterized model hosts that are amenable to immunologic and genetic manipulation represents a powerful resource for comprehensive study of cryptococcal disease pathogenesis as well as vaccine and antifungal drug therapy. This review provides an introduction to each mammalian model host and briefly highlights the advantages, limitations, and potential of each system for future research involving cryptococci.
严重真菌疾病发病率的上升对人类健康构成了日益严重的威胁。新型隐球菌是一种全球分布的有荚膜酵母腐生菌，已被公认为一种重要的新兴病原体。人类经常感染新型隐球菌后出现无症状或轻度感染，但宿主防御系统受损的个体可能会发展为严重肺炎并可能导致致命的脑膜脑炎。对新型隐球菌生物学和毒力的认识正在迅速推进，最近完成并公布的两株新型隐球菌D血清型相关菌株的基因组序列将进一步推动这一进程。包括豚鼠、兔子、大鼠和小鼠在内的几种哺乳动物模型宿主已被开发用于隐球菌病的研究。微生物基因组学与适合免疫和基因操作的特征明确的模型宿主相结合，为全面研究隐球菌病发病机制以及疫苗和抗真菌药物治疗提供了强大的资源。本综述介绍了每种哺乳动物模型宿主，并简要强调了每个系统在未来涉及隐球菌的研究中的优势、局限性和潜力。
