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The morphogenesis of the parasitic forms of dimorphic fungi

A review

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Summary

Specific consideration has been given in this review to the sequence of morphologic events which characterize the transformation of dimorphic pathogenic fungi from the saprophytic to the parasitic phase of growth. Three general mechanisms of conversion have been described for those dimorphic fungi which exist in the tissues of a host as blastospores:

  1. (1)

    The hyphal cells of the saprophytic phase swell, assume a yeast-like shape and eventually fragment to form a mass of individual blastospores.

  2. (2)

    The hyphal cells (terminal or interstitial) bud directly to form blastospores.

  3. (3)

    The hyphal cells form conidiospores in a fashion characteristic of the saprophytic phase, but these conidia produce buds which eventually separate from the parent spore and become the blastospores of the yeast phase of growth.

One or more of these morphologic transformations have been reported to occur inH. capsulatum, S. schenckii, B. dermatitidis andB. brasiliensis. Hence the species of fungi which occur in the tissues of a host as blastospores transform from the saprophytic phase of growth in much the same manner.

InC. immitis andEmmonsia sp. the parasitic phase arises by direct swelling of the spore which characterizes the saprophytic phase. Thus the arthrospores ofC. immitis swell to form the spherules, and the conidiospores (aleurospores) ofEmmonsia sp. enlarge to form chlamydospores (adiaspores).

The sclerotic cells characteristic of the tissue phase of the agents of chromoblastomycosis arise from a process resembling chlamydospore formation by the hyphal cells or more rarely by the conidiospores themselves.

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  1. Division of Mycology, Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 24, California

    Dexter H. Howard

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Howard, D.H. The morphogenesis of the parasitic forms of dimorphic fungi. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata 18, 127–139 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02055153

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