Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic human pathogen belonging to basidiomycetous fungi and has unique properties in cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to measure the duration of the cell cycle in this yeast. Under standard liquid culture conditions (1% yeast extract, 1% polypeptone, and 1% glucose; 24°C; and 150 rpm), the doubling time of exponentially growing C. neoformans was 132 ± 16 min (mean ± standard deviation), and the durations of the G1, S, G2, and M phases were about 71, 18, 25, and 18 min, respectively. DNA synthesis started before bud emergence, and finished by the time the size of the bud became 1/4 that of the mother cell. The doubling time of the daughter cells was about twice that of the mother cells. The spindle pole body was located on the outer nuclear envelope and showed a duplicated form from the G1 phase to the G2 phase. These data form a basis for further cell cycle study of C. neoformans.

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1. 1997年10月から2005年9月までにterbinafine 125 mg/日を内服した爪白癬患者356例について治療効果を検討した.
2. 356例中6ヶ月間内服した症例は253例で, 内服開始後1年間の経過を見た症例120例, 2年間経過を観察した症例は56例であった.
3. 治療開始6ヶ月目の治癒と著効を含めた著効率30.4%, 1年目65.0%, 2年目67.9%であった. 無効例は6ヶ月目 11.1%, 1年目 9.2%, 2年目 14.3%であった. 2年間経過を観察した症例で1年目に治癒していた25例中2年目には8例が再発していた.
4. 治療前と較べて6ヶ月目に混濁比が減少した症例は92.1%, 増加した症例は 0.4%で, 1年目はそれぞれ91.7%, 0.8%, 2年目87.5%, 5.4%であった. また6ヶ月目判定と1年目判定の比較では58.3%で混濁比の改善が認められ, 10.0%で悪化していたが, 1年目判定と2年目判定では21.4%が改善し35.7%で悪化していた.
5. Terbinafineは内服開始後1年目まではかなり有効であるが, 1年目から2年目までの間に悪化する症例がでてきている.

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Quorum sensing through farnesol, a quorum sensing molecule, regulates virulence and morphogenesis in Candida albicans. Farnesol and high cell density of C. albicans repress hyphal formation in a minimal medium containing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Global transcription profiling at an early stage of quorum sensing by C. albicans in the N-acetyl-D-glucosamine medium was analyzed. Twenty-two of a total of 53 genes responded to both farnesol and high cell density. From in silico analysis and previous published data, nine of these genes including those encoding amino acid biosynthesis were controlled by the Gcn4p regulator. Nine other genes which included genes encoding central carbon metabolism were controlled by negative regulators including Nrg1p, Tup1p, Ssn6p, and/or Mig1p. Other genes not controlled by these regulators included genes related to oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, and agglutination. Expression of genes related to amino acid biosynthesis and central carbon metabolism in this study is similar to a previous report of transcription profiling in C. albicans following its internalization by phagocyte cells and adaptation to host challenges.

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Yeasts of 17 processed fresh edible (raw) sea urchins obtained from seven countries were analyzed. In total, 45 to 7×10⁴ colony-forming units (CFU) /g of sea urchins were recovered, and 23 yeast species were identified. Of these species, six pathogenic yeasts (Candida albicans, C. sake, Debaryomyces hansenii, Pichia anomala, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Trichosporon mucoides ) were detected from 11 sea urchins (65%) . As these yeasts are opportunistic pathogens, infections in healthy individuals normally will not occur, but it should be understood that processed fresh edible sea urchin includes such opportunistic yeast pathogens.

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A PCR primer specific to Nocardia farcinica was prepared based on sequence information of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The PCR primer amplifies N. farcinica species only; no amplification was observed in 25 other Nocardia strains that we tested. Specificity of the primer for N. farcinica was also confirmed using other fungal and bacterial strains that are frequently isolated from clinical samples such as sputa and broncho alveolar lavage (VAL) .

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