Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 14.2
Analysis of proteins conserved among
S. cerevisiae
,
Candida albicans
,
Aspergillus niger
, and
Homo sapiens
cells. Histogram bars represent the percentage of
S. cerevisiae
proteins conserved in the organism. Proteins are divided by functional class
membership. The number of proteins for every class in every organism is given in the table.
represents a middle ground between fungi and higher eukaryotic cells. Obviously,
this microorganism is genetically closer to other fungi with respect to other model
organisms, and at the same time it bears several cellular functions conserved with
respect to mammalian cells. Unique among model organisms,
S. cerevisiae
can be
used for modeling both fungal pathogens and higher eukaryotic cells.
Over the past 20 years, the number of invasive fungal infections has risen, primarily
because of the increase in the number and survival of severely immunocompromised
patients [18]. Despite the development of more active and selective antifungals and
the standard use of prophylaxis, fungal infections still represent an important clinical
emergency, provoking high rates of morbidity and mortality. Thus, because of the
insurgence of resistance and the ineffectiveness of classical antifungals against mold
infections, the quest for novel antifungal drugs has elicited renewed interest. The
