Caenorhabditis elegans: A nematode infection model for pathogenic fungi

Maged Muhammed, Jeffrey J. Coleman, Eleftherios Mylonakis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent work suggests that fungal virulence factors important in human disease have evolved through interactions with environmental predators such as amoebae, nematodes, and insects. This has allowed the use of simple model hosts for the study of fungal pathogenesis; specifically, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a model host to study medically important fungi. Alternative model hosts can be used as easy tools to identify virulence factors of pathogens, to study evolutionarily preserved immune responses, and to identify novel antifungal compounds with low cost. This chapter describes assays utilizing the nematode in studies on fungal-host interactions and antifungal drug discovery. These assays include the nematode killing assay, the progeny permissive assay, and antifungal compound discovery assay.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationHost-Fungus Interactions
Subtitle of host publicationMethods and Protocols
PublisherHumana Press
Pages447-454
Number of pages8
ISBN (Print)9781617795381
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012

Publication series

NameMethods in Molecular Biology
Volume845
ISSN (Print)1064-3745
ISSN (Electronic)1940-6029

Keywords

  • Antifungal
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Cryptococcus
  • Survival assay

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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