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Publication
Morte celular programada em fungos
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPG_16774 | 565.78 KB | Adobe PDF |
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Abstract(s)
A morte celular programada (PCD) constitui um mecanismo de morte celular regulado
geneticamente, que permite a regulação da homeostase tecidular e o desenvolvimento dos
organismos.
Dos vários tipos de PCD, a apoptose é aquele cujo mecanismo se encontra mais bem
estudado nos mamíferos, exibindo marcadores característicos a nível morfológico e
bioquímico.
Os fungos unicelulares e filamentosos, estão entre os organismos que apresentam alguns
homólogos dos reguladores da apoptose nos mamíferos e que por isso apresentam um tipo
de PCD com características apoptóticas.
O estudo da PCD em organismos modelo como a Saccharomyces cerevisae e a
Neurospora crassa permitem por isso compreender melhor este tipo de mecanismo, devido
à sua simplicidade genética e à sua similaridade com os mecanismos elementares celulares
dos eucariontes superiores.
As infeções fúngicas constituem um dos maiores problemas em indivíduos
imunocomprometidos e estas têm vindo a aumentar nas últimas duas décadas. Um melhor
conhecimento das vias metabólicas da PCD nos fungos patogénicos, permitirá o design de
novos fármacos, que através desta via de morte celular, leve ao desenvolvimento de
estratégias mais eficazes em organismos que aparentam ter adquirido resistência aos
antifúngicos atualmente existentes.
Programmed cell death is a genetically regulated mechanism of cell death of great importance to the development of the organisms as well as the regulation of tissues homeostasis. From all types of PCD, apoptosis is the most well studied mechanism in mammals, exhibiting well known morphological and biochemical features. Yeast and filamentous fungus have some homologs of apoptotic mediators, suggesting an apoptotic-like programmed cell death in these organisms. The study of PCD in model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisae and Neurospora crassa allows a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of this kind of death cell, due to the genetic simplicity of these models and the similarity of the most basic cellular mechanisms with higher eukaryotes. Fungal infections are one of the major health problems in compromised immunity patients, and this kind of infection has been increasing over the last two decades. A better understanding of PCD metabolic pathways, will allow the designing of new target drugs, leading do the development of more efficient strategies in organisms, that seem to have already acquired some resistance to drugs that already exist.
Programmed cell death is a genetically regulated mechanism of cell death of great importance to the development of the organisms as well as the regulation of tissues homeostasis. From all types of PCD, apoptosis is the most well studied mechanism in mammals, exhibiting well known morphological and biochemical features. Yeast and filamentous fungus have some homologs of apoptotic mediators, suggesting an apoptotic-like programmed cell death in these organisms. The study of PCD in model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisae and Neurospora crassa allows a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of this kind of death cell, due to the genetic simplicity of these models and the similarity of the most basic cellular mechanisms with higher eukaryotes. Fungal infections are one of the major health problems in compromised immunity patients, and this kind of infection has been increasing over the last two decades. A better understanding of PCD metabolic pathways, will allow the designing of new target drugs, leading do the development of more efficient strategies in organisms, that seem to have already acquired some resistance to drugs that already exist.