title: New insights into a complex fungal pathogen: the case of Paracoccidioides spp.
abstract: Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis endemic to Latin America, with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii being the causal agents of this disorder. Several issues have been raised in the 100 years since its discovery and in this article we discuss features of this fascinating fungal pathogen, including its biology, eco-epidemiology and aspects of its pathogenicity. We also consider some of its virulence determinants, the most recent advances in the study of its metabolic pathways and the molecular and genetic research tools developed for this research. We also review the animal models used to study host-fungal interactions and how the host defence mechanisms against this pathogen work.
authors.affiliation: Basic and Applied Microbiology Research Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Basic and Applied Microbiology Research Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Orville
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hernandez
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism; D023421:Models, Animal; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D010229:Paracoccidioidomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010802:Phylogeny; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D016207:Cytokines; D008670:Metals; D009711:Nucleotides; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis; Paracoccidioides lutzii; host defense mechanisms; metabolic pathways; paracoccidioidomycosis; virulence factors