Molecular Interactions between Fungi and their Hosts

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Molecular Interactions between fungi and their hosts

histoplasma capsulatum and coccudioides immitis. What have these two pathogens in common? What are the known virulence factors? How can you treat such an infection?
Explain Immune response against a Candida albicans ephitilial invasion. How would you study this? Can this specific host-pathogen interaction be targeted by compounds? How would you identify these compounds?
How is morphogenesis regulated in Candida Albicans?
What are the different types of toxins that a plant uses? Give an example of each and explain their function.
What is an appressorium? Explain its function.
Explain how carbon is translocated in plant-mycorrhiza. How would you investigate this?

The first technique that was used to delete a gene in C. albicans was the URA-blaster cassette. How does that work. What are the problems with this method (position effect)? What are the currently used methods?
Biofilm formation by C. albicans is a major problem in hospitals. What are the different stages of biofilm developtment? Which molecules are omportant during biofilm formation? How can this be investigated? What are the available methods to study biofilm formation? What would you do if you were asked to develop a novel antibiofilm molecule?
What is Cryptococcus neoformans and what are the most important virulence factors?
Describe the processes that can occur after initial contact between a fungus and a plant. How is the fungus able to penetrate the plant? Discuss the several forms of parasitism and pathogenesis that can occur and gice a schematic overview.
Discuss the possible outcomes of a host-pathogen interaction, comment on the immune system of the plant and give a schematic overview. What is gene for gene resistance? And how can we exploit this for resistance breeding?