With the recognition of San Joaquin Valley fever4' 5 as the primary form of coccidioidomycosis, "the experimental production of pulmonary infection with Coccidioides immitis has become a problem of practical importance."3 Since man generally recovers from this phase of the infection, the acute pathological changes induced remain undetermined,7 in contrast to the well-established reaction of the...

Dialyzable transfer factor was prepared from the spleens of CF1 mice actively sensitized with killed Coccidioides immitis antigen. The transfer factor was administered to normal mice either intraperitoneally or into the hind footpads. The recipient mice were tested for reactivity to the coccidioides antigen and to Candida albicans antigen by means of the footpad swelling test. The transfer fact...

Caspofungin (Merck Pharmaceuticals) was tested in vitro against 25 clinical isolates of Coccidoides immitis. In vitro susceptibility testing was performed in accordance with the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards document M38-P guidelines. Two C. immitis isolates for which the caspofungin MICs were different were selected for determination of the minimum effective concentratio...

We report the structure and expression of the Coccidioides immitis BGL2 gene which encodes a previously characterized 120-kDa glycoprotein of this fungal respiratory pathogen. The glycoprotein is recognized by immunoglobulin M tube precipitin (TP) antibody present in sera of patients with coccidioidomycosis, a reaction which has been used for serodiagnosis of early coccidioidal infection. The d...

Coccidioides immitis and C posadasii are pathogenic dimorphic fungi responsible for causing coccidioidomycosis in the Southwestern United States and Central and South America. Antifungal therapy is beneficial and entails careful periodic assessment with therapies ranging from none or short courses of therapy to prolonged antifungal therapy. Factors that influence the decision to treat are the d...

We report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. TP-A0874 isolated from compost. This strain produces catechoserine, a new catecholate-type inhibitor of tumor cell invasion. The genome harbors at least six gene clusters for polyketide and nonribosomal peptide biosyntheses. The biosynthetic gene cluster for catechoserines was identified by bioinformatic analysis.

Most cases of coccidioidomycosis in organ transplant recipients arise from either primary infection with Coccidioides immitis after environmental exposure or from reactivation of latent infection. Herein, we report 2 cases of rapidly fatal, disseminated coccidioidomycosis that occurred in organ transplant recipients who had never lived in or visited an area where C. immitis is endemic. Both sub...

Coccidioides immitis is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen endemic to the southwest and western United States. Clinical coccidioidomycosis is usually restricted to the respiratory tract and extrapulmonary involvement accounts for less than 1% of reported cases.1 Involvement of the genitourinary tract is usually asymptomatic and discovered post mortem in patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis.2...