Prototheca blaschkeae
(Roesler et al., 2006)

Morphology:

• yeast like colonies, smooth surface and  smooth margin

• beige or ocher colored.

• Micro morphology: round single cells (10 µm in diameter) and
  some large Sporangia (20-30 µm) with round endospores inside .

 

Diagnostics

• plate culture on fungi media, e.g. Sabouraud-glucose-agar, Kimmig-agar

• subsequent microscopical examination of smears with lactophenole cotton blue 
  or with PAS-staining or Immunofluoreszence (pathohistology)

• Differentiation between P. zopfii, P. wickerhamii  and P. blaschkeae by assimilation of Trehalose and Arginine. P. wickerhamii utilize trehalose; P. zopfii and P. blaschkea do not. P. blaschkeae can't utilize Arginine, whereas, both Genotypes of P. zopfii use this amino acid.

 

Infections:

Human protothecosis

• only in exceptional cases, usually caused by P. wickerhamii

• onychomycosis

 

Pathogenity

• facultative pathogene

• predisponating factors, e.g. immunosupression, are assumed

 

Immune response

• induction of specific systemic and lokal antibodies of immunglobuline
  isotypes G and A

• high resistance to phagozytosis 

• Persistence and proliferation within macrophages and PMN's