Standardization of Galleria mellonella as an Infection Model for Malassezia furfur and Malassezia pachydermatis

Maritza Torres; Adriana Marcela Celis Ramírez

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_2

Standardization of Galleria mellonella as an Infection Model for Malassezia furfur and Malassezia pachydermatis

Methods Mol Biol. 2023:2667:15-29. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_2.

Authors

Maritza Torres¹, Adriana Marcela Celis Ramírez²

Affiliations

¹ Grupo de Investigación Celular y Molecular de Microorganismos Patógenos (CeMoP), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
² Grupo de Investigación Celular y Molecular de Microorganismos Patógenos (CeMoP), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. acelis@uniandes.edu.co.

PMID: 37145273
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_2

Abstract

Galleria mellonella larva has been widely exploited as an infection model for bacteria and fungi. Our laboratory uses this insect as a model for fungal infection caused by the genus Malassezia, in particular, systemic infections caused by Malassezia furfur and Malassezia pachydermatis, which are poorly understood. Here, we describe the G. mellonella larva inoculation process with M. furfur and M. pachydermatis and the posterior assessment of the establishment and dissemination of the infection in the larvae. This assessment was done through the evaluation of larval survival, melanization, fungal burden, hemocytes populations, and histological changes. This methodology allows for the identification of virulence patterns between Malassezia species and the impact of inoculum concentration and temperature.

Keywords: Alternative animal model; Fungemia; Galleria mellonella larva; Malassezia furfur; Malassezia pachydermatis; Systemic infection modeling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Larva / microbiology
Malassezia*
Moths*
Mycoses*
Reference Standards

Supplementary concepts

Malassezia pachydermatis