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Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020During the last few decades, mucormycosis has emerged as one of the most common fungal infections, following candidiasis and aspergillosis. The fungal order responsible... (Review)
Review
During the last few decades, mucormycosis has emerged as one of the most common fungal infections, following candidiasis and aspergillosis. The fungal order responsible for causing mucormycosis is the Mucorales. The main hallmarks of this infection include the invasion of blood vessels, infarction, thrombosis, and tissue necrosis, which are exhibited at the latest stages of the infection. Therefore, the diagnosis is often delayed, and the rapid progression of the infection severely endangers the life of people suffering from diabetes mellitus, hematological malignancies, or organ transplantation. Given the fact that mortality rates for mucormycosis range from 40 to 80%, early diagnosis and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to battle the infection. However, compared to other fungal infections, little is known about the host immune response against Mucorales and the influence of inflammatory processes on the resolution of the infection. Hence, in this review, we summarized our current understanding of the interplay among pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and the host-immune cells in response to mucoralean fungi, as well as their potential use for immunotherapies.
PubMed: 32957440
DOI: 10.3390/jof6030173 -
Mycoses Oct 2016Mucorales are saprobes, ubiquitously distributed and able to infect a heterogeneous population of human hosts. The fungi require robust stress responses to survive in...
Mucorales are saprobes, ubiquitously distributed and able to infect a heterogeneous population of human hosts. The fungi require robust stress responses to survive in human host. We tested the growth of Mucorales in the presence of different abiotic stress. Eight pathogenic species of Mucorales, including Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizomucor pusillus, Apophysomyces elegans, Licthemia corymbifera, Cunninghamella bertholletiae, Syncephalastrum racemosum and Mucor racemosus, were exposed to different stress inducers: osmotic (sodium chloride and d-sorbitol), oxidative (hydrogen peroxide and menadione), pH, cell wall and metal ions (Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg). Wide variation in stress responses was noted: R. arrhizus showed maximum resistance to both osmotic and oxidative stresses, whereas R. pusillus and M. indicus were relatively sensitive. Rhizopus arrhizus and R. microsporus showed maximum resistance to alkaline pH, whereas C. bertholletiae, L. corymbifera, M. racemosus and A. elegans were resistant to acidic pH. Maximum tolerance was noted in R. microsporus to Cu, R. microsporus and R. arrhizus to Fe and C. bertholletiae to Zn. In contrast, L. corymbifera, A. elegans and M. indicus were sensitive to Cu, Zn and Fe respectively. In conclusion, R. arrhizus showed high stress tolerance in comparison to other species of Mucorales, and this could be the possible reason for high pathogenic potential of this fungi.
Topics: Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Metals; Mucorales; Osmotic Pressure; Oxidative Stress; Rhizomucor; Rhizopus; Stress, Physiological; Vitamin K 3
PubMed: 27292160
DOI: 10.1111/myc.12512 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2023Mucormycetes, a heterogeneous group of fungi, induce a life-threatening disease called mucormycosis. Immune deficiencies represent a major risk factor; hence, we wanted...
BACKGROUND
Mucormycetes, a heterogeneous group of fungi, induce a life-threatening disease called mucormycosis. Immune deficiencies represent a major risk factor; hence, we wanted to illuminate the role of complement and platelets in the defense against mucormycetes.
METHODS
(), (), (), (), (), and () spores were opsonized with human and mouse serum, and C1q, C3c, and terminal complement complex (C5b-9) deposition was measured. Additionally, thrombocytopenic, C3-deficient, or C6-deficient mice were intravenously infected with selected isolates. Survival and immunological parameters were monitored, and fungal burden was determined and compared to that of immunocompetent and neutropenic mice.
RESULTS
In vitro experiments showed significant differences in complement deposition between mucormycetes. isolates bound up to threefold more human C5b-9 than other mucormycetes. , , and bound high levels of murine C3c, whereas human C3c deposition was reduced on compared to and . Murine C3c deposition negatively correlated with virulence. Complement deficiencies and neutropenia, but not thrombocytopenia, were shown to be a risk factor for a lethal outcome.
CONCLUSION
Complement deposition varies between mucormycetes. Additionally, we demonstrated that complement and neutrophilic granulocytes, but not platelets, play an important role in a murine model of disseminated mucormycosis.
PubMed: 36836277
DOI: 10.3390/jof9020162 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2021Thermophilic fungi constitute an ecologically well-defined group, commonly found in environments wherever decomposition of organic matter takes place, making them...
Thermophilic fungi constitute an ecologically well-defined group, commonly found in environments wherever decomposition of organic matter takes place, making them self-heating. The importance of thermophilic fungus in ecosystems contrasts with the incompleteness of our understanding of the group's biogeography patterns, phylogenies and coevolution relationships. Actually, the lack of data about thermophilic fungi from the Brazil is a limiting factor that also contributes for this scenario. In order to reduce this gap of knowledge, we aimed to characterize thermophilic filamentous fungi in Araucaria Forest, Atlantic Forest biome. Species identification was achieved by using internal transcribed spacers (ITS) as molecular ribosomal markers. In total, 240 heat-tolerant fungal strains were isolated and identified as Thermothielavioides terrestris, Thielavia sp., Thermoascus crustaceus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Rhizomucor miehei, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Rhizopus microsporus. All thermophilic strains exhibited optimal growth at 45 °C. T. crustaceus, T. miehei e R. pusillus were the dominant species, with the frequencies of occurrence of 35.00%, 28.33% and 23.33%, respectively. Our data reveals the apparent diversity of the Neotropical realm and may serve as reference to future studies that will try to elucidate important aspects of group.
Topics: Araucaria; Brazil; Ecosystem; Eurotiales; Forests; Fungi; Rhizomucor; Rhizopus; Sordariales
PubMed: 34706012
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120210714 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Sep 2022Modernized mechanization and intelligent transformation are the trends of Chinese baijiu industry development. However, these changes affect the operational environment,...
Modernized mechanization and intelligent transformation are the trends of Chinese baijiu industry development. However, these changes affect the operational environment, which lead to the decreased metabolism of esters during baijiu fermentation, especially for ethyl lactate. Ethyl lactate is an important flavor compound in most types of baijiu, which is mainly produced by esterification of lactic acid and ethanol. However, considerably less is known about the dynamic microbial succession related to ethyl lactate metabolism during the modernized baijiu fermentation process. In this study, we investigated the lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold community succession and ethyl lactate metabolism during baijiu fermentation. Results showed that fermentation mode had a significant effect on lactic acid and ethyl lactate metabolism (p < 0.001). Specifically, the accumulation of lactic acid in modernized process was 50% lower than that in traditional process (23.22 ± 7.41 g/kg versus 33.92 ± 2.32 g/kg fermented grains). The accumulation of ethyl lactate in the modernized baijiu fermentation process (9.46 ± 1.78 g/kg fermented grains) was significantly lower than that in traditional baijiu fermentation process (37.10 ± 5.86 g/kg fermented grains). Moreover, Illumina Miseq sequencing showed 11 lactic acid bacteria OTUs, 6 yeast OTUs and 4 mold OTUs were abundant during fermentation. Compared with traditional baijiu fermentation process, modernized process led to more Lactobacillus and Candida, but less Pichia, Aspergillus, Rhizomucor and Rhizopus during fermentation. Based on the redundancy analysis and correlation network analysis, our study showed the metabolism of ethyl lactate mainly related to the activities of Pichia, Aspergillus, Rhizomucor and Rhizopus, especially for Rhizomucor and Rhizopus. This study revealed that the regulation of Pichia, Aspergillus, Rhizomucor Rhizopus and Candida might be an effective orientation for adjusting the metabolism of ethyl lactate during modernized baijiu fermentation.
Topics: China; Fermentation; Lactates; Lactic Acid; Microbiota; Pichia; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
PubMed: 35940782
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111566 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022To explore the potential mechanism of improving enzymatic activities in medium-temperature (MTD) by inoculation functional isolates, we inoculated a single strain of ,...
To explore the potential mechanism of improving enzymatic activities in medium-temperature (MTD) by inoculation functional isolates, we inoculated a single strain of , and the microbiota composed of and in MTD to investigate the association between the response of the functional microbiota and the enzymatic activity. The results showed that the bacterial community of MTD might be more sensitive to bioturbation than the fungal community, and the indigenous microbiota responded to the single strain more than to the microbiota. Moreover, the differential microorganisms mainly included , , and between the conventional and fortified samples. Notably, the composition of functional microbiota related to liquefying activity (LA) and saccharifying activity (SA) were significantly different, changing from and to , , and . That might be closely related to the effect of the bioturbation on LA (31.33%) and SA (43.54%) associated microorganisms was more tellingly. Furthermore, the relative abundance changes of bioturbation-sensitive modules in the co-occurrence network might also lead to the difference in enzymatic activities. Therefore, the LA and SA of MTD were improved by bioturbation significantly. These results provide diverse insights into the exogenous functional isolates to regulate the MTD microbiota and improve enzymatic activities.
PubMed: 36458186
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1047041 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2022The behavior against temperature and thermal stability of enzymes is a topic of importance for industrial biocatalysis. This study focuses on the kinetics and...
The behavior against temperature and thermal stability of enzymes is a topic of importance for industrial biocatalysis. This study focuses on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the thermal inactivation of Lipase PS from and Palatase from . Thermal inactivation was investigated using eight inactivation models at a temperature range of 40-70 °C. Kinetic modeling showed that the first-order model and Weibull distribution were the best equations to describe the residual activity of Lipase PS and Palatase, respectively. The results obtained from the kinetic parameters, decimal reduction time (D and t), and temperature required (z and z') indicated a higher thermal stability of Lipase PS compared to Palatase. The activation energy values (Ea) also indicated that higher energy was required to denature bacterial (34.8 kJ mol) than fungal (23.3 kJ mol) lipase. The thermodynamic inactivation parameters, Gibbs free energy (ΔG), entropy (ΔS), and enthalpy (ΔH) were also determined. The results showed a ΔG for Palatase (86.0-92.1 kJ mol) lower than for Lipase PS (98.6-104.9 kJ mol), and a negative entropic and positive enthalpic contribution for both lipases. A comparative molecular dynamics simulation and structural analysis at 40 °C and 70 °C were also performed.
Topics: Burkholderia cepacia; Enzyme Stability; Kinetics; Lipase; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Rhizomucor; Temperature; Thermodynamics
PubMed: 35743268
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126828 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Jan 2023There has been significant increase in the use of molecular tools for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and mucormycosis. However, their range of detection...
There has been significant increase in the use of molecular tools for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and mucormycosis. However, their range of detection may be too limited as species diversity and coinfections are increasing. Here, we aimed to evaluate a molecular workflow based on a new multiplex PCR assay detecting the whole Aspergillus genus and the Mucorales order followed by a species-specific PCR or a DNA-sequencing approach for IA and/or mucormycosis diagnosis and species identification on serum. Performances of the MycoGENIE Aspergillus spp./Mucorales spp. duplex PCR kit were analyzed on a broad range of fungal strains and on sera from high-risk patients prospectively over a 12-month period. The kit allowed the detection of nine Aspergillus species and 10 Mucorales (eight genera) strains assessed. No cross-reactions between the two targets were observed. Sera from 744 patients were prospectively analyzed, including 35 IA, 16 mucormycosis, and four coinfections. Sensitivity varies from 85.7% (18/21) in probable/proven IA to 28.6% (4/14) in COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis. PCR-positive samples corresponded to 21 A. fumigatus, one A. flavus, and one A. nidulans infections. All the disseminated mucormycosis were positive in serum (14/14), including the four Aspergillus coinfections, but sensitivity fell to 33.3% (2/6) in localized forms. DNA sequencing allowed Mucorales identification in serum in 15 patients. Remarkably, the most frequent species identified was (eight cases), whereas it is barely found in fungal culture. This molecular workflow is a promising approach to improve IA and mucormycosis diagnosis and epidemiology.
Topics: Humans; Mucormycosis; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Coinfection; Workflow; COVID-19; Aspergillosis; Mucorales; Invasive Fungal Infections; Aspergillus; Sequence Analysis, DNA; DNA; DNA, Fungal; COVID-19 Testing
PubMed: 36533925
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01409-22 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Aug 2019Recently, the species concept of opportunistic and its relatives has been revised, resulting in the recognition of its classical formae as independent species and the...
Recently, the species concept of opportunistic and its relatives has been revised, resulting in the recognition of its classical formae as independent species and the description of new species. In this study, we used isolates of all clinically relevant species and performed susceptibility testing using the EUCAST reference method to identify potential species-specific susceptibility patterns. susceptibility profiles of 101 mucoralean strains belonging to the genus (72), the closely related species (3), (12), (10), and (4) to six antifungals (amphotericin B, natamycin, terbinafine, isavuconazole, itraconazole, and posaconazole) were determined. The most active drug for all Mucorales was amphotericin B. Antifungal susceptibility profiles of pathogenic species were specific for isavuconazole, itraconazole, and posaconazole. The species formerly united in showed clear differences in their antifungal susceptibilities. , , ( f. ), and exhibited high MICs to all azoles tested. presented high MICs for isavuconazole and posaconazole, and and showed high MICs for isavuconazole. MIC values of spp. for posaconazole, isavuconazole, and itraconazole were high compared to those for and the Lichtheimiaceae ( and ). Molecular identification combined with susceptibility testing is recommended for species, especially if azoles are applied in treatment.
Topics: Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Humans; Itraconazole; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mucor; Mucormycosis; Natamycin; Nitriles; Pyridines; Rhizopus; Species Specificity; Terbinafine; Triazoles
PubMed: 31182532
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00653-19 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2023Crude olive pomace oil (OPO) is a by-product of olive oil extraction. In this study, low-calorie structured triacylglycerols (TAGs) were produced by acidolysis of crude...
Crude olive pomace oil (OPO) is a by-product of olive oil extraction. In this study, low-calorie structured triacylglycerols (TAGs) were produced by acidolysis of crude OPO with medium-chain fatty acids (caprylic, C8:0; capric, C10:0) or interesterification with their ethyl ester forms (C8EE, C10EE). These new TAGs present long-chain fatty acids (L) at position -2 and medium-chain fatty acids (M) at positions -1,3 (MLM). Crude OPO exhibited a high acidity (12.05-28.75% free fatty acids), and high contents of chlorophylls and oxidation products. Reactions were carried out continuously in a packed-bed bioreactor for 70 h, using -1,3 regioselective commercial immobilized lipases ( lipase, Lipozyme TL IM; and lipase, Lipozyme RM IM), in solvent-free media at 40 °C. Lipozyme RM IM presented a higher affinity for C10:0 and C10EE. Lipozyme TL IM preferred C10:0 over C8:0 but C8EE over C10EE. Both biocatalysts showed a high activity and operational stability and were not affected by OPO acidity. The New TAG yields ranged 30-60 and the specific productivity ranged 0.96-1.87 g NewTAG/h.g biocatalyst. Lipozyme RM IM cost is more than seven-fold the Lipozyme TL IM cost. Therefore, using Lipozyme TL IM and crude acidic OPO in a continuous bioreactor will contribute to process sustainability for structured lipid production by lowering the cost of the biocatalyst and avoiding oil refining.
Topics: Olea; Plant Oils; Dietetics; Dietary Fats; Triglycerides; Fatty Acids; Olive Oil; Lipase; Esterification; Enzymes, Immobilized
PubMed: 36985609
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062637