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Journal of Infection in Developing... Nov 2023It is a rare case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium spp infection. (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
It is a rare case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium spp infection.
CASE PRESENTATION
Symptoms of Acremonium infection peritonitis are hidden and atypical, leucocytes in ascites are moderately elevated, and general bacterial culture difficulty obtains positive results. In this report, a patient with peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis caused by Acremonium species was successfully treated without catheter removal in our hospital. The organism species was cultured from a catheter and PD effluent fluid. The patient's peritonitis did not relapse within 6 months.
CONCLUSIONS
Once a patient on peritoneal dialysis was infected with fungal peritonitis, the outcome was usually to remove the tube and stop peritoneal dialysis. In this case, our experience is that using a catheter-salvage therapy method, we can successfully cure PD-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium sp.
Topics: Humans; Acremonium; Catheters; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; Peritonitis
PubMed: 38064384
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.17679 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2023Mouding sufu, a traditional fermented soybean product in China, has been recognized by the public in the southwestern regions of China. To reveal the microbial community...
Mouding sufu, a traditional fermented soybean product in China, has been recognized by the public in the southwestern regions of China. To reveal the microbial community succession and their relationship with the flavor formation during the natural fermentation of Mouding sufu, microbial community, non-volatile flavor compounds and volatile flavor compounds were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography ion migration spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed that and were the most abundant bacterial genus, whereas the main fungal genera were and . In addition, Glutamic acid, Aspartic acid, Alanine, Valine, Lysine, Histidine, lactic acid, succinic acid, and acetic acid were the main non-volatile flavor substances. Furthermore, the taste activity values of glutamic acid, aspartic acid and lactic acid reached 132, 68.9, 18.18 at H60, respectively, meaning that umami and sour were the key taste compounds. Simultaneously, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate-M, ethyl propanoate, methyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate-D, ethyl isobutyrate, linalool-M, linalool-D, cis-4-heptenal, 2-methylpropanal were the characteristic volatile flavor of Mouding sufu. Finally, correlation analysis showed that and correlated with most of the key aroma compounds. 20 bacteria and 21 fungi were identified as core functional microbe for Mouding sufu production.
PubMed: 37168719
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100686 -
BMC Veterinary Research Dec 2023Acremonium terricola is used in the feed of dairy animals to promote growth and control diseases. However, the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola on...
Dietary supplementation with Acremonium terricola culture alters the gut microbial structure and improves the growth performance, antioxidant status, and immune function of weaning piglets.
BACKGROUND
Acremonium terricola is used in the feed of dairy animals to promote growth and control diseases. However, the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola on the gut microbial structure of weaning piglets remain poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola culture (ATC) on the growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and gut environment of weaning piglets. Sixty piglets were fed a basal diet supplemented with 1 g ATC/kg of basal diet (experimental group). Another 60 piglets did not receive ATC (control group). The intervention lasted for 20 days.
RESULTS
The experimental group had higher daily weight gain and feed efficiency than did the control group. Significant increases were noted in the levels of serum insulin (P = 0.0018), insulin-like growth factor (P = 0.0018), triiodothyronine (P = 0.0031), immunoglobulin A (P < 0.0001), immunoglobulin M (P = 0.001), immunoglobulin G (P = 0.0001), and interferon γ (P < 0.0001) in the experimental group compared with the levels in the control group. Furthermore, ATC supplementation significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Shuttleworthia, Succinivibrio, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, and Paludibacter but increased that of Phascolarctobacterium, Megasphaera, Faecalibacterium, and Prevotella in the experimental group compared with that in the control group. Notably, ATC supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (P < 0.05), which is involved in anti-inflammatory activities, gut barrier enhancement, and butyrate production.
CONCLUSIONS
Dietary supplementation with ATC may improve the growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and fecal microflora of weaning pigs.
Topics: Animals; Swine; Antioxidants; Weaning; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Dietary Supplements; Diet; Immunity; Animal Feed
PubMed: 38053083
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03778-y -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023Safe drinking water is a constant challenge due to global environmental changes and the rise of emerging pathogens-lately, these also include fungi. The fungal presence...
Safe drinking water is a constant challenge due to global environmental changes and the rise of emerging pathogens-lately, these also include fungi. The fungal presence in water greatly varies between sampling locations. Little is known about fungi from water in combination with a selection of materials used in water distribution systems. Our research was focused on five water plants located in the Pannonian Plain, Slovenia. Sampled water originated from different natural water sources and was subjected to different cleaning methods before distribution. The average numbers of fungi from natural water, water after disinfection, water at the first sampling point in the water network, and water at the last sampling point were 260, 49, 64, and 97 CFU/L, respectively. Chlorination reduced the number of fungi by a factor of 5, but its effect decreased with the length of the water network. The occurrence of different fungi in water and on materials depended on the choice of material. The presence of the genera , , , , and was mostly observed on cement, while , , , and prevailed on metals. Plastic materials were more susceptible to colonization with basidiomycetous fungi. Opportunistically pathogenic fungi were isolated sporadically from materials and water and do not represent a significant health risk for water consumers. In addition to cultivation data, physico-chemical features of water were measured and later processed with machine learning methods, revealing the sampling location and water cleaning processes as the main factors affecting fungal presence and richness in water and materials in contact with water.
PubMed: 37998891
DOI: 10.3390/jof9111086 -
Microbial Cell Factories May 2024Low targeting efficacy and high toxicity continue to be challenges in Oncology. A promising strategy is the glycosylation of chemotherapeutic agents to improve their...
BACKGROUND
Low targeting efficacy and high toxicity continue to be challenges in Oncology. A promising strategy is the glycosylation of chemotherapeutic agents to improve their pharmacodynamics and anti-tumoral activity. Herein, we provide evidence of a novel approach using diglycosidases from fungi of the Hypocreales order to obtain novel rutinose-conjugates therapeutic agents with enhanced anti-tumoral capacity.
RESULTS
Screening for diglycosidase activity in twenty-eight strains of the genetically related genera Acremonium and Sarocladium identified 6-O-α-rhamnosyl-β-glucosidase (αRβG) of Sarocladium strictum DMic 093557 as candidate enzyme for our studies. Biochemically characterization shows that αRβG has the ability to transglycosylate bulky OH-acceptors, including bioactive compounds. Interestingly, rutinoside-derivatives of phloroglucinol (PR) resorcinol (RR) and 4-methylumbelliferone (4MUR) displayed higher growth inhibitory activity on pancreatic cancer cells than the respective aglycones without significant affecting normal pancreatic epithelial cells. PR exhibited the highest efficacy with an IC of 0.89 mM, followed by RR with an IC of 1.67 mM, and 4MUR with an IC of 2.4 mM, whereas the respective aglycones displayed higher IC values: 4.69 mM for phloroglucinol, 5.90 mM for resorcinol, and 4.8 mM for 4-methylumbelliferone. Further, glycoconjugates significantly sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to the standard of care chemotherapy agent gemcitabine.
CONCLUSIONS
αRβG from S. strictum transglycosylate-based approach to synthesize rutinosides represents a suitable option to enhance the anti-proliferative effect of bioactive compounds. This finding opens up new possibilities for developing more effective therapies for pancreatic cancer and other solid malignancies.
Topics: Humans; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Hypocreales; Rutin; Acremonium; Gemcitabine; Disaccharides
PubMed: 38720294
DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02395-0 -
PeerJ 2024Endophytic fungi can enhance the growth and synthesis of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Bunge is frequently employed for treating cardiovascular and...
BACKGROUND
Endophytic fungi can enhance the growth and synthesis of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Bunge is frequently employed for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments, with the primary bioactive components being salvianolic acid and tanshinone. However, their levels in cultivated are inferior to that of the wild herbs, so the production of high-quality medicinal herbs is sharply declining. Consequently, the utilization of beneficial endophytic fungi to improve the yield and quality of holds great significance for the cultivation of medicinal plants.
METHODS
In this study, nine non-pathogenic, endophytic fungal strains were introduced into sterile seedlings and cultivated both and (the greenhouse). The effects of these strains on the growth indices, C and N metabolism, antioxidant activity, photosynthesis, and content of bioactive ingredients in were then evaluated.
RESULTS
The results showed that the different genera, species, or strains of endophytic fungi regulated the growth and metabolism of in unique ways. These endophytic fungi primarily exerted their growth-promoting effects by increasing the net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO concentration, and the activities of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase, nitrate reductase, and glutamine synthetase. They also enhanced the adaptability and resistance to environmental stresses by improving the synthesis of osmoregulatory compounds and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, their regulatory effects on the growth and development of were affected by environmental changes. Moreover, the strains that significantly promoted the synthesis and accumulation of phenolic acids inhibited the accumulation of tanshinones components, and vice versa. The endophytic fungal strains DS8, DS10, and DS12 enhanced the bioaccumulation of tanshinones. DS16 elevated the rosmarinic acid content and yields in . The strain DS5 improved the contents of dihydrotanshinone, salvianolic acid B, and rosmarinic acid. The strains DS8 and DS10 improved resistance.
CONCLUSION
Various endophytic fungi affected the quality and yield of by regulating different physiological and metabolic pathways. This study also provides a novel and effective method to maximize the effects of beneficial endophytic fungi by selecting specific strains to design microbial communities based on the different ecological functions of endophytic fungi under varying environments and for specific production goals.
Topics: Salvia miltiorrhiza; Antioxidants; Rosmarinic Acid
PubMed: 38406278
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16959 -
AMB Express Dec 2023Most antibiotics now used in clinical practice are cephalosporins. Acremonium (A.) chrysogenum W42-I is an intermediate strain out of W42 strain improvement program...
Most antibiotics now used in clinical practice are cephalosporins. Acremonium (A.) chrysogenum W42-I is an intermediate strain out of W42 strain improvement program whose productivity is above that of the wild-type strain to produce the broad-spectrum antibacterial cephalosporin C (CPC). As a result, fermentation process optimization is considered because it offers the ideal environment for strains to reach their full potential. Our research aimed to combine a rational design to regulate the fermentation process environment and culture media as well as to develop mutants with high productivity. Different media were tested to obtain maximum CPC production. To maximize the production of CPC, some environmental parameters were experimentally optimized via the Box-Behnken design used for response surface methodology (RSM). There were 17 tests conducted, and each experiment's reaction was recorded. Improvement of the CPC production was further achieved via mutagenesis using gamma radiation. Results revealed that a pH of 4, an incubation period of 4 days, and an inoculum size of 1% v/v using the optimized media (CPC2) were the optimum conditions for enhancing the CPC production by 4.43-fold. In addition, gamma irradiation further enhanced production to reach 3.46-fold using an optimum dose of 2 KGy. In conclusion, in comparison to initial production levels, CPC production increased 4.43-fold because of nutritional and environmental optimization. The mutant AC8 demonstrated a roughly 3.46-fold increase in activity against its parent type. Moreover, subsequent AC8 mutant culture demonstrated excellent genetic stability.
PubMed: 38079030
DOI: 10.1186/s13568-023-01645-5 -
MicrobiologyOpen Aug 2023Patulin is a toxic secondary metabolite synthesized by various fungal strains. This mycotoxin is generally toxic to microorganisms as well as mammals due to its...
Patulin is a toxic secondary metabolite synthesized by various fungal strains. This mycotoxin is generally toxic to microorganisms as well as mammals due to its reactivity with the important cellular antioxidant glutathione. In this study, we explored the presence of microorganisms capable of degrading patulin. Microorganisms were screened for the ability to both grow in culture medium containing patulin and reduce its concentration. Screening of 510 soil samples resulted in the isolation of two filamentous fungal strains, one of which, Acremonium sp. TUS-MM1 was characterized in detail. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that TUS-MM1 cells degraded patulin to desoxypatulinic acid. In addition, extracellular components of strain TUS-MM1 also exhibited patulin-transforming activity. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the extracellular components generated several products from patulin. Disc diffusion assay using Escherichia coli cells revealed that the patulin-transformation products by the extracellular components are less toxic than patulin. We also demonstrated that a thermostable, low-molecular-weight compound within the extracellular components was responsible for the patulin-transforming activity. These results suggest that strain TUS-MM1 transforms patulin into less-toxic molecules by secreting a highly reactive compound. In addition, once patulin enters the cells, strain TUS-MM1 can transform it into desoxypatulinic acid to reduce its toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Patulin; Fungi; Antioxidants; Biological Transport; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Escherichia coli; Mammals
PubMed: 37642482
DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1373 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023Fungi produce surface-active proteins, among which hydrophobins are the most characterized and attractive also for their ability to form functional amyloids. Our most...
Fungi produce surface-active proteins, among which hydrophobins are the most characterized and attractive also for their ability to form functional amyloids. Our most recent findings show that these abilities are shared with other classes of fungal proteins. Indeed, in this paper, we compared the characteristics of a class I hydrophobin (Vmh2 from ) and an unknown protein (named PAC3), extracted from the marine fungal strain which does not belong to the same protein family based on its sequence features. They both proved to be good biosurfactants, stabilizing emulsions in several conditions (concentration, pH, and salinity) and decreasing surface tension to a comparable value to that of some synthetic surfactants. After that, we observed for both Vmh2 and PAC3 the formation of giant fibers without the need for harsh conditions or long incubation time, a remarkable ability herein reported for the first time.
Topics: Cysteine; Fungal Proteins; Membrane Proteins; Pleurotus; Salinity
PubMed: 37762146
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813843 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Intensification of staple crops through conventional agricultural practices with chemical synthetic inputs has yielded positive outcomes in food security but with...
Intensification of staple crops through conventional agricultural practices with chemical synthetic inputs has yielded positive outcomes in food security but with negative environmental impacts. Ecological intensification using cropping systems such as maize edible-legume intercropping (MLI) systems has the potential to enhance soil health, agrobiodiversity and significantly influence crop productivity. However, mechanisms underlying enhancement of biological soil health have not been well studied. This study investigated the shifts in rhizospheric soil and maize-root microbiomes and associated soil physico-chemical parameters in MLI systems of smallholder farms in comparison to maize-monoculture cropping systems (MMC). Maize-root and rhizospheric soil samples were collected from twenty-five farms each conditioned by MLI and MMC systems in eastern Kenya. Soil characteristics were assessed using Black oxidation and Walkley methods. High-throughput amplicon sequencing was employed to analyze fungal and bacterial communities, predicting their functional roles and diversity. The different MLI systems significantly impacted soil and maize-root microbial communities, resulting in distinct microbe sets. Specific fungal and bacterial genera and species were mainly influenced and enriched in the MLI systems (e.g., Bionectria solani, Sarocladium zeae, Fusarium algeriense, and Acremonium persicinum for fungi, and Bradyrhizobium elkanii, Enterobacter roggenkampii, Pantoea dispersa and Mitsuaria chitosanitabida for bacteria), which contribute to nutrient solubilization, decomposition, carbon utilization, plant protection, bio-insecticides/fertilizer production, and nitrogen fixation. Conversely, the MMC systems enriched phytopathogenic microbial species like Sphingomonas leidyi and Alternaria argroxiphii. Each MLI system exhibited a unique composition of fungal and bacterial communities that shape belowground biodiversity, notably affecting soil attributes, plant well-being, disease control, and agroecological services. Indeed, soil physico-chemical properties, including pH, nitrogen, organic carbon, phosphorus, and potassium were enriched in MLI compared to MMC cropping systems. Thus, diversification of agroecosystems with MLI systems enhances soil properties and shifts rhizosphere and maize-root microbiome in favor of ecologically important microbial communities.
Topics: Zea mays; Soil Microbiology; Soil; Agriculture; Rhizosphere; Microbiota; Crops, Agricultural; Ecosystem; Plant Roots; Biodiversity; Bacteria; Fungi; Kenya; Crop Production
PubMed: 38906908
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64138-w