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Clinical Laboratory Jun 2024Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a deep fungal infection caused by invasion of Aspergillus mycelium into the lung parenchyma resulting in tissue destruction and...
BACKGROUND
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a deep fungal infection caused by invasion of Aspergillus mycelium into the lung parenchyma resulting in tissue destruction and necrosis, which occurs more often in im-munosuppressed populations. The severity of the disease and the rapid progression of the lung lesions puts pa¬tients at high risk of death and poor prognosis if the correct therapeutic intervention is not given as early as possible.
METHODS
Here we report a case of IPA, which was initially diagnosed as community-acquired pneumonia in a local hospital. The symptoms did not improve after receiving anti-infective treatment. The patient was diagnosed with IPA after completing a chest CT examination and an electronic bronchoscopy, as well as pathogenetic examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and pathological examination of the left bronchial mass in the respiratory department of our hospital, which was finally diagnosed as IPA. After one week of administration of voriconazole for anti-fungal infection treatment, the patient's symptoms improved significantly, and a repeat chest CT suggested that the lung lesions were better than before. In order to raise clinicians' awareness of this disease, we also conducted a literature analysis.
RESULTS
The final diagnosis of IPA was made by analyzing the patient's history, symptoms, signs, and relevant findings.
CONCLUSIONS
When the patient's clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations are consistent with IPA, electronic bronchoscopy and pathogenetic and pathological examinations may be appropriately performed to clarify the na-ture of the lesion. More consideration should be given to the possibility of disease diagnosis to avoid misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis. Appropriate treatment should be given at an early stage.
Topics: Humans; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis; Antifungal Agents; Voriconazole; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Bronchoscopy; Male; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Middle Aged; Lung
PubMed: 38868875
DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.240106 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of banded leaf and sheath blight (BL&SB), poses a significant threat to maize and various crops globally. The increasing concerns...
Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of banded leaf and sheath blight (BL&SB), poses a significant threat to maize and various crops globally. The increasing concerns surrounding the environmental and health impacts of chemical fungicides have encouraged intensified concern in the development of biological control agents (BCAs) as eco-friendly alternatives. In this study, we explored the potential of 22 rhizobacteria strains (AS1-AS22) isolates, recovered from the grasslands of the Pithoragarh region in the Central Himalayas, as effective BCAs against BL&SB disease. Among these strains, two Pseudomonas isolates, AS19 and AS21, exhibited pronounced inhibition of fungal mycelium growth in vitro, with respective inhibition rates of 57.04% and 54.15% in cell cultures and 66.56% and 65.60% in cell-free culture filtrates. Additionally, both strains demonstrated effective suppression of sclerotium growth. The strains AS19 and AS21 were identified as Pseudomonas sp. by 16S rDNA phylogeny and deposited under accession numbers NAIMCC-B-02303 and NAIMCC-B-02304, respectively. Further investigations revealed the mechanisms of action of AS19 and AS21, demonstrating their ability to induce systemic resistance (ISR) and exhibit broad-spectrum antifungal activity against Alternaria triticina, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Rhizoctonia maydis, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis. Pot trials demonstrated significant reductions in BL&SB disease incidence (DI) following foliar applications of AS19 and AS21, with reductions ranging from 25 to 38.33% compared to control treatments. Scanning electron microscopy revealed substantial degradation of fungal mycelium by the strains, accompanied by the production of hydrolytic enzymes. These findings suggest the potential of Pseudomonas strains AS19 and AS21 as promising BCAs against BL&SB and other fungal pathogens. However, further field trials are warranted to validate their efficacy under natural conditions and elucidate the specific bacterial metabolites responsible for inducing systemic resistance. This study contributes to the advancement of sustainable disease management strategies and emphasizes the potential of Pseudomonas strains AS19 and AS21 in combating BL&SB and other fungal diseases affecting agricultural crops.
Topics: Plant Diseases; Zea mays; Pseudomonas; Rhizoctonia; Plant Leaves; Biological Control Agents; Pest Control, Biological; Antibiosis; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38866928
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64028-1 -
Letters in Applied Microbiology Jun 2024Wolfiporia cocos, a versatile fungus acclaimed for its nutritional and therapeutic benefits in Traditional Chinese Medicine, holds immense potential for pharmaceutical...
Wolfiporia cocos, a versatile fungus acclaimed for its nutritional and therapeutic benefits in Traditional Chinese Medicine, holds immense potential for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. In this study, we aimed to optimize liquid fermentation techniques and culture medium composition to maximize mycelial biomass (MB) yield, pachymic acid (PA) concentration, and overall PA production. Additionally, we investigated the molecular basis of our findings by quantifying the expression levels of genes associated with PA and MB biosynthesis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, significant results were achieved, with maximum MB reaching 6.68 g l-1, PA content peaking at 1.25 mg g-1, and a total PA yield of 4.76 g l-1. Notably, among the four examined genes, squalene monooxygenase, exhibited enhanced expression at 0.06 ratio under the optimized conditions. Furthermore, within the realm of carbohydrate-active enzymes, the glycoside hydrolases 16 family displayed elevated expression levels at 21 ratios, particularly during MB production. This study enhances understanding of genetic mechanism governing MB and PA production in W. cocos, highlighting the roles of squalene monooxygenase and glycoside hydrolases 16 carbohydrate-active enzymes.
Topics: Wolfiporia; Fermentation; Mycelium; Biomass; Triterpenes; Culture Media; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Fungal Proteins; Squalene Monooxygenase; Gene Expression
PubMed: 38866707
DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovae054 -
Microbes and Environments 2024Mn(II)-oxidizing microorganisms are considered to play significant roles in the natural geochemical cycles of Mn and other heavy metals because the insoluble biogenic Mn...
Mn(II)-oxidizing microorganisms are considered to play significant roles in the natural geochemical cycles of Mn and other heavy metals because the insoluble biogenic Mn oxides (BMOs) that are produced by these microorganisms adsorb other dissolved heavy metals and immobilize them as precipitates. In the present study, a new Mn(II)-oxidizing fungal strain belonging to the ascomycete genus Periconia, a well-studied plant-associating fungal genus with Mn(II)-oxidizing activity that has not yet been exami-ned in detail, was isolated from natural groundwater outflow sediment. This isolate, named strain TS-2, was confirmed to oxidize dissolved Mn(II) and produce insoluble BMOs that formed characteristic, separately-located nodules on their hyphae while leaving major areas of the hyphae free from encrustation. These BMO nodules also adsorbed and immobilized dissolved Cu(II), a model analyte of heavy metals, as evidenced by elemental mapping ana-lyses of fungal hyphae-BMO assemblages using a scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Analyses of functional genes within the whole genome of strain TS-2 further revealed the presence of multiple genes predicted to encode laccases/multicopper oxidases that were potentially responsible for Mn(II) oxidation by this strain. The formation of BMO nodules may have functioned to prevent the complete encrustation of fungal hyphae, thereby enabling the control of heavy metal concentrations in their local microenvironments while maintaining hyphal functionality. The present results will expand our knowledge of the physiological and morphological traits of Mn(II)-oxidizing Periconia, which may affect the natural cycle of heavy metals through their immobilization.
Topics: Hyphae; Copper; Manganese Compounds; Oxides; Ascomycota; Oxidation-Reduction; Groundwater; Phylogeny; Geologic Sediments; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Manganese
PubMed: 38866480
DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.ME23102 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Male; Antifungal Agents; Hyphae; Mucormycosis; Spores, Fungal; Aged
PubMed: 38864632
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01638-23 -
Plant Disease Jun 2024Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) is a legume with high nutritional and economic value that is cultivated widely across Asia (Kang et al. 2014). In March 2022, a...
Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) is a legume with high nutritional and economic value that is cultivated widely across Asia (Kang et al. 2014). In March 2022, a leaf spot disease in mung bean was observed at the Gangneung-Wonju National University Experimental farm (Gangneung, South Korea, 37.77°N, 128.86°E). The affected plants had irregular brown-gray leaf spots, and the bottom of the leaves showed concentric brown-gray rings that eventually progressed to necrotic lesions. Regardless of the cultivar, approximately 30% of the plants in the field were infected. To isolate the pathogen, the affected leaves were surface-sterilized by washing with 70% ethanol for 1 min, followed by washing with 2% NaClO for 2 min, then rinsing with sterile distilled water. We placed 3-mm sized diseased lesions on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), then incubated them at 27 ± 1 °C in the dark for 7 days and we obtained 1 isolate (CC1). The fungus on PDA had white aerial mycelia that became gray toward the center. Single spore cultures were obtained from fungal isolate. Isolated conidia were single celled, hyaline, cylindrical, and measured between 20.75 to 22.07 μm × 5.85 to 6.92 μm (n = 20), similar to other reports of C. camelliae(Wang et al. 2016). Mycelium from the single spore isolate was used for DNA extraction using Exgene™ Plant SV / (GeneAll®, Cat.No. 117-152), and we amplified the ITS region with primers ITS1 + ITS2 and ITS3 + ITS4, a portion of the actin gene with primers ACT-512F + 738R, and a portion of the beta-tubulin gene with primers BT2aF + BT2bR (Carbone et al. 1999; Glass et al. 1995; White et al. 1990). The amplified regions were sequenced by by Macrogen® (Seoul, South Korea). Sequences were deposited under GenBank accession numbers OR523262 (ITS), OR582483 (Actin), and OR566953 (beta-tubulin). MegaBLAST analysis of the ITS1, ITS2, ACT, and TUB regions showed 99% (216/217 bp) similarity with C. camelliae strain HNCS-26 (MK041440.1), 99% (303/305 bp) similarity with C. camelliae strain G3 (ON025203.1), 99% (242/244 bp) similarity with C. camelliae strain FWT41 (MN525820.1), and 99% (456/460 bp) with C. camelliae strain LF152 (KJ955239.1), respectively. To fulfill Koch's postulates, we conducted a pathogenicity teston the mung bean cultivar VC1973A (Seonhwanokdu) grown for four weeks at 25 °C with a 16-h day/8-h night cycle, simulating the field conditions when the symptoms were observed. We tested the pathogenicity on six plants , three control and three infected plants. Using three leaf replicates per plant resulting in total of nine leaves per group. Leaves were first injured using a sterile needle then either sterile 5 mm PDA plugs or plugs with C. camelliae were placed on the leaf for control and infected conditions, respectively. Irregular gray leaf spots were observed on the abaxial and adaxial of the infected leaf after 2 weeks, like the symptoms observed in the field. This was observed only on infected leaves and nowhere else on the plant and the control plants had no infection. We re-isolated the pathogen from diseased leaves and identified it as C. camelliae using the same molecular markers described previously, completing Koch's postulate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot caused by C. camelliae in mung bean plants in Korea, previously the fungi was reported to infect tea plants in Korea (Hassan et al. 2023). More studies are required to investigate potentially resistant mung bean varieties to minimize future damage caused by this fungus.
PubMed: 38861469
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-02-24-0335-PDN -
Virulence Dec 2024Rad6 functions as a ubiquitin-conjugating protein that regulates cellular processes in many fungal species. However, its role in filamentous entomopathogenic fungi...
Rad6 functions as a ubiquitin-conjugating protein that regulates cellular processes in many fungal species. However, its role in filamentous entomopathogenic fungi remains poorly understood. This study characterizes Rad6 in , a filamentous fungus widely employed as a critical fungicide globally. The results demonstrate a significant association between Rad6 and conidial properties, heat shock response, and UV-B tolerance. Concurrently, the mutant strain exhibited heightened sensitivity to oxidative stress, cell wall interfering agents, DNA damage stress, and prolonged heat shock. Furthermore, the absence of Rad6 significantly extended the median lethal time (LT) of infected by . This delay could be attributed to reduced Pr1 proteases and extracellular cuticle-degrading enzymes, diminished dimorphic transition rates, and dysregulated antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, the absence of Rad6 had a more pronounced effect on genetic information processing, metabolism, and cellular processes under normal conditions. However, its impact was limited to metabolism in oxidative stress. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal roles of Rad6 in conidial and hyphal stress tolerance, environmental adaptation, and the pathogenesis of .
Topics: Beauveria; Animals; Spores, Fungal; Fungal Proteins; Oxidative Stress; Virulence; Stress, Physiological; Moths; Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes; Heat-Shock Response; Hyphae
PubMed: 38860453
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2362748 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2024Edible fungi has certain photo-sensitivity during the mushroom emergence stage, but there has been few relevant studies on the responses of to different light quality....
Edible fungi has certain photo-sensitivity during the mushroom emergence stage, but there has been few relevant studies on the responses of to different light quality. were planted in growth chambers with different light qualities that were, respectively, white light (CK), monochromatic red light (R), monochromatic blue light (B), mixed red and blue light (RB), and the mixture of far-red and blue light (FrB). The photo-sensitivity of was investigated by analyzing the growth characteristics, nutritional quality, extracellular enzymes as well as the light photoreceptor genes in mushroom exposed to different light treatments. The results showed that R led to mycelium degeneration, fungal skin inactivation and failure of primordial formation in . The stipe length, stipe diameter, pileus diameter and the weight of fruiting bodies exposed to RB significantly increased by 8.0, 28.7, 18.3, and 58.2% respectively, compared to the control ( < 0.05). B significantly decreased the stipe length and the weight of fruiting body, with a decrease of 8.5 and 20.2% respectively, compared to the control ( < 0.05). Increased color indicators and deepened simulated color were detected in pileus treated with B and FrB in relative to the control. Meanwhile, the expression levels of blue photoreceptor genes such as , and were significantly up-regulated in mushroom exposed to B and FrB ( < 0.05). Additionally, the contents of crude protein and crude polysaccharide in pileus treated with RB were, respectively, increased by 26.5 and 9.4% compared to the control, while those in stipes increased by 5.3 and 58.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, the activities of extracellular enzyme such as cellulase, hemicellulase, laccase, manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase and amylase were significant up-regulated in mushroom subjected to RB ( < 0.05), which may promote the degradation of the culture materials. On the whole, the largest volume and weight as well as the highest contents of nutrients were all detected in treated with RB. The study provided a theoretical basis for the regulation of light environment in the industrial production of high quality .
PubMed: 38860159
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1404138 -
World Journal of Microbiology &... Jun 2024Ectomycorrhizal inoculum has emerged as a critical tool for forest restoration, especially under challenging climate change conditions. The inoculation of selective...
Ectomycorrhizal inoculum has emerged as a critical tool for forest restoration, especially under challenging climate change conditions. The inoculation of selective ectomycorrhizal fungi can enhance seedling survival and subsequent growth in the field. This study optimized the liquid media for mycelial growth of Astraeus odoratus strain K1 and the sodium alginate solution composition for enhanced mycelial viability after entrapment. Using Modified Melin-Norkrans as the optimal media for mycelial cultivation and 2% sodium alginate supplemented with Czapek medium, 0.25% activated charcoal, 5% sucrose, and 5% sorbitol in the alginate solution yielded the highest viability of A. odoratus mycelia. Preservation in distilled water and 10% glycerol at 25 °C for 60 days proved to be the most effective storage condition for the alginate beads. Both fresh and preserved alginate beads were tested for colonizing on Hopea odorata Roxb. seedlings, showing successful colonization and ectomycorrhizal root formation, with over 49% colonization. This study fills a crucial gap in biotechnology and ectomycorrhizal inoculum, paving the way for more effective and sustainable forest restoration practices.
Topics: Alginates; Mycorrhizae; Mycelium; Culture Media; Seedlings
PubMed: 38858319
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03962-8 -
Plant Disease Jun 2024In Mexico, there are 29 native species of the genus , where . is one of the most cultivated bulbous plants. It holds economic importance as it is commercialized as a...
In Mexico, there are 29 native species of the genus , where . is one of the most cultivated bulbous plants. It holds economic importance as it is commercialized as a potted plant and cut flower (Leszczyñska and Borys, 2001). In October 2023, field sampling was conducted in the Research Center in Horticulture and Native Plants (18°55'55" N, 98°24'02.8"W) of UPAEP University. . diseased plants were found in an area of 0.4 ha, with an incidence of 35% and an estimated severity of 45% on infected plants in vegetative stage. The symptoms included chlorosis of foliage, necrosis at the base of the stem, and soft rot with abundant white to gray mycelium and abundant production of black, irregular sclerotia of approximately 3.5 mm diameter. Finally, the plants wilted and died. The fungus was isolated from 40 symptomatic plants. Sclerotia were collected, disinfested with 3% NaOCl for one minute, rinsed with sterile distilled water (SDW), and plated on Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar (PDA) with sterile forceps. Subsequently, a sterile dissecting needle was used to place fragments of mycelium directly on Petri dishes with PDA. Plates were incubated at 23 °C in dark for 7 days. One isolate was obtained from each diseased plant by the hyphal-tip method (20 isolates from sclerotia and 20 from mycelium). After 7 days, colonies had fast-growing, dense, and cottony-white aerial mycelium forming irregular sclerotia of 3.57 ± 0.59 mm (mean ± standard deviation, n=100). In each Petri dish there were produced 21.5 ± 7.9 sclerotia (mean ± standard deviation, n=40), after 11 days; these were initially white and gradually turned black. The isolates were tentatively identified as based on morphological characteristics (Saharan and Mehta 2008). Two representative isolates were chosen for molecular identification and genomic DNA was extracted by the CTAB protocol. The ITS region and the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) gene were amplified and sequenced (Staats et al. 2005; White et al. 1990). The sequences of a representative isolate (SsHg3) were deposited in GenBank (ITS- PP094578; G3PDH- PP101843). BLAST analysis of the partial sequences ITS (519 bp), and G3PDH (950 bp) showed 100% similarity to . isolates (GenBank: MG249967, MW082601). Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating 30 . plants in vegetative stage grown in pots with sterile soil. Ten sclerotia were deposited at the base of the stem, 10 mm below the soil surface. As control treatment, SDW was applied to 10 plants. The plants were placed in a greenhouse at 23 °C and 90% relative humidity. After 17 days, all inoculated plants displayed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, while no symptoms were observed on the controls. The fungus was re-isolated from the inoculated plants as described above, fulfilling Koch's postulates. The pathogenicity tests were repeated three times. . has been reported causing white mold on other bulbous plants, like fennel () in Korea (Choi et al. 2015). To our knowledge, this is the first report of . causing white mold on . in Mexico. Information about diseases affecting this plant is very limited, so this research is essential for developing integrated management strategies and preventing spread to other production areas.
PubMed: 38853333
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-02-24-0447-PDN