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PeerJ 2022Although previous studies reported that gut fungal microbiota was associated with Crohn's disease (CD), only a few studies have focused on the correlation between gut...
Although previous studies reported that gut fungal microbiota was associated with Crohn's disease (CD), only a few studies have focused on the correlation between gut fungi and clinical phenotypes of CD. Here, we aimed to analyze the association between intestinal fungi and the occurrence of CD, disease activity, biological behaviors, and perianal lesions. Stool samples from subjects meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were collected for running internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) high-throughput sequencing. Then, correlation analysis was conducted between intestinal fungi and different clinical groups. There were 45 patients with CD and 17 healthy controls (HCs) enrolled. Results showed that two phyla, Rozellomycota and Mortierellomycota, were not present in patients with CD compared to HCs. At the same time, there was a higher abundance of fungal genera and species belonging to the phylum Ascomycota in patients with CD. SparCC network analysis showed fewer interactions among the fungal communities in patients with CD compared to HCs. was positively associated with the clinical active stage and platelet count. The genus was with significantly higher abundance in the non-B1 CD group based on the Montreal classification. , and were significantly enriched in patients with CD with perianal lesions. Our results demonstrated that the composition of the intestinal fungal microbiota in patients with CD and HCs was markedly different, some of which might play a pathogenic role in the occurrence of CD and perianal lesions. and genus might be associated with active disease stage and type non-B1 CD (CD with intestinal stenosis or penetrating lesions, or both), respectively.
Topics: Crohn Disease; Mycobiome; Exophiala; Ascomycota; Candida
PubMed: 36275466
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14260 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Human fungal diseases are infections caused by any fungus that invades human tissues, causing superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic diseases. Fungal infections that... (Review)
Review
Human fungal diseases are infections caused by any fungus that invades human tissues, causing superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic diseases. Fungal infections that enter various human tissues and organs pose a significant threat to millions of individuals with weakened immune systems globally. Over recent decades, the reported cases of invasive fungal infections have increased substantially and research progress in this field has also been rapidly boosted. This review provides a comprehensive list of human fungal pathogens extracted from over 850 recent case reports, and a summary of the relevant disease conditions and their origins. Details of 281 human fungal pathogens belonging to 12 classes and 104 genera in the divisions ascomycota, basidiomycota, entomophthoromycota, and mucoromycota are listed. Among these, stands out as the genus with the greatest potential of infecting humans, comprising 16 species known to infect humans. Additionally, three other genera, , , and , are recognized as significant genera, each comprising 10 or more known human pathogenic species. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) of human fungal pathogens was performed to show their phylogenetic relationships and clarify their taxonomies. In addition, this review summarizes the recent advancements in fungal disease diagnosis and therapeutics.
PubMed: 38787278
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13050426 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Jun 2018Exophiala dermatitidis is a melanized fungus isolated from many environmental sources. Infections caused by Exophiala species are typically seen in immunocompromised...
BACKGROUND
Exophiala dermatitidis is a melanized fungus isolated from many environmental sources. Infections caused by Exophiala species are typically seen in immunocompromised hosts and manifest most commonly as cutaneous or subcutaneous disease. Systemic infections are exceedingly rare and associated with significant morbidity and mortality CASE PRESENTATION: A 28-year-old female originally from India presented with fevers, chills, weight loss and increasing back pain. She had a recent diffuse maculopapular rash that resulted in skin biopsy and a tentative diagnosis of sarcoidosis, leading to administration of azathioprine and prednisone. An MRI of her spine revealed a large paraspinal abscess requiring surgical intervention and hardware placement. Cultures from the paraspinal abscess grew a colony of dark pigmented mold. Microscopy of the culture revealed a melanized fungus, identified as Exophiala dermatitidis. Voriconazole was initially utilized, but due to relapse of infection involving the right iliac crest and left proximal humerus, she received a prolonged course of amphotericin B and posaconazole in combination and required 7 separate surgical interventions. Prolonged disease stability following discontinuation of therapy was achieved.
CONCLUSIONS
Described is the first identified case of disseminated Exophiala dermatitidis causing osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in a patient on immunosuppressive therapy. A positive outcome was achieved through aggressive surgical intervention and prolonged treatment with broad-spectrum antifungal agents.
Topics: Adult; Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Arthritis, Infectious; Exophiala; Female; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Osteomyelitis; Phaeohyphomycosis; Triazoles; Voriconazole
PubMed: 29866071
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-018-3171-0 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2020Infections of are often chronic and recalcitrant. Combination therapies with novel compounds and azoles could be an effective solution. Previously, we have demonstrated...
Infections of are often chronic and recalcitrant. Combination therapies with novel compounds and azoles could be an effective solution. Previously, we have demonstrated that pyrvinium pamoate exerted antifungal activity alone and favorable synergy with azoles against planktonic . Herein, the underlying antifungal mode of action were investigated. Pyrvinium alone showed sessile MIC50 (SMIC50) of 8->16 μg/ml against biofilms. However, synergism of PP with itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole were observed against 16 (88.9%), 9 (50%), and 13 (72.2%) strains of biofilms. In accordance with susceptibilities, pyrvinium alone at concentration of 2 μg/ml resulted in significant growth restriction of planktonic . Pyrvinium alone resulted in reduction of biofilm formation. Higher concentration of pyrvinium was associate with more progressive reduction of biofilm mass. The activity of pyrvinium alone and combined with azoles was evaluated using model. Pyrvinium alone significantly improved the survival rate of larvae ( < 0.0001). The combination of pyrvinium and voriconazole or posaconazole acted synergistically ( < 0.05). Fungal burden determination revealed significant reduction of numbers of colony forming unit (CFU) in larvae treated with pyrvinium-itraconazole and pyrvinium-posaconazole compared to itraconazole or posaconazole alone group, respectively. The effect of pyrvinium on apoptosis, expression of and , and drug efflux reversal were evaluated by PI/Annexin V staining, Real-Time Quantitative PCR and Rhodamine 6G assay, respectively. Pyrvinium alone or combined with azoles significantly ( < 0.05) increased late apoptosis or necrosis of cells. Pyrvinium combined with posaconazole significantly decreased the expression of and compared to posaconazole alone group ( < 0.05). Pyrvinium resulted in significant ( < 0.05) decrease of the efflux of Rhodamine 6G. These findings suggested pyrvinium could be a promising synergist with azoles. The underlying mechanisms could be explained by inducing apoptosis/necrosis, inhibition of drug efflux pumps, and signaling pathways related with stress response and growth control.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Azoles; Exophiala; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pyrvinium Compounds
PubMed: 33194816
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.576975 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2020, a capsule-producing black yeast, is overrepresented as agent of disseminated infection in humans with inherited dysfunction of the gene. In a review of published...
, a capsule-producing black yeast, is overrepresented as agent of disseminated infection in humans with inherited dysfunction of the gene. In a review of published caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) deficiency cases, black fungi were linked to mutations other than those prevalent in yeast and dermatophyte cases, and were found to respond to a larger panel of cytokines. Here, we sequenced and annotated the genomes of BMU 08022 from a patient with CARD9 deficiency and two environmental strains, BMU 00051 and BMU 00047. We performed genomic and transcriptomic analysis for these isolates including published black yeasts genomes, using a combination of long-read (PACBIO) and short-read (Illumina) sequencing technologies with a hybrid assembly strategy. We identified the virulence factors, fitness, and the major genetic and gene expression differences between the strains with RNAseq technology. Genome assembly reached sub-chromosome level with between 12,043 and 12,130 predicted genes. The number of indels identified in the clinical strain was higher than observed in environmental strains. We identify a relatively large core genome of 9,887 genes. Moreover, substantial syntenic rearrangements of scaffolds I and III in the -related isolate were detected. Seventeen gene clusters were involved in the production of secondary metabolites. PKS-cluster 17 was consistently found to be absent in the clinical strain. Comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated that 16 single-copy genes were significantly differentially expressed upon incubation in brain-heart infusion broth vs. Sabouraud glucose broth. Most of the single-copy genes upregulated with Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) were transporters. There were 48 unique genes differentially expressed exclusively to the clinical strain in two different media, including genes from various metabolic processes and transcriptional regulation. Up-regulated genes in the clinical strain with Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment are mainly involved in transmembrane transport, biosynthetic process and metabolic process. This study has provided novel insights into understanding of strain-differences in intrinsic virulence of the species and indicated that intraspecific variability may be related to habitat choice. This indicates that strains of are differentially prone to cause infection in susceptible patient populations, and provides clues for future studies exploring the mechanisms of pathogenic and adaptive strategies of black yeasts in immunodeficient patients.
PubMed: 32849462
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01880 -
STAR Protocols Sep 2020is a polyextremotolerant fungus with a small genome, thus suitable as a model system for melanogenesis and carotenogensis. A genome-scale model, Ede2091, is...
is a polyextremotolerant fungus with a small genome, thus suitable as a model system for melanogenesis and carotenogensis. A genome-scale model, Ede2091, is reconstructed to increase metabolic understanding and used in a shadow price analysis of pigments, as detailed here. Important to this reconstruction is OptFill, a recently developed alternative gap-filling method useful in the holistic and conservative reconstruction of genome-scale models of metabolism, particularly for understudied organisms like where gaps in metabolic knowledge are abundant. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Schroeder and Saha (2020) and Schroeder et al. (2020).
Topics: Carotenoids; Computational Biology; Exophiala; Genome, Fungal; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomics; Melanins; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sputum
PubMed: 32935086
DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100105 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2020The two black yeasts and that are clinically considered as the most virulent species potentially causing disseminated infections are both producing extracellular...
The two black yeasts and that are clinically considered as the most virulent species potentially causing disseminated infections are both producing extracellular capsule-like material, are compared. In this study, 10 genomes of and strains, including both clinical and environmental isolates, were selected based on phylogenetic analysis, physiology tests and virulence tests, sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq sequencer and annotated. Comparison of genome data were performed between intraspecific and interspecific strains. We found capsule-associated genes were however not consistently present in both species by the comparative genomics. The prevalent clinical species, , has small genomes containing significantly less virulence-associated genes than , and also than saprobic relatives. Gene OG0012246 and Myb-like DNA-binding domain and SANT/Myb domain, restricted to two strains from human brain, was shared with the neurotropic species . This study indicated that different virulence profiles existed in the two capsule-producing black yeasts, and the absence of consistent virulence-associated profiles supports the hypothesis that black yeasts are opportunists rather than primary pathogens. The results also provide the key virulence genes and drive the continuing research forward pathogen-host interactions to explore the pathogenesis.
PubMed: 32373085
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00586 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Dec 2017interactions of tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, and azoles, including itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, against planktonic cells and biofilms of were...
interactions of tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, and azoles, including itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, against planktonic cells and biofilms of were assessed via a broth microdilution checkerboard technique. A total of 16 clinical isolates were studied. The results revealed favorable synergistic inhibitory activity between tacrolimus and itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole against 68.8%, 87.5%, and 100% of tested strains of planktonic , respectively.However, limited synergism was observed against biofilms of No antagonism was observed in all combinations.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Biofilms; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Candida parapsilosis; Drug Synergism; Exophiala; Humans; Itraconazole; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phaeohyphomycosis; Tacrolimus; Triazoles; Voriconazole
PubMed: 28923863
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00948-17 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020Rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) are nonlichenized fungi that naturally colonize rock surfaces and subsurfaces. The extremely slow growth rate and lack of distinguishing...
Rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) are nonlichenized fungi that naturally colonize rock surfaces and subsurfaces. The extremely slow growth rate and lack of distinguishing morphological characteristics of RIF resulted in a poor understanding on their biodiversity. In this study, we surveyed RIF colonizing historical stone monuments and natural rock formations from throughout China. Among over 1000 isolates, after preliminary delimitation using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequences, representative isolates belonging to Trichomeriaceae and Herpotrichiellaceae were selected for a combined analysis of ITS and the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nucLSU) to determine the generic placements. Eight clades representing seven known genera and one new genus herein named as were placed in Trichomeriaceae. While, for Herpotrichiellaceae, two clades corresponded to two genera: and . Fine-scale phylogenetic analyses using combined sequences of the partial actin gene (ACT), ITS, mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU), nucLSU, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (SSU), translation elongation factor (TEF), and β-tubulin gene (TUB) revealed that these strains represented 11 and 6 new species, respectively, in Trichomeriaceae and Herpotrichiellaceae. The 17 new species were described, illustrated for their morphologies and compared with similar taxa. Our study demonstrated that the diversity of RIF is surprisingly high and still poorly understood. In addition, a rapid strategy for classifying RIF was proposed to determine the generic and familial placements through preliminary ITS and nucLSU analyses, followed by combined analyses of five loci selected from ACT, ITS, mtSSU, nucLSU, RPB1, and/or the second subunit of RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2), SSU, TEF, and TUB regions to classify RIF to the species level.
PubMed: 32987844
DOI: 10.3390/jof6040187 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Mycorrhizal fungi plays important roles in the seed germination and subsequent growth of orchids. The research of fungi in orchid roots, especially dominant mycorrhizal...
Mycorrhizal fungi plays important roles in the seed germination and subsequent growth of orchids. The research of fungi in orchid roots, especially dominant mycorrhizal fungi is critical for orchids protection. In this study, the fungal community and composition of mycorrhizal fungi in roots, rhizomes and rhizosphere soil of grown in three terrestrial environments were analyzed by the second generation sequencing technology. The results of OTU clustering and α and β diversity analysis showed that there were significant differences in fungal communities in roots, rhizomes and rhizosphere soil of . The total number of OTUs in rhizomes was much less than that in roots and rhizosphere soil. The number of OTUs in rhizosphere soil and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi were the highest. Meanwhile, the species and abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in roots and rhizomes of were different from those in rhizosphere soil. For different elevations, compared with that grow in middle of Tiankeng and top of Tiankeng, the OTUs number of in orchid garden is richest, and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in orchid garden was significantly higher than other locations. Among the three different habitats of , the number of OTUs in humus soil and stone habitats was notably higher than tree habitats, and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in humus soil was the highest. The analysis of mycorrhizal fungi in different habitats and altitudes of showed that Sebacina and Exophiala were the dominant mycorrhizal fungi in . The results of species annotation, phylogenetic tree and co-occurrence network analysis showed the dominant mycorrhizal fungi of mainly included Sebacina, Cladosporium, Exophiala, Fusarium. This study reveals the symbiotic relationship between Sebacina, Exophiala, Cladosporium and the . It will provide a theoretical basis for the protection and biological function study of .
PubMed: 36275522
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.992184