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Microorganisms Sep 2023The role of the fungal community, the mycobiota, in the health of the vagina is currently an important area of research. The emergence of new sequencing technologies and...
The role of the fungal community, the mycobiota, in the health of the vagina is currently an important area of research. The emergence of new sequencing technologies and advances in bioinformatics made possible the discovery of novel fungi inhabiting this niche. spp. constitutes the most important group of opportunistic pathogenic fungi, being the most prevalent fungal species in vulvovaginal infections. However, fungi such as spp., spp. and spp. have emerged as potential pathogens in this niche, and therefore it is clinically relevant to understand their ecological interaction with spp. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of yeasts on ' pathogenicity, focusing on in-vitro growth, and biofilm formation at different times of co-culture and germ tube formation. The assays were performed with isolated species or with co-cultures of (ATCC10231) with one other yeast species: (DSM13621), (DSM6170) or (DSM70215). The results showed that creates a symbiotic relationship with , enhancing the growth rate of the co-culture (149.69%), and of germ tube formation of (119.8%) and inducing a higher amount of biofilm biomass of the co-culture, both when mixed (154.1%) and preformed (166.8%). As for the yeasts and , the relationship is antagonistic (with a significant decrease in all assays), thus possibly repressing the mixture's pathogenicity. These results shed light on the complex interactions between yeasts in the vaginal mycobiome.
PubMed: 37894056
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102398 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Jun 2019Fungi of the genus Cryptococcus are cosmopolitan and may be agents of opportunistic mycoses in immunocompromised and sometimes immunocompetent individuals. Cryptococcus...
INTRODUCTION
Fungi of the genus Cryptococcus are cosmopolitan and may be agents of opportunistic mycoses in immunocompromised and sometimes immunocompetent individuals. Cryptococcus species are frequently isolated from trees and bird excreta in the environment and infection occurs by inhalation of propagules dispersed in the air. The aim was to investigate Cryptococcus species in bird excreta and tree hollows located in a university hospital area and in an academic area of a university campus.
METHODOLOGY
A total of 40 samples of bird excreta and 41 samples of tree hollows were collected. The identification of the isolates was done by classical methodology and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
RESULTS
Twenty (62.5%) isolates of Cryptococcus were found in bird excreta and 12 (37.5%) in tree hollows. C. laurentii (currently Papiliotrema laurentii) was the most frequent species in both samples, being found in 5 samples of excreta and in 8 tree hollows. The diversity of species found in excreta (C. laurentii, C. albidus [currently Naganishia albida], C. liquefaciens [currently N. liquefaciens], C. friedmanii [currently N. friedmannii] and others) was higher than in tree hollows (C. laurentii, C. flavescens [currently Papiliotrema flavescens], and other yeasts).
CONCLUSION
Many Cryptococcus species were isolated from excreta and tree hollows, and this fact is important for understanding the environmental epidemiology of those emerging pathogens for public health, as a way to implement surveillance actions and control of cryptococcosis.
Topics: Academic Medical Centers; Animals; Birds; Cryptococcus; Environmental Microbiology; Feces; Hospitals, University
PubMed: 32058990
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.10849 -
Current Medical Mycology Jun 2017(formerly ) is a non-neoformans cryptococcal species rarely isolated as a human pathogen.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
(formerly ) is a non-neoformans cryptococcal species rarely isolated as a human pathogen.
CASE REPORT
Herein, we present the case of a 26-year-old Iranian man with a superficial cutaneous lesion in the axilla. The initial treatment for pityriasis versicolor by clotrimazole was unsuccessful. We performed skin sampling based on the standard protocol and conducted further investigations by the conventional laboratory tests and molecular analysis of the skin samples. All the mentioned analyses revealed as the causative agent of infection. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis was carried out for the isolated agent, and the patient was treated using 100 mg daily of oral itraconazole.
CONCLUSION
can be the causative agent of some superficial infections. This is the first report on the successful detection and treatment of a superficial skin infection due to by oral itraconazole.
PubMed: 29354779
DOI: 10.18869/acadpub.cmm.3.2.33 -
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection... Apr 2020Despite being associated with a high mortality and economic burden, data regarding candidemia are scant in Algeria. The aim of this study was to unveil the epidemiology...
BACKGROUND
Despite being associated with a high mortality and economic burden, data regarding candidemia are scant in Algeria. The aim of this study was to unveil the epidemiology of candidemia in Algeria, evaluate the antifungal susceptibility pattern of causative agents and understand the molecular mechanisms of antifungal resistance where applicable. Furthermore, by performing environmental screening and microsatellite typing we sought to identify the source of infection.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective epidemiological-based surveillance study and collected available blood yeast isolates recovered from the seven hospitals in Algiers. To identify the source of infection, we performed environmental screening from the hands of healthcare workers (HCWs) and high touch areas. Species identification was performed by API Auxa-Color and MALDI-TOF MS and ITS sequencing was performed for species not reliably identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Antifungal susceptibility testing followed CLSI M27-A3/S4 and included all blood and environmental yeast isolates. ERG11 sequencing was performed for azole-resistant Candida isolates. Microsatellite typing was performed for blood and environmental Candida species, where applicable.
RESULTS
Candida tropicalis (19/66) was the main cause of candidemia in these seven hospitals, followed by Candida parapsilosis (18/66), Candida albicans (18/66), and Candida glabrata (7/66). The overall mortality rate was 68.6% (35/51) and was 81.2% for C. tropicalis-infected patients (13/16). Fluconazole was the main antifungal drug used (12/51); 41% of the patients (21/51) did not receive any systemic treatment. Candida parapsilosis was isolated mainly from the hands of HCWs (7/28), and various yeasts were collected from high-touch areas (11/47), including Naganishia albida, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata. Typing data revealed interhospital transmission on two occasions for C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata, and the same clone of C. parapsilosis infected two patients within the same hospital. Resistance was only noted for C. tropicalis against azoles (6/19) and fluconazole-resistant C. tropicalis isolates (≥8 μg/ml) (6/19) contained a novel P56S (5/6) amino acid substitution and a previously reported one (V234F; 1/6) in Erg11p.
CONCLUSIONS
Collectively, our data suggest an urgent need for antifungal stewardship and infection control strategies to improve the clinical outcome of Algerian patients with candidemia. The high prevalence of C. tropicalis joined by fluconazole-resistance may hamper the therapeutic efficacy of fluconazole, the frontline antifungal drug used in Algeria.
Topics: Algeria; Antifungal Agents; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Candida; Candida tropicalis; Candidemia; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Hand; Health Personnel; Humans; Infection Control; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microsatellite Repeats; Mycological Typing Techniques; Phylogeny; Population Surveillance; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
PubMed: 32264966
DOI: 10.1186/s13756-020-00710-z -
Veterinary World Jul 2019Pigeon feces are increasingly being implicated in the spread of bacterial pathogens such as , , , , and . Fungi are rarely investigated except for that has emerged as...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Pigeon feces are increasingly being implicated in the spread of bacterial pathogens such as , , , , and . Fungi are rarely investigated except for that has emerged as an important pathogen in old people and immunosuppressed patients. This study investigated fungi in pigeon feces collected from Mafikeng, the North West Province of South Africa.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Freshly dropped feces were collected and enriched in phosphate-buffered saline overnight at 48°C and then subcultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and incubated at 48°C for 2 weeks observing any fungal growth from day 2. The growths were picked up, DNA extracted, and polymerase chain reaction was done using the internal transcribed spacer primers.
RESULTS
Fungi isolated included: (), ( and ), spp., and ( and ). Most of these isolates are known opportunistic pathogens and have been isolated in clinical conditions elsewhere. Other isolates such as , , , , and were not found to be of any human health significance.
CONCLUSION
We, therefore, concluded that the presence of these opportunistic pathogens is a significant human health risk, especially in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that results in immunosuppression.
PubMed: 31528034
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2019.1066-1069 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023The organoleptic profile and quality of wine are affected by the presence of different non-s species and strains. Therefore, the identification and characterization of...
The organoleptic profile and quality of wine are affected by the presence of different non-s species and strains. Therefore, the identification and characterization of non-s yeasts are the first step to understand their function, and to develop a better strain selection program for winemaking. This study investigated the biodiversity of non- yeasts associated with spontaneous fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from five sub-regions (Shi Zuishan, Yinchuan, Yu Quanying, Qing Tongxia and Hong Sibu) in Ningxia, China. Yeast species were identified by sequencing the 26S rRNA D1/D2 region, and strains at the subspecies level were discriminated using tandem repeat-tRNA (TRtRNA) PCR analysis. A total of 524 yeast colonies were isolated, and 19 non- yeast species belonging to 10 genera were identified, including , , sp., , , , , , sp., , , , , , , and . , , and were the three most dominated species, while other non- species were only present in the early stage of spontaneous fermentations at different levels. Further, for the yeast discrimination at strain level, 34 profiles were obtained by amplification with primer pairs TtRNASC/5CAG, while 40 profiles were obtained with primer pairs TtRNASC/ISSR-MB. This study explored the diversity of non- species in Ningxia, China, and made an important contribution of genetic resources for further strain development.
PubMed: 37664125
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1253969 -
Microbial Biotechnology Sep 2020Genome mining of Ascomycete sp. F53 (F53), a fungal endophyte of the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Taxus yunnanensis (Chinese yew), revealed 35 putative...
Genome mining of Ascomycete sp. F53 (F53), a fungal endophyte of the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Taxus yunnanensis (Chinese yew), revealed 35 putative specialized metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters, one of which encodes a rarely seen tandem polyketide synthase pathway with close homology to azaphilone biosynthesis pathways. A novel compound, lijiquinone 1, was subsequently isolated from F53 and structurally and functionally characterized. The m/z 385 [M + H ] compound, comprised of a cyclohexenone side group attached to a core bicyclic ring, displayed cytotoxicity against human myeloma cells (IC = 129 μM), as well as antifungal activity against Candida albicans (IC = 79 μM) and Cryptococcus albidus (IC = 141 μM). Our results suggest that enzymes encoded on the lij gene cluster are responsible for the synthesis of 1 and that the medicinal properties of T. yunnanensis could be partially mediated by this novel azaphilone. This study highlights the utility of combining traditional knowledge with contemporary genomic approaches for the discovery of new bioactive compounds.
Topics: Ascomycota; Basidiomycota; Benzopyrans; China; Endophytes; Genome, Fungal; Humans; Pigments, Biological; Polyketides; Taxus
PubMed: 32281262
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13568 -
FEMS Microbiology Letters Jan 2024In this study, we successfully isolated two distinct yeasts from Moroccan extreme environments. These yeasts were subjected to molecular characterization by analyzing...
Unlocking the plant growth-promoting potential of yeast spp.: exploring species from the Moroccan extremophilic environment for enhanced plant growth and sustainable farming.
In this study, we successfully isolated two distinct yeasts from Moroccan extreme environments. These yeasts were subjected to molecular characterization by analyzing their Internal Transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Our research thoroughly characterizes plant growth-promoting abilities and their drought and salt stress tolerance. In a greenhouse assay, we examined the impact of selected yeasts on Medicago sativa's growth. Four treatments were employed: (i) control without inoculation (NI), (ii) inoculation with L1, (iii) inoculation with L2, and (iv) inoculation with the mixture L1 + L2. L1 isolated from Toubkal Mountain shared 99.83% sequence similarity to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Meanwhile, L2, thriving in the arid Merzouga desert, displayed a similar identity to Naganishia albida (99.84%). Yeast strains were tolerant to NaCl (2 M) and 60% PEG (polyethylene glycol P6000) in case of drought. Both strains could solubilize phsphorus, with L2 additionally demonstrating potassium solubilization. In addition, both strains produce indole acetic acid (up to 135 µl ml-1), have siderophore ability, and produce aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase. Isolates L1 and L2, and their consortium showed that the single or combined strain inoculation of M. sativa improved plant growth, development, and nutrient assimilation. These findings pave the way for harnessing yeast-based solutions in agricultural practices, contributing to enhanced crop productivity and environmental sustainability.
Topics: Extremophiles; Plant Development; Yeasts; Agriculture; Farms
PubMed: 38419295
DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnae015