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BMC Microbiology May 2011Group 1 introns (ribozymes) are among the most ancient and have the broadest phylogenetic distribution among the known self-splicing ribozymes. Fungi are known to be...
Occurrence and characteristics of group 1 introns found at three different positions within the 28S ribosomal RNA gene of the dematiaceous Phialophora verrucosa: phylogenetic and secondary structural implications.
BACKGROUND
Group 1 introns (ribozymes) are among the most ancient and have the broadest phylogenetic distribution among the known self-splicing ribozymes. Fungi are known to be rich in rDNA group 1 introns. In the present study, five sequences of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) regions of pathogenic dematiaceous Phialophora verrucosa were analyzed using PCR by site-specific primers and were found to have three insertions, termed intron-F, G and H, at three positions of the gene. We investigated the distribution of group 1 introns in this fungus by surveying 34 strains of P. verrucosa and seven strains of Phialophora americana as the allied species.
RESULTS
Intron-F's (inserted at L798 position) were found in 88% of P. verrucosa strains, while intron-G's (inserted at L1921) at 12% and intron-H's (inserted at L2563) at 18%. There was some correlation between intron distribution and geographic location. In addition, we confirmed that the three kinds of introns are group 1 introns from results of BLAST search, alignment analysis and Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Prediction of secondary structures and phylogenetic analysis of intron sequences identified introns-F and G as belonging to subgroup IC1. In addition, intron-H was identified as IE.
CONCLUSION
The three intron insertions and their insertion position in the 28S rDNA allowed the characterization of the clinical and environmental isolates of P. verrucosa and P. americana into five genotypes. All subgroups of introns-F and G and intron-H were characterized and observed for the first time in both species.
Topics: DNA Primers; Environmental Microbiology; Genotype; Humans; Introns; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycological Typing Techniques; Mycoses; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Phialophora; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
PubMed: 21548984
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-11-94 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Jun 2018Our studies showed that a combination of amphotericin B and terbinafine had synergistic effects against the majority of melanized fungi associated with...
Our studies showed that a combination of amphotericin B and terbinafine had synergistic effects against the majority of melanized fungi associated with chromoblastomycosis (CBM) and similar infections, including those with , , , , , , , and This drug combination could provide an option for the treatment of severe or unresponsive cases of CBM, particularly in cases due to species of and .
Topics: Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Ascomycota; Chromoblastomycosis; Exophiala; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phialophora; Terbinafine
PubMed: 29581111
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00270-18 -
PeerJ 2019Morels ( spp.) are iconic edible mushrooms with a long history of human consumption. Some microbial taxa are hypothesized to be important in triggering the formation of...
Morels ( spp.) are iconic edible mushrooms with a long history of human consumption. Some microbial taxa are hypothesized to be important in triggering the formation of morel primordia and development of fruiting bodies, thus, there is interest in the microbial ecology of these fungi. To identify and compare fungal and prokaryotic communities in soils where is cultivated in outdoor greenhouses, ITS and 16S rDNA high throughput amplicon sequencing and microbiome analyses were performed. , , , and were found to comprise the core microbiome of ascocarps. These bacterial taxa were also abundant in the soil beneath growing fruiting bodies. A total of 29 bacterial taxa were found to be statistically associated to fruiting bodies. Bacterial community network analysis revealed high modularity with some 16S rDNA operational taxonomic unit clusters living in specialized fungal niches (e.g., pileus, stipe). Other fungi dominating the soil mycobiome beneath morels included , , and . This research informs understanding of microbial indicators and potential facilitators of ecology and fruiting body production.
PubMed: 31579614
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7744 -
Journal of Clinical Immunology Aug 2018Autosomal recessive CARD9 deficiency underlies life-threatening, invasive fungal infections in otherwise healthy individuals normally resistant to other infectious... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Autosomal recessive CARD9 deficiency underlies life-threatening, invasive fungal infections in otherwise healthy individuals normally resistant to other infectious agents. In less than 10 years, 58 patients from 39 kindreds have been reported in 14 countries from four continents. The patients are homozygous (n = 49; 31 kindreds) or compound heterozygous (n = 9; 8 kindreds) for 22 different CARD9 mutations. Six mutations are recurrent, probably due to founder effects. Paradoxically, none of the mutant alleles has been experimentally demonstrated to be loss-of-function. CARD9 is expressed principally in myeloid cells, downstream from C-type lectin receptors that can recognize fungal components. Patients with CARD9 deficiency present impaired cytokine and chemokine production by macrophages, dendritic cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and defective killing of some fungi by neutrophils in vitro. Neutrophil recruitment to sites of infection is impaired in vivo. The proportion of Th17 cells is low in most, but not all, patients tested. Up to 52 patients suffering from invasive fungal diseases (IFD) have been reported, with ages at onset of 3.5 to 52 years. Twenty of these patients also displayed superficial fungal infections. Six patients had only mucocutaneous candidiasis or superficial dermatophytosis at their last follow-up visit, at the age of 19 to 50 years. Remarkably, for 50 of the 52 patients with IFD, a single fungus was involved; only two patients had IFDs due to two different fungi. IFD recurred in 44 of 45 patients who responded to treatment, and a different fungal infection occurred in the remaining patient. Ten patients died from IFD, between the ages of 12 and 39 years, whereas another patient died at the age of 91 years, from an unrelated cause. At the most recent scheduled follow-up visit, 81% of the patients were still alive and aged from 6.5 to 75 years. Strikingly, all the causal fungi belonged to the phylum Ascomycota: commensal Candida and saprophytic Trychophyton, Aspergillus, Phialophora, Exophiala, Corynesprora, Aureobasidium, and Ochroconis. Human CARD9 is essential for protective systemic immunity to a subset of fungi from this phylum but seems to be otherwise redundant. Previously healthy patients with unexplained invasive fungal infection, at any age, should be tested for inherited CARD9 deficiency.
KEY POINTS
• Inherited CARD9 deficiency (OMIM #212050) is an AR PID due to mutations that may be present in a homozygous or compound heterozygous state. • CARD9 is expressed principally in myeloid cells and transduces signals downstream from CLR activation by fungal ligands. • Endogenous mutant CARD9 levels differ between alleles (from full-length normal protein to an absence of normal protein). • The functional impacts of CARD9 mutations involve impaired cytokine production in response to fungal ligands, impaired neutrophil killing and/or recruitment to infection sites, and defects of Th17 immunity. • The key clinical manifestations in patients are fungal infections, including CMC, invasive (in the CNS in particular) Candida infections, extensive/deep dermatophytosis, subcutaneous and invasive phaeohyphomycosis, and extrapulmonary aspergillosis. • The clinical penetrance of CARD9 deficiency is complete, but penetrance is incomplete for each of the fungi concerned. • Age at onset is highly heterogeneous, ranging from childhood to adulthood for the same fungal disease. • All patients with unexplained IFD should be tested for CARD9 mutations. Familial screening and genetic counseling should be proposed. • The treatment of patients with CARD9 mutations is empirical and based on antifungal therapies and the surgical removal of fungal masses. Patients with persistent/relapsing Candida infections of the CNS could be considered for adjuvant GM-CSF/G-CSF therapy. The potential value of HSCT for CARD9-deficient patients remains unclear.
Topics: Adult; Alleles; Animals; CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; Candidiasis, Chronic Mucocutaneous; Child; Computational Biology; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Frequency; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Immunity; Mice; Mononuclear Phagocyte System; Mutation; Phenotype
PubMed: 30136218
DOI: 10.1007/s10875-018-0539-2 -
Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and... Dec 2016Pleurostomophora richardsiae (formerly Phialophora richardsiae) is a dematiaceous fungus that is an uncommon cause of ocular infection. Herein, we present a case of...
BACKGROUND
Pleurostomophora richardsiae (formerly Phialophora richardsiae) is a dematiaceous fungus that is an uncommon cause of ocular infection. Herein, we present a case of endogenous endophthalmitis associated with disseminated P. richardsiae infection.
FINDINGS
This is a descriptive case report with a brief review of literature. A 43-year-old male admitted to the hospital following an acute cerebellar hemorrhage was found to have a swollen and tender wrist. The patient was afebrile with leukocytosis. Visual acuity was hand motion in the right eye and 20/20 in the left. Right eye examination noted anterior chamber cells and flare, vitreous haze and multiple large, and fluffy retinal infiltrates. Diagnostic vitrectomy revealed a mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate with numerous fungal elements. Blood cultures were negative, multiple transesophageal echocardiography studies revealed no vegetations, and synovial fluid aspiration of the wrist and biopsy of the radius were unremarkable. The patient was treated with intravitreal cefazolin, vancomycin, and amphotericin B, topical ciprofloxacin and natamycin, and intravenous amphotericin B and voriconazole. Visual acuity in the right eye declined to light perception, and examination revealed increasing anterior and posterior chamber inflammation. The patient died several weeks after presentation due to a massive intracranial hemorrhage. Fungal culture results from the vitrectomy were received post mortem and were positive for P. richardsiae.
CONCLUSIONS
P. richardsiae endophthalmitis is rare, and outcomes are typically poor. Infections typically occur following traumatic skin inoculation; however, a long refractory period may occur before symptoms develop. Early diagnosis and combination antimicrobial therapy are essential to optimize visual outcomes.
PubMed: 27822745
DOI: 10.1186/s12348-016-0111-2 -
Cureus Aug 2022Cutaneous chromoblastomycosis is a chronic subcutaneous fungal disease of the skin caused by , especially by , ,and species affecting the skin, lungs, intestines,...
Cutaneous chromoblastomycosis is a chronic subcutaneous fungal disease of the skin caused by , especially by , ,and species affecting the skin, lungs, intestines, stomach, and central nervous system. It is treated using itraconazole in mild cases and amphotericin B in severe cases. A six-year-old female child presented to the Dermatology Outpatient Department with pigmented brown to blackish tanned plaques and verrucous lesions on the face and extremities. These lesions were present for the past two and a half years and were slowly enlarging and involving other areas like the trunk. The lesions were proven on biopsy to be cutaneous blastomycosis. The patient was put on infusions of amphotericin B in a calculated pediatric dose. Her blood pressure and renal function tests were checked daily to avoid any electrolyte derangements, nephrotoxicity, and systemic infusion reactions caused by amphotericin B. Amphotericin B reduced the size of the cutaneous lesions, and treatment response was assessed on regular follow-ups. Chromoblastomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis to enable timely treatment and to prevent its lethal complications such as epidermoid carcinoma. Treatment should continue for two to three months until histopathology is negative to ensure complete eradication.
PubMed: 36158439
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28286 -
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery :... 2016Phaeohyphomycosis is a chronic infectious condition caused by dematiaceous fungi which usually involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis...
Phaeohyphomycosis is a chronic infectious condition caused by dematiaceous fungi which usually involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis is characterised by papulonodules, verrucous, hyperkeratotic or ulcerated plaques, cysts, abscesses, pyogranuloma, non-healing ulcers or sinuses. In India, commonly associated genera are , , , , and . This condition involves the presence of brown-walled hyphal structures in the dermis and epidermis. Here, we are reporting a rare case series of three patients of phaeohyphomycosis with lesions on finger and dorsum of the hand.
PubMed: 27833296
DOI: 10.4103/0970-0358.191321 -
Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and... Dec 2020causes several fungal human diseases, mainly chromoblastomycosis, which is extremely difficult to treat. Several studies have shown that human immunodeficiency virus...
causes several fungal human diseases, mainly chromoblastomycosis, which is extremely difficult to treat. Several studies have shown that human immunodeficiency virus peptidase inhibitors (HIV-PIs) are attractive candidates for antifungal therapies. This work focused on studying the action of HIV-PIs on peptidase activity secreted by and their effects on fungal proliferation and macrophage interaction. We detected a peptidase activity from able to cleave albumin, sensitive to pepstatin A and HIV-PIs, especially lopinavir, ritonavir and amprenavir, showing for the first time that this fungus secretes aspartic-type peptidase. Furthermore, lopinavir, ritonavir and nelfinavir reduced the fungal growth, causing remarkable ultrastructural alterations. Lopinavir and ritonavir also affected the conidia-macrophage adhesion and macrophage killing. Interestingly, had its growth inhibited by ritonavir combined with either itraconazole or ketoconazole. Collectively, our results support the antifungal action of HIV-PIs and their relevance as a possible alternative therapy for fungal infections.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Aspartic Acid Proteases; Carbamates; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Furans; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Lopinavir; Macrophages; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Structure; Phialophora; Ritonavir; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sulfonamides
PubMed: 32037904
DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2020.1724994 -
Medical Mycology Case Reports Mar 2019Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis, is caused by dematiaceous fungi, the most frequently implicated are and We report a woman who was...
Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis, is caused by dematiaceous fungi, the most frequently implicated are and We report a woman who was treated before with mycological cure, but she experience a relapse requiring treatment again. Direct microscopic examination and skin biopsy with culture were necessary to identify a Exophiala psychrophila, and for our knowledge this is the first case reported.
PubMed: 30533349
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2018.10.001 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Mar 2013The species diversity and identification of black fungi belonging to Cyphellophora and Phialophora, which colonize and infect human skin and nails, were studied using...
The species diversity and identification of black fungi belonging to Cyphellophora and Phialophora, which colonize and infect human skin and nails, were studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). A total of 76 Cyphellophora and Phialophora isolates were evaluated, and their delimitation was compared to earlier studies using multilocus sequencing. The results of the AFLP analysis and sequencing were in complete agreement with each other. Seven species-specific padlock probes for the most prevalent species were designed on the basis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region, and identification of the respective species could easily be achieved with the aid of rolling circle amplification.
Topics: Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; Ascomycota; DNA Primers; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Molecular Typing; Mycological Typing Techniques; Phialophora
PubMed: 23303502
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.02898-12