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The Journal of Antimicrobial... Sep 2022Trichoderma spp. are filamentous fungi causing invasive fungal diseases in patients with haematological malignancies and in peritoneal dialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
Trichoderma spp. are filamentous fungi causing invasive fungal diseases in patients with haematological malignancies and in peritoneal dialysis patients.
OBJECTIVES
To analyse clinical presentation, predisposing factors, treatment and outcome of Trichoderma infections.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted for published cases of invasive Trichoderma infection in PubMed until December 2021 and by reviewing the included studies' references. Cases from the FungiScope® registry were added to a combined analysis.
RESULTS
We identified 50 invasive infections due to Trichoderma species, including 11 in the FungiScope® registry. The main underlying conditions were haematological malignancies in 19 and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in 10 cases. The most prevalent infection sites were lung (42%) and peritoneum (22%). Systemic antifungal therapy was administered in 42 cases (84%), mostly amphotericin B (n = 27, lipid-based formulation 13/27) and voriconazole in 15 cases (30%). Surgical interventions were performed in 13 cases (26%). Overall mortality was 48% (n = 24) and highest for allogeneic HSCT and solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients [80% (4/5) and 77% (7/9), respectively]. In patients treated with amphotericin B, voriconazole and caspofungin, mortality was 55% (15/27), 46% (7/15) and 28% (2/7), respectively. Three out of four patients treated with a combination therapy of voriconazole and caspofungin survived.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite treatment with antifungal therapies and surgery, invasive Trichoderma infections are life-threatening complications in immunocompromised patients, especially after HSCT and SOT. In addition, Trichoderma spp. mainly affect the lungs in patients with haematological malignancies and the peritoneum in CAPD patients.
Topics: Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Caspofungin; Hematologic Neoplasms; Humans; Registries; Trichoderma; Voriconazole
PubMed: 35929089
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac235 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023Opportunistic and hospital-acquired infections are common among recipients of solid organ transplantation. New pathogens are increasingly reported in the intensive care... (Review)
Review
Opportunistic and hospital-acquired infections are common among recipients of solid organ transplantation. New pathogens are increasingly reported in the intensive care unit (ICU) population. We report a case of a patient who developed spp.-related pneumonia (TRP) after heart-lung transplantation. In the absence of antifungal susceptibility testing, TRP was confirmed by histological examination, and empirical therapy with voriconazole and caspofungin was swiftly initiated. Complete resolution of pneumonia was obtained after prolonged combination therapy. Given the lack of guidelines, we conducted a systematic review to elucidate the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to apply during infection. After deduplication and selection of full texts, we found 42 articles eligible for the systematic review. Pneumonia seems to be the most common clinical manifestation (31.8%). The most used antifungal therapy was amphotericin B, while combination therapy was also reported (27.3%). All the patients were immunocompromised except for one case. Despite the rarity of spp. infection, the increase in invasive fungal infections is of growing importance in ICU, considering their impact on mortality and the emergence of antifungal resistance. In the absence of prospective and multicenter studies, a review can provide useful insight regarding the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and management of these unexpected challenges.
PubMed: 36836310
DOI: 10.3390/jof9020195 -
Frontiers in Fungal Biology 2021Natural products derived from microbes are crucial innovations that would help in reaching sustainability development goals worldwide while achieving bioeconomic growth....
Natural products derived from microbes are crucial innovations that would help in reaching sustainability development goals worldwide while achieving bioeconomic growth. species are well-studied model fungal organisms used for their biocontrol properties with great potential to alleviate the use of agrochemicals in agriculture. However, identifying and characterizing effective natural products in novel species or strains as biological control products remains a meticulous process with many known challenges to be navigated. Integration of recent advancements in various "omics" technologies, next generation biodesign, machine learning, and artificial intelligence approaches could greatly advance bioprospecting goals. Herein, we propose a roadmap for assessing the potential impact of already known or newly discovered species for biocontrol applications. By screening publicly available genome sequences, we first highlight the prevalence of putative biosynthetic gene clusters and antimicrobial peptides among genomes as an initial step toward predicting which organisms could increase the diversity of natural products. Next, we discuss high-throughput methods for screening organisms to discover and characterize natural products and how these findings impact both fundamental and applied research fields.
PubMed: 37744103
DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.716511 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2022The plant-microbe holobiont has garnered considerable attention in recent years, highlighting its importance as an ecological unit. Similarly, manipulation of the... (Review)
Review
An Insight into Microbial Inoculants for Bioconversion of Waste Biomass into Sustainable "Bio-Organic" Fertilizers: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review.
The plant-microbe holobiont has garnered considerable attention in recent years, highlighting its importance as an ecological unit. Similarly, manipulation of the microbial entities involved in the rhizospheric microbiome for sustainable agriculture has also been in the limelight, generating several commercial bioformulations to enhance crop yield and pest resistance. These bioformulations were termed biofertilizers, with the consistent existence and evolution of different types. However, an emerging area of interest has recently focused on the application of these microorganisms for waste valorization and the production of "bio-organic" fertilizers as a result. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of the literature retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science to determine the type of microbial inoculants used for the bioconversion of waste into "bio-organic" fertilizers. The , species, cyanobacterial biomass species, sp. and sp. were identified to be consistently used for the recovery of nutrients and bioconversion of wastes used for the promotion of plant growth. Cyanobacterial strains were used predominantly for wastewater treatment, while and were used on a wide variety of wastes such as sawdust, agricultural waste, poultry bone meal, crustacean shell waste, food waste, and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sewage sludge ash. Several bioconversion strategies were observed such as submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, aerobic composting, granulation with microbiological activation, and biodegradation. Diverse groups of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) with different enzymatic functionalities such as chitinolysis, lignocellulolytic, and proteolysis, in addition to their plant growth promoting properties being explored as a consortium for application as an inoculum waste bioconversion to fertilizers. Combining the efficiency of such functional and compatible microbial species for efficient bioconversion as well as higher plant growth and crop yield is an enticing opportunity for "bio-organic" fertilizer research.
Topics: Fertilizers; Biomass; Agricultural Inoculants; Food; Refuse Disposal; Sewage; Bibliometrics; Soil
PubMed: 36361844
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113049 -
Frontiers in Fungal Biology 2023Pest ants are known for their damage to biodiversity, harm to agriculture, and negative impact on human welfare. Ants thrive when environmental opportunities arise,...
Pest ants are known for their damage to biodiversity, harm to agriculture, and negative impact on human welfare. Ants thrive when environmental opportunities arise, becoming pests and/or invading non-native areas. As social insects, they are extremely difficult to control using sustainable methods like biological control. The latter, although safer to the environment, acts slowly allowing the ants to use their individual and social defenses. Among biocontrol agents, fungal pathogens were proposed as promising, however, it is difficult to ascertain their success when the bibliography has not been reviewed and condensed. Therefore, this paper is the first in performing such task by analyzing publications mainly from 2000 to 2022 about the control of pest ants by fungi. From 85 publications selected, 77% corresponded to laboratory studies. and were the genera most used in laboratory and field studies. Most of them included and leaf-cutter ants (LCA), and fire ants. From laboratory experiments, we evaluated how ant net mortality was affected by ant and fungal species, and also by origin, concentration, and inoculation technique of the fungal strains tested. and produced the greatest mortality, along with the inoculation spray technique and fungal strains collected from ants. There was a positive relationship between ant mortality and fungal concentration only for those studies which evaluated more than one concentration. Twenty field experimental studies were found, covering 13 pest species, mainly LCA and . Only was tested on , was mostly used for , and or were mainly used with species. The median control field efficiency varied from 20% to 85% for different fungi and ant genera. When grouping all fungal species together, the median control efficiency seemed to be better for (67%) than for and (both 43%). Our review shows that, at this stage of knowledge, it is very difficult to extrapolate any result. We offer suggestions to improve and standardize laboratory and field experimental studies in order to advance more efficiently in the fungal control of pest ants.
PubMed: 37886433
DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1199110 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2021Global environmental contamination with a complex mixture of xenobiotics has become a major environmental issue worldwide. Many xenobiotic compounds severely impact the...
Global environmental contamination with a complex mixture of xenobiotics has become a major environmental issue worldwide. Many xenobiotic compounds severely impact the environment due to their high toxicity, prolonged persistence, and limited biodegradability. Microbial-assisted degradation of xenobiotic compounds is considered to be the most effective and beneficial approach. Microorganisms have remarkable catabolic potential, with genes, enzymes, and degradation pathways implicated in the process of biodegradation. A number of microbes, including , and , have been isolated and characterized, and have shown exceptional biodegradation potential for a variety of xenobiotic contaminants from soil/water environments. Microorganisms potentially utilize xenobiotic contaminants as carbon or nitrogen sources to sustain their growth and metabolic activities. Diverse microbial populations survive in harsh contaminated environments, exhibiting a significant biodegradation potential to degrade and transform pollutants. However, the study of such microbial populations requires a more advanced and multifaceted approach. Currently, multiple advanced approaches, including metagenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, are successfully employed for the characterization of pollutant-degrading microorganisms, their metabolic machinery, novel proteins, and catabolic genes involved in the degradation process. These technologies are highly sophisticated, and efficient for obtaining information about the genetic diversity and community structures of microorganisms. Advanced molecular technologies used for the characterization of complex microbial communities give an in-depth understanding of their structural and functional aspects, and help to resolve issues related to the biodegradation potential of microorganisms. This review article discusses the biodegradation potential of microorganisms and provides insights into recent advances and omics approaches employed for the specific characterization of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms from contaminated environments.
PubMed: 33644024
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.632059