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Coelho RA, Almeida-Silva F, Figueiredo-Carvalho MHG, Rabello VBDS, de Souza GR, Lourenço MCDS, Rodrigues ML, Almeida-Paes R. Comparison of the antifungal activity of the pyrimidine analogs flucytosine and carmofur against human-pathogenic dematiaceous fungi. Med Mycol 2024; 62:myae029. [PMID: 38533658 PMCID: PMC11008743 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) and pheohyphomycosis (PHM) are the most common implantation mycoses caused by dematiaceous fungi. In the past, flucytosine (5-FC) has been used to treat CBM, but development of resistance is common. Carmofur belongs to the same class as 5-FC and has in vitro inhibitory activity against the main agents of CBM and PHM. The aim of this study was to compare the action of these two pyrimidine analog drugs against CBM and PHM agents. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the selectivity index based on cytotoxicity tests of these two drugs against some agents of these mycoses were determined, with carmofur presenting a higher selectivity index than 5-FC. Carmofur demonstrated here synergistic interactions with itraconazole and amphotericin B against Exophiala heteromorpha, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fonsecaea monophora, and Fonsecaea nubica strains. Additionally, carmofur plus itraconazole demonstrated here synergism against a Phialophora verrucosa strain. To evaluate the development of carmofur resistance, passages in culture medium containing subinhibitory concentrations of this pyrimidine analog were carried out, followed by in vitro susceptibility tests. Exophiala dermatitidis quickly developed resistance, whereas F. pedrosoi took seven passages in carmofur-supplemented medium to develop resistance. Moreover, resistance was permanent in E. dermatitidis but transient in F. pedrosoi. Hence, carmofur has exhibited certain advantages, albeit accompanied by limitations such as the development of resistance, which was expected as with 5-FC. This underscores its therapeutic potential in combination with other drugs, emphasizing the need for a meticulous evaluation of its application in the fight against dematiaceous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowena Alves Coelho
- Mycology Laboratory, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas, INI/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernando Almeida-Silva
- Mycology Laboratory, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas, INI/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Gabriela Rodrigues de Souza
- RPT 11B Bioassay Platform, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas, INI/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Paraná, Brazil
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Mycology Laboratory, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas, INI/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Shi D, Yang Z, Liao W, Liu C, Zhao L, Su H, Wang X, Mei H, Chen M, Song Y, de Hoog S, Deng S. Galleria mellonella in vitro model for chromoblastomycosis shows large differences in virulence between isolates. IMA Fungus 2024; 15:5. [PMID: 38454527 PMCID: PMC10921731 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00134-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromoblastomycosis is the World Health Organization (WHO)-recognized fungal implantation disease that eventually leads to severe mutilation. Cladophialophora carrionii (C. carrionii) is one of the agents. However, the pathogenesis of C. carrionii is not fully investigated yet. METHODS We investigated the pathogenic potential of the fungus in a Galleria mellonella (G. mellonella) larvae infection model. Six strains of C. carrionii, and three of its environmental relative C. yegresii were tested. The G. mellonella model was also applied to determine antifungal efficacy of amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and terbinafine. RESULTS All strains were able to infect the larvae, but virulence potentials were strain-specific and showed no correlation with clinical background of the respective isolate. Survival of larvae also varied with infection dose, and with growth speed and melanization of the fungus. Posaconazole and voriconazole exhibited best activity against Cladophialophora, followed by itraconazole and terbinafine, while limited efficacy was seen for amphotericin B. CONCLUSION Infection behavior deviates significantly between strains. In vitro antifungal susceptibility of tested strains only partly explained the limited treatment efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Shi
- Department of Dermatology & Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Shandong, China
- The Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Zhiya Yang
- The Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Wanqing Liao
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Liu
- The Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education of Guizhou & Guizhou Talent Base for Microbiology and Human Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Huilin Su
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Huan Mei
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinggai Song
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Hospital in Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- Center of Expertise in Mycology of Radboud University Medical Center, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, The People's Hospital of Suzhou New District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuwen Deng
- Department of Medical Microbiology, The People's Hospital of Suzhou New District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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3
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Costa FDF, Souza RSCD, Voidaleski MF, Gomes RR, Reis GF, Lima BJFDS, Candido GZ, Geraldo MR, Soares JMB, Schneider GX, Trindade EDS, Bini IH, Moreno LF, Bombassaro A, Queiroz-Telles F, Raittz RT, Quan Y, Arruda P, Attili-Angelis D, de Hoog S, Vicente VA. Sugarcane: an unexpected habitat for black yeasts in Chaetothyriales. IMA Fungus 2023; 14:20. [PMID: 37794500 PMCID: PMC10552356 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00124-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum, Poaceae) is cultivated on a large scale in (sub)tropical regions such as Brazil and has considerable economic value for sugar and biofuel production. The plant is a rich substrate for endo- and epiphytic fungi. Black yeasts in the family Herpotrichiellaceae (Chaetothyriales) are colonizers of human-dominated habitats, particularly those rich in toxins and hydrocarbon pollutants, and may cause severe infections in susceptible human hosts. The present study assessed the diversity of Herpotrichiellaceae associated with sugarcane, using in silico identification and selective isolation. Using metagenomics, we identified 5833 fungal sequences, while 639 black yeast-like isolates were recovered in vitro. In both strategies, the latter fungi were identified as members of the genera Cladophialophora, Exophiala, and Rhinocladiella (Herpotrichiellaceae), Cyphellophora (Cyphellophoraceae), and Knufia (Trichomeriaceae). In addition, we discovered new species of Cladophialophora and Exophiala from sugarcane and its rhizosphere. The first environmental isolation of Cladophialophora bantiana is particularly noteworthy, because this species up to now is exclusively known from the human host where it mostly causes fatal brain disease in otherwise healthy patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia de F Costa
- Engineering Bioprocess and Biotechnology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rafael S C de Souza
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Engineering Center, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Morgana F Voidaleski
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Renata R Gomes
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Guilherme F Reis
- Engineering Bioprocess and Biotechnology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Bruna J F de S Lima
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Z Candido
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Marlon R Geraldo
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Jade M B Soares
- Biological Sciences Graduation, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Gabriela X Schneider
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Israel H Bini
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Leandro F Moreno
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Amanda Bombassaro
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Flávio Queiroz-Telles
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Roberto T Raittz
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Professional and Technological Education Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Yu Quan
- Center of Expertise in Mycology of Radboud, University Medical Center / Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Paulo Arruda
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Engineering Center, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics and Evolution Department, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Derlene Attili-Angelis
- Division of Microbial Resources (DRM/CPQBA), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
- Center of Expertise in Mycology of Radboud, University Medical Center / Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Vania A Vicente
- Engineering Bioprocess and Biotechnology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
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Huang T, Wang Y, Wang X, Ma L, Yang X. Discrepant diversity patterns and function of bacterial and fungal communities on an earthquake-prone mountain gradient in Northwest Sichuan, China. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1217925. [PMID: 37675421 PMCID: PMC10477999 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1217925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Patterns of microbial diversity on elevational gradients have been extensively studied, but little is known about those patterns during the restoration of earthquake-fractured alpine ecosystems. In this study, soil properties, soil enzyme activities, abundance and diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities at four positions along a 2.6-km elevational gradient in the Snow Treasure Summit National Nature Reserve, located in Pingwu County, Southwest China. Although there were no significant changes in the soil chemical environment, bacterial and fungal communities were significantly different at different elevations. The overall fungal community presented an N-shaped diversity pattern with increasing elevation, while bacterial diversity decreased significantly with elevation. Changes in microbial diversity were associated with soil phosphorus, plant litter, and variations in dominant microbial taxa. Differences in enzyme activities among elevations were regulated by microbial communities, with changes in catalase and acid phosphatase activities mainly controlled by Acidobacteria and Planctomycetaceae bacteria, respectively (catalase: p < 0.001; acid phosphatase: p < 0.01), and those in β-glucosidase, sucrase, and urease activities mainly controlled by fungi. The β-glucosidase and sucrase were both positively correlated with Herpotrichiellaceae, and urease was positively correlated with Sebacinaceae (p < 0.05). These findings contribute to the conservation and management of mountain ecosystems in the face of changing environmental conditions. Further research can delve into the specific interactions between microbial communities, soil properties, and vegetation to gain deeper insights into the intricate ecological dynamics within earthquake-prone mountain ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Protection of Sichuan Province, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, China
| | - Yingyan Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, China
| | - Li Ma
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, China
| | - Xueting Yang
- Research Center of Sichuan County Economy Development, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, China
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Torres-Garcia D, García D, Réblová M, Jurjević Ž, Hubka V, Gené J. Diversity and novel lineages of black yeasts in Chaetothyriales from freshwater sediments in Spain. PERSOONIA 2023; 51:194-228. [PMID: 38665982 PMCID: PMC11041900 DOI: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Black yeasts comprise a group of Ascomycota of the order Chaetothyriales with highly variable morphology, a great diversity of ecological niches and life cycles. Despite the ubiquity of these fungi, their diversity in freshwater sediments is still poorly understood. During a survey of culturable Ascomycota from river and stream sediments in various sampling sites in Spain, we obtained 47 isolates of black yeasts by using potato dextrose agar supplemented with cycloheximide. A preliminary morphological study and sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rDNA revealed that most of the isolates belonged to the family Herpotrichiellaceae. We have confidently identified 30 isolates representing the following species: Capronia pulcherrima, Cladophialophora emmonsii, Exophiala equina, Exophiala pisciphila, Exophiala radicis, and Phialophora americana. However, we encountered difficulty in assigning 17 cultures to any known species within Chaetothyriales. Combining phenotypic and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS, LSU, β-tubulin (tub2) and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α) gene markers, we propose the new genus Aciculomyces in the Herpotrichiellaceae to accommodate the novel species Aciculomyces restrictus. Other novel species in this family include Cladophialophora denticulata, Cladophialophora heterospora, Cladophialophora irregularis, Exophiala candelabrata, Exophiala dehoogii, Exophiala ramosa, Exophiala verticillata and Phialophora submersa. The new species Cyphellophora spiralis, closely related to Cyphellophora suttonii, is described, and the phylogeny of the genus Anthopsis in the family Cyphellophoraceae is discussed. By utilizing these four markers, we were able to strengthen the phylogenetic resolution and provide more robust taxonomic assessments within the studied group. Our findings indicate that freshwater sediments may serve as a reservoir for intriguing black yeasts, which warrant further investigation to address gaps in phylogenetic relationships, particularly within Herpotrichiellaceae. Citation: Torres-Garcia D, García D, Réblová M, et al. 2023. Diversity and novel lineages of black yeasts in Chaetothyriales from freshwater sediments in Spain. Persoonia 51: 194-228. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.05.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Torres-Garcia
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IU-RESCAT, Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - D. García
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IU-RESCAT, Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - M. Réblová
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Department of Taxonomy, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Ž. Jurjević
- EMSL Analytical, Cinnaminson, New Jersey, USA
| | - V. Hubka
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Prague, Czech Republic
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microbiology, Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J. Gené
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IU-RESCAT, Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
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6
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de Souza LMD, Teixeira EAA, da Costa Coelho L, Lopes FAC, Convey P, Carvalho-Silva M, Câmara PEAS, Rosa LH. Cryptic fungal diversity revealed by DNA metabarcoding in historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay, Deception Island, maritime Antarctic. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:213-222. [PMID: 36435957 PMCID: PMC9944150 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00869-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide the first assessment of fungal diversity associated with historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay (Heritage Monument 71), Deception Island, maritime Antarctic, using DNA metabarcoding. We detected a total of 177 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) dominated by the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, Chytridiomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Rozellomycota, and Zoopagomycota. The assemblages were dominated by Helotiales sp. 1 and Herpotrichiellaceae sp. 1. Functional assignments indicated that the taxa detected were dominated by saprotrophic, plant and animal pathogenic, and symbiotic taxa. Metabarcoding revealed the presence of a rich and complex fungal community, which may be due to the wooden structures acting as baits attracting taxa to niches sheltered against extreme conditions, generating a hotspot for fungi in Antarctica. The sequences assigned included both cosmopolitan and endemic taxa, as well as potentially unreported diversity. The detection of DNA assigned to taxa of human and animal opportunistic pathogens raises a potential concern as Whalers Bay is one of the most popular visitor sites in Antarctica. The use of metabarcoding to detect DNA present in environmental samples does not confirm the presence of viable or metabolically active fungi and further studies using different culturing conditions and media, different growth temperatures and incubation periods, in combination with further molecular approaches such as shotgun sequencing are now required to clarify the functional ecology of these fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Láuren Machado Drumond de Souza
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Polar E Conexões Tropicais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P. O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP, 31270-901, Brasil
| | - Elisa Amorim Amâncio Teixeira
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Polar E Conexões Tropicais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P. O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP, 31270-901, Brasil
| | - Lívia da Costa Coelho
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Polar E Conexões Tropicais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P. O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP, 31270-901, Brasil
| | | | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | | | | | - Luiz Henrique Rosa
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Polar E Conexões Tropicais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P. O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP, 31270-901, Brasil.
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7
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Coelho RA, Alves GM, Figueiredo-Carvalho MHG, Almeida-Silva F, de Souza GR, Lourenço MCDS, Brito-Santos F, Amaral ACF, Almeida-Paes R. New possibilities for chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis treatment: identification of two compounds from the MMV Pathogen Box® that present synergism with itraconazole. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2022; 117:e220089. [PMID: 36102413 PMCID: PMC9467274 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760220089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black fungi of the Herpotrichiellaceae family are agents of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis. There are few therapeutic options for these infections and it is common to associate antifungal drugs in their treatment. OBJECTIVES To investigate the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) Pathogen Box® for possible compounds presenting synergism with antifungal drugs used to treat black fungal infections. METHODS An initial screening of the Pathogen Box® compounds was performed in combination with itraconazole or terbinafine at sub-inhibitory concentrations against Fonsecaea pedrosoi. Hits were further tested against eight Herpotrichiellaceae using the checkerboard method. FINDINGS No synergism was observed with terbinafine. MMV687273 (SQ109) and MMV688415 showed synergism with itraconazole against F. pedrosoi. Synergism of these compounds was confirmed with some black fungi by the checkerboard method. SQ109 and itraconazole presented synergism for Exophiala dermatitidis, F. pedrosoi, F. monophora and F. nubica, with fungicidal activity for F. pedrosoi and F. monophora. MMV688415 presented synergism with itraconazole only for F. pedrosoi, with fungicidal activity. The synergic compounds had high selectivity index values when combined with itraconazole. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These compounds in combination, particularly SQ109, are promising candidates to treat Fonsecaea spp. and E. dermatitidis infections, which account for most cases of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowena Alves Coelho
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Gabriela Machado Alves
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Fernando Almeida-Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Gabriela Rodrigues de Souza
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Plataforma de Bioensaios RPT 11B, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Maria Cristina da Silva Lourenço
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Plataforma de Bioensaios RPT 11B, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Ana Claudia Fernandes Amaral
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Farmanguinhos, Laboratório de Produtos Naturais e Derivados, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Okrasińska A, Decewicz P, Majchrowska M, Dziewit L, Muszewska A, Dolatabadi S, Kruszewski Ł, Błocka Z, Pawłowska J. Marginal lands and fungi - linking the type of soil contamination with fungal community composition. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3809-3825. [PMID: 35415861 PMCID: PMC9544152 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fungi can be found in almost all ecosystems. Some of them can even survive in harsh, anthropogenically transformed environments, such as post-industrial soils. In order to verify how the soil fungal diversity may be changed by pollution, two soil samples from each of the 28 post-industrial sites were collected. Each soil sample was characterized in terms of concentration of heavy metals and petroleum derivatives. To identify soil fungal communities, fungal ITS2 amplicon was sequenced for each sample using Illumina MiSeq platform. There were significant differences in the community structure and taxonomic diversity among the analyzed samples. The highest taxon richness and evenness were observed in the non-polluted sites, and lower numbers of taxa were identified in multi-polluted soils. The presence of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, gasoline, and mineral oil were determined as the factors driving the differences in the mycobiome. Further, in the culture-based selection experiment, two main groups of fungi growing on polluted media were identified - generalists able to live in the presence of pollution, and specialists adapted to the usage of BTEX as a sole source of energy. Our selection experiment proved that it is long-term soil contamination that shapes the community, rather than temporary addition of pollutant. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Okrasińska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre of Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
| | - Przemyslaw Decewicz
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Majchrowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre of Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
| | - Lukasz Dziewit
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Łukasz Kruszewski
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Błocka
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre of Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
| | - Julia Pawłowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre of Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
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Fu X, Yuan Q, Zhu X, Li Y, Meng Y, Hashim JH, Hashim Z, Ali F, Zheng YW, Lai XX, Spangfort MD, Wen H, Wang L, Deng F, Hu Q, Norbäck D, Sun Y. Associations between the indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and respiratory infections in junior high school students of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1171-1181. [PMID: 34278392 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00115a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens are commonly present in the human respiratory tract, but symptoms are varied among individuals. The interactions between pathogens, commensal microorganisms and host immune systems are important in shaping the susceptibility, development and severity of respiratory diseases. Compared to the extensive studies on the human microbiota, few studies reported the association between indoor microbiome exposure and respiratory infections. In this study, 308 students from 21 classrooms were randomly selected to survey the occurrence of respiratory infections in junior high schools of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Vacuum dust was collected from the floor, chairs and desks of these classrooms, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA and ITS) and quantitative PCR were conducted to characterize the absolute concentration of the indoor microorganisms. Fifteen bacterial genera in the classes Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01), and these bacteria were mainly derived from the outdoor environment. Previous studies also reported that outdoor environmental bacteria were protectively associated with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, but the genera identified were different between acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Four fungal genera from Ascomycota, including Devriesia, Endocarpon, Sarcinomyces and an unclassified genus from Herpotrichillaceae, were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01). House dust mite (HDM) allergens and outdoor NO2 concentration were associated with respiratory infections and infection-related microorganisms. A causal mediation analysis revealed that the health effects of HDM and NO2 were partially or fully mediated by the indoor microorganisms. This is the first study to explore the association between environmental characteristics, microbiome exposure and respiratory infections in a public indoor environment, expanding our understanding of the complex interactions among these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, PR China.
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