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Bhunjun C, Chen Y, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald J, McKenzie E, Francisco E, Frisvad J, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie C, Bai F, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza F, de Queiroz M, Dutta A, Gonkhom D, Goto B, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance M, Li J, Luo K, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe D, Wang D, Wei D, Zhao C, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes T, Araujo J, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa R, Behrens F, Bensch K, Bezerra J, Bilański P, Bradley C, Bubner B, Burgess T, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça F, Campbell L, Chaverri P, Chen Y, Chethana K, Coetzee B, Costa M, Chen Q, Custódio F, Dai Y, Damm U, Santiago A, De Miccolis Angelini R, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake A, Doilom M, Dong W, Álvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake A, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes A, Hausner G, He M, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena R, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin C, Liu J, Liu X, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura S, Mkhwanazi GM, Manawasinghe I, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart A, Moreau P, Morozova O, Mostert L, Osiewacz H, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips A, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka A, Rodrigues A, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe S, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas R, Silar P, Silva-Filho A, Souza-Motta C, Spies C, Stchigel A, Sterflinger K, Summerbell R, Svetasheva T, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro R, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang X, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe S, Wu F, Xu R, Yang Z, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao R, Zhou N, Hyde K, Crous P. What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Stud Mycol 2024; 108:1-411. [PMID: 39100921 PMCID: PMC11293126 DOI: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The global diversity of fungi has been estimated between 2 to 11 million species, of which only about 155 000 have been named. Most fungi are invisible to the unaided eye, but they represent a major component of biodiversity on our planet, and play essential ecological roles, supporting life as we know it. Although approximately 20 000 fungal genera are presently recognised, the ecology of most remains undetermined. Despite all this diversity, the mycological community actively researches some fungal genera more commonly than others. This poses an interesting question: why have some fungal genera impacted mycology and related fields more than others? To address this issue, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to identify the top 100 most cited fungal genera. A thorough database search of the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed was performed to establish which genera are most cited. The most cited 10 genera are Saccharomyces, Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Botrytis, Pichia, Cryptococcus and Alternaria. Case studies are presented for the 100 most cited genera with general background, notes on their ecology and economic significance and important research advances. This paper provides a historic overview of scientific research of these genera and the prospect for further research. Citation: Bhunjun CS, Chen YJ, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald JZ, McKenzie EHC, Francisco EC, Frisvad JC, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie CM, Bai FY, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza FA, de Queiroz MB, Dutta AK, Gonkhom D, Goto BT, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance MA, Li JJ, Luo KY, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe DN, Wang DQ, Wei DP, Zhao CL, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes TD, Araujo JC, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa RN, Behrens FH, Bensch K, Bezerra JDP, Bilański P, Bradley CA, Bubner B, Burgess TI, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça FJS, Campbell LJ, Chaverri P, Chen YY, Chethana KWT, Coetzee B, Costa MM, Chen Q, Custódio FA, Dai YC, Damm U, de Azevedo Santiago ALCM, De Miccolis Angelini RM, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake AJ, Doilom M, Dong W, Alvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake AJ, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes AAM, Hausner G, He MQ, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena RS, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin CG, Liu JK, Liu XB, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Makhathini Mkhwanazi GJ, Manawasinghe IS, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart AR, Moreau PA, Morozova OV, Mostert L, Osiewacz HD, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips AJL, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka AR, Rodrigues AM, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe SJ, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas RG, Silar P, Souza-Motta CM, Silva-Filho AGS, Spies CFJ, Stchigel AM, Sterflinger K, Summerbell RC, Svetasheva TY, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro RC, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang XW, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe SN, Wu F, Xu R, Yang ZL, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao RL, Zhou N, Hyde KD, Crous PW (2024). What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Studies in Mycology 108: 1-411. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.S. Bhunjun
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Y.J. Chen
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - C. Phukhamsakda
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - T. Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- The Yeasts Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J.Z. Groenewald
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - E.H.C. McKenzie
- Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - E.C. Francisco
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Laboratório Especial de Micologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J.C. Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - V. G. Hurdeal
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - J. Luangsa-ard
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - G. Perrone
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council (CNR-ISPA), Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - C.M. Visagie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - F.Y. Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - J. Błaszkowski
- Laboratory of Plant Protection, Department of Shaping of Environment, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Słowackiego 17, PL-71434 Szczecin, Poland
| | - U. Braun
- Martin Luther University, Institute of Biology, Department of Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Neuwerk 21, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - F.A. de Souza
- Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Rodovia MG 424 km 45, 35701–970, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil
| | - M.B. de Queiroz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Sistemática e Evolução, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - A.K. Dutta
- Molecular & Applied Mycology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Jalukbari, Guwahati - 781014, Assam, India
| | - D. Gonkhom
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - B.T. Goto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Sistemática e Evolução, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - V. Guarnaccia
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - F. Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - M.A. Lachance
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - J.J. Li
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - K.Y. Luo
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - F. Magurno
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
| | - S. Mongkolsamrit
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - V. Robert
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - N. Roy
- Molecular & Applied Mycology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Jalukbari, Guwahati - 781014, Assam, India
| | - S. Tibpromma
- Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China
| | - D.N. Wanasinghe
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Honghe 654400, Yunnan, China
| | - D.Q. Wang
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - D.P. Wei
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, P.R. China
| | - C.L. Zhao
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - W. Aiphuk
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - O. Ajayi-Oyetunde
- Syngenta Crop Protection, 410 S Swing Rd, Greensboro, NC. 27409, USA
| | - T.D. Arantes
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74605-050, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - J.C. Araujo
- Mykocosmos - Mycology and Science Communication, Rua JP 11 Qd. 18 Lote 13, Jd. Primavera 1ª etapa, Post Code 75.090-260, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
- Secretaria de Estado da Educação de Goiás (SEDUC/ GO), Quinta Avenida, Quadra 71, número 212, Setor Leste Vila Nova, Goiânia, Goiás, 74643-030, Brazil
| | - D. Begerow
- Organismic Botany and Mycology, Institute of Plant Sciences and Microbiology, Ohnhorststraße 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
| | - M. Bakhshi
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - R.N. Barbosa
- Micoteca URM-Department of Mycology Prof. Chaves Batista, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Center for Biosciences, University City, Recife, Pernambuco, Zip Code: 50670-901, Brazil
| | - F.H. Behrens
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Geilweilerhof, D-76833 Siebeldingen, Germany
| | - K. Bensch
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - J.D.P. Bezerra
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74605-050, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - P. Bilański
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - C.A. Bradley
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Princeton, KY 42445, USA
| | - B. Bubner
- Johan Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei, Institut für Forstgenetik, Eberswalder Chaussee 3a, 15377 Waldsieversdorf, Germany
| | - T.I. Burgess
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Australia
| | - B. Buyck
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 39, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - N. Čadež
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Food Science and Technology Department Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - L. Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F.J.S. Calaça
- Mykocosmos - Mycology and Science Communication, Rua JP 11 Qd. 18 Lote 13, Jd. Primavera 1ª etapa, Post Code 75.090-260, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
- Secretaria de Estado da Educação de Goiás (SEDUC/ GO), Quinta Avenida, Quadra 71, número 212, Setor Leste Vila Nova, Goiânia, Goiás, 74643-030, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ensino de Ciências (LabPEC), Centro de Pesquisas e Educação Científica, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Campus Central (CEPEC/UEG), Anápolis, GO, 75132-903, Brazil
| | - L.J. Campbell
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - P. Chaverri
- Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA) and Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A
| | - Y.Y. Chen
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
| | - K.W.T. Chethana
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - B. Coetzee
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- School for Data Sciences and Computational Thinking, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - M.M. Costa
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Q. Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F.A. Custódio
- Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa-MG, Brazil
| | - Y.C. Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - U. Damm
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, PF 300 154, 02806 Görlitz, Germany
| | - A.L.C.M.A. Santiago
- Post-graduate course in the Biology of Fungi, Department of Mycology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, 50740-465, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - J. Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - A.J. Dissanayake
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - M. Doilom
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - W. Dong
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - E. Álvarez-Duarte
- Mycology Unit, Microbiology and Mycology Program, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Chile, Chile
| | - M. Fischer
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Geilweilerhof, D-76833 Siebeldingen, Germany
| | - A.J. Gajanayake
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - J. Gené
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
| | - D. Gomdola
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - A.A.M. Gomes
- Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - G. Hausner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5N6
| | - M.Q. He
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - L. Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Space Nutrition and Food Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - I. Iturrieta-González
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
- Department of Preclinic Sciences, Medicine Faculty, Laboratory of Infectology and Clinical Immunology, Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine-Scientific and Technological Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - F. Jami
- Plant Health and Protection, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - R. Jankowiak
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - R.S. Jayawardena
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, South Korea
| | - H. Kandemir
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - L. Kiss
- Centre for Crop Health, Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, QLD 4350 Toowoomba, Australia
- Centre for Research and Development, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, H-3300 Eger, Hungary
| | - N. Kobmoo
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - T. Kowalski
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - L. Landi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - C.G. Lin
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - J.K. Liu
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - X.B. Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, P.R. China
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged H-6726, Hungary
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | | | - T. Luangharn
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - S.S.N. Maharachchikumbura
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - G.J. Makhathini Mkhwanazi
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - I.S. Manawasinghe
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Y. Marin-Felix
- Department Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - A.R. McTaggart
- Centre for Horticultural Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park 4102, Queensland, Australia
| | - P.A. Moreau
- Univ. Lille, ULR 4515 - LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - O.V. Morozova
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Prof. Popov Str., 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University, 125, Lenin av., 300026 Tula, Russia
| | - L. Mostert
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - H.D. Osiewacz
- Faculty for Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - D. Pem
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - R. Phookamsak
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Honghe 654400, Yunnan, China
| | - S. Pollastro
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - A. Pordel
- Plant Protection Research Department, Baluchestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Iranshahr, Iran
| | - C. Poyntner
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A.J.L. Phillips
- Faculdade de Ciências, Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M. Phonemany
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - I. Promputtha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - A.R. Rathnayaka
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - A.M. Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, 04023062, Brazil
| | - G. Romanazzi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - L. Rothmann
- Plant Pathology, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa
| | - C. Salgado-Salazar
- Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS), 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville MD, 20705, USA
| | - M. Sandoval-Denis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - S.J. Saupe
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaire, UMR 5095 CNRS Université de Bordeaux, 1 rue Camille Saint Saëns, 33077 Bordeaux cedex, France
| | - M. Scholler
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstraße 13, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - P. Scott
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Australia
- Sustainability and Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Perth WA 6000, Australia
| | - R.G. Shivas
- Centre for Crop Health, Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, QLD 4350 Toowoomba, Australia
| | - P. Silar
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain, Université de Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
| | - A.G.S. Silva-Filho
- IFungiLab, Departamento de Ciências e Matemática (DCM), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP), São Paulo, BraziI
| | - C.M. Souza-Motta
- Micoteca URM-Department of Mycology Prof. Chaves Batista, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Center for Biosciences, University City, Recife, Pernambuco, Zip Code: 50670-901, Brazil
| | - C.F.J. Spies
- Agricultural Research Council - Plant Health and Protection, Private Bag X5017, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa
| | - A.M. Stchigel
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
| | - K. Sterflinger
- Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts (INTK), Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Augasse 2–6, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - R.C. Summerbell
- Sporometrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - T.Y. Svetasheva
- Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University, 125, Lenin av., 300026 Tula, Russia
| | - S. Takamatsu
- Mie University, Graduate School, Department of Bioresources, 1577 Kurima-Machiya, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - B. Theelen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - R.C. Theodoro
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica, Instituto de Medicina Tropical do RN, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-900, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - M. Thines
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - N. Thongklang
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - R. Torres
- IRTA, Postharvest Programme, Edifici Fruitcentre, Parc Agrobiotech de Lleida, Parc de Gardeny, 25003, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - B. Turchetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences and DBVPG Industrial Yeasts Collection, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - T. van den Brule
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- TIFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - X.W. Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F. Wartchow
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Paraiba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - S. Welti
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S.N. Wijesinghe
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - F. Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - R. Xu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Internationally Cooperative Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushroom, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Z.L. Yang
- Syngenta Crop Protection, 410 S Swing Rd, Greensboro, NC. 27409, USA
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - N. Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - A. Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - L. Zhao
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - R.L. Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - N. Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana University of Science and Technology, Private Bag, 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - K.D. Hyde
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - P.W. Crous
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht
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Sepúlveda VE, Rader JA, Li JJ, Goldman WE, Matute DR. Phenotypic characterization of cryptic species in the fungal pathogen Histoplasma. mSphere 2024; 9:e0000924. [PMID: 38771035 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00009-24] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis that often presents as a respiratory infection in immunocompromised patients. Hundreds of thousands of new infections are reported annually around the world. The etiological agent of the disease, Histoplasma, is a dimorphic fungus commonly found in the soil where it grows as mycelia. Humans can become infected by Histoplasma through inhalation of its spores (conidia) or mycelial particles. The fungi transition into the yeast phase in the lungs at 37°C. Once in the lungs, yeast cells reside and proliferate inside alveolar macrophages. Genomic work has revealed that Histoplasma is composed of at least five cryptic phylogenetic species that differ genetically. Three of those lineages have received new names. Here, we evaluated multiple phenotypic characteristics (colony morphology, secreted proteolytic activity, yeast size, and growth rate) of strains from five of the phylogenetic species of Histoplasma to identify phenotypic traits that differentiate between these species: Histoplasma capsulatum sensu stricto, Histoplasma ohiense, Histoplasma mississippiense, Histoplasma suramericanum, and an African lineage. We report diagnostic traits for three species. The other two species can be identified by a combination of traits. Our results suggest that (i) there are significant phenotypic differences among the cryptic species of Histoplasma and (ii) those differences can be used to positively distinguish those species in a clinical setting and for further study of the evolution of this fungal pathogen.IMPORTANCEIdentifying species boundaries is a critical component of evolutionary biology. Genome sequencing and the use of molecular markers have advanced our understanding of the evolutionary history of fungal pathogens, including Histoplasma, and have allowed for the identification of new species. This is especially important in organisms where morphological characteristics have not been detected. In this study, we revised the taxonomic status of the four named species of the genus Histoplasma, H. capsulatum sensu stricto (ss), H. ohiense, H. mississippiense, and H. suramericanum, and propose the use of species-specific phenotypic traits to aid their identification when genome sequencing is not available. These results have implications not only for evolutionary study of Histoplasma but also for clinicians, as the Histoplasma species could determine the outcome of disease and treatment needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Sepúlveda
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan A Rader
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jingbaoyi Janet Li
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - William E Goldman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Nehzati A, Hefelfinger D, Fonte E, Scott J. Musculoskeletal Coccidioidomycosis in the Setting of Adalimumab: A Case Report. Cureus 2024; 16:e56321. [PMID: 38629004 PMCID: PMC11020680 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.56321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Musculoskeletal coccidioidomycosis is a rare disseminated fungal infection caused by either Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii endemic to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, as well as Guatemala, Brazil, and other locations in Central and South America. Symptomatic primary infection of coccidioidomycosis can present as pneumonia with influenza-like symptoms, but the majority of cases remain asymptomatic. When dissemination occurs, the most common extrapulmonary sites include the skin, lymph nodes, musculoskeletal system, and meninges. We present a case of a 53-year-old female with a history of breast cancer and ankylosing spondylitis treated with adalimumab who presented with disseminated coccidioidomycosis. On presentation, she reported subcutaneous nodules on the right forearm and elbow. Radiologic evaluation utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scan revealed multiple subcutaneous and bony enhancing lesions in her right forearm, lumbar spine, iliac wing, and axillary lymphadenopathy. Given the patient's history of breast cancer, there was concern for metastatic disease. Axillary lymph node biopsies were negative for malignancy, but immunoreactive for C. immitis with a positive Grocott methenamine silver (GMS) stain and a C. immitis antibody panel confirmed the diagnosis of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Treatment with fluconazole was initiated along with discontinuation of adalimumab. Fluconazole was transitioned to itraconazole due to adverse effects. Treatment was successful as evidenced by improved PET imaging and downtrending C. immitis antibody titers. This case highlights the concerning potential for dissemination of endemic mycoses with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapies and the unique ways in which they can present. Further investigation is needed to determine the long-term implications of the disease and the role that immunosuppressive medications play in disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashkon Nehzati
- Internal Medicine, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, USA
| | - Donald Hefelfinger
- College of Medicine, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, USA
| | - Elizabeth Fonte
- College of Medicine, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, USA
| | - Joshua Scott
- Rheumatology, Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Dayton, USA
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Campuzano A, Pentakota KD, Liao YR, Zhang H, Wiederhold NP, Ostroff GR, Hung CY. A Recombinant Multivalent Vaccine (rCpa1) Induces Protection for C57BL/6 and HLA Transgenic Mice against Pulmonary Infection with Both Species of Coccidioides. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:67. [PMID: 38250880 PMCID: PMC10819930 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010067] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by Coccidioides posadasii (Cp) and Coccidioides immitis (Ci), which have a 4-5% difference in their genomic sequences. There is an urgent need to develop a human vaccine against both species. A previously created recombinant antigen (rCpa1) that contains multiple peptides derived from Cp isolate C735 is protective against the autologous isolate. The focus of this study is to evaluate cross-protective efficacy and immune correlates by the rCpa1-based vaccine against both species of Coccidioides. DNA sequence analyses of the homologous genes for the rCpa1 antigen were conducted for 39 and 17 clinical isolates of Cp and Ci, respectively. Protective efficacy and vaccine-induced immunity were evaluated for both C57BL/6 and human HLA-DR4 transgenic mice against five highly virulent isolates of Cp and Ci. There are total of seven amino acid substitutions in the rCpa1 antigen between Cp and Ci. Both C57BL/6 and HLA-DR4 mice that were vaccinated with an rCpa1 vaccine had a significant reduction of fungal burden and increased numbers of IFN-γ- and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells in the first 2 weeks post challenge. These data suggest that rCpa1 has cross-protection activity against Cp and Ci pulmonary infection through activation of early Th1 and Th17 responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Althea Campuzano
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (A.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Komali Devi Pentakota
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (A.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Yu-Rou Liao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (A.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (A.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Nathan P. Wiederhold
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Gary R. Ostroff
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA;
| | - Chiung-Yu Hung
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (A.C.); (H.Z.)
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Sepúlveda VE, Rader JA, Li J(J, Goldman WE, Matute DR. Phenotypic characterization of cryptic species in the fungal pathogen Histoplasma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574719. [PMID: 38260643 PMCID: PMC10802462 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis that often presents as a respiratory infection in immunocompromised patients. Hundreds of thousands of new infections are reported annually around the world. The etiological agent of the disease, Histoplasma, is a dimorphic fungus commonly found in the soil where it grows as mycelia. Humans can become infected by Histoplasma through inhalation of its spores (conidia) or mycelial particles. The fungi transitions into the yeast phase in the lungs at 37°C. Once in the lungs, yeast cells reside and proliferate inside alveolar macrophages. We have previously described that Histoplasma is composed of at least five cryptic species that differ genetically, and assigned new names to the lineages. Here we evaluated multiple phenotypic characteristics of 12 strains from five phylogenetic species of Histoplasma to identify phenotypic traits that differentiate between these species: H. capsulatum sensu stricto, H. ohiense, H. mississippiense, H. suramericanum, and an African lineage. We report diagnostic traits for two species. The other three species can be identified by a combination of traits. Our results suggest that 1) there are significant phenotypic differences among the cryptic species of Histoplasma, and 2) that those differences can be used to positively distinguish those species in a clinical setting and for further study of the evolution of this fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - William E. Goldman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Daniel R. Matute
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Kirkland TN, Beyhan S, Stajich JE. Evaluation of Different Gene Prediction Tools in Coccidioides immitis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1094. [PMID: 37998899 PMCID: PMC10672684 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111094] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene prediction is required to obtain optimal biologically meaningful information from genomic sequences, but automated gene prediction software is imperfect. In this study, we compare the original annotation of the Coccidioides immitis RS genome (the reference strain of C. immitis) to annotations using the Funannotate and Augustus genome prediction pipelines. A total of 25% of the originally predicted genes (denoted CIMG) were not found in either the Funannotate or Augustus predictions. A comparison of Funannotate and Augustus predictions also found overlapping but not identical sets of genes. The predicted genes found only in the original annotation (referred to as CIMG-unique) were less likely to have a meaningful functional annotation and a lower number of orthologs and homologs in other fungi than all CIMG genes predicted by the original annotation. The CIMG-unique genes were also more likely to be lineage-specific and poorly expressed. In addition, the CIMG-unique genes were found in clusters and tended to be more frequently associated with transposable elements than all CIMG-predicted genes. The CIMG-unique genes were more likely to have experimentally determined transcription start sites that were further away from the originally predicted transcription start sites, and experimentally determined initial transcription was less likely to result in stable CIMG-unique transcripts. A sample of CIMG-unique genes that were relatively well expressed and differentially expressed in mycelia and spherules was inspected in a genome browser, and the structure of only about half of them was found to be supported by RNA-seq data. These data suggest that some of the CIMG-unique genes are not authentic gene predictions. Genes that were predicted only by the Funannotate pipeline were also less likely to have a meaningful functional annotation, be shorter, and express less well than all the genes predicted by Funannotate. C. immitis genes predicted by more than one annotation are more likely to have predicted functions, many orthologs and homologs, and be well expressed. Lineage-specific genes are relatively uncommon in this group. These data emphasize the importance and limitations of gene prediction software and suggest that improvements to the annotation of the C. immitis genome should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo N. Kirkland
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sinem Beyhan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
- Department of Infectious Diseases, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
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Reyes-Montes MDR, León-García AA, Frías-De-León MG, Acosta-Altamirano G, Sánchez-Saavedra EP, Victoriano-Pastelín I, Meraz-Ríos B, Duarte-Escalante E. Clinical Cases of Coccidioidomycosis in the Americas in the Period 1950-2021: Epidemiology Data, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2109. [PMID: 38004249 PMCID: PMC10672650 DOI: 10.3390/life13112109] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis, caused by Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, causes significant morbidity and mortality, both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised people, mainly in endemic areas. The present work analyzed its epidemiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment by reviewing clinical cases published from 1950 to 2021. Fifty-nine articles were included, corresponding to 275 clinical cases. The results showed a higher incidence of coccidioidomycosis in the male gender than the female gender. The most affected age group was 31-40 years, and the most reported clinical presentation was disseminated with greater involvement in cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue, followed by the CNS, bone system, and peritoneum. The species most frequently reported was C. immitis. The most used treatment was azoles, followed by their combination with amphotericin B, monotherapy with amphotericin B, and alternative medicine. This work shows that epidemiological data outside the USA are still scarce. Serological tests are the preferred diagnostic method in daily medical practice, and cultures remain the gold standard. The treatment for coccidioidomycosis is ketoconazole and amphotericin B, individually or in combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- María del Rocío Reyes-Montes
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
| | - Adriana Anel León-García
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
| | - María Guadalupe Frías-De-León
- Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Unidad de Investigación Biomédica, Pueblo de Zoquiapan, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (G.A.-A.)
| | - Gustavo Acosta-Altamirano
- Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Unidad de Investigación Biomédica, Pueblo de Zoquiapan, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (G.A.-A.)
| | - Erika Paola Sánchez-Saavedra
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
| | - Isai Victoriano-Pastelín
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
| | - Beatriz Meraz-Ríos
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
| | - Esperanza Duarte-Escalante
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico; (M.d.R.R.-M.); (A.A.L.-G.); (E.P.S.-S.); (I.V.-P.); (B.M.-R.)
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8
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Escamilla JE, January SE, Vazquez Guillamet R. Diagnosis and Treatment of Fungal Infections in Lung Transplant Recipients. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050694. [PMID: 37242364 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are a significant source of morbidity in the lung transplant population via direct allograft damage and predisposing patients to the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are imperative to limit allograft damage. This review article discusses incidence, risk factors, and symptoms with a specific focus on diagnostic and treatment strategies in the lung transplant population for fungal infections caused by Aspergillus, Candida, Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Scedosporium/Lomentospora, Fusarium, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. Evidence for the use of newer triazole and inhaled antifungals to treat isolated pulmonary fungal infections in lung transplant recipients is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus E Escamilla
- Department of Pharmacy, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Spenser E January
- Department of Pharmacy, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Rodrigo Vazquez Guillamet
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Rodrigo Vazquez Guillamet, 4921 Parkview Place, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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9
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Campbell AP, Qiu L, Dillman JR, Trout AT, Szabo S, Lopez-Nunez OF, Pugmire BS, Schapiro AH. Endemic mycoses in children in North America: a review of radiologic findings. Pediatr Radiol 2023; 53:984-1004. [PMID: 36922418 PMCID: PMC10017348 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-023-05636-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Clinically significant endemic mycoses (fungal infections) in the United States (U.S.) include Blastomyces dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum, and Coccidioides immitis/posadasii. While the majority of infections go clinically unnoticed, symptomatic disease can occur in immunocompromised or hospitalized patients, and occasionally in immune-competent individuals. Clinical manifestations vary widely and their diagnosis may require fungal culture, making the rapid diagnosis a challenge. Imaging can be helpful in making a clinical diagnosis prior to laboratory confirmation, as well as assist in characterizing disease extent and severity. In this review, we discuss the three major endemic fungal infections that occur in the U.S., including mycology, epidemiology, clinical presentations, and typical imaging features with an emphasis on the pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham P Campbell
- Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Lisa Qiu
- Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Jonathan R Dillman
- Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Andrew T Trout
- Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Sara Szabo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Oscar F Lopez-Nunez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brian S Pugmire
- Department of Radiology, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew H Schapiro
- Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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10
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Of Mycelium and Men: Inherent Human Susceptibility to Fungal Diseases. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030456. [PMID: 36986378 PMCID: PMC10058615 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In medical mycology, the main context of disease is iatrogenic-based disease. However, historically, and occasionally, even today, fungal diseases affect humans with no obvious risk factors, sometimes in a spectacular fashion. The field of “inborn errors of immunity” (IEI) has deduced at least some of these previously enigmatic cases; accordingly, the discovery of single-gene disorders with penetrant clinical effects and their immunologic dissection have provided a framework with which to understand some of the key pathways mediating human susceptibility to mycoses. By extension, they have also enabled the identification of naturally occurring auto-antibodies to cytokines that phenocopy such susceptibility. This review provides a comprehensive update of IEI and autoantibodies that inherently predispose humans to various fungal diseases.
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11
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Peçanha-Pietrobom PM, Tirado-Sánchez A, Gonçalves SS, Bonifaz A, Colombo AL. Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis and Paracoccidioidomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:218. [PMID: 36836333 PMCID: PMC9959547 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis (CM) and paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) are systemic mycoses that are highly endemic in Latin America and have recently been included on the World Health Organization (WHO) Fungal Priority Pathogens List. Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are recognized as etiological agents of CM, with peculiarities in their geographic distribution. The genus Paracoccidioides now includes Paracoccidioides lutzii and the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis complex, which encompasses four phylogenetic species. In both diseases, pulmonary signs and symptoms are the main reasons for patients to seek medical assistance, and they are frequently misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. In this paper, we present a critical view of the strategies for diagnosis and clinical management of CM and PCM. Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in the number of reports of endemic fungal infections in areas previously thought to be "non-endemic" due to climate change and increased travel, among other factors. Learning to recognize their main epidemiological aspects and clinical manifestations is crucial so that clinicians can include them in the differential diagnosis of lung disease and avoid late diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrés Tirado-Sánchez
- Dermatology Service & Mycology Department, Hospital General de México, “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06726, Mexico
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital General de Zona 29, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 07950, Mexico
| | - Sarah Santos Gonçalves
- Department of Pathology, Infectious Diseases Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29043900, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Bonifaz
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital General de Zona 29, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 07950, Mexico
| | - Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04039032, Brazil
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12
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Rush B, Zeigler J, Cheng MP, Hrymak C, Lother S. Outcomes with severe pulmonary coccidioidomycosis and respiratory failure in the United States. JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE CANADA 2023; 8:40-48. [PMID: 37008578 PMCID: PMC10052912 DOI: 10.3138/jammi-2022-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background: Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection with presentations ranging from asymptomatic illness to severe pneumonia and respiratory failure. The outcomes of patients with severe pulmonary coccidioidomycosis requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) are not well understood. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2006 to 2017. Patients >18 years of age with a diagnosis of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis were included in the cohort. Results: A total of 11,045 patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis during the study period. Of these, 826 (7.5%) patients required MV during their hospitalization with a mortality rate of 33.5% compared to 1.3% ( p < 0.01) for patients not requiring MV. Results of the multivariable logistic regression model show that risk factors for MV included the history of neurological disorders and paralysis (OR 3.38, 95% CI 2.70 to 4.20, p < 0.01; OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.91 to 5.15, p < 0.01, respectively) and HIV (OR 1.63, 95% 1.10 to 2.43, p < 0.01). Risk factors for mortality among patients requiring MV included older age (OR 1.24 per 10-year increase, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.42, p < 0.01), coagulopathy (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.38, p = 0.01) and HIV (OR 2.83; 95% CI 1.32 to 6.10; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Approximately 7.5% of patients admitted with coccidioidomycosis in the United States require MV, and MV is associated with high mortality (33.5%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Barret Rush
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Critical Care Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jennifer Zeigler
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Critical Care Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Matthew P Cheng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Carmen Hrymak
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Sylvain Lother
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Critical Care Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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13
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Dubin CA, Voorhies M, Sil A, Teixeira MM, Barker BM, Brem RB. Genome Organization and Copy-Number Variation Reveal Clues to Virulence Evolution in Coccidioides posadasii. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8121235. [PMID: 36547568 PMCID: PMC9782707 DOI: 10.3390/jof8121235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The human fungal pathogen Coccidioides spp. causes valley fever, a treatment-refractory and sometimes deadly disease prevalent in arid regions of the western hemisphere. Fungal virulence in the mammalian host hinges on a switch between growth as hyphae and as large spherules containing infectious spores. How these virulence programs are encoded in the genome remains poorly understood. Drawing on Coccidioides genomic resources, we first discovered a new facet of genome organization in this system: spherule-gene islands, clusters of genes physically linked in the genome that exhibited specific mRNA induction in the spherule phase. Next, we surveyed copy-number variation genome-wide among strains of C. posadasii. Emerging from this catalog were spherule-gene islands with striking presence-absence differentiation between C. posadasii populations, a pattern expected from virulence factors subjected to different selective pressures across habitats. Finally, analyzing single-nucleotide differences across C. posadasii strains, we identified signatures of natural selection in spherule-expressed genes. Together, our data establish spherule-gene islands as candidate determinants of virulence and targets of selection in Coccidioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A. Dubin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Mark Voorhies
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Anita Sil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Marcus M. Teixeira
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen)-Affiliate of City of Hope, Flagstaff, AZ 85004, USA
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
- Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Bridget M. Barker
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen)-Affiliate of City of Hope, Flagstaff, AZ 85004, USA
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Rachel B. Brem
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
- Correspondence:
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14
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Cai H, Zhang H, Guo DH, Wang Y, Gu J. Genomic Data Mining Reveals Abundant Uncharacterized Transporters in Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101064. [PMID: 36294626 PMCID: PMC9604845 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are causative agents of coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley Fever. The increasing Valley Fever cases in the past decades, the expansion of endemic regions, and the rising azole drug-resistant strains have underscored an urgent need for a better understanding of Coccidioides biology and new antifungal strategies. Transporters play essential roles in pathogen survival, growth, infection, and adaptation, and are considered as potential drug targets. However, the composition and roles of transport machinery in Coccidioides remain largely unknown. In this study, genomic data mining revealed an abundant, uncharacterized repertoire of transporters in Coccidioides genomes. The catalog included 1288 and 1235 transporter homologs in C. immitis and C. posadasii, respectively. They were further annotated to class, subclass, family, subfamily and range of substrates based on the Transport Classification (TC) system. They may play diverse roles in nutrient uptake, metabolite secretion, ion homeostasis, drug efflux, or signaling. This study represents an initial effort for a systems-level characterization of the transport machinery in these understudied fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Cai
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Daniel H. Guo
- Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston, TX 77036, USA
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (J.G.)
| | - Jianying Gu
- Department of Biology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, NY 10314, USA
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (J.G.)
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15
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Almeida-Paes R, Bernardes-Engemann AR, da Silva Motta B, Pizzini CV, de Abreu Almeida M, de Medeiros Muniz M, Dias RAB, Zancopé-Oliveira RM. Immunologic Diagnosis of Endemic Mycoses. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8100993. [PMID: 36294558 PMCID: PMC9605100 DOI: 10.3390/jof8100993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The endemic mycoses blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, sporotrichosis, talaromycosis, adiaspiromycosis, and emergomycosis are mostly caused by geographically limited thermally dimorphic fungi (except for cryptococcosis), and their diagnoses can be challenging. Usual laboratory methods involved in endemic mycoses diagnosis include microscopic examination and culture of biological samples; however, serologic, histopathologic, and molecular techniques have been implemented in the last few years for the diagnosis of these mycoses since the recovery and identification of their etiologic agents is time-consuming and lacks in sensitivity. In this review, we focus on the immunologic diagnostic methods related to antibody and antigen detection since their evidence is presumptive diagnosis, and in some mycoses, such as cryptococcosis, it is definitive diagnosis.
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16
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Coccidioidomycosis in Northern Arizona: an Investigation of the Host, Pathogen, and Environment Using a Disease Triangle Approach. mSphere 2022; 7:e0035222. [PMID: 35972134 PMCID: PMC9599602 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00352-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are the etiological agents of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever [VF]). Disease manifestation ranges from mild pneumonia to chronic or extrapulmonary infection. If diagnosis is delayed, the risk of severe disease increases. In this report, we investigated the intersection of pathogen, host, and environment for VF cases in Northern Arizona (NAZ), where the risk of acquiring the disease is much lower than in Southern Arizona. We investigated reported cases and assessed pathogen origin by comparing genomes of NAZ clinical isolates to isolates from other regions. Lastly, we surveyed regional soils for presence of Coccidioides. We found that cases of VF increased in NAZ in 2019, and Coccidioides NAZ isolates are assigned to Arizona populations using phylogenetic inference. Importantly, we detected Coccidioides DNA in NAZ soil. Given recent climate modeling of the disease that predicts that cases will continue to increase throughout the region, and the evidence presented in this report, we propose that disease awareness outreach to clinicians throughout the western United States is crucial for improving patient outcomes, and further environmental sampling across the western U.S. is warranted. IMPORTANCE Our work is the first description of the Valley fever disease triangle in Northern Arizona, which addresses the host, the pathogen, and the environmental source in the region. Our data suggest that the prevalence of diagnosed cases rose in 2019 in this region, and some severe cases necessitate hospitalization. We present the first evidence of Coccidioides spp. in Northern Arizona soils, suggesting that the pathogen is maintained in the local environment. Until disease prevention is an achievable option via vaccination, we predict that incidence of Valley fever will rise in the area. Therefore, enhanced awareness of and surveillance for coccidioidomycosis is vital to community health in Northern Arizona.
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17
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Vaccines to Prevent Coccidioidomycosis: A Gene-Deletion Mutant of Coccidioides Posadasii as a Viable Candidate for Human Trials. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080838. [PMID: 36012826 PMCID: PMC9410110 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection that is reported in up to 20,000 persons per year and has an economic impact close to $1.5 billion. Natural infection virtually always confers protection from future exposure, and this suggests that a preventative vaccine strategy is likely to succeed. We here review progress toward that objective. There has been ongoing research to discover a coccidioidal vaccine over the past seven decades, including one phase III clinical trial, but for reasons of either efficacy or feasibility, a safe and effective vaccine has not yet been developed. This review first summarizes the past research to develop a coccidioidal vaccine. It then details the evidence that supports a live, gene-deletion vaccine candidate as suitable for further development as both a veterinary and a human clinical product. Finally, a plausible vaccine development plan is described which would be applicable to this vaccine candidate and also useful to other future candidates. The public health and economic impact of coccidioidomycosis fully justifies a public private partnership for vaccine development, and the development of a vaccine for this orphan disease will likely require some degree of public funding.
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18
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Challenges in Serologic Diagnostics of Neglected Human Systemic Mycoses: An Overview on Characterization of New Targets. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11050569. [PMID: 35631090 PMCID: PMC9143782 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic mycoses have been viewed as neglected diseases and they are responsible for deaths and disabilities around the world. Rapid, low-cost, simple, highly-specific and sensitive diagnostic tests are critical components of patient care, disease control and active surveillance. However, the diagnosis of fungal infections represents a great challenge because of the decline in the expertise needed for identifying fungi, and a reduced number of instruments and assays specific to fungal identification. Unfortunately, time of diagnosis is one of the most important risk factors for mortality rates from many of the systemic mycoses. In addition, phenotypic and biochemical identification methods are often time-consuming, which has created an increasing demand for new methods of fungal identification. In this review, we discuss the current context of the diagnosis of the main systemic mycoses and propose alternative approaches for the identification of new targets for fungal pathogens, which can help in the development of new diagnostic tests.
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19
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Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis, colloquially known as Valley Fever, is an invasive dimorphic fungal infection caused by Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii. The fungi are found in the arid desert soils of the southwestern US, as well as in parts of Mexico and Central and South America. Acquisition is typically via inhalation of arthroconidia which become airborne after both natural (e.g., earthquakes, dust storms, and fires) and human-related events (e.g., military maneuvers, recreational activities, agriculture, and construction). The incidence of infection in increasing likely a result of both climatic and populational changes. Further, the recognized geographic distribution of Coccidioides spp. is expanding, as cases are being diagnosed in new areas (e.g., eastern Washington, Oregon, and Utah). Most coccidioidal infections are asymptomatic (60%); however, approximately one-third develop a pulmonary illness which is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia in highly endemic areas. Uncommonly (0.5–2% of cases), the infection disseminates to extrapulmonary locations (e.g., skin, bones/joints, and the central nervous system), and is most commonly seen among persons with cellular immunodeficiencies (e.g., transplant recipients, HIV, and pregnancy) and non-Caucasian races (especially African Americans and Filipinos). The diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis requires astute clinical suspicion and laboratory findings, including positive serology, cultures, and/or histopathology results. Treatment is warranted among persons with pneumonia who have risk factors for complicated disease and among those with extrapulmonary disease. Novel antifungals with improved fungicidal activity and rapidity of action with fewer side effects and drug interactions are needed. Preventive strategies (e.g., education regarding the disease, dust avoidance, mask wearing, including among select groups, antifungal prophylaxis, and surveillance laboratory testing) are advised for residents and travelers to endemic areas. Currently, no preventive vaccine is available. Coccidioidomycosis has been recognized for over a century, and an expanding wealth of knowledge has been gained regarding this emerging infectious disease which will be reviewed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy F Crum
- Infectious Diseases Department, Scripps Health System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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20
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Duttke SH, Beyhan S, Singh R, Neal S, Viriyakosol S, Fierer J, Kirkland TN, Stajich JE, Benner C, Carlin AF. Decoding Transcription Regulatory Mechanisms Associated with Coccidioides immitis Phase Transition Using Total RNA. mSystems 2022; 7:e0140421. [PMID: 35076277 PMCID: PMC8788335 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01404-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
New or emerging infectious diseases are commonly caused by pathogens that cannot be readily manipulated or studied under common laboratory conditions. These limitations hinder standard experimental approaches and our abilities to define the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis. The advance of capped small RNA sequencing (csRNA-seq) now enables genome-wide mapping of actively initiated transcripts from genes and other regulatory transcribed start regions (TSRs) such as enhancers at a precise moment from total RNA. As RNA is nonpathogenic and can be readily isolated from inactivated infectious samples, csRNA-seq can detect acute changes in gene regulation within or in response to a pathogen with remarkable sensitivity under common laboratory conditions. Studying valley fever (coccidioidomycosis), an emerging endemic fungal infection that increasingly impacts livestock, pet, and human health, we show how csRNA-seq can unravel transcriptional programs driving pathogenesis. Performing csRNA-seq on RNA isolated from different stages of the valley fever pathogen Coccidioides immitis revealed alternative promoter usage, connected cis-regulatory domains, and a WOPR family transcription factor, which are known regulators of virulence in other fungi, as being critical for pathogenic growth. We further demonstrate that a C. immitis WOPR homologue, CIMG_02671, activates transcription in a WOPR motif-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into valley fever pathogenesis and provide a proof of principle for csRNA-seq as a powerful means to determine the genes, regulatory mechanisms, and transcription factors that control the pathogenesis of highly infectious agents. IMPORTANCE Infectious pathogens like airborne viruses or fungal spores are difficult to study; they require high-containment facilities, special equipment, and expertise. As such, establishing approaches such as genome editing or other means to identify the factors and mechanisms underlying caused diseases, and, thus, promising drug targets, is costly and time-intensive. These obstacles particularly hinder the analysis of new, emerging, or rare infectious diseases. We recently developed a method termed capped small RNA sequencing (csRNA-seq) that enables capturing acute changes in active gene expression from total RNA. Prior to csRNA-seq, such an analysis was possible only by using living cells or nuclei, in which pathogens are highly infectious. The process of RNA purification, however, inactivates pathogens and thus enables the analysis of gene expression during disease progression under standard laboratory conditions. As a proof of principle, here, we use csRNA-seq to unravel the gene regulatory programs and factors likely critical for the pathogenesis of valley fever, an emerging endemic fungal infection that increasingly impacts livestock, pet, and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha H. Duttke
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sinem Beyhan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Department of Infectious Diseases, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rajendra Singh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sonya Neal
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Suganya Viriyakosol
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Joshua Fierer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- Infectious Diseases Section, VA Healthcare San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Theo N. Kirkland
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Christopher Benner
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
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21
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Reactivation of Coccidioides immitis in a Prosthetic Knee after Initiation of Chemotherapy. Case Rep Hematol 2022; 2021:3964465. [PMID: 34970462 PMCID: PMC8714342 DOI: 10.1155/2021/3964465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides is an endemic fungus in the Southwestern United States and Central and South America. Coccidioidomycosis primary infections are typically of the lung with an asymptomatic or self-limiting course. Some infections disseminate to other parts of the body and a few can remain latent for many years. Reactivation of latent fungal disease can occur following an insult to the host immune system. Here, we describe a case of a 76-year-old Caucasian male patient who moved from California to Wisconsin with a history of coccidioidomycosis infection of the left knee that reactivated decades later in his prosthetic knee shortly after being initiated on ibrutinib (Imbruvica), a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). There have been some case reports regarding coccidioidomycosis infections after initiating ibrutinib therapy but none with a 50 year latency period before reactivation. Readers will learn the immunological effects of ibrutinib on the hosts' innate and adaptive immunity and its role in putting the host at risk for invasive fungal infections. We also review the literature and data on treatment regimens and recommendations based on current guidelines.
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22
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Triadó-Margarit X, Cáliz J, Casamayor EO. A long-term atmospheric baseline for intercontinental exchange of airborne pathogens. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106916. [PMID: 34627012 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a potential pathway for global-scale and long-range dispersal of viable microorganisms, promoting biological interconnections among the total environment. We aimed to provide relevant baseline information for long-range long-term intercontinental exchange of potentially infectious airborne microorganisms of major interest in environmental and health-related disciplines. We used an interannual survey (7-y) with wet depositions fortnightly collected above the boundary layer (free troposphere) at a remote high-elevation LTER (Long-Term-Ecological-Research) site, analyzed by 16S and 18S rRNA genes, and compared to a database of 475 well-known pathogens. We applied a conservative approach on close relatives of pathogenic species (>98% identity) standing their theoretical upper limit for atmospheric baseline relative abundances. We identified c. 2-3% of the total airborne microbiota as potential pathogens. Their most frequent environmental origins were soil, aquatic, and anthropogenic sources. Phytopathogens (mostly fungi) were the potential infectious agents most widely present. We uncovered consistent interannual dynamics with taxa foreseeable over time (i.e., predictable seasonal behavior) and under recurrent environmental scenarios (e.g., Saharan dust intrusions), respectively, being highly valuable microbial forensic environmental indicators. Up to 8 bacterial and 21 fungal genera consistently showed temporal abundances and recurrences unevenly distributed. Incidence of allergenic fungi was lower in summer, and significantly higher in spring. Close relatives to Coccidioides posadasii consistently showed higher signals (i.e., high specificity and high fidelity) in winter, whereas Cryptococcus neoformans had a significant signal in spring. Along Saharan dust intrusions, the bacterial phytopathogens Acidovorax avenae and Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the fungal phytopathogens Pseudozyma hubeiensis and Peniophora sp. consistently showed higher signals. Potential human pathogens showed low proportion, being mostly fungal allergens. Microorganisms related to obligated human, amphibian and fish pathogens were commonly found in winter. More studies in remote field sites above the boundary layer will unveil whether or not a similar trend is found globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain
| | - Joan Cáliz
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain.
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Kim JM, Sivasubramanian G. Coccidioidal meningitis and neurosyphilis co-infection in a non-HIV patient. Med Mycol Case Rep 2021; 34:5-7. [PMID: 34485045 PMCID: PMC8408423 DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides sp. and Treponema pallidum can both cause infections of the central nervous system if untreated. We describe a case of an immunocompetent patient living in an endemic region for Coccidioides who presented with headaches and diplopia and was found to have co-infection of coccidioidal meningitis and neurosyphilis. We highlight the importance of evaluation for CNS co-infections as they may be underdiagnosed, especially in endemic areas for coccidioidomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani M. Kim
- University of California San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program, 155 N Fresno St., Fresno, CA, 93701, United States
| | - Geetha Sivasubramanian
- University of California San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program, 155 N Fresno St., Fresno, CA, 93701, United States
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24
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León-Buitimea A, Garza-Cervantes JA, Gallegos-Alvarado DY, Osorio-Concepción M, Morones-Ramírez JR. Nanomaterial-Based Antifungal Therapies to Combat Fungal Diseases Aspergillosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Mucormycosis, and Candidiasis. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10101303. [PMID: 34684252 PMCID: PMC8539376 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last years, invasive infections caused by filamentous fungi have constituted a serious threat to public health worldwide. Aspergillus, Coccidioides, Mucorales (the most common filamentous fungi), and Candida auris (non-filamentous fungus) can cause infections in humans. They are able to cause critical life-threatening illnesses in immunosuppressed individuals, patients with HIV/AIDS, uncontrolled diabetes, hematological diseases, transplantation, and chemotherapy. In this review, we describe the available nanoformulations (both metallic and polymers-based nanoparticles) developed to increase efficacy and reduce the number of adverse effects after the administration of conventional antifungals. To treat aspergillosis and infections caused by Candida, multiple strategies have been used to develop new therapeutic alternatives, such as incorporating coating materials, complexes synthesized by green chemistry, or coupled with polymers. However, the therapeutic options for coccidioidomycosis and mucormycosis are limited; most of them are in the early stages of development. Therefore, more research needs to be performed to develop new therapeutic alternatives that contribute to the progress of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel León-Buitimea
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, Mexico; (A.L.-B.); (J.A.G.-C.); (D.Y.G.-A.); (M.O.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología y Nanotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apodaca C.P. 66628, Mexico
| | - Javier A. Garza-Cervantes
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, Mexico; (A.L.-B.); (J.A.G.-C.); (D.Y.G.-A.); (M.O.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología y Nanotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apodaca C.P. 66628, Mexico
| | - Diana Y. Gallegos-Alvarado
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, Mexico; (A.L.-B.); (J.A.G.-C.); (D.Y.G.-A.); (M.O.-C.)
| | - Macario Osorio-Concepción
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, Mexico; (A.L.-B.); (J.A.G.-C.); (D.Y.G.-A.); (M.O.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología y Nanotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apodaca C.P. 66628, Mexico
| | - José Ruben Morones-Ramírez
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, Mexico; (A.L.-B.); (J.A.G.-C.); (D.Y.G.-A.); (M.O.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología y Nanotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apodaca C.P. 66628, Mexico
- Correspondence:
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25
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Chaturvedi S, Victor TR, Marathe A, Sidamonidze K, Crucillo KL, Chaturvedi V. Real-time PCR assay for detection and differentiation of Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii from culture and clinical specimens. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009765. [PMID: 34529679 PMCID: PMC8486383 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) is a pulmonary and systemic fungal disease with increasing incidence and expanding endemic areas. The differentiation of etiologic agents Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii remains problematic in the clinical laboratories as conventional PCR and satellite typing schemes are not facile. Therefore, we developed Cy5- and FAM-labeled TaqMan-probes for duplex real-time PCR assay for rapid differentiation of C. immitis and C. posadasii from culture and clinical specimens. The RRA2 gene encoding proline-rich antigen 2, specific for Coccidioides genus, was the source for the first set of primers and probe. Coccidioides immitis contig 2.2 (GenBank: AAEC02000002.1) was used to design the second set of primers and probe. The second primers/probe did not amplify the corresponding C. posadasii DNA, because of an 86-bp deletion in the contig. The assay was highly sensitive with limit of detection of 0.1 pg gDNA/PCR reaction, which was equivalent to approximately ten genome copies of C. immitis or C. posadasii. The assay was highly specific with no cross-reactivity to the wide range of fungal and bacterial pathogens. Retrospective analysis of fungal isolates and primary specimens submitted from 1995 to 2020 confirmed 168 isolates and four primary specimens as C. posadasii and 30 isolates as C. immitis from human coccidioidomycosis cases, while all eight primary samples from two animals (rhesus monkey and rhinoceros) were confirmed as C. posadasii. A preliminary analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and pleural fluid samples showed positive correlation between serology tests and real-time PCR for two of the 15 samples. The Coccidioides spp. duplex real-time PCR will allow rapid differentiation of C. immitis and C. posadasii from clinical specimens and further augment the treatment and surveillance of coccidioidomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SC); (VC)
| | - Tanya R. Victor
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Anuradha Marathe
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ketevan Sidamonidze
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Kelly L. Crucillo
- Coccidioidomycosis Serology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California School of Medicine, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Vishnu Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SC); (VC)
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The Brief Case: A Fatal Case of SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection with Coccidioides in Texas-Another Challenge We Face. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 59:e0016321. [PMID: 34279116 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00163-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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27
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Ruckle DE, Rajfer R, Johnson JP. Diffuse Recalcitrant Osteomyelitis and Joint Septicemia Because of Bowel Perforation Secondary to Gunshot Injury: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect 2021; 11:01709767-202106000-00096. [PMID: 34101666 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.cc.20.00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
CASE A previously healthy 22-year-old man was brought into the emergency department after sustaining a low-velocity, civilian gunshot wound to the abdomen that perforated the bowel. Over the next 300 days, he would be admitted and discharged multiple times, requiring a total of 48 debridements, 23 different antimicrobials in 81 unique combinations, and had 18 different microbes cultured from various sites in bone, joint, and blood. Multiorganism bacteremia and fungemia culminated in above-knee amputation because of progression of infection, all in a nonimmunocompromised host. CONCLUSION Despite following clinical guidelines, patients can still fail evidence-based treatment algorithms. A humbling reminder is that medicine is never one-size-fits-all.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Ruckle
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California
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Gastélum-Cano JM, Dautt-Castro M, García-Galaz A, Felix-Murray K, Rascón-Careaga A, Cano-Rangel MA, Islas-Osuna MA. The clinical laboratory evolution in coccidioidomycosis detection: Future perspectives. J Mycol Med 2021; 31:101159. [PMID: 34157512 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2021.101159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is a systemic disease caused by the fungi Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii. It is a prevalent disease in arid regions with high temperatures and low precipitations in America. Coccidioidomycosis is a highly endemic disease of US-Mexico border states but commonly underdiagnosed. The diagnosis of coccidiomycosis is not easy due to the lack of specific symptoms; it is usually an integral approach, including clinical laboratory tests as an essential part of the diagnosis. Nevertheless, despite various laboratory tests available, affordability can be a limitation, mainly in developing countries. This review's objectives are 1) to learn the different laboratory approaches that arose and their application for clinical diagnosis; 2) to discuss their advantages and weaknesses, and finally, 3) propose what is on the horizon for future advances in clinical laboratory diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. It has been a long way in laboratory tests evolution to detect coccidioidomycosis from tissue microscopy to Real-Time PCR. However, there is a delay in technology adoption for Coccidioides spp. detection in the clinical laboratory. The molecular Point of Care Testing (POCT) technology has reached us in our trench while research in PCR variants stills on-going. None of the currently existing scientific literature in coccidioidomycosis research has mentioned it. However, this trend in infectious and non-infectious disease diagnosis will continue in that way in order to offer better options for an easy and fast diagnosis. Undoubtedly, the implementation of molecular POCT for Coccidioides spp. would save resources in health care attention and improve access to diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Gastélum-Cano
- Lab. de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.) Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas No. 46. La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83304, Mexico
| | - Mitzuko Dautt-Castro
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C. (IPICYT). Camino a la Presa de San José No. 2055. Lomas 4ta Sección, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. 78216, Mexico
| | - Alfonso García-Galaz
- Lab. de Microbiología Molecular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.) Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas No. 46. La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83304, Mexico
| | - Katya Felix-Murray
- Universidad de Sonora. Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales S/N. Col. Centro, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
| | - Antonio Rascón-Careaga
- Universidad de Sonora. Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales S/N. Col. Centro, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
| | - Manuel A Cano-Rangel
- Hospital Infantil del Estado de Sonora (HIES), Reforma 355. Ley 57, Hermosillo, Sonora 83100, Mexico
| | - María A Islas-Osuna
- Lab. de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.) Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas No. 46. La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83304, Mexico.
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Carlin AF, Beyhan S, Peña JF, Stajich JE, Viriyakosol S, Fierer J, Kirkland TN. Transcriptional Analysis of Coccidioides immitis Mycelia and Spherules by RNA Sequencing. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7050366. [PMID: 34067070 PMCID: PMC8150946 DOI: 10.3390/jof7050366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are dimorphic fungi that transform from mycelia with internal arthroconidia in the soil to a tissue form known as a spherule in mammals. This process can be recapitulated in vitro by increasing the temperature, CO2 and changing other culture conditions. In this study, we have analyzed changes in gene expression in mycelia and young and mature spherules. Genes that were highly upregulated in young spherules include a spherule surface protein and iron and copper membrane transporters. Genes that are unique to Coccidioides spp. are also overrepresented in this group, suggesting that they may be important for spherule differentiation. Enriched GO terms in young spherule upregulated genes include oxidation-reduction, response to stress and membrane proteins. Downregulated genes are enriched for transcription factors, especially helix–loop–helix and C2H2 type zinc finger domain-containing proteins, which is consistent with the dramatic change in transcriptional profile. Almost all genes that are upregulated in young spherules remain upregulated in mature spherules, but a small number of genes are differentially expressed in those two stages of spherule development. Mature spherules express more Hsp31 and amylase and less tyrosinase than young spherules. Some expression of transposons was detected and most of the differentially expressed transposons were upregulated in spherules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.F.C.); (S.V.); (J.F.)
| | - Sinem Beyhan
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Jesús F. Peña
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; (J.F.P.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; (J.F.P.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Suganya Viriyakosol
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.F.C.); (S.V.); (J.F.)
| | - Joshua Fierer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.F.C.); (S.V.); (J.F.)
- Infectious Diseases Section, VA Healthcare San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
- Department of Pathology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Theo N. Kirkland
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.F.C.); (S.V.); (J.F.)
- Department of Pathology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Correspondence:
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Dantuluri S, Schwer B, Abdullahu L, Damha MJ, Shuman S. Activity and substrate specificity of Candida, Aspergillus, and Coccidioides Tpt1: essential tRNA splicing enzymes and potential anti-fungal targets. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:rna.078660.120. [PMID: 33509912 PMCID: PMC8051265 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078660.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme Tpt1 is an essential agent of fungal tRNA splicing that removes an internal RNA 2'-PO4 generated by fungal tRNA ligase. Tpt1 performs a two-step reaction in which: (i) the 2'-PO4 attacks NAD+ to form an RNA-2'-phospho-(ADP-ribose) intermediate; and (ii) transesterification of the ADP-ribose O2'' to the RNA 2'-phosphodiester yields 2'-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1'',2''-cyclic phosphate. Because Tpt1 does not participate in metazoan tRNA splicing, and Tpt1 knockout has no apparent impact on mammalian physiology, Tpt1 is considered a potential anti-fungal drug target. Here we characterize Tpt1 enzymes from four human fungal pathogens: Coccidioides immitis, the agent of Valley Fever; Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, which cause invasive, often fatal, infections in immunocompromised hosts; and Candida auris, an emerging pathogen that is resistant to current therapies. All four pathogen Tpt1s were active in vivo in complementing a lethal Saccharomyces cerevisiae tpt1∆ mutation and in vitro in NAD+-dependent conversion of a 2'-PO4 to a 2'-OH. The fungal Tpt1s utilized nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide as a substrate in lieu of NAD+, albeit with much lower affinity, whereas nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide was ineffective. Fungal Tpt1s efficiently removed an internal ribonucleotide 2'-phosphate from an otherwise all-DNA substrate. Replacement of an RNA ribose-2'-PO4 nucleotide with arabinose-2'-PO4 diminished enzyme specific activity by ≥2000-fold and selectively slowed step 2 of the reaction pathway, resulting in transient accumulation of an ara-2'-phospho-ADP-ribosylated intermediate. Our results implicate the 2'-PO4 ribonucleotide as the principal determinant of fungal Tpt1 nucleic acid substrate specificity.
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31
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Cordeiro R, Moura S, Castelo-Branco D, Rocha MF, Lima-Neto R, Sidrim JJ. Coccidioidomycosis in Brazil: Historical Challenges of a Neglected Disease. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:85. [PMID: 33513773 PMCID: PMC7911456 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is a deep-seated fungal infection that occurs exclusively in semiarid areas in the Americas. In Brazil, coccidioidomycosis occurs exclusively in rural areas in the northeast region and affects counties that are hit by recurrent droughts, poverty and economic stagnation. Since 1978, approximately 136 cases of the disease have been reported in Brazil, according to scientific publications. However, a lack of governmental epidemiological data as well as a similarity to tuberculosis have led scientists and experts to assume that a greater number of cases occur in the country, which are not diagnosed and/or reported. In this review, general characteristics of coccidioidomycosis are presented, followed by a description of the main clinical and epidemiological data of cases in Brazil. The purpose of this article is to discuss the inclusion of coccidioidomycosis in the list of neglected tropical diseases. We believe that the adoption of coccidioidomycosis as a neglected tropical disease will enable the creation of an effective epidemiological surveillance system and the development of feasible public health solutions for its control in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Cordeiro
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
| | - Santiago Moura
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
| | - Débora Castelo-Branco
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
| | - Marcos Fábio Rocha
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ceará State University, Fortaleza 60740-000, Brazil
| | - Reginaldo Lima-Neto
- Center of Medical Sciences, Department of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife-PE 50740-600, Brazil
| | - José Júlio Sidrim
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
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32
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Nathan CL, Emmert BE, Nelson E, Berger JR. CNS fungal infections: A review. J Neurol Sci 2021; 422:117325. [PMID: 33516057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cody L Nathan
- Departments of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian E Emmert
- Departments of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ernest Nelson
- Departments of Pathology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph R Berger
- Departments of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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33
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Powell D, Jones A, Jackson N, Kaur P, Bar I, Schwessinger B, Frère CH. Genome Sequence of the Fungus Nannizziopsis barbatae, an Emerging Reptile Pathogen. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:e01213-20. [PMID: 33414335 PMCID: PMC8407711 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01213-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Nannizziopsis barbatae is an emerging fungal pathogen capable of causing contagious dermatomycosis in reptiles. Here, we report a 31.54-Mb draft genome sequence of an isolate originating from an infected eastern water dragon in Brisbane, Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Powell
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology, and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Ashley Jones
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Nicola Jackson
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology, and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Parwinder Kaur
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ido Bar
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Benjamin Schwessinger
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology, and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
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Verma G, Kumar B, Sharma AK, Yadav AN. Fungicide as Potential Vaccine: Current Research and Future Challenges. Fungal Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-85603-8_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Puerta-Arias JD, Mejía SP, González Á. The Role of the Interleukin-17 Axis and Neutrophils in the Pathogenesis of Endemic and Systemic Mycoses. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:595301. [PMID: 33425780 PMCID: PMC7793882 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.595301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic and endemic mycoses are considered life-threatening respiratory diseases which are caused by a group of dimorphic fungal pathogens belonging to the genera Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Blastomyces, Paracoccidioides, Talaromyces, and the newly described pathogen Emergomyces. T-cell mediated immunity, mainly T helper (Th)1 and Th17 responses, are essential for protection against these dimorphic fungi; thus, IL-17 production is associated with neutrophil and macrophage recruitment at the site of infection accompanied by chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines production, a mechanism that is mediated by some pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including Dectin-1, Dectine-2, TLRs, Mannose receptor (MR), Galectin-3 and NLPR3, and the adaptor molecules caspase adaptor recruitment domain family member 9 (Card9), and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88). However, these PRRs play distinctly different roles for each pathogen. Furthermore, neutrophils have been confirmed as a source of IL-17, and different neutrophil subsets and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have also been described as participating in the inflammatory process in these fungal infections. However, both the Th17/IL-17 axis and neutrophils appear to play different roles, being beneficial mediating fungal controls or detrimental promoting disease pathologies depending on the fungal agent. This review will focus on highlighting the role of the IL-17 axis and neutrophils in the main endemic and systemic mycoses: histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Puerta-Arias
- Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.,School of Health Sciences, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Susana P Mejía
- Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.,Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Ángel González
- Basic and Applied Microbiology Research Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
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Mead HL, Hamm PS, Shaffer IN, Teixeira MDM, Wendel CS, Wiederhold NP, Thompson GR, Muñiz-Salazar R, Castañón-Olivares LR, Keim P, Plude C, Terriquez J, Galgiani JN, Orbach MJ, Barker BM. Differential Thermotolerance Adaptation between Species of Coccidioides. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:E366. [PMID: 33327629 PMCID: PMC7765126 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is caused by two species of dimorphic fungi. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus Coccidioides contains two reciprocally monophyletic species: C. immitis and C. posadasii. However, phenotypic variation between species has not been deeply investigated. We therefore explored differences in growth rate under various conditions. A collection of 39 C. posadasii and 46 C. immitis isolates, representing the full geographical range of the two species, was screened for mycelial growth rate at 37 °C and 28 °C on solid media. The radial growth rate was measured for 16 days on yeast extract agar. A linear mixed effect model was used to compare the growth rate of C. posadasii and C. immitis at 37 °C and 28 °C, respectively. C. posadasii grew significantly faster at 37 °C, when compared to C. immitis; whereas both species had similar growth rates at 28 °C. These results indicate thermotolerance differs between these two species. As the ecological niche has not been well-described for Coccidioides spp., and disease variability between species has not been shown, the evolutionary pressure underlying the adaptation is unclear. However, this research reveals the first significant phenotypic difference between the two species that directly applies to ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Mead
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA; (H.L.M.); (P.K.)
| | - Paris S. Hamm
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Isaac N. Shaffer
- School of Informatics, Computers, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA;
| | | | | | - Nathan P. Wiederhold
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 77030, USA;
| | - George R. Thompson
- Departments of Internal Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Raquel Muñiz-Salazar
- Laboratorio de Epidemiología y Ecología Molecular, Escuela Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Unidad Valle Dorado, Ensenada 22890, Mexico;
| | - Laura Rosio Castañón-Olivares
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Paul Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA; (H.L.M.); (P.K.)
| | - Carmel Plude
- Northern Arizona Healthcare, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA; (C.P.); (J.T.)
| | - Joel Terriquez
- Northern Arizona Healthcare, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA; (C.P.); (J.T.)
| | - John N. Galgiani
- Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (J.N.G.); (M.J.O.)
| | - Marc J. Orbach
- Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (J.N.G.); (M.J.O.)
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Bridget M. Barker
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA; (H.L.M.); (P.K.)
- Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (J.N.G.); (M.J.O.)
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37
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Fierer
- Medical and Research Services, VA Healthcare San Diego , CA , USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine , La Jolla , CA , USA
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Prichard JG, Azimov MB, Oregel KZ. Coccidioidomycosis and Pulmonary Emboli: A Report of 5 Cases. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CASE REPORTS 2020; 21:e924179. [PMID: 32623438 PMCID: PMC7360357 DOI: 10.12659/ajcr.924179] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Case series Patient: Male, 35-year-old Final Diagnosis: Coccidioidomycosis infection Symptoms: Dyspena Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Diseases
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Prichard
- Department of Hematology and Immunology, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA, USA
| | - Michelle B Azimov
- Department of Hematology Oncology, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA, USA.,Department of Graduate Medical Education, Community Memorial Health System, Ventura, CA, USA
| | - Karlos Z Oregel
- Department of Hematology Oncology, Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA, USA
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Kirkland TN, Fierer J. Innate Immune Receptors and Defense Against Primary Pathogenic Fungi. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E303. [PMID: 32545735 PMCID: PMC7350247 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system is critical for natural resistance to all pathogenic microorganisms, including fungi. The innate response plays a vital role in resistance to infections before the antigen-specific immune response and also influences antigen-specific adaptive immunity. There are many different receptors for the innate immune response to fungi, and some receptors have been found to play a significant role in the response to human infections with opportunistic fungi. Most human infections are caused by opportunistic fungi, but a small number of organisms are capable of causing infections in normal hosts. The primary pathogenic fungi that cause invasive infections include Blastomyces spp., Cryptococcus gattii, Coccidioides spp., Histoplasma spp., and Paracoccidioides spp. In this review of innate immune receptors that play a role in infections caused by these organisms, we find that innate immunity differs between organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo N. Kirkland
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Pathology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Joshua Fierer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Pathology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92037, USA;
- VA HealthCare San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
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40
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Min K, Neiman AM, Konopka JB. Fungal Pathogens: Shape-Shifting Invaders. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:922-933. [PMID: 32474010 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fungal infections are on the rise due to new medical procedures that have increased the number of immune compromised patients, antibacterial antibiotics that disrupt the microbiome, and increased use of indwelling medical devices that provide sites for biofilm formation. Key to understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis is to determine how fungal morphology impacts virulence strategies. For example, small budding cells use very different strategies to disseminate compared with long hyphal filaments. Furthermore, cell morphology must be monitored in the host, as many fungal pathogens change their shape to disseminate into new areas, acquire nutrients, and avoid attack by the immune system. This review describes the shape-shifting alterations in morphogenesis of human fungal pathogens and how they influence virulence strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyunghun Min
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Aaron M Neiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - James B Konopka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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Jenks JD, Reed SL, Hoenigl M. Risk factors and outcomes of culture-proven acute Coccidioides spp. infection in San Diego, California, United States. Mycoses 2020; 63:553-557. [PMID: 32176829 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coccidioides spp. are dimorphic fungi endemic to parts of the United States, Mexico, Central and South America. Infection can cause a range of disease from self-limited acute pneumonia to severe disseminated disease. METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review of medical records of cases of culture-proven acute coccidioidomycosis at the University of California San Diego between 1 April 2015 and 31 December 2019 and described the demographics, risk factors and outcomes of these cases. RESULTS Over the study period, fifteen evaluable cases of culture-proven acute coccidioidomycosis were identified. Of these, 87% (13/15) had traditional risk factors for coccidioidomycosis infection while two lacked known risk factors, including one patient with cirrhosis and one with chronic hepatitis C infection. Seven of fifteen (47%) had primary coccidioidomycosis of the lungs without dissemination and 7/15 (47%) disseminated disease. Of those with disseminated disease, 6/7 (86%) had either high-risk ethnicity or blood type as their only risk factor. At 90 days, 11/15 (73%) were alive, 3/15 (20%) deceased and 1/15 (7%) lost to follow-up. Of those not alive at 90 days, 1/3 (33%) had disseminated disease and 2/3 (67%) primary coccidioidomycosis, both on immunosuppressive therapy. DISCUSSION Coccidioides spp. infection occurs in a variety of hosts with varying underlying risk factors, with the majority in our cohort overall and 86% with disseminated disease lacking traditional risk factors for invasive fungal infection other than ethnicity and/or blood phenotype. Clinicians should be aware of these non-traditional risk factors in patients with coccidioidomycosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Jenks
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Clinical and Translational Fungal - Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sharon L Reed
- Clinical and Translational Fungal - Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- Clinical and Translational Fungal - Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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43
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Maza-Morales M, Rivas-Calderón MK, Barrón-Calvillo EE, García-Romero MT. Coccidioidomycosis in Children and Adolescents: an Update. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12281-020-00381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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44
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Ashraf N, Kubat RC, Poplin V, Adenis AA, Denning DW, Wright L, McCotter O, Schwartz IS, Jackson BR, Chiller T, Bahr NC. Re-drawing the Maps for Endemic Mycoses. Mycopathologia 2020; 185:843-865. [PMID: 32040709 PMCID: PMC7416457 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-020-00431-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Endemic mycoses such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and talaromycosis are well-known causes of focal and systemic disease within specific geographic areas of known endemicity. However, over the past few decades, there have been increasingly frequent reports of infections due to endemic fungi in areas previously thought to be “non-endemic.” There are numerous potential reasons for this shift such as increased use of immune suppressive medications, improved diagnostic tests, increased disease recognition, and global factors such as migration, increased travel, and climate change. Regardless of the causes, it has become evident that our previous understanding of endemic regions for these fungal diseases needs to evolve. The epidemiology of the newly described Emergomyces is incomplete; our understanding of it continues to evolve. This review will focus on the evidence underlying the established areas of endemicity for these mycoses as well as new data and reports from medical literature that support the re-thinking these geographic boundaries. Updating the endemic fungi maps would inform clinical practice and global surveillance of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nida Ashraf
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Ryan C Kubat
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Victoria Poplin
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Antoine A Adenis
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane, Inserm 1424, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - David W Denning
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Laura Wright
- Geographic Research Analysis and Services Program, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Orion McCotter
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ilan S Schwartz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Brendan R Jackson
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tom Chiller
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathan C Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Suen WW, Zedler S, Price R, Maguire T, Halliday C, Rosenblatt AJ, Allavena RE, Owen H, Medina-Torres CE. Rhinosinusitis in an Australian mare caused by Flavodon flavus, a recently recognized invasive fungal pathogen of the horse. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019; 32:162-165. [PMID: 31876248 DOI: 10.1177/1040638719897610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe herein the clinical, endoscopic, computed tomography (CT), pathologic, and microbiologic features of an infection caused by an under-recognized fungal pathogen, Flavodon flavus, in a 25-y-old Australian Quarter Horse. The horse had a unilateral obstructive nasal mass, resulting in stertor and dyspnea. On endoscopy, the mass was tan, multinodular, and completely obstructed the nasal passage. CT analysis revealed a large, soft tissue-attenuating and partially mineralized mass in the right nasal passage and dorsal-conchofrontal sinus, expanding into adjacent paranasal sinuses with associated bone lysis and rhinosinusitis. Histopathology of the mass on 2 occasions revealed suppurative inflammation initially, and pyogranulomatous inflammation subsequently. The inflammatory reaction surrounded numerous spherical fungal structures (~60-80 µm diameter) that stained positively on periodic acid-Schiff and Grocott methenamine silver stains. PCR for the fungal internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions followed by Sanger sequencing on a cultured isolate identified the agent as F. flavus, which has only been reported previously as pathogenic in one horse in the United States, to our knowledge. Previous reports described this fungus as a nonpathogenic, environmental commensal fungus associated with insects and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willy W Suen
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Steven Zedler
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Rochelle Price
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Tina Maguire
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Catriona Halliday
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Alana J Rosenblatt
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Rachel E Allavena
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Helen Owen
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
| | - Carlos E Medina-Torres
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia (Suen, Zedler, Price, Maguire, Rosenblatt, Allavena, Owen, Medina-Torres).,CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Suen).,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Halliday)
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse D Jacobsen
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Krogstad P, Johnson R, Garcia-Lloret MI, Heidari A, Butte MJ. Host-Pathogen Interactions in Coccidioidomycosis: Prognostic Clues and Opportunities for Novel Therapies. Clin Ther 2019; 41:1939-1954.e1. [PMID: 31648806 PMCID: PMC10482146 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a systemic fungal disease caused by the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. In its endemic areas of the United States, CM is growing as a public health challenge with a marked increase in incidence in the last 15 years. Although Coccidioides infection is asymptomatic in most cases, symptomatic pulmonary disease occurs in ~40% and disseminated coccidioidomycosis (DCM) occurs in ~1% of previously healthy children and adults. DCM is markedly more common in immunocompromised people, who often experience life-threatening disease despite use of antifungal medications. Although options for antifungal therapy have improved, lifelong therapy is needed for those who develop coccidioidal meningitis. The purpose of this article was to review the state of antifungal therapy and recent studies of host-pathogen interactions in CM in light of advances in immunomodulatory therapy. METHODS The study included a review of PubMed and abstracts of the Coccidioidomycosis Study Group (years 2000-2019). FINDINGS Current therapy for CM relies upon azole and polyene antifungal agents. Murine models and studies of DCM in patients with monogenic primary immunodeficiency states and acquired immunodeficiency have revealed the importance of both innate and adaptive immune responses in the control of infections with Coccidioides species. In particular, defects in sensing of fungi and induction of cellular immune responses have been frequently reported. More recently, polymorphisms in key signaling pathways and in the generation of Th17 and Th1 immune responses have been linked with DCM. IMPLICATIONS Antifungal therapy is sufficient to control disease in most cases of CM, but treatment failure occurs in cases of severe pulmonary disease and nonmeningeal disseminated disease. Lifelong therapy is recommended for meningitis in view of the very high risk of recurrence. Corticosteroid therapy is advised by some experts for severe pulmonary disease and for some neurologic complications of DCM. DCM is only rarely the result of a severe monogenic immunodeficiency. Case studies suggest that reorienting cellular immune responses or augmenting effector immune responses may help resolve DCM. Systematic investigation of immunotherapy for coccidioidomycosis is advisable and may help to address the recent marked increase in reports of the disease in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Krogstad
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Royce Johnson
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maria I Garcia-Lloret
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arash Heidari
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manish J Butte
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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48
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Lang R, Stokes W, Lemaire J, Johnson A, Conly J. A case report of Coccidioides posadasii meningoencephalitis in an immunocompetent host. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:722. [PMID: 31420023 PMCID: PMC6697908 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-4329-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coccidioides spp. are dimorphic fungi endemic to Central America, regions of South America and southwestern USA. Two species cause most human disease: Coccidioides immitis (primarily California isolates) and Coccidioides posadasii. Coccidioidomycosis is typically acquired through inhalation of soil or dust containing spores. Coccidioidal meningitis (CM), most common in the immunocompromised host, can also affect immunocompetent hosts. Case presentation We report a case of C. posadasii meningoencephalitis in a previously healthy 42-year-old Caucasian male who returned to Canada after spending time working in New Mexico. He presented with a 3-week history of headache, malaise and low-grade fevers. He developed progressive confusion and decreasing level of consciousness following hospitalization. Evidence of hydrocephalus and leptomeningeal enhancement was demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his brain. Serologic and PCR testing of the patient's CSF confirmed Coccidioides posadasii. Despite appropriate antifungal therapy he continues to have significant short-term memory deficits and has not returned to his full baseline functional status. Conclusions Travel to endemic regions can result in disease secondary to Coccidioides spp. and requires physicians in non-endemic areas to have a high index of suspicion. Effective therapeutic options have reduced the mortality rate of CM, however, it is still associated with significant morbidity and requires life-long therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raynell Lang
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - William Stokes
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jane Lemaire
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - John Conly
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, immunology & Infectious Diseases, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Denham ST, Wambaugh MA, Brown JCS. How Environmental Fungi Cause a Range of Clinical Outcomes in Susceptible Hosts. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:2982-3009. [PMID: 31078554 PMCID: PMC6646061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Environmental fungi are globally ubiquitous and human exposure is near universal. However, relatively few fungal species are capable of infecting humans, and among fungi, few exposure events lead to severe systemic infections. Systemic infections have mortality rates of up to 90%, cost the US healthcare system $7.2 billion annually, and are typically associated with immunocompromised patients. Despite this reputation, exposure to environmental fungi results in a range of outcomes, from asymptomatic latent infections to severe systemic infection. Here we discuss different exposure outcomes for five major fungal pathogens: Aspergillus, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, and Histoplasma species. These fungi include a mold, a budding yeast, and thermal dimorphic fungi. All of these species must adapt to dramatically changing environments over the course of disease. These dynamic environments include the human lung, which is the first exposure site for these organisms. Fungi must defend themselves against host immune cells while germinating and growing, which risks further exposing microbe-associated molecular patterns to the host. We discuss immune evasion strategies during early infection, from disruption of host immune cells to major changes in fungal cell morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven T Denham
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Morgan A Wambaugh
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Jessica C S Brown
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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Hernandez H, Erives VH, Martinez LR. Coccidioidomycosis: Epidemiology, Fungal Pathogenesis, and Therapeutic Development. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2019; 6:132-144. [PMID: 34367879 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-019-00184-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Coccidioidomycosis can result from the inhalation of infectious spores of Coccidioides species (spp.) immitis or posadasii. Clinical manifestations range from mild flu-like disease to severe disseminated infection that can require life-long therapy. Burden of this mycosis is high in the southwest region of the USA where it is well characterized, and in many areas of Mexico and Latin America where it is inadequately characterized. Here, we provide historical data and current knowledge on Coccidioides spp. pathogenesis as well as recent progress in therapeutic and vaccine development against coccidioidomycosis. Recent Findings The virulence mechanisms of Coccidioides spp. are largely unknown; however, production and regulation of a spherule glycoprotein, ammonium production, and melanization have all been proposed as integral factors in Coccidioides spp.' pathogenesis. Therapeutic options are limited and not 100% effective, but individualized treatment with triazoles or amphotericin B over the course of pulmonary or disseminated infection can be effective in resolution of coccidioidomycosis. Human immunization has not been achieved but efforts are ongoing. Summary Advances in therapeutic and vaccine development are imperative for the prevention and treatment of coccidioidomycosis, especially for those individuals at risk either living or traveling to or from endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazael Hernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., Bioscience Research Building, Room 2.170, El Paso, TX 79968-9991, USA
| | - Victor H Erives
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., Bioscience Research Building, Room 2.170, El Paso, TX 79968-9991, USA
| | - Luis R Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., Bioscience Research Building, Room 2.170, El Paso, TX 79968-9991, USA
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