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Characterization of the Growth and Morphology of a BSL-2 Coccidioides posadasii Strain That Persists in the Parasitic Life Cycle at Ambient CO2. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050455. [PMID: 35628711 PMCID: PMC9145405 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides is a dimorphic fungus responsible for Valley Fever and is the cause of severe morbidity and mortality in the infected population. Although there is some insight into the genes, pathways, and growth media involved in the parasitic to saprophytic growth transition, the exact determinants that govern this switch are largely unknown. In this work, we examined the growth and morphology of a Coccidioides posadasii strain (C. posadasii S/E) that efficiently produces spherules and endospores and persists in the parasitic life cycle at ambient CO2. We demonstrated that C. posadasii S/E remains virulent in an insect infection model. Surprisingly, under spherule-inducing conditions, the C. posadasii S/E culture was found to be completely hyphal. Differential interference contrast (DIC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed unexpected cellular changes in this strain including cell wall remodeling and formation of septal pores with Woronin bodies. Our study suggests that the C. posadasii S/E strain is a useful BSL-2 model for studying mechanisms underlying the parasitic to saprophytic growth transition—a morphological switch that can impact the pathogenicity of the organism in the host.
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Aldossari N, Ishii S. Isolation of cold-adapted nitrate-reducing fungi that have potential to increase nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors. J Appl Microbiol 2020; 131:197-207. [PMID: 33222401 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to obtain cold-adapted denitrifying fungi that could be used for bioaugmentation in woodchip bioreactors to remove nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage water. METHODS AND RESULTS We isolated a total of 91 nitrate-reducing fungal strains belonging to Ascomycota and Mucoromycota from agricultural soil and a woodchip bioreactor under relatively cold conditions (5 and 15°C). When these strains were incubated with 15 N-labelled nitrate, 29 N2 was frequently produced, suggesting the occurrence of co-denitrification (microbially mediated nitrosation). Two strains also produced 30 N2 , indicating their ability to reduce N2 O. Of the 91 nitrate-reducing fungal strains, fungal nitrite reductase gene (nirK) and cytochrome P450 nitric oxide reductase gene (p450nor) were detected by PCR in 34 (37%) and 11 (12%) strains, respectively. Eight strains possessed both nirK and p450nor, further verifying their denitrification capability. In addition, most strains degraded cellulose under denitrification condition. CONCLUSIONS Diverse nitrate-reducing fungi were isolated from soil and a woodchip bioreactor. These fungi reduced nitrate to gaseous N forms at relatively low temperatures. These cold-adapted, cellulose-degrading and nitrate-reducing fungi could support themselves and other denitrifiers in woodchip bioreactors. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The cold-adapted, cellulose-degrading and nitrate-reducing fungi isolated in this study could be useful to enhance nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors under low-temperature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Aldossari
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - S Ishii
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
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Arunasri K, Mahesh M, Sai Prashanthi G, Jayasudha R, Kalyana Chakravarthy S, Tyagi M, Pappuru RR, Shivaji S. Mycobiome changes in the vitreous of post fever retinitis patients. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242138. [PMID: 33211730 PMCID: PMC7676714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi have been associated with various diseases of the eye like keratitis, uveitis and endophthalmitis. Despite this fact, fungal microbiome (mycobiome) studies compared to the bacterial microbiome studies have remained neglected. In the present study, using metagenomic sequencing, the mycobiomes of the vitreous of healthy control individuals (VC, n = 15) and individuals with post fever retinitis + non-PFR uveitis (PFR+, n = 9) were analysed and compared. The results indicated that Ascomycota was the most predominant phylum in both VC and PFR+ groups. Further, at the genera level it was observed that the abundance of 17 fungal genera were significantly different in post fever retinitis (PFR, n = 6) group compared to control group. Of these 17 genera, it was observed that 14 genera were relatively more abundant in PFR group and the remaining 3 genera in the VC group. Genus Saccharomyces, a commensal of the gut and skin, was predominantly present in the vitreous of both the cohorts, however it was significantly less abundant in PFR group. Further, significant increase in the genera that have a pathogenic interaction with the host were observed in PFR group. On the whole the mycobiome in both the groups differed significantly and formed two distinct clusters in the heatmap and Principal co-ordinate analysis. These results demonstrate significant changes in the mycobiome from the vitreous of post fever retinitis patients compared to healthy controls thus implying that dysbiotic changes in the fungal vitreous microbiome are associated with PFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotakonda Arunasri
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Malleswarapu Mahesh
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Gumpili Sai Prashanthi
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rajagopalaboopathi Jayasudha
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sama Kalyana Chakravarthy
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mudit Tyagi
- Smt. Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreo Retinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rajeev R. Pappuru
- Smt. Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreo Retinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sisinthy Shivaji
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
- * E-mail:
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Ren P, Rajkumar SS, Zhang T, Sui H, Masters PS, Martinkova N, Kubátová A, Pikula J, Chaturvedi S, Chaturvedi V. A common partitivirus infection in United States and Czech Republic isolates of bat white-nose syndrome fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13893. [PMID: 32807800 PMCID: PMC7431587 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70375-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans was discovered more than a decade ago to be the pathogen responsible for white-nose syndrome, an emerging disease of North American bats causing unprecedented population declines. The same species of fungus is found in Europe but without associated mortality in bats. We found P. destructans was infected with a mycovirus [named Pseudogymnoascus destructans partitivirus 1 (PdPV-1)]. The virus is bipartite, containing two double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments designated as dsRNA1 and dsRNA2. The cDNA sequences revealed that dsRNA1 dsRNA is 1,683 bp in length with an open reading frame (ORF) that encodes 539 amino acids (molecular mass of 62.7 kDa); dsRNA2 dsRNA is 1,524 bp in length with an ORF that encodes 434 amino acids (molecular mass of 46.9 kDa). The dsRNA1 ORF contains motifs representative of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), whereas the dsRNA2 ORF sequence showed homology with the putative capsid proteins (CPs) of mycoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses with PdPV-1 RdRp and CP sequences indicated that both segments constitute the genome of a novel virus in the family Partitiviridae. The purified virions were isometric with an estimated diameter of 33 nm. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and sequencing revealed that all US isolates and a subset of Czech Republic isolates of P. destructans were infected with PdPV-1. However, PdPV-1 appears to be not widely dispersed in the fungal genus Pseudogymnoascus, as non-pathogenic fungi P. appendiculatus (1 isolate) and P. roseus (6 isolates) tested negative. P. destructans PdPV-1 could be a valuable tool to investigate fungal biogeography and the host-pathogen interactions in bat WNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Ren
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA. .,Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Sunanda S Rajkumar
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.,ICMR Medical Research Institute, Puducherry, India
| | - Tao Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixin Sui
- Cellular and Molecular Basis of Diseases Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Albany School of Public Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Paul S Masters
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Albany School of Public Health, Albany, NY, USA.,Viral Replication and Vector Biology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Natalia Martinkova
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Kubátová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sudha Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Albany School of Public Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Vishnu Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Albany School of Public Health, Albany, NY, USA.
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Rossoni RD, de Barros PP, Lopes LADC, Ribeiro FC, Nakatsuka T, Kasaba H, Junqueira JC. Effects of surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) eluate on Candida spp.: antifungal activity, anti-biofilm properties, and protective effects on Galleria mellonella against C. albicans infection. BIOFOULING 2019; 35:997-1006. [PMID: 31710252 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2019.1686485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) is a bioactive filler produced by PRG technology, which is applied to various dental materials. The inhibitory effects of S-PRG eluate against Candida, the most common fungal oral pathogen, were investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and anti-biofilm activities were tested against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, and Candida tropicalis. For the in vivo study, Galleria mellonella was used as a model to evaluate the effects of S-PRG on toxicity, hemocyte counts and candidiasis. The MIC of S-PRG ranged from 5 to 40% (v/v). S-PRG eluate exhibited anti-biofilm activity for all the Candida species tested. Furthermore, injection of S-PRG eluate into G. mellonella was not toxic to the larvae and protected G. mellonella against experimental candidiasis. In addition, S-PRG eluate inhibited biofilm formation by C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. tropicalis and exerted protective effects on G. mellonella against experimental candidiasis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodnei Dennis Rossoni
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Pimentel de Barros
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Lucas Alexandre das Chagas Lopes
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Felipe Camargo Ribeiro
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Juliana Campos Junqueira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
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Barros PPD, Rossoni RD, Ribeiro FDC, Silva MP, Souza CMD, Jorge AOC, Junqueira JC. Two sporulated Bacillus enhance immunity in Galleria mellonella protecting against Candida albicans. Microb Pathog 2019; 132:335-342. [PMID: 31100407 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus atrophaeus on Galleria mellonella immunity challenged by Candida albicans. Firstly, we analyzed the susceptibility of G. mellonella to bacilli (vegetative and sporulating forms). It was found that both vegetative and sporulating forms were not pathogenic to G. mellonella at a concentration of 1 × 104 cells/larva. Next, larvae were pretreated with two species of Bacillus, in the vegetative and sporulating forms, and then challenged with C. albicans. In addition, the gene expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as Gallerimycin, Gloverin, Cecropin-D and Galiomicin was investigated. Survival rates increased in the Bacillus treated larvae compared with control larvae inoculated with C. albicans only. Cells and spores of Bacillus spp. upregulated Gloverin, Galiomicin and Gallerimycin genes in relation to the control group (PBS + PBS). When these larvae were infected with C. albicans, the group pretreated with spores of B. atrophaeus and B. subtilis showed a greater increase in expression of Galiomycin (49.08-fold and 13.50-fold) and Gallerimycin (27.88-fold and 68.15-fold), respectively, compared to the group infected with C. albicans only (p = 0.0001). After that, we investigated the effects of B. subtilis and B. atrophaeus on immune system of G. mellonella evaluating the number of hemocytes, quantification of melanization, cocoon formation and colony forming units (CFU) count. Hemocyte count increased in response to stimulation by Bacillus, and a higher increase was achieved when larvae were inoculated with B. subtilis spores (p = 0.0011). In the melanization assay, all groups tested demonstrated lower production of melanin compared to that in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group. In addition, full cocoon formation was observed in all groups analyzed, which corresponded to a healthier wax worm. Hemolymph culture revealed higher growth of B. atrophaeus and B. subtilis in the groups inoculated with spores. We concluded that spores and cells of B. atrophaeus and B. subtilis stimulated the immune system of G. mellonella larvae and protected them of C. albicans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Pimentel de Barros
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Rodnei Dennis Rossoni
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Felipe de Camargo Ribeiro
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Michelle Peneluppi Silva
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Cheyenne Marçal de Souza
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Antonio Olavo Cardoso Jorge
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Campos Junqueira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology, São José dos Campos, Avenida Engenheiro Francisco José Longo 777, São Dimsas, São José dos Campos, CEP: 12245-000, SP, Brazil.
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Junqueira JC, Mylonakis E. Current Status and Trends in Alternative Models to Study Fungal Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5010012. [PMID: 30691083 PMCID: PMC6463159 DOI: 10.3390/jof5010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections affect over a billion people, with mortality rates estimated at 1⁻2 million per year [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Campos Junqueira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University/UNESP, São José dos Campos, SP 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
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