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El Eid R, Chowdhary A, El Zakhem A, Kanj SS. Invasive fungal infections in wars, following explosives and natural disasters: A narrative review. Mycoses 2024; 67:e13762. [PMID: 38951663 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Infections are well-known complications in patients following traumatic injuries, frequently leading to high morbidity and mortality. In particular, trauma occurring in disaster settings, both natural and man-made, such as armed conflicts and explosives detonation, results in challenging medical conditions that impede the best management practices. The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI) is increasing in trauma patients who lack the typical risk factors like an immune compromised state or others. This narrative review will focus on IFI as a direct complication after natural disasters, wars, and man-made mass destruction with a summary of the available evidence about the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, risk factors, microbiology, and proper management. In this setting, the clinical manifestations of IFI may include skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, visceral infections, and pneumonia. IFI should be considered in the war inflicted patients who are exposed to unsterile environments or have wounds contaminated with soil and decaying organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Aline El Zakhem
- Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Souha S Kanj
- Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
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2
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Huang J, Hu P, Ye L, Shen Z, Chen X, Liu F, Xie Y, Yu J, Fan X, Xiao M, Tsui CKM, Wang W, Li Y, Zhang G, Wong KH, Cai L, Bai FY, Xu Y, Wang L. Pan-drug resistance and hypervirulence in a human fungal pathogen are enabled by mutagenesis induced by mammalian body temperature. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1686-1699. [PMID: 38898217 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01720-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The continuing emergence of invasive fungal pathogens poses an increasing threat to public health. Here, through the China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net programme, we identified two independent cases of human infection with a previously undescribed invasive fungal pathogen, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, from a genus in which many species are highly resistant to fluconazole and caspofungin. We demonstrate that R. fluvialis can undergo yeast-to-pseudohyphal transition and that pseudohyphal growth enhances its virulence, revealed by the development of a mouse model. Furthermore, we show that mouse infection or mammalian body temperature induces its mutagenesis, allowing the emergence of hypervirulent mutants favouring pseudohyphal growth. Temperature-induced mutagenesis can also elicit the development of pan-resistance to three of the most commonly used first-line antifungals (fluconazole, caspofungin and amphotericin B) in different Rhodosporidiobolus species. Furthermore, polymyxin B was found to exhibit potent activity against the pan-resistant Rhodosporidiobolus mutants. Collectively, by identifying and characterizing a fungal pathogen in the drug-resistant genus Rhodosporidiobolus, we provide evidence that temperature-dependent mutagenesis can enable the development of pan-drug resistance and hypervirulence in fungi, and support the idea that global warming can promote the evolution of new fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Huai'an No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Pengjie Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Leixin Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenghao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinfei Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhan Yu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Clement K M Tsui
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Novena, Singapore
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Weiping Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingxing Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Koon Ho Wong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Lei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng-Yan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Linqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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3
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Sepúlveda VE, Goldman WE, Matute DR. Genotypic diversity, virulence, and molecular genetic tools in Histoplasma. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0007623. [PMID: 38819148 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00076-23] [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] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYHistoplasmosis is arguably the most common fungal respiratory infection worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of new infections occurring annually in the United States alone. The infection can progress in the lung or disseminate to visceral organs and can be difficult to treat with antifungal drugs. Histoplasma, the causative agent of the disease, is a pathogenic fungus that causes life-threatening lung infections and is globally distributed. The fungus has the ability to germinate from conidia into either hyphal (mold) or yeast form, depending on the environmental temperature. This transition also regulates virulence. Histoplasma and histoplasmosis have been classified as being of emergent importance, and in 2022, the World Health Organization included Histoplasma as 1 of the 19 most concerning human fungal pathogens. In this review, we synthesize the current understanding of the ecological niche, evolutionary history, and virulence strategies of Histoplasma. We also describe general patterns of the symptomatology and epidemiology of histoplasmosis. We underscore areas where research is sorely needed and highlight research avenues that have been productive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Sepúlveda
- 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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4
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Del Olmo V, Gabaldón T. Hybrids unleashed: exploring the emergence and genomic insights of pathogenic yeast hybrids. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102491. [PMID: 38833792 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Hybridisation is the crossing of two divergent lineages that give rise to offspring carrying an admixture of both parental genomes. Genome sequencing has revealed that this process is common in the Saccharomycotina, where a growing number of hybrid strains or species, including many pathogenic ones, have been recently described. Hybrids can display unique traits that may drive adaptation to new niches, and some pathogenic hybrids have been shown to have higher prevalence over their parents in human and environmental niches, suggesting a higher fitness and potential to colonise humans. Here, we discuss how hybridisation and its genomic and phenotypic outcomes can shape the evolution of fungal species and may play a role in the emergence of new pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Del Olmo
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain.
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Yiallouris A, Pana ZD, Marangos G, Tzyrka I, Karanasios S, Georgiou I, Kontopyrgia K, Triantafyllou E, Seidel D, Cornely OA, Johnson EO, Panagiotou S, Filippou C. Fungal diversity in the soil Mycobiome: Implications for ONE health. One Health 2024; 18:100720. [PMID: 38699438 PMCID: PMC11064618 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100720] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Today, over 300 million individuals worldwide are afflicted by severe fungal infections, many of whom will perish. Fungi, as a result of their plastic genomes have the ability to adapt to new environments and extreme conditions as a consequence of globalization, including urbanization, agricultural intensification, and, notably, climate change. Soils and the impact of these anthropogenic environmental factors can be the source of pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi and subsequent fungal threats to public health. This underscores the growing understanding that not only is fungal diversity in the soil mycobiome a critical component of a functioning ecosystem, but also that soil microbial communities can significantly contribute to plant, animal, and human health, as underscored by the One Health concept. Collectively, this stresses the importance of investigating the soil microbiome in order to gain a deeper understanding of soil fungal ecology and its interplay with the rhizosphere microbiome, which carries significant implications for human health, animal health and environmental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Yiallouris
- School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
- Medical innovation center (MEDIC), School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
| | - Zoi D. Pana
- School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
- Medical innovation center (MEDIC), School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Danila Seidel
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD) and Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), Cologne, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oliver A. Cornely
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD) and Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), Cologne, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Elizabeth O. Johnson
- School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
- Medical innovation center (MEDIC), School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
| | - Stavros Panagiotou
- School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
- Division of Medical Education, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - Charalampos Filippou
- School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
- Medical innovation center (MEDIC), School of Medicine, European University, Cyprus
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6
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Garcia-Bustos V, Rosario Medina I, Cabañero Navalón MD, Ruiz Gaitán AC, Pemán J, Acosta-Hernández B. Candida spp. in Cetaceans: Neglected Emerging Challenges in Marine Ecosystems. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1128. [PMID: 38930510 PMCID: PMC11205550 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061128] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans, which are crucial in marine ecosystems, act as sentinels for ecosystem and human-environmental health. However, emerging fungal infections, particularly by Candida spp., pose a growing concern in these marine mammals. This review consolidates current knowledge on the prevalence, clinical manifestations, species distribution, and antifungal resistance of Candida infections in cetaceans. We detail the diverse pathogenic impacts of Candida, including respiratory, dermal, and systemic afflictions, underscoring diagnostic and treatment challenges amid rising antifungal resistance. Our analysis extends beyond health concerns in captive cetaceans, where confinement stress heightens vulnerability, to encompass substantial ecological risks in wild populations. The review emphasizes the One Health perspective, linking cetacean health with broader environmental and human public health issues. We particularly focus on the potential zoonotic transmission of emerging fungal pathogens such as Candida auris and the role of environmental changes in fostering antifungal resistance. The study underscores the need for concerted, interdisciplinary efforts in veterinary, medical, and environmental sciences to enhance understanding and management of Candida infections in cetaceans. We advocate for comprehensive monitoring and collaborative research initiatives to mitigate the rising challenge of these infections. Addressing Candida spp. in cetaceans is not just a conservation priority but a critical step in safeguarding overall marine health and, by extension, human health in the context of evolving infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Garcia-Bustos
- Instituto Universitario de Sanidad Animal y Seguridad Alimentaria (IUSA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001 Arucas, Spain;
- Severe Infection Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.C.N.); (A.C.R.G.); (J.P.)
| | - Inmaculada Rosario Medina
- Instituto Universitario de Sanidad Animal y Seguridad Alimentaria (IUSA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001 Arucas, Spain;
| | - Marta Dafne Cabañero Navalón
- Severe Infection Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.C.N.); (A.C.R.G.); (J.P.)
| | - Alba Cecilia Ruiz Gaitán
- Severe Infection Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.C.N.); (A.C.R.G.); (J.P.)
| | - Javier Pemán
- Severe Infection Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.C.N.); (A.C.R.G.); (J.P.)
| | - Begoña Acosta-Hernández
- Instituto Universitario de Sanidad Animal y Seguridad Alimentaria (IUSA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001 Arucas, Spain;
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7
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Boucher MJ, Madhani HD. Convergent evolution of innate immune-modulating effectors in invasive fungal pathogens. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:435-447. [PMID: 37985333 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.10.011] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections pose a major threat to human health. Bacterial and protozoan pathogens secrete protein effectors that overcome innate immune barriers to promote microbial colonization, yet few such molecules have been identified in human fungal pathogens. Recent studies have begun to reveal these long-sought effectors and have illuminated how they subvert key cellular pathways, including apoptosis, myeloid cell polarization, Toll-like receptor signaling, and phagosome action. Thus, despite lacking the specialized secretion systems of bacteria and parasites, it is increasingly clear that fungi independently evolved effectors targeting pathways often subverted by other classes of pathogens. These findings demonstrate the remarkable power of convergent evolution to enable diverse microbes to infect humans while also setting the stage for detailed dissection of fungal disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hiten D Madhani
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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8
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Nenciarini S, Renzi S, di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D. The yeast-human coevolution: Fungal transition from passengers, colonizers, and invaders. WIREs Mech Dis 2024; 16:e1639. [PMID: 38146626 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1639] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are the cause of more than a billion infections in humans every year, although their interactions with the host are still neglected compared to bacteria. Major systemic fungal infections are very unusual in the healthy population, due to the long history of coevolution with the human host. Humans are routinely exposed to environmental fungi and can host a commensal mycobiota, which is increasingly considered as a key player in health and disease. Here, we review the current knowledge on host-fungi coevolution and the factors that regulate their interaction. On one hand, fungi have learned to survive and inhabit the host organisms as a natural ecosystem, on the other hand, the host immune system finely tunes the response toward fungi. In turn, recognition of fungi as commensals or pathogens regulates the host immune balance in health and disease. In the human gut ecosystem, yeasts provide a fingerprint of the transient microbiota. Their status as passengers or colonizers is related to the integrity of the gut barrier and the risk of multiple disorders. Thus, the study of this less known component of the microbiota could unravel the rules of the transition from passengers to colonizers and invaders, as well as their dependence on the innate component of the host's immune response. This article is categorized under: Infectious Diseases > Environmental Factors Immune System Diseases > Environmental Factors Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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9
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Defta CL, Albu CC, Albu ŞD, Bogdan-Andreescu CF. Oral Mycobiota: A Narrative Review. Dent J (Basel) 2024; 12:115. [PMID: 38668027 PMCID: PMC11049401 DOI: 10.3390/dj12040115] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have proven the important role of the oral microbiota in health and disease. The dysfunctionality of the oral microbiota, known as dysbiosis, is incriminated in dental caries, periodontal disease, oral infectious diseases, oral cancer, and systemic disease. The lesser-known component of the oral microbiota, the mycobiota, is now assiduously investigated. Recent technological developments have helped foster the identification of new fungal species based on genomic research. Next-generation sequencing has expanded our knowledge about the diversity, architecture, and relationships of oral microorganisms within the oral cavity. The mycobiome structure and relationships with the bacteriome have been studied to identify a mycobiotic signature. This review aimed to emphasize the latest knowledge of the oral mycobiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Liliana Defta
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Cristina-Crenguţa Albu
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ştefan-Dimitrie Albu
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
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Omura M, Satoh K, Tamura T, Komori A, Makimura K. Molecular epidemiological investigation of Cryptococcus spp. carried by captive koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus) in Japan. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0290323. [PMID: 38411053 PMCID: PMC11210188 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02903-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii cause cryptococcosis, a systemic mycosis that infects a wide range of species. Recent molecular biological investigations have allowed for the genotyping of these species, providing more detailed information on their pathogenicity and infection routes. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are frequently colonized by Cryptococcus spp., but molecular epidemiological studies have yet to be conducted in Japan. Here, we conducted multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis on Cryptococcus spp. colonization isolates obtained from all koalas kept in seven parks across Japan. Out of 46 koalas examined, 10 (22%) were positive for C. gattii and 3 (6.5%) were positive for C. neoformans. All C. gattii isolates belonged to molecular type VGI and were either sequence type (ST) 51 or a novel ST, and all C. neoformans isolates belonged to molecular type VNI and ST23. Despite the frequent movement of koalas between parks, the STs were relatively park-specific, suggesting that the floor of the rearing barns is a source of infection and may act as a reservoir. MLST analysis confirmed that C. gattii was transported, established, and spread by koalas in areas where C. gattii was not originally present. MLST analysis is considered useful in assessing the pathogenicity and tracing the transmission routes of Cryptococcus spp. carried by koalas.IMPORTANCEThis is the first study to conduct a multi-locus sequence typing analysis on Cryptococcus spp. carried by captive koalas in Japan. Cryptococcosis remains a globally high-fatality fungal infection in humans, and captive koalas are known to carry a high percentage of Cryptococcus spp. Through this research, the molecular types and transmission routes of Cryptococcus spp. carried by koalas have been elucidated, revealing the potential role of enclosure flooring as a reservoir. It has been confirmed that Cryptococcus gattii, which is not endemic in Japan, has become established through koalas and is spreading to new individuals in Japan. This study is believed to provide valuable insights into koala conservation and contribute to the One Health approach for Cryptococcosis, a zoonotic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Omura
- Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Graduate School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Satoh
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Tamura
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aya Komori
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Makimura
- Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Graduate School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Tokyo, Japan
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Ayika MG, Rosano A, Valiente J, Chakrabarti S, Rollins JA, Dhillon B. Characterizing the Palm Pathogenic Thielaviopsis Species from Florida. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:247. [PMID: 38667918 PMCID: PMC11051176 DOI: 10.3390/jof10040247] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Thielaviopsis paradoxa sensu lato is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes Thielaviopsis trunk rot and heart rot in palms. The loss of structural integrity resulting from trunk rot can cause the palm trunk to collapse suddenly and poses a serious threat to life and property. Even though rudimentary knowledge about the Thielaviopsis infection process in palms is available, nothing is known about the T. paradoxa species complex in the US. The aim of this study was to characterize T. paradoxa s. lat. isolates collected from diseased palms grown in Florida. Multi-locus phylogeny using three genes, ITS, β-tubulin, and tef1-α, revealed that the isolates separate into two distinct clades with high bootstrap support. The majority of the isolates clustered with the species T. ethacetica, while two isolates formed a separate clade, distinct from T. musarum, and might represent an undescribed Thielaviopsis species. One representative isolate from each clade, when grown on three distinct media and at four different temperatures, showed differences in gross colony morphology, as well as growth rates. The T. ethacetica isolate TP5448 and the Thielaviopsis sp. isolate PLM300 grew better at opposite ends of the temperature spectrum tested in this study, i.e., 35 °C and 10 °C, respectively. In pathogenicity assays on whole plants, the T. ethacetica isolate proved to be more aggressive than Thielaviopsis sp. isolate PLM300, as it produced larger lesions when inoculated on wounded leaflets. An unequal distribution was observed for the mating-type locus of T. ethacetica, as 12 isolates carried the MAT1-1-1 allele, while the status for four isolates remained undefined. Variation in mycelial growth in response to different fungicides was also observed between the two clades. These results demonstrate the existence of two Thielaviopsis clades that can infect palms in Florida and underscore the need for targeted sampling to help uncover the diversity of Thielaviopsis species across palm-growing regions in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Gabrielle Ayika
- Department of Plant Pathology, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (M.-G.A.); (S.C.)
| | - Avril Rosano
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | | | - Seemanti Chakrabarti
- Department of Plant Pathology, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (M.-G.A.); (S.C.)
| | - Jeffrey A. Rollins
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Braham Dhillon
- Department of Plant Pathology, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (M.-G.A.); (S.C.)
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Amsri A, Pruksaphon K, Thammasit P, Nosanchuk JD, Youngchim S. Adaptation to an amoeba host drives selection of virulence-associated traits and genetic variation in saprotrophic Candida albicans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1367656. [PMID: 38550616 PMCID: PMC10976851 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1367656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Amoebae are micropredators that play an important role in controlling fungal populations in ecosystems. However, the interaction between fungi and their amoebic predators suggests that the pressure from predatory selection can significantly influence the development of fungal virulence and evolutionary processes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation of saprotrophic Candida albicans strains during their interactions with Acanthamoeba castellanii. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of survival after co-culture by colony counting of the yeast cells and examining yeast cell phenotypic and genetic characteristics. Our results indicated that exposure to amoebae enhanced the survival capacity of environmental C. albicans and induced visible morphological alterations in C. albicans, particularly by an increase in filamentation. These observed phenotypic changes were closely related to concurrent genetic variations. Notably, mutations in genes encoding transcriptional repressors (TUP1 and SSN6), recognized for their negative regulation of filamentous growth, were exclusively identified in amoeba-passaged isolates, and absent in unexposed isolates. Furthermore, these adaptations increased the exposed isolates' fitness against various stressors, simultaneously enhancing virulence factors and demonstrating an increased ability to invade A549 lung human epithelial cells. These observations indicate that the sustained survival of C. albicans under ongoing amoebic predation involved a key role of mutation events in microevolution to modulate the ability of these isolates to change phenotype and increase their virulence factors, demonstrating an enhanced potential to survive in diverse environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artid Amsri
- Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- Center of Excellence Research for Melioidosis and Microorganisms (CERMM), Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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13
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Ribeiro Dos Santos A, Misas E, Min B, Le N, Bagal UR, Parnell LA, Sexton DJ, Lockhart SR, de Souza Carvalho Melhem M, Takahashi JPF, Oliboni GM, Bonfieti LX, Cappellano P, Sampaio JLM, Araujo LS, Alves Filho HL, Venturini J, Chiller TM, Litvintseva AP, Chow NA. Emergence of zoonotic sporotrichosis in Brazil: a genomic epidemiology study. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2024; 5:e282-e290. [PMID: 38432234 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00364-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zoonotic sporotrichosis is a neglected fungal disease, whereby outbreaks are primarily driven by Sporothrix brasiliensis and linked to cat-to-human transmission. To understand the emergence and spread of sporotrichosis in Brazil, the epicentre of the current epidemic in South America, we aimed to conduct whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to describe the genomic epidemiology. METHODS In this genomic epidemiology study, we included Sporothrix spp isolates from sporotrichosis cases from Brazil, Colombia, and the USA. We conducted WGS using Illumina NovaSeq on isolates collected by three laboratories in Brazil from humans and cats with sporotrichosis between 2013 and 2022. All isolates that were confirmed to be Sporothrix genus by internal transcribed spacer or beta-tubulin PCR sequencing were included in this study. We downloaded eight Sporothrix genome sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (six from Brazil, two from Colombia). Three Sporothrix spp genome sequences from the USA were generated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of this study. We did phylogenetic analyses and correlated geographical and temporal case distribution with genotypic features of Sporothrix spp isolates. FINDINGS 72 Sporothrix spp isolates from 55 human and 17 animal sporotrichosis cases were included: 67 (93%) were from Brazil, two (3%) from Colombia, and three (4%) from the USA. Cases spanned from 1999 to 2022. Most (61 [85%]) isolates were S brasiliensis, and all were reported from Brazil. Ten (14%) were Sporothrix schenckii and were reported from Brazil, USA, and Colombia. For S schenckii isolates, two distinct clades were observed wherein isolates clustered by geography. For S brasiliensis isolates, five clades separated by more than 100 000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were observed. Among the five S brasiliensis clades, clades A and C contained isolates from both human and cat cases, and clade A contained isolates from six different states in Brazil. Compared with S brasiliensis isolates, larger genetic diversity was observed among S schenckii isolates from animal and human cases within a clade. INTERPRETATION Our results suggest that the ongoing epidemic driven by S brasiliensis in Brazil represents several, independent emergence events followed by animal-to-animal and animal-to human transmission within and between Brazilian states. These results describe how S brasiliensis can emerge and spread within a country. FUNDING Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil; the São Paulo Research Foundation; Productivity in Research fellowships by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, and Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ribeiro Dos Santos
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA; School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Misas
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian Min
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ngoc Le
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ujwal R Bagal
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lindsay A Parnell
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - D Joseph Sexton
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shawn R Lockhart
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marcia de Souza Carvalho Melhem
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil; Parasitology and Mycology Center, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Possatto Fernandes Takahashi
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil; Parasitology and Mycology Center, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Manzi Oliboni
- Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças, Secretaria de Estado de Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Lisandra Siufi Araujo
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil; Central Public Health Laboratory of Mato Grosso do Sul, Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | | | - James Venturini
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Tom M Chiller
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Nancy A Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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14
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Crawford C, Guazzelli L, McConnell SA, McCabe O, d’Errico C, Greengo SD, Wear MP, Jedlicka AE, Casadevall A, Oscarson S. Synthetic Glycans Reveal Determinants of Antibody Functional Efficacy against a Fungal Pathogen. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:475-488. [PMID: 37856427 PMCID: PMC10862557 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies play a vital role in the immune response to infectious diseases and can be administered passively to protect patients. In the case of Cryptococcus neoformans, a WHO critical priority fungal pathogen, infection results in antibodies targeting capsular glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). These antibodies yield protective, non-protective, and disease-enhancing outcomes when administered passively. However, it was unknown how these distinct antibodies recognized their antigens at the molecular level, leading to the hypothesis that they may target different GXM epitopes. To test this hypothesis, we constructed a microarray containing 26 glycans representative of those found in highly virulent cryptococcal strains and utilized it to study 16 well-characterized monoclonal antibodies. Notably, we found that protective and non-protective antibodies shared conserved reactivity to the M2 motif of GXM, irrespective of the strain used in infection or GXM-isolated to produce a conjugate vaccine. Here, only two antibodies, 12A1 and 18B7, exhibited diverse trivalent GXM motif reactivity. IgG antibodies associated with protective responses showed cross-reactivity to at least two GXM motifs. This molecular understanding of antibody binding epitopes was used to map the antigenic diversity of two Cryptococcus neoformans strains, which revealed the exceptional complexity of fungal capsular polysaccharides. A multi-GXM motif vaccine holds the potential to effectively address this antigenic diversity. Collectively, these findings underscore the context-dependent nature of antibody function and challenge the classification of anti-GXM epitopes as either "protective" or "non-protective".
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor
J. Crawford
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Lorenzo Guazzelli
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Scott A. McConnell
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Orla McCabe
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Clotilde d’Errico
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Seth D. Greengo
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Maggie P. Wear
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Anne E. Jedlicka
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Stefan Oscarson
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
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15
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Money NP. Fungal thermotolerance revisited and why climate change is unlikely to be supercharging pathogenic fungi (yet). Fungal Biol 2024; 128:1638-1641. [PMID: 38341269 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Thermotolerance has been viewed as an uncommon characteristic among the fungi and one of the reasons that less than 1% of the described species operate as opportunistic pathogens of humans. Growth at 37°C is certainly a requirement for a fungus that invades the body core, but tens of thousands of nonpathogenic species are also able to grow at this temperature. Ergo, body temperature does not serve as a thermal barrier to the development of infections by many harmless fungi. The absence of other virulence factors must be more demanding. This observation raises questions about the hypothetical links between climate change and the increasing number of life-threatening human mycoses. Given the widespread distribution of fungal thermotolerance and the 1°C (2°F) increase in global temperature over the last 140 years it seems unlikely that the warming climate has driven the evolution of more virulent strains of fungi. More compelling explanations for the changes in the behavior of fungi as disease agents include their adaptation to the widening use of azole antifungals in hospitals and the wholesale application of millions of tons of the same class of heterocyclic chemicals in agriculture. On the other hand, climate change is having a significant effect on the spread of human mycoses by extending the geographical range of pathogenic fungi. A related increase in fungal asthma caused by spore inhalation is another likely consequence of planetary change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Money
- Western Program and Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA.
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16
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Troitsky TS, Laine VN, Lilley TM. When the host's away, the pathogen will play: the protective role of the skin microbiome during hibernation. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:66. [PMID: 38129884 PMCID: PMC10740296 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00285-1] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The skin of animals is enveloped by a symbiotic microscopic ecosystem known as the microbiome. The host and microbiome exhibit a mutualistic relationship, collectively forming a single evolutionary unit sometimes referred to as a holobiont. Although the holobiome theory highlights the importance of the microbiome, little is known about how the skin microbiome contributes to protecting the host. Existing studies focus on humans or captive animals, but research in wild animals is in its infancy. Specifically, the protective role of the skin microbiome in hibernating animals remains almost entirely overlooked. This is surprising, considering the massive population declines in hibernating North American bats caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes white-nose syndrome. Hibernation offers a unique setting in which to study the function of the microbiome because, during torpor, the host's immune system becomes suppressed, making it susceptible to infection. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on the protective role of the skin microbiome in non-human animals. We selected 230 publications that mentioned pathogen inhibition by microbes residing on the skin of the host animal. We found that the majority of studies were conducted in North America and focused on the bacterial microbiome of amphibians infected by the chytrid fungus. Despite mentioning pathogen inhibition by the skin microbiome, only 30.4% of studies experimentally tested the actual antimicrobial activity of symbionts. Additionally, only 7.8% of all publications studied defensive cutaneous symbionts during hibernation. With this review, we want to highlight the knowledge gap surrounding skin microbiome research in hibernating animals. For instance, research looking to mitigate the effects of white-nose syndrome in bats should focus on the antifungal microbiome of Palearctic bats, as they survive exposure to the Pseudogymnoascus destructans -pathogen during hibernation. We also recommend future studies prioritize lesser-known microbial symbionts, such as fungi, and investigate the effects of a combination of anti-pathogen microbes, as both areas of research show promise as probiotic treatments. By incorporating the protective skin microbiome into disease mitigation strategies, conservation efforts can be made more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - V N Laine
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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17
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Peixoto-Rodrigues MC, da Costa GL, Pinto TN, Adesse D, Oliveira MME, Hauser-Davis RA. A novel report on the emerging and zoonotic neurotropic fungus Trichosporon japonicum in the brain tissue of the endangered Brazilian guitarfish (Pseudobatos horkelii) off the southeastern coast of Brazil. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:367. [PMID: 38017412 PMCID: PMC10685615 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03128-w] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Yeast infections have gained significant attention in the field of marine biology in recent years. Among the broad diversity of marine organisms affected by these infections, elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) have emerged as highly susceptible, due to climate change effects, such as increasing water temperatures and pollution, which can alter the composition and abundance of fungal communities. Additionally, injuries, or compromised immune systems resulting from pollution or disease may increase the likelihood of fungal infections in elasmobranchs. Studies are, however, still lacking for this taxonomic group. In this context, this study aimed to screen yeast species in cell cultures obtained from the brain of artisanally captured Pseudobatos horkelii, a cartilaginous fish that, although endangered, is highly captured and consumed worldwide. Fungi were isolated during an attempt to establish primary cultures of elasmobranch neural cells. Culture flasks were swabbed and investigated using morphological, phenotypic, and molecular techniques. Two isolates of the emerging opportunistic pathogen Trichosporon japonicum were identified, with high scores (1.80 and 1.85, respectively) by the MALDI-ToF technique. This is the first report of the basidiomycetous yeast T. japonicum in Pseudobatos horkelii in Brazil. This finding highlights the need for further research to determine the potential impact on elasmobranch health, ecology, as well as on commercial fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina Peixoto-Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, IInstituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gisela Lara da Costa
- Laboratório de Taxonomia, Bioquímica e Bioprospecção de Fungos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Nobre Pinto
- Laboratório de Taxonomia, Bioquímica e Bioprospecção de Fungos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Adesse
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, IInstituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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18
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Smith DFQ, Bencomo A, Faiez TS, Casadevall A. Thermal and pigment characterization of environmental fungi in the urban heat island of Baltimore City. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.10.566554. [PMID: 37986923 PMCID: PMC10659420 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the major barriers of fungal infections of mammals is the inability to grow and/or survive at mammalian body temperature, typically around 37°C. This has provided mammals an advantage over fungi. However, environmental fungi may soon adapt to persist at higher temperatures, consistent with mammalian body temperature, due to thermal selection pressures imposed by climate change, global warming, and increased frequency of extreme heat events. Consequently, there is a need for more updated information about the thermal tolerance range of fungi near humans, such as in urban areas. The heat island effect suggests that cities are up to 8°C warmer than their suburban counterparts because of increased heat production, asphalt coatings and reduced greenspace among other factors, and it is more common in lower income and marginalized urban communities. Thus, urban centers are at increased risk for the emergence of heat tolerant fungi. In this study, we developed a methodology to collect and archive fungal isolates from sidewalk and soil samples in both warmer and cooler neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. We demonstrate a novel methodology for fungal sample collection from sidewalks, employing the use of standardized and commercially available taffy. Analysis of fungal isolates collected from warmer neighborhoods revealed greater thermal tolerance and lower pigmentation, suggesting local adaptation to heat. Lower pigmentation in hotter areas is consistent with the notion that fungi use pigmentation to help regulate their temperature. Further, we identified the robust presence of the polyextremotolerant fungus Aureobasidium pullalans from the warmest neighborhood in Baltimore, further showing that the extreme conditions of cities can drive proliferation of extremotolerant fungi. This study develops new techniques for environmental fungal collection and provides insight on the fungal census in an urban setting that can inform future work to study how urban environments may drive stress/thermotolerance in fungi, which could alter fungal interactions with humans and impact human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F. Q. Smith
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Alexa Bencomo
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Krieger School of Arts & Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tasnim Syakirah Faiez
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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19
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Ekdahl LI, Salcedo JA, Dungan MM, Mason DV, Myagmarsuren D, Murphy HA. Selection on plastic adherence leads to hyper-multicellular strains and incidental virulence in the budding yeast. eLife 2023; 12:e81056. [PMID: 37916911 PMCID: PMC10764007 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many disease-causing microbes are not obligate pathogens; rather, they are environmental microbes taking advantage of an ecological opportunity. The existence of microbes whose life cycle does not require a host and are not normally pathogenic, yet are well-suited to host exploitation, is an evolutionary puzzle. One hypothesis posits that selection in the environment may favor traits that incidentally lead to pathogenicity and virulence, or serve as pre-adaptations for survival in a host. An example of such a trait is surface adherence. To experimentally test the idea of 'accidental virulence', replicate populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were evolved to attach to a plastic bead for hundreds of generations. Along with plastic adherence, two multicellular phenotypes- biofilm formation and flor formation- increased; another phenotype, pseudohyphal growth, responded to the nutrient limitation. Thus, experimental selection led to the evolution of highly-adherent, hyper-multicellular strains. Wax moth larvae injected with evolved hyper-multicellular strains were significantly more likely to die than those injected with evolved non-multicellular strains. Hence, selection on plastic adherence incidentally led to the evolution of enhanced multicellularity and increased virulence. Our results support the idea that selection for a trait beneficial in the open environment can inadvertently generate opportunistic, 'accidental' pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke I Ekdahl
- Department of Biology, College of William and MaryWilliamsburgUnited States
| | - Juliana A Salcedo
- Department of Biology, College of William and MaryWilliamsburgUnited States
| | - Matthew M Dungan
- Department of Biology, College of William and MaryWilliamsburgUnited States
| | - Despina V Mason
- Department of Biology, College of William and MaryWilliamsburgUnited States
| | | | - Helen A Murphy
- Department of Biology, College of William and MaryWilliamsburgUnited States
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20
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Del Olmo V, Mixão V, Fotedar R, Saus E, Al Malki A, Księżopolska E, Nunez-Rodriguez JC, Boekhout T, Gabaldón T. Origin of fungal hybrids with pathogenic potential from warm seawater environments. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6919. [PMID: 37903766 PMCID: PMC10616089 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42679-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybridisation is a common event in yeasts often leading to genomic variability and adaptation. The yeast Candida orthopsilosis is a human-associated opportunistic pathogen belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex. Most C. orthopsilosis clinical isolates are hybrids resulting from at least four independent crosses between two parental lineages, of which only one has been identified. The rare presence or total absence of parentals amongst clinical isolates is hypothesised to be a consequence of a reduced pathogenicity with respect to their hybrids. Here, we sequence and analyse the genomes of environmental C. orthopsilosis strains isolated from warm marine ecosystems. We find that a majority of environmental isolates are hybrids, phylogenetically closely related to hybrid clinical isolates. Furthermore, we identify the missing parental lineage, thus providing a more complete overview of the genomic evolution of this species. Additionally, we discover phenotypic differences between the two parental lineages, as well as between parents and hybrids, under conditions relevant for pathogenesis. Our results suggest a marine origin of C. orthopsilosis hybrids, with intrinsic pathogenic potential, and pave the way to identify pre-existing environmental adaptations that rendered hybrids more prone than parental lineages to colonise and infect the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Del Olmo
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verónica Mixão
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Bioinformatics Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rashmi Fotedar
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Biotechnology Centre, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, P.O Box 20022, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ester Saus
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amina Al Malki
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Biotechnology Centre, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, P.O Box 20022, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ewa Księżopolska
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Nunez-Rodriguez
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teun Boekhout
- College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain.
- , Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain.
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21
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Gómez BL, Escandón P. Fungal infections: A growing threat. BIOMEDICA : REVISTA DEL INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE SALUD 2023; 43:11-16. [PMID: 37721896 PMCID: PMC10581601 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.7214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz L Gómez
- Grupo de Estudios en Microbiología Translacional y Enfermedades Emergentes (MICROS), Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
| | - Patricia Escandón
- Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
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22
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Smith DFQ, Casadevall A. Disaster mycology. BIOMEDICA : REVISTA DEL INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE SALUD 2023; 43:267-277. [PMID: 37721902 PMCID: PMC10599715 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.6943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Natural and human-made disasters have long played a role in shaping the environment and microbial communities, also affecting non-microbial life on Earth. Disaster microbiology is a new concept based on the notion that a disaster changes the environment causing adaptation or alteration of microbial populations -growth, death, transportation to a new area, development traits, or resistance- that can have downstream effects on the affected ecosystem. Such downstream effects include blooms of microbial populations and the ability to colonize a new niche or host, cause disease, or survive in former extreme conditions. Throughout history, fungal populations have been affected by disasters. There are prehistoric archeological records of fungal blooms after asteroid impacts and fungi implicated in the fall of the dinosaurs. In recent times, drought and dust storms have caused disturbance of soil fungi, and hurricanes have induced the growth of molds on wet surfaces, resulting in an increased incidence of fungal disease. Probably, the anticipated increase in extreme heat would force fungi adaptation to survive at high temperatures, like those in the human body, and thus be able to infect mammals. This may lead to a drastic rise of new fungal diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Q Smith
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore MD, USA.
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore MD, USA.
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23
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Zhang M, Trushina NK, Lang T, Hahn M, Pasmanik-Chor M, Sharon A. Serine peptidases and increased amounts of soluble proteins contribute to heat priming of the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. mBio 2023; 14:e0107723. [PMID: 37409814 PMCID: PMC10470532 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01077-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea causes gray mold disease in leading crop plants. The disease develops only at cool temperatures, but the fungus remains viable in warm climates and can survive periods of extreme heat. We discovered a strong heat priming effect in which the exposure of B. cinerea to moderately high temperatures greatly improves its ability to cope with subsequent, potentially lethal temperature conditions. We showed that priming promotes protein solubility during heat stress and discovered a group of priming-induced serine-type peptidases. Several lines of evidence, including transcriptomics, proteomics, pharmacology, and mutagenesis data, link these peptidases to the B. cinerea priming response, highlighting their important roles in regulating priming-mediated heat adaptation. By imposing a series of sub-lethal temperature pulses that subverted the priming effect, we managed to eliminate the fungus and prevent disease development, demonstrating the potential for developing temperature-based plant protection methods by targeting the fungal heat priming response. IMPORTANCE Priming is a general and important stress adaptation mechanism. Our work highlights the importance of priming in fungal heat adaptation, reveals novel regulators and aspects of heat adaptation mechanisms, and demonstrates the potential of affecting microorganisms, including pathogens through manipulations of the heat adaptation response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhe Zhang
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Naomi Kagan Trushina
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tabea Lang
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Matthias Hahn
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | | | - Amir Sharon
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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24
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Thitla T, Kumla J, Hongsanan S, Senwanna C, Khuna S, Lumyong S, Suwannarach N. Exploring diversity rock-inhabiting fungi from northern Thailand: a new genus and three new species belonged to the family Herpotrichiellaceae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1252482. [PMID: 37692164 PMCID: PMC10485699 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1252482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the family Herpotrichiellaceae are distributed worldwide and can be found in various habitats including on insects, plants, rocks, and in the soil. They are also known to be opportunistic human pathogens. In this study, 12 strains of rock-inhabiting fungi that belong to Herpotrichiellaceae were isolated from rock samples collected from forests located in Lamphun and Sukhothai provinces of northern Thailand during the period from 2021 to 2022. On the basis of the morphological characteristics, growth temperature, and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses of a combination of the internal transcribed spacer, the large subunit, and the small subunit of ribosomal RNA, beta tubulin and the translation elongation factor 1-a genes, the new genus, Petriomyces gen. nov., has been established to accommodate the single species, Pe. obovoidisporus sp. nov. In addition, three new species of Cladophialophora have also been introduced, namely, Cl. rupestricola, Cl. sribuabanensis, and Cl. thailandensis. Descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic trees indicating the placement of these new taxa are provided. Here, we provide updates and discussions on the phylogenetic placement of other fungal genera within Herpotrichiellaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanapol Thitla
- Master of Science Program in Applied Microbiology (International Program), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jaturong Kumla
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sinang Hongsanan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Chanokned Senwanna
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Surapong Khuna
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Saisamorn Lumyong
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Academy of Science, The Royal Society of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nakarin Suwannarach
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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25
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Kumar R, Srivastava V. Application of anti-fungal vaccines as a tool against emerging anti-fungal resistance. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1241539. [PMID: 37746132 PMCID: PMC10512234 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1241539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
After viruses and bacteria, fungal infections remain a serious threat to the survival and well-being of society. The continuous emergence of resistance against commonly used anti-fungal drugs is a serious concern. The eukaryotic nature of fungal cells makes the identification of novel anti-fungal agents slow and difficult. Increasing global temperature and a humid environment conducive to fungal growth may lead to a fungal endemic or a pandemic. The continuous increase in the population of immunocompromised individuals and falling immunity forced pharmaceutical companies to look for alternative strategies for better managing the global fungal burden. Prevention of infectious diseases by vaccines can be the right choice. Recent success and safe application of mRNA-based vaccines can play a crucial role in our quest to overcome anti-fungal resistance. Expressing fungal cell surface proteins in human subjects using mRNA technology may be sufficient to raise immune response to protect against future fungal infection. The success of mRNA-based anti-fungal vaccines will heavily depend on the identification of fungal surface proteins which are highly immunogenic and have no or least side effects in human subjects. The present review discusses why it is essential to look for anti-fungal vaccines and how vaccines, in general, and mRNA-based vaccines, in particular, can be the right choice in tackling the problem of rising anti-fungal resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Collage of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Vartika Srivastava
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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26
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Alves-Silva J, Zuzarte M, Cavaleiro C, Salgueiro L. Antibiofilm Effect of Lavandula multifida Essential Oil: A New Approach for Chronic Infections. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2142. [PMID: 37631356 PMCID: PMC10458520 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082142] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, being highly prevalent in patients with underlying health complications such as chronic lung disease, HIV, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. To mitigate these infections, the development of effective antifungals is imperative, with plants standing out as promising sources of bioactive compounds. In the present study, we focus on the antibiofilm potential of Lavandula multifida essential oil (EO) against dermatophyte strains and Candida albicans. The EO was characterized using GC and GC-MS, and its antifungal effect was assessed on both biofilm formation and disruption. Biofilm mass, extracellular matrix, and viability were quantified using crystal violet, safranin, and XTT assays, respectively, and morphological alterations were confirmed using optical and scanning electron microscopy. L. multifida EO showed very high amounts of carvacrol and was very effective in inhibiting and disrupting fungal biofilms. The EO significantly decreased biofilm mass and viability in all tested fungi. In addition, a reduction in dermatophytes' extracellular matrix was observed, particularly during biofilm formation. Morphological alterations were evident in mature biofilms, with a clear decrease in hypha diameter. These promising results support the use of L. multifida EO in the development of effective plant-based antifungal products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Alves-Silva
- Univ Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (J.A.-S.); (C.C.)
- Univ Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mónica Zuzarte
- Univ Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (J.A.-S.); (C.C.)
- Univ Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos Cavaleiro
- Univ Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (J.A.-S.); (C.C.)
- Univ Coimbra, Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre (CIEPQPF), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Lígia Salgueiro
- Univ Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (J.A.-S.); (C.C.)
- Univ Coimbra, Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre (CIEPQPF), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
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Oliveira MME, Lopes AP, Pinto TN, da Costa GL, Goes-Neto A, Hauser-Davis RA. A Novel One Health Approach concerning Yeast Present in the Oral Microbiome of the Endangered Rio Skate ( Rioraja agassizii) from Southeastern Brazil. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1969. [PMID: 37630528 PMCID: PMC10459090 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081969] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The current climate change scenario caused by anthropogenic activities has resulted in novel environmental pressures, increasing the occurrence and severity of fungal infections in the marine environment. Research on fungi in several taxonomic groups is widespread although not the case for elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). In this context, the aim of the present study was to screen the oral fungal microbiota present in artisanally captured Rioraja agassizii, a batoid that, although endangered, is highly fished and consumed worldwide. Oropharyngeal samples were obtained by swabbing and the samples were investigated using morphological and phenotypic methods by streaking on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and subculturing onto CHROMagar Candida (BD Difco) and CHROMagar Candida Plus (CHROMagarTM), as well as molecular techniques by amplification of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA region and a MALDI-TOF MS assessment. The findings indicated the presence of Candida parapsilosis (seven isolates), Candida duobushaemulonii (one isolate) and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (three isolates), several of these reported for the first time in Rioraja agassizii. In addition, a 100% agreement between the MALDI-TOF results and partial ITS region sequencing was noted, demonstrating that the MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and effective alternative for yeast identification in Rioraja agassizii isolates and potentially in other elasmobranch species. These findings highlight the need for further research to determine the potential impact on elasmobranch health, ecology, and commercial fisheries. Furthermore, this research is paramount in a One Health framework and may be employed to predict elasmobranch responses to an evolving ocean, keep healthy populations in check, monitor species, and assess the public health consequences of consuming these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoel Marques Evangelista Oliveira
- Laboratory of Taxonomy, Biochemistry and Bioprospecting of Fungi, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Amanda Pontes Lopes
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Nobre Pinto
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
| | - Gisela Lara da Costa
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
| | - Aristóteles Goes-Neto
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
| | - Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, RJ, Brazil
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28
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do Amaral SC, Xavier LP, Vasconcelos V, Santos AV. Cyanobacteria: A Promising Source of Antifungal Metabolites. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:359. [PMID: 37367684 DOI: 10.3390/md21060359] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are a rich source of secondary metabolites, and they have received a great deal of attention due to their applicability in different industrial sectors. Some of these substances are known for their notorious ability to inhibit fungal growth. Such metabolites are very chemically and biologically diverse. They can belong to different chemical classes, including peptides, fatty acids, alkaloids, polyketides, and macrolides. Moreover, they can also target different cell components. Filamentous cyanobacteria have been the main source of these compounds. This review aims to identify the key features of these antifungal agents, as well as the sources from which they are obtained, their major targets, and the environmental factors involved when they are being produced. For the preparation of this work, a total of 642 documents dating from 1980 to 2022 were consulted, including patents, original research, review articles, and theses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cavalcante do Amaral
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Enzymes and Biotransformation, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Luciana Pereira Xavier
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Enzymes and Biotransformation, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Vítor Vasconcelos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Edifício FC4, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agenor Valadares Santos
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Enzymes and Biotransformation, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
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29
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Austin AT, Ballaré CL. Attackers gain the upper hand over plants in the face of rapid global change. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R611-R620. [PMID: 37279692 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Interactions among organisms in natural ecosystems are the foundational underpinnings of nearly all ecological studies. It has never been more important to increase our awareness of how these interactions are altered by human activity, threatening biodiversity and disrupting ecosystem functioning. Much of the historic focus of species conservation has been the preservation of endangered and endemic species at risk from hunting, over-exploitation, and habitat destruction. However, there is increasing evidence that differences between plants and their attacking organisms in the speed and direction of physiological, demographic, and genetic (adaptation) responses to global change are having devastating consequences, resulting in large-scale losses of dominant or abundant plant species, particularly in forest ecosystems. From the elimination in the wild of the American chestnut to the extensive regional damage caused by insect outbreaks in temperate forest ecosystems, these losses of dominant species change the ecological landscape and functioning, and represent important threats to biodiversity at all scales. Introductions due to human activity, range shifts due to climate change, and their combination are the principal drivers behind these profound ecosystem changes. In this Review, we argue that there is an urgent need to increase our recognition and hone our predictive power for how these imbalances may occur. Moreover, we should seek to minimize the consequences of these imbalances in order to ensure the preservation of the structure, function and biodiversity of entire ecosystems, not just rare or highly endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T Austin
- IFEVA, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Carlos L Ballaré
- IFEVA, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina; IIB-INTECH, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, B1650HMP Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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30
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Konakbayeva D, Karlsson AJ. Strategies and opportunities for engineering antifungal peptides for therapeutic applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102926. [PMID: 37028003 PMCID: PMC10229436 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Antifungal peptides (AFPs) are widely described as promising prospects to treat and prevent fungal infections, though they are far less studied than their antibacterial counterparts. Although promising, AFPs have practical limitations that have hindered their use as therapeutics. Rational design and combinatorial engineering are powerful protein engineering strategies with much potential to address the limitations of AFPs by designing peptides with improved physiochemical and biological characteristics. We examine how rational design and combinatorial engineering approaches have already been used to improve the properties of AFPs and propose key opportunities for applying these strategies to push the design and application of AFPs forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinara Konakbayeva
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Amy J Karlsson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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31
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Dutta S, Ray U. Paratracheal abscess by plant fungus Chondrostereum purpureum- first case report of human infection. Med Mycol Case Rep 2023; 40:30-32. [PMID: 36950374 PMCID: PMC10025813 DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2023.03.001] [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: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chondrostereum purpureum, is a plant fungus causing silver leaf disease of plants, particularly of the rose family. Here we report a case of paratracheal abscess caused by C. purpureum. This is a first of its kind of a case wherein this plant fungus caused disease in a human. Conventional techniques (microscopy and culture) failed to identify the fungus. Only by sequencing, the identity of this unusual pathogen could be revealed. This case highlights the potential of environmental plant fungi to cause disease in humans and stresses the importance of molecular techniques to identify the causative fungal species.
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Karunarathna SC, Haelewaters D, Lionakis MS, Tibpromma S, Jianchu X, Hughes AC, Mortimer PE. Assessing the threat of bat-associated fungal pathogens. One Health 2023; 16:100553. [PMID: 37363244 PMCID: PMC10288076 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100553] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens have become an increasingly important topic in recent decades. Yet whilst various cankers and blights have gained attention in temperate woodlands and crops, the scope for fungal pathogens of animals and their potential threat has received far less attention. With a shifting climate, the threat from fungal pathogens is predicted to increase in the future, thus understanding the spread of fungi over landscapes as well as taxa that may be at risk is of particular importance. Cave ecosystems provide potential refugia for various fungi, and roosts for bats. With their well vascularized wings and wide-ranging distributions, bats present potential fungal vectors. Furthermore, whilst bat immune systems are generally robust to bacterial and viral pathogens, they can be susceptible to fungal pathogens, particularly during periods of stress such as hibernation. Here we explore why bats are important and interesting vectors for fungi across landscapes and discuss knowledge gaps that require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C. Karunarathna
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 65201, PR China
| | - Danny Haelewaters
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michail S. Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology & Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA
| | - Saowaluck Tibpromma
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 65201, PR China
| | - Xu Jianchu
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 65201, PR China
| | - Alice C. Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Peter E. Mortimer
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 65201, PR China
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33
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Hallsworth JE, Udaondo Z, Pedrós‐Alió C, Höfer J, Benison KC, Lloyd KG, Cordero RJB, de Campos CBL, Yakimov MM, Amils R. Scientific novelty beyond the experiment. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1131-1173. [PMID: 36786388 PMCID: PMC10221578 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Practical experiments drive important scientific discoveries in biology, but theory-based research studies also contribute novel-sometimes paradigm-changing-findings. Here, we appraise the roles of theory-based approaches focusing on the experiment-dominated wet-biology research areas of microbial growth and survival, cell physiology, host-pathogen interactions, and competitive or symbiotic interactions. Additional examples relate to analyses of genome-sequence data, climate change and planetary health, habitability, and astrobiology. We assess the importance of thought at each step of the research process; the roles of natural philosophy, and inconsistencies in logic and language, as drivers of scientific progress; the value of thought experiments; the use and limitations of artificial intelligence technologies, including their potential for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research; and other instances when theory is the most-direct and most-scientifically robust route to scientific novelty including the development of techniques for practical experimentation or fieldwork. We highlight the intrinsic need for human engagement in scientific innovation, an issue pertinent to the ongoing controversy over papers authored using/authored by artificial intelligence (such as the large language model/chatbot ChatGPT). Other issues discussed are the way in which aspects of language can bias thinking towards the spatial rather than the temporal (and how this biased thinking can lead to skewed scientific terminology); receptivity to research that is non-mainstream; and the importance of theory-based science in education and epistemology. Whereas we briefly highlight classic works (those by Oakes Ames, Francis H.C. Crick and James D. Watson, Charles R. Darwin, Albert Einstein, James E. Lovelock, Lynn Margulis, Gilbert Ryle, Erwin R.J.A. Schrödinger, Alan M. Turing, and others), the focus is on microbiology studies that are more-recent, discussing these in the context of the scientific process and the types of scientific novelty that they represent. These include several studies carried out during the 2020 to 2022 lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic when access to research laboratories was disallowed (or limited). We interviewed the authors of some of the featured microbiology-related papers and-although we ourselves are involved in laboratory experiments and practical fieldwork-also drew from our own research experiences showing that such studies can not only produce new scientific findings but can also transcend barriers between disciplines, act counter to scientific reductionism, integrate biological data across different timescales and levels of complexity, and circumvent constraints imposed by practical techniques. In relation to urgent research needs, we believe that climate change and other global challenges may require approaches beyond the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Zulema Udaondo
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle RockArkansasUSA
| | - Carlos Pedrós‐Alió
- Department of Systems BiologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Juan Höfer
- Escuela de Ciencias del MarPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Kathleen C. Benison
- Department of Geology and GeographyWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology DepartmentUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Radamés J. B. Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Claudia B. L. de Campos
- Institute of Science and TechnologyUniversidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP)São José dos CamposSPBrazil
| | | | - Ricardo Amils
- Department of Molecular Biology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC‐UAM)Nicolás Cabrera n° 1, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
- Department of Planetology and HabitabilityCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC)Torrejón de ArdozSpain
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Noel D, Hallsworth JE, Gelhaye E, Darnet S, Sormani R, Morel-Rouhier M. Modes-of-action of antifungal compounds: Stressors and (target-site-specific) toxins, toxicants, or Toxin-stressors. Microb Biotechnol 2023. [PMID: 37191200 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi and antifungal compounds are relevant to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. However, the modes-of-action of antifungals-whether they are naturally occurring substances or anthropogenic fungicides-are often unknown or are misallocated in terms of their mechanistic category. Here, we consider the most effective approaches to identifying whether antifungal substances are cellular stressors, toxins/toxicants (that are target-site-specific), or have a hybrid mode-of-action as Toxin-stressors (that induce cellular stress yet are target-site-specific). This newly described 'toxin-stressor' category includes some photosensitisers that target the cell membrane and, once activated by light or ultraviolet radiation, cause oxidative damage. We provide a glossary of terms and a diagrammatic representation of diverse types of stressors, toxic substances, and Toxin-stressors, a classification that is pertinent to inhibitory substances not only for fungi but for all types of cellular life. A decision-tree approach can also be used to help differentiate toxic substances from cellular stressors (Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015 33: 228-259). For compounds that target specific sites in the cell, we evaluate the relative merits of using metabolite analyses, chemical genetics, chemoproteomics, transcriptomics, and the target-based drug-discovery approach (based on that used in pharmaceutical research), focusing on both ascomycete models and the less-studied basidiomycete fungi. Chemical genetic methods to elucidate modes-of-action currently have limited application for fungi where molecular tools are not yet available; we discuss ways to circumvent this bottleneck. We also discuss ecologically commonplace scenarios in which multiple substances act to limit the functionality of the fungal cell and a number of as-yet-unresolved questions about the modes-of-action of antifungal compounds pertaining to the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Eric Gelhaye
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, IAM, Nancy, France
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Infantino A, Belocchi A, Quaranta F, Reverberi M, Beccaccioli M, Lombardi D, Vitale M. Effects of climate change on the distribution of Fusarium spp. in Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163640. [PMID: 37087011 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This work studies the incidence of Fusarium spp. on wheat kernels about current and future climatic conditions in Italy. Epidemiological analyses were performed from 2007 to 2013 and the resulting dataset was used to find correlations between the disease incidence of five important Fusarium species monitored in Italy (Fusarium graminearum, F. langsethiae, F. sporotrichioides, F. poae and F. avenaceum) and climatic and geographical parameters. Probabilistic-based modelling of the actual distribution of Fusarium spp. was achieved by using the Zero-inflated Poisson regression. The probabilistic geographical distribution of the Fusarium species was assessed by applying future climatic scenarios (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). The shift from current to future climatic scenarios highlighted changes on a national and regional scale. The tightening of environmental conditions from the RCP4.5 to 8.5 scenarios resulted in a sporadic presence of F. avenaceum only in the northern region of Italy. Fusarium graminearum was plentifully present in the current climate, but the tightening of minimum and maximum temperatures and the decrease of precipitation between May-June in the RCP8.5 no longer represents the optimum conditions for it. Fusarium langsethiae was currently distributed in all of Italy, showing an increase in the probability of detecting it by moving from high to low latitudes and from low to high longitudes in the RCP8.5. Fusarium poae, unlike other Fusarium species, grows and develops in arid climatic conditions. High values of F. poae were recorded at low latitudes and longitudes. Under the RCP scenarios, it showed high incidence probabilities in the southeast and northeast areas of Italy. Fusarium sporotrichioides is scarcely present in Italy, found at high latitudes and in the central areas. Climate change altered this distribution, and the chances of discovering it increased significantly moving to southern Italy. Overall, the study shows that climate change conditions are likely to lead to an increase in the incidence of Fusarium species on wheat kernels in Italy, highlighting the importance of developing strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on wheat production, quality, and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Infantino
- Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics-CREA, Italy
| | - Andreina Belocchi
- Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics-CREA, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Quaranta
- Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics-CREA, Italy
| | - Massimo Reverberi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Danilo Lombardi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Vitale
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
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Garcia-Bustos V, Cabañero-Navalon MD, Ruiz-Gaitán A, Salavert M, Tormo-Mas MÁ, Pemán J. Climate change, animals, and Candida auris: insights into the ecological niche of a new species from a one health approach. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023:S1198-743X(23)00132-5. [PMID: 36934871 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.03.016] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most puzzling traits of Candida auris is the recent simultaneous and independent emergence of five genetically distinct clades on three continents. Global warming has been proposed as a contributing factor for this emergence due to C. auris high thermotolerance compared to phylogenetically close Candida species. This hypothesis postulates that climate change induced an environmental ancestor to become pathogenic through thermal adaptation and was then globally disseminated by an intermediate host. OBJECTIVES The aim of this review is to compile the current knowledge on the emergence and ecological environmental niches of C. auris, and highlight the potential role of animals in transmission. SOURCES A literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from May 2022 to January 2023. CONTENT We discuss the up-to-date data on the ecological niches of this fungus and its mechanisms of emergence, transmission cycle in nature, and worldwide dissemination. We highlight the possibility of an originally intermediate host possibly related to marine or freshwater ecosystems on the basis of recent molecular and microbiological evidence from a One Health perspective. The consequences of harmful human impacts on the environment in the raise of new fungal pathogenic species such as C. auris are also analysed and compared to other animal precedents. IMPLICATIONS The present knowledge can prompt the generation of new evidence on the ecological reservoirs of C. auris and its original mechanisms of environmental or interspecies transmission. Further research on the highlighted gaps will help to understand the importance of the relationships between human, animal, and ecosystem health, as factors involved in the raise and spread of emerging fungal pathogenic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Garcia-Bustos
- Severe Infection Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Department of Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Alba Ruiz-Gaitán
- Severe Infection Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Department of Medical Microbiology, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Miguel Salavert
- Severe Infection Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Department of Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Javier Pemán
- Severe Infection Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
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Dangarembizi R, Wasserman S, Hoving JC. Emerging and re-emerging fungal threats in Africa. Parasite Immunol 2023; 45:e12953. [PMID: 36175380 PMCID: PMC9892204 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of deadly fungal infections in Africa is primarily driven by a disproportionately high burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, lack of access to quality health care, and the unavailability of effective antifungal drugs. Immunocompromised people in Africa are therefore at high risk of infection from opportunistic fungal pathogens such as Cryptococcus neoformans and Pneumocystis jirovecii, which are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and related socioeconomic impacts. Other emerging fungal threats include Emergomyces spp., Histoplasma spp., Blastomyces spp., and healthcare-associated multi-drug resistant Candida auris. Socioeconomic development and the Covid-19 pandemic may influence shifts in epidemiology of invasive fungal diseases on the continent. This review discusses the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and current management strategies available for these emerging fungal diseases in Africa. We also discuss gaps in knowledge, policy, and research to inform future efforts at managing these fungal threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Dangarembizi
- Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa,CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Contact information of corresponding author Dr Rachael Dangarembizi, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,
| | - Sean Wasserman
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Claire Hoving
- Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Ashkenazi-Hoffnung L, Rosenberg Danziger C. Navigating the New Reality: A Review of the Epidemiological, Clinical, and Microbiological Characteristics of Candida auris, with a Focus on Children. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:176. [PMID: 36836291 PMCID: PMC9963988 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020176] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past decade, Candida auris emerged across the world, causing nosocomial outbreaks in both pediatric and adult populations, particularly in intensive care settings. We reviewed the epidemiological trends and the clinical and microbiological characteristics of C. auris infection, focusing on the pediatric population. The review is based on 22 studies, which included about 250 pediatric patients with C. auris infection, across multiple countries; neonates and premature babies were the predominant pediatric patient group affected. The most common type of infection reported was bloodstream infection, which was associated with exceptionally high mortality rates. Antifungal treatment varied widely between the patients; this signifies a serious knowledge gap that should be addressed in future research. Advances in molecular diagnostic methods for rapid and accurate identification and for detection of resistance may prove especially valuable in future outbreak situations, as well as the development of investigational antifungals. However, the new reality of a highly resistant and difficult-to-treat pathogen calls for preparedness of all aspects of patient care. This spans from laboratory readiness, to raising awareness among epidemiologists and clinicians for global collaborative efforts to improve patient care and limit the spread of C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Ashkenazi-Hoffnung
- Department of Day Hospitalization and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4920235, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Chen Rosenberg Danziger
- Department of Day Hospitalization, Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4920235, Israel
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Immunopathologic Role of Fungi in Chronic Rhinosinusitis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032366. [PMID: 36768687 PMCID: PMC9917138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Airborne fungi are ubiquitous in the environment and are commonly associated with airway inflammatory diseases. The innate immune defense system eliminates most inhaled fungi. However, some influence the development of chronic rhinosinusitis. Fungal CRS is thought of as not a common disease, and its incidence increases over time. Fungi are present in CRS patients and in healthy sinonasal mucosa. Although the immunological mechanisms have not been entirely explained, CRS patients may exhibit different immune responses than healthy people against airborne fungi. Fungi can induce Th1 and Th2 immune responses. In CRS, Th2-related immune responses against fungi are associated with pattern recognition receptors in nasal epithelial cells, the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from nasal epithelial cells, and interaction with innate type 2 cells, lymphocytes, and inflammatory cells. Fungi also interact with neutrophils and eosinophils and induce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs). NETs and EETs are associated with antifungal properties and aggravation of chronic inflammation in CRS by releasing intracellular granule proteins. Fungal and bacterial biofilms are commonly found in CRS and may support chronic and recalcitrant CRS infection. The fungal-bacterial interaction in the sinonasal mucosa could affect the survival and virulence of fungi and bacteria and host immune responses. The interaction between the mycobiome and microbiome may also influence the host immune response, impacting local inflammation and chronicity. Although the exact immunopathologic role of fungi in the pathogenesis of CRS is not completely understood, they contribute to the development of sinonasal inflammatory responses in CRS.
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de Jong AW, Al-Obaid K, Mohd Tap R, Gerrits van den Ende B, Groenewald M, Joseph L, Ahmad S, Hagen F. Candida khanbhai sp. nov., a new clinically relevant yeast within the Candida haemulonii species complex. Med Mycol 2023; 61:7000835. [PMID: 36694950 PMCID: PMC9936790 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections caused by non-albicans Candida species are increasingly reported. Recent advances in diagnostic and molecular tools enabled better identification and detection of emerging pathogenic yeasts. The Candida haemulonii species complex accommodates several rare and recently described pathogenic species, C. duobushaemulonii, C. pseudohaemulonii, C. vulturna, and the most notorious example is the outbreak-causing multi-drug resistant member C. auris. Here, we describe a new clinically relevant yeast isolated from geographically distinct regions, representing the proposed novel species C. khanbhai, a member of the C. haemulonii species complex. Moreover, several members of the C. haemulonii species complex were observed to be invalidly described, including the clinically relevant species C. auris and C. vulturna. Hence, the opportunity was taken to correct this here, formally validating the names of C. auris, C. chanthaburiensis, C. konsanensis, C. metrosideri, C. ohialehuae, and C. vulturna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auke W de Jong
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Khaled Al-Obaid
- Department of Microbiology, Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Ratna Mohd Tap
- Mycology Section, Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Marizeth Groenewald
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leena Joseph
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Suhail Ahmad
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Ferry Hagen
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Ferry Hagen, PhD, FESCMID, FECMM. Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (WI-KNAW), Department of Medical Mycology, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel: +31-030-2122-600; E-mail: ,
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Genome-wide analysis of heat stress-stimulated transposon mobility in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2209831120. [PMID: 36669112 PMCID: PMC9942834 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209831120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently reported transposon mutagenesis as a significant driver of spontaneous mutations in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans during murine infection. Mutations caused by transposable element (TE) insertion into reporter genes were dramatically elevated at high temperatures (37° vs. 30°) in vitro, suggesting that heat stress stimulates TE mobility in the Cryptococcus genome. To explore the genome-wide impact of TE mobilization, we generated transposon accumulation lines by in vitro passage of C. deneoformans strain XL280α for multiple generations at both 30° and at the host-relevant temperature of 37°. Utilizing whole-genome sequencing, we identified native TE copies and mapped multiple de novo TE insertions in these lines. Movements of the T1 DNA transposon occurred at both temperatures with a strong bias for insertion between gene-coding regions. By contrast, the Tcn12 retrotransposon integrated primarily within genes and movement occurred exclusively at 37°. In addition, we observed a dramatic amplification in copy number of the Cnl1 (Cryptococcus neoformans LINE-1) retrotransposon in subtelomeric regions under heat-stress conditions. Comparing TE mutations to other sequence variations detected in passaged lines, the increase in genomic changes at elevated temperatures was primarily due to mobilization of the retroelements Tcn12 and Cnl1. Finally, we found multiple TE movements (T1, Tcn12, and Cnl1) in the genomes of single C. deneoformans isolates recovered from infected mice, providing evidence that mobile elements are likely to facilitate microevolution and rapid adaptation during infection.
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Infection and Immunity. Clin Immunol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818006-8.00007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Itraconazole-Loaded Ufasomes: Evaluation, Characterization, and Anti-Fungal Activity against Candida albicans. Pharmaceutics 2022; 15:pharmaceutics15010026. [PMID: 36678655 PMCID: PMC9862016 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010026] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous obstacles challenge the treatment of fungal infections, including the uprising resistance and the low penetration of available drugs. One of the main active agents against fungal infections is itraconazole (ITZ), with activity against a broad spectrum of fungi while having few side effects. The aim of this study was to design ufasomes, oleic acid-based colloidal carriers, that could encapsulate ITZ to improve its penetration power. Employing a 2231 factorial design, the effect of three independent factors (oleic acid amount, cholesterol concentration, and ITZ amount) was investigated and evaluated for the percentage encapsulation efficiency (%EE), particle size (PS), and zeta potential (ZP). Optimization was performed using Design® expert software and the optimized ITZ-loaded ufasomes obtained had %EE of 99.4 ± 0.7%, PS of 190 ± 1 nm, and ZP of -81.6 ± 0.4 mV, with spherical unilamellar morphology and no aggregation. An in vitro microbiological study was conducted to identify the minimum inhibitory concentration of the selected formula against Candida albicans, which was found to be 0.0625 μg/mL. Moreover, the optimized formula reduced the expression of toll-like receptors-4 and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β secretion in the C. albicans-infected fibroblasts, indicating that the proposed ITZ-loaded ufasomes are a promising drug delivery system for ITZ.
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Case NT, Berman J, Blehert DS, Cramer RA, Cuomo C, Currie CR, Ene IV, Fisher MC, Fritz-Laylin LK, Gerstein AC, Glass NL, Gow NAR, Gurr SJ, Hittinger CT, Hohl TM, Iliev ID, James TY, Jin H, Klein BS, Kronstad JW, Lorch JM, McGovern V, Mitchell AP, Segre JA, Shapiro RS, Sheppard DC, Sil A, Stajich JE, Stukenbrock EE, Taylor JW, Thompson D, Wright GD, Heitman J, Cowen LE. The future of fungi: threats and opportunities. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac224. [PMID: 36179219 PMCID: PMC9635647 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The fungal kingdom represents an extraordinary diversity of organisms with profound impacts across animal, plant, and ecosystem health. Fungi simultaneously support life, by forming beneficial symbioses with plants and producing life-saving medicines, and bring death, by causing devastating diseases in humans, plants, and animals. With climate change, increased antimicrobial resistance, global trade, environmental degradation, and novel viruses altering the impact of fungi on health and disease, developing new approaches is now more crucial than ever to combat the threats posed by fungi and to harness their extraordinary potential for applications in human health, food supply, and environmental remediation. To address this aim, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund convened a workshop to unite leading experts on fungal biology from academia and industry to strategize innovative solutions to global challenges and fungal threats. This report provides recommendations to accelerate fungal research and highlights the major research advances and ideas discussed at the meeting pertaining to 5 major topics: (1) Connections between fungi and climate change and ways to avert climate catastrophe; (2) Fungal threats to humans and ways to mitigate them; (3) Fungal threats to agriculture and food security and approaches to ensure a robust global food supply; (4) Fungal threats to animals and approaches to avoid species collapse and extinction; and (5) Opportunities presented by the fungal kingdom, including novel medicines and enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola T Case
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Christina Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Cameron R Currie
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Iuliana V Ene
- Department of Mycology, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Paris 75015, France
| | - Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College, London W2 1PG, UK
| | | | - Aleeza C Gerstein
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Statistics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - N Louise Glass
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Neil A R Gow
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Sarah J Gurr
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, and Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Iliyan D Iliev
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hailing Jin
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Bruce S Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | | | - Aaron P Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Julia A Segre
- Microbial Genomics Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Donald C Sheppard
- McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunology, Departments of Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Anita Sil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Eva E Stukenbrock
- Max Planck Fellow Group Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
- Environmental Genomics, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel 24118, Germany
| | - John W Taylor
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Gerard D Wright
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medicine, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
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Forney R, Rios-Sotelo G, Lindauer A, Willis CKR, Voyles J. Temperature shifts associated with bat arousals during hibernation inhibit the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211986. [PMID: 36425515 PMCID: PMC9682300 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is a critically important factor in many infectious disease systems, because it can regulate responses in both the host and the pathogen. White-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats is a severe infectious disease caused by the temperature-sensitive fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). One feature of WNS is an increase in the frequency of arousal bouts (i.e. when bat body temperatures are elevated) in Pd-infected bats during hibernation. While several studies have proposed that increased frequency of arousals may play a role in the pathophysiology of WNS, it is unknown if the temperature fluctuations might mediate Pd growth. We hypothesized that exposure to a high frequency of elevated temperatures would reduce Pd growth due to thermal constraints on the pathogen. We simulated the thermal conditions for arousal bouts of uninfected and infected bats during hibernation (fluctuating from 8 to 25°C at two different rates) and quantified Pd growth in vitro. We found that increased exposure to high temperatures significantly reduced Pd growth. Because temperature is one of the most critical abiotic factors mediating host-pathogen interactions, resolving how Pd responds to fluctuating temperatures will provide insights for understanding WNS in bats and other fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronny Forney
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | - Alexa Lindauer
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jamie Voyles
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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Bartoszewicz JM, Nasri F, Nowicka M, Renard BY. Detecting DNA of novel fungal pathogens using ResNets and a curated fungi-hosts data collection. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:ii168-ii174. [PMID: 36124807 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging pathogens are a growing threat, but large data collections and approaches for predicting the risk associated with novel agents are limited to bacteria and viruses. Pathogenic fungi, which also pose a constant threat to public health, remain understudied. Relevant data remain comparatively scarce and scattered among many different sources, hindering the development of sequencing-based detection workflows for novel fungal pathogens. No prediction method working for agents across all three groups is available, even though the cause of an infection is often difficult to identify from symptoms alone. RESULTS We present a curated collection of fungal host range data, comprising records on human, animal and plant pathogens, as well as other plant-associated fungi, linked to publicly available genomes. We show that it can be used to predict the pathogenic potential of novel fungal species directly from DNA sequences with either sequence homology or deep learning. We develop learned, numerical representations of the collected genomes and visualize the landscape of fungal pathogenicity. Finally, we train multi-class models predicting if next-generation sequencing reads originate from novel fungal, bacterial or viral threats. CONCLUSIONS The neural networks trained using our data collection enable accurate detection of novel fungal pathogens. A curated set of over 1400 genomes with host and pathogenicity metadata supports training of machine-learning models and sequence comparison, not limited to the pathogen detection task. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The data, models and code are hosted at https://zenodo.org/record/5846345, https://zenodo.org/record/5711877 and https://gitlab.com/dacs-hpi/deepac. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub M Bartoszewicz
- Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14482, Germany.,Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Free University of Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Ferdous Nasri
- Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14482, Germany.,Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Free University of Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Melania Nowicka
- Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14482, Germany.,Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Free University of Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Bernhard Y Renard
- Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14482, Germany
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Zeyad MT, Tiwari P, Ansari WA, Kumar SC, Kumar M, Chakdar H, Srivastava AK, Singh UB, Saxena AK. Bio-priming with a consortium of Streptomyces araujoniae strains modulates defense response in chickpea against Fusarium wilt. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:998546. [PMID: 36160196 PMCID: PMC9493686 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.998546] [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: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Foc) is one of the major diseases of chickpea affecting the potential yield significantly. Productivity and biotic stress resilience are both improved by the association and interaction of Streptomyces spp. with crop plants. In the present study, we evaluated two Streptomyces araujoniae strains (TN11 and TN19) for controlling the wilt of chickpea individually and as a consortium. The response of Foc challenged chickpea to inoculation with S. araujoniae TN11 and TN19 individually and as a consortium was recorded in terms of changes in physio-biochemical and expression of genes coding superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase, and catalase. Priming with a consortium of TN11 and TN19 reduced the disease severity by 50–58% when challenged with Foc. Consortium primed-challenged plants recorded lower shoot dry weight to fresh weight ratio and root dry weight to fresh weight ratio as compared to challenged non-primed plants. The pathogen-challenged consortium primed plants recorded the highest accumulation of proline and electrolyte leakage. Similarly, total chlorophyll and carotenoids were recorded highest in the consortium treatment. Expression of genes coding SOD, peroxidase, and catalase was up-regulated which corroborated with higher activities of SOD, peroxidase, and catalase in consortium primed-challenged plants as compared to the challenged non-primed plants. Ethyl acetate extracts of TN11 and TN19 inhibited the growth of fungal pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris. Macrophomina phaseolina, F. udum, and Sclerotinia sclerotiarum by 54–73%. LC–MS analyses of the extracts showed the presence of a variety of antifungal compounds like erucamide and valinomycin in TN11 and valinomycin and dinactin in TN19. These findings suggest that the consortium of two strains of S. araujoniae (TN11 and TN19) can modulate defense response in chickpea against wilt and can be explored as a biocontrol strategy.
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Abstract
Natural and human-made disasters can cause tremendous physical damage, societal change, and suffering. In addition to their effects on people, disasters have been shown to alter the microbial population in the area affected. Alterations for microbial populations can lead to new ecological interactions, with additional potentially adverse consequences for many species, including humans. Disaster-related stressors can be powerful forces for microbial selection. Studying microbial adaptation in disaster sites can reveal new biological processes, including mechanisms by which some microbes could become pathogenic and others could become beneficial (e.g., used for bioremediation). Here we survey examples of how disasters have affected microbiology and suggest that the topic of "disaster microbiology" is itself a new field of study. Given the accelerating pace of human-caused climate change and the increasing encroachment of the natural word by human activities, it is likely that this area of research will become increasingly relevant to the broader field of microbiology. Since disaster microbiology is a broad term open to interpretation, we propose criteria for what phenomena fall under its scope. The basic premise is that there must be a disaster that causes a change in the environment, which then causes an alteration to microbes (either a physical or biological adaptation), and that this adaptation must have additional ramifications.
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Piatek M, O'Beirne C, Beato Z, Tacke M, Kavanagh K. Exposure of Candida parapsilosis to the silver(I) compound SBC3 induces alterations in the proteome and reduced virulence. Metallomics 2022; 14:6617997. [PMID: 35751649 PMCID: PMC9348618 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The antimicrobial properties of silver have been exploited for many centuries and continue to gain interest in the fight against antimicrobial drug resistance. The broad-spectrum activity and low toxicity of silver have led to its incorporation into a wide range of novel antimicrobial agents, including N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. The antimicrobial activity and in vivo efficacy of the NHC silver(I) acetate complex SBC3, derived from 1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-ylidene (NHC*), have previously been demonstrated, although the mode(s) of action of SBC3 remains to be fully elucidated. Label-free quantitative proteomics was applied to analyse changes in protein abundance in the pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis in response to SBC3 treatment. An increased abundance of proteins associated with detoxification and drug efflux were indicative of a cell stress response, whilst significant decreases in proteins required for protein and amino acid biosynthesis offer potential insight into the growth-inhibitory mechanisms of SBC3. Guided by the proteomic findings and the prolific biofilm and adherence capabilities of C. parapsilosis, our studies have shown the potential of SBC3 in reducing adherence to epithelial cells and biofilm formation and hence decrease fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Piatek
- SSPC Pharma Research Centre, Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Cillian O'Beirne
- School of School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Stillorgan, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Zoe Beato
- School of School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Stillorgan, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Matthias Tacke
- School of School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Stillorgan, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Kevin Kavanagh
- SSPC Pharma Research Centre, Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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