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Liu JJ, Hou YK, Wang X, Zhou XT, Yin JY, Nie SP. Recent advances in the biosynthesis of fungal glucan structural diversity. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 329:121782. [PMID: 38286552 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.121782] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Glucans are the most abundant class of macromolecule polymers in fungi, which are commonly found in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Fungal glucans are not only essential for cell integrity and function but also crucial for the immense industrial interest in high value applications. They present a variety of structural characteristics at the nanoscale due to the high regulation of genes and the involvement of stochastic processes in synthesis. However, although recent findings have demonstrated the genes of glucans synthesis are relatively conserved across diverse fungi, the formation and organization of diverse glucan structures is still unclear in fungi. Here, we summarize the structural features of fungal glucans and the recent developments in the mechanisms of glucans biosynthesis. Furthermore, we propose the engineering strategies of targeted glucan synthesis and point out the remaining challenges in the synthetic process. Understanding the synthesis process of diverse glucans is necessary for tailoring high value glucan towards specific applications. This engineering strategy contributes to enable the sustainable and efficient production of glucan diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Jin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Yu-Ke Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Xing-Tao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Jun-Yi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China.
| | - Shao-Ping Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luo he 462300, Henan, China.
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2
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Tseng CC, Chen L, Lee C, Tu Z, Lin CH, Lin HC. Characterization and catalytic investigation of fungal single-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase in terpene-amino acid meroterpenoid biosynthesis. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 50:kuad043. [PMID: 38049376 PMCID: PMC10720950 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad043] [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: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid natural products are compounds that originate from diverse biosynthetic pathways and undergo a conjugation process, which enables them to expand their chemical diversity and biological functionality. Terpene-amino acid meroterpenoids have garnered increasing attention in recent years, driven by the discovery of noteworthy examples such as the anthelmintic CJ-12662, the insecticidal paeciloxazine, and aculene A (1). In the biosynthesis of terpene-amino acid natural products, single-module nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) have been identified to be involved in the esterification step, catalyzing the fusion of modified terpene and amino acid components. Despite prior investigations into these NRPSs through gene deletion or in vivo experiments, the enzymatic basis and mechanistic insights underlying this family of single-module NRPSs remain unclear. In this study, we performed biochemical characterization of AneB by in vitro characterization, molecular docking, and site-directed mutagenesis. The enzyme reaction analyses, performed with L-proline and daucane/nordaucane sesquiterpene substrates, revealed that AneB specifically esterifies the C10-OH of aculenes with L-proline. Notably, in contrast to ThmA in CJ-12662 biosynthesis, which exclusively recognizes oxygenated amorpha-4,11-diene sesquiterpenes for L-tryptophan transfer, AneB demonstrates broad substrate selectivity, including oxygenated amorpha-4,11-diene and 2-phenylethanol, resulting in the production of diverse unnatural prolyl compounds. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis experiments indicated the involvement of H794 and D798 in the esterification catalyzed by AneB. Lastly, domain swapping between AneB and ThmA unveiled that the A‒T domains of ThmA can be effectively harnessed by the C domain of AneB for L-tryptophan transfer, thus highlighting the potential of the C domain of AneB for generating various terpene-amino acid meroterpenoid derivatives. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY The enzymatic basis and mechanistic insights into AneB, a single-module NRPS, highlight its capacity to generate various terpene-amino acid meroterpenoid derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chung Tseng
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Li‐Xun Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Chi‐Fang Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Zhijay Tu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Chun-Hung Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Hsiao-Ching Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan R.O.C
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan R.O.C
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan R.O.C
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dos Santos RAC, Mead ME, Steenwyk JL, Rivero-Menéndez O, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Goldman GH, Rokas A. Examining Signatures of Natural Selection in Antifungal Resistance Genes Across Aspergillus Fungi. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:723051. [PMID: 37744093 PMCID: PMC10512362 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.723051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Certain Aspergillus fungi cause aspergillosis, a set of diseases that typically affect immunocompromised individuals. Most cases of aspergillosis are caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, which infects millions of people annually. Some closely related so-called cryptic species, such as Aspergillus lentulus, can also cause aspergillosis, albeit at lower frequencies, and they are also clinically relevant. Few antifungal drugs are currently available for treating aspergillosis and there is increasing worldwide concern about the presence of antifungal drug resistance in Aspergillus species. Furthermore, isolates from both A. fumigatus and other Aspergillus pathogens exhibit substantial heterogeneity in their antifungal drug resistance profiles. To gain insights into the evolution of antifungal drug resistance genes in Aspergillus, we investigated signatures of positive selection in 41 genes known to be involved in drug resistance across 42 susceptible and resistant isolates from 12 Aspergillus section Fumigati species. Using codon-based site models of sequence evolution, we identified ten genes that contain 43 sites with signatures of ancient positive selection across our set of species. None of the sites that have experienced positive selection overlap with sites previously reported to be involved in drug resistance. These results identify sites that likely experienced ancient positive selection in Aspergillus genes involved in resistance to antifungal drugs and suggest that historical selective pressures on these genes likely differ from any current selective pressures imposed by antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Augusto Corrêa dos Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Matthew E. Mead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Olga Rivero-Menéndez
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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4
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Parent-Michaud M, Dufresne PJ, Fournier E, Folch B, Martineau C, Moreira S, Doucet N, De Repentigny L, Dufresne SF. Prevalence and mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Aspergillus section Fumigati species in a Canadian tertiary care centre, 2000 to 2013. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 75:849-858. [PMID: 31891387 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Azole resistance among Aspergillus fumigatus isolates is a growing concern worldwide. Induction of mutations during azole therapy, environment-acquired mutations caused by azole fungicides and intrinsic resistance of cryptic Fumigati species all contribute to the burden of resistance. However, there is a lack of data in Canada on this emerging threat. METHODS To gain insights into the magnitude and mechanisms of resistance, a 14 year collection of Aspergillus section Fumigati comprising 999 isolates from 807 patients at a Montreal hospital was screened for azole resistance, and resistance mechanisms were investigated with the combined use of genome sequencing, 3D modelling and phenotypic efflux pump assays. RESULTS Overall azole resistance was low (4/807 patients; 0.5%). A single azole-resistant A. fumigatus sensu stricto strain, isolated from a patient with pulmonary aspergillosis, displayed efflux-pump-mediated resistance. Three patients were colonized or infected with azole-resistant cryptic Fumigati species (one Aspergillus thermomutatus, one Aspergillus lentulus and one Aspergillus turcosus). Evidence is presented that azole resistance is efflux-pump-mediated in the A. turcosus isolate, but not in the A. lentulus and A. thermomutatus isolates. CONCLUSIONS Azole resistance is rare in our geographic area and currently driven by cryptic Fumigati species. Continued surveillance of emergence of resistance is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Parent-Michaud
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe J Dufresne
- Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eric Fournier
- Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benjamin Folch
- INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christine Martineau
- Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandrine Moreira
- Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Doucet
- INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Louis De Repentigny
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Simon F Dufresne
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Takahashi H, Umemura M, Ninomiya A, Kusuya Y, Shimizu M, Urayama SI, Watanabe A, Kamei K, Yaguchi T, Hagiwara D. Interspecies Genomic Variation and Transcriptional Activeness of Secondary Metabolism-Related Genes in Aspergillus Section Fumigati. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:656751. [PMID: 37744138 PMCID: PMC10512231 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.656751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce various bioactive compounds that are biosynthesized by sets of proteins encoded in biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs). For an unknown reason, many BGCs are transcriptionally silent in laboratory conditions, which has hampered the discovery of novel fungal compounds. The transcriptional reactiveness of fungal secondary metabolism is not fully understood. To gain the comprehensive view, we conducted comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of nine closely-related species of Aspergillus section Fumigati (A. fumigatus, A. fumigatiaffinis, A. novofumigatus, A. thermomutatus, A. viridinutans, A. pseudoviridinutans, A. lentulus, A. udagawae, and Neosartorya fischeri). For expanding our knowledge, we newly sequenced genomes of A. viridinutans and A. pseudoviridinutans, and reassembled and reannotated the previously released genomes of A. lentulus and A. udagawae. Between 34 and 84 secondary metabolite (SM) backbone genes were identified in the genomes of these nine respective species, with 8.7-51.2% being unique to the species. A total of 247 SM backbone gene types were identified in the nine fungi. Ten BGCs are shared by all nine species. Transcriptomic analysis using A. fumigatus, A. lentulus, A. udagawae, A. viridinutans, and N. fischeri was conducted to compare expression levels of all SM backbone genes in four different culture conditions; 32-83% of SM backbone genes in these species were not expressed in the tested conditions, which reconfirmed that large part of fungal SM genes are hard to be expressed. The species-unique SM genes of the five species were expressed with lower frequency (18.8% in total) than the SM genes that are conserved in all five species (56%). These results suggest that the expression tendency of BGCs is correlated with their interspecies distribution pattern. Our findings increase understanding of the evolutionary processes associated with the regulation of fungal secondary metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Takahashi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Molecular Chirality Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Maiko Umemura
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Akihiro Ninomiya
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoko Kusuya
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaaki Shimizu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Syun-ichi Urayama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Kamei
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takashi Yaguchi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hagiwara
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Imbert S, Normand AC, Cassaing S, Gabriel F, Kristensen L, Bonnal C, Lachaud L, Costa D, Guitard J, Hasseine L, Palous M, Piarroux M, Hendrickx M, Piarroux R, Fekkar A. Multicentric Analysis of the Species Distribution and Antifungal Susceptibility of Cryptic Isolates from Aspergillus Section Fumigati. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:e01374-20. [PMID: 32900686 PMCID: PMC7674026 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01374-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The antifungal susceptibility of Aspergillus cryptic species is poorly known. We assessed 51 isolates, belonging to seven Fumigati cryptic species, by the EUCAST reference method and the concentration gradient strip (CGS) method. Species-specific patterns were observed, with high MICs for azole drugs, except for Aspergillus hiratsukae and Aspergillus tsurutae, and high MICs for amphotericin B for Aspergillus lentulus and Aspergillus udagawae Essential and categorical agreements between EUCAST and CGS results were between 53.3 and 93.3%.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Imbert
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - A C Normand
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - S Cassaing
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Toulouse, France
| | - F Gabriel
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Bordeaux, France
| | - L Kristensen
- Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C Bonnal
- AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - L Lachaud
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Montpellier, France
| | - D Costa
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Rouen, France
| | - J Guitard
- AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - L Hasseine
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Nice, France
| | - M Palous
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - M Piarroux
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidemiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France
| | - M Hendrickx
- Service of Mycology and Aerobiology, BCCM/IHEM Fungal Collection, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R Piarroux
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidemiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France
| | - A Fekkar
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
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Rochdi Y, Labani Y, Oulghoul O, Fakiri MME, Nouri H, Raji A. Fungal nasal septum abscess caused by Aspergillus flavus complicating sinonasal surgery. Pan Afr Med J 2020; 36:234. [PMID: 33708325 PMCID: PMC7908318 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.36.234.23186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungal nasal septum abscess is a rare localized invasive form of fungal rhinosinusitis. Rare cases have been described in the literature. In this article, we intend to describe a new case of fungal nasal septum abscess caused by Aspergillus flavus in diabetic patient after sinonasal surgery. A 53-year-old woman with a history of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and asthma developed a nasal septum abscess after a sinonasal endoscopic surgery which was performed for nasal polyposis. Needle aspiration of the abscess was performed and the pus cultures were positive for Aspergillus flavus. The patient was treated with antifungal drugs and surgical drainage of the abscess. A clinical and biological improvement was observed. Her case has been followed up for 18 months, and there hasn't been any recurrence of the infection. The fungal nasal septum abscess should be suspected in patients who do not respond adequately to standard treatment of nasal septum abscess, especially patients with risk factors of fungal rhinosinusitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Rochdi
- ENT-HNS Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Youness Labani
- ENT-HNS Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Omar Oulghoul
- ENT-HNS Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Marrakech, Morocco
| | | | - Hassan Nouri
- ENT-HNS Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Abdelaziz Raji
- ENT-HNS Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Marrakech, Morocco
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