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Neoh CF, Chen SCA, Lanternier F, Tio SY, Halliday CL, Kidd SE, Kong DCM, Meyer W, Hoenigl M, Slavin MA. Scedosporiosis and lomentosporiosis: modern perspectives on these difficult-to-treat rare mold infections. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0000423. [PMID: 38551323 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00004-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYAlthough Scedosporium species and Lomentospora prolificans are uncommon causes of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs), these infections are associated with high mortality and are costly to treat with a limited armamentarium of antifungal drugs. In light of recent advances, including in the area of new antifungals, the present review provides a timely and updated overview of these IFDs, with a focus on the taxonomy, clinical epidemiology, pathogenesis and host immune response, disease manifestations, diagnosis, antifungal susceptibility, and treatment. An expansion of hosts at risk for these difficult-to-treat infections has emerged over the last two decades given the increased use of, and broader population treated with, immunomodulatory and targeted molecular agents as well as wider adoption of antifungal prophylaxis. Clinical presentations differ not only between genera but also across the different Scedosporium species. L. prolificans is intrinsically resistant to most currently available antifungal agents, and the prognosis of immunocompromised patients with lomentosporiosis is poor. Development of, and improved access to, diagnostic modalities for early detection of these rare mold infections is paramount for timely targeted antifungal therapy and surgery if indicated. New antifungal agents (e.g., olorofim, fosmanogepix) with novel mechanisms of action and less cross-resistance to existing classes, availability of formulations for oral administration, and fewer drug-drug interactions are now in late-stage clinical trials, and soon, could extend options to treat scedosporiosis/lomentosporiosis. Much work remains to increase our understanding of these infections, especially in the pediatric setting. Knowledge gaps for future research are highlighted in the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Fen Neoh
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sharon C-A Chen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Fanny Lanternier
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital universitaire Necker-Enfants malades, Paris, France
- National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Translational Mycology research group, Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Shio Yen Tio
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Catriona L Halliday
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sarah E Kidd
- National Mycology Reference Centre, SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - David C M Kong
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- The National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infections and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, Australia
| | - Wieland Meyer
- The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Translational Medical Mycology Research Group, ECMM Excellence Center for Clinical Mycology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Monica A Slavin
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Panda S, Sahu MC, Turuk J, Pati S. Mucormycosis: A Rare disease to Notifiable Disease. Braz J Microbiol 2024; 55:1065-1081. [PMID: 38561499 PMCID: PMC11153412 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01315-z] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis is the third most frequent invasive mycosis, following candidiasis and aspergillosis. It is frequently neglected due to its rare occurrence; but recently attend the status of notifiable disease due to its higher incidence in both developed and developing nations. India has received global notice since its estimated instances were greater than the global estimated figures. Mucormycosis has several clinical manifestations, including rhino-orbital-cerebral (ROCM), pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, renal, and diffuse Mucormycosis. ROCM is the most frequent clinical manifestation in India, although pulmonary mucormycosis is prevalent worldwide. This review also discusses host defenses, pre disposing risk factors and fungal virulence factors that impair host's ability to prevent fungus invasion and disease establishment. The diagnosis of the disease depends on clinical interventions, histological or microbiological procedures along with molecular methods to obtain timely results. But there are still unmet challenges for rapid diagnosis of the disease. Treatment of the disease is achieved by multimodal approaches such as reversal of underlying predisposing factors, rapid administration of antifungals in optimal doses and surgical procedures to remove infected tissues. Liposomal Amphotericin B, Posaconazole and Isavuconazoles are preferred as the first line of treatment procedures. clinical trials. Different studies have improved the existing drug and under clinical trials while several studies predicted the new potential targets as CotH and Ftr1 as shown in infection and in vitro models. Therefore, current scenario demands a multidisciplinary approach is needed to investigate the prevalence, pathogenesis which is highly important for the advancement of rapid diagnosis and effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Panda
- Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | | | - Jyotirmayee Turuk
- Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India.
| | - Sanghamitra Pati
- Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India.
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Zhou EM, Chen XA, Zhou MM, Xu LY, Wang D, Shen HP, Xu WQ. Dissecting the genome sequence of a clinical isolated Cunninghamella bertholletiae Z2 strain with rich cytochrome P450 enzymes (Article). INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 120:105575. [PMID: 38403034 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is receiving much more attention because of its high morbidity and extremely high mortality rate in immunosuppressed populations. In this study, we isolated a Cunnignhamella bertholletiae Z2 strain from a skin lesion of a 14 year, 9 months old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who die of infection from the Z2 strain. Genome sequencing was performed after isolation and amplification of the Z2 strain to reveal potential virulence factors and pathogenic mechanisms. The results showed that the genome size of the Z2 strain is 30.9 Mb with 9213 genes. Mucoral specific virulence factor genes found are ARF, CalN, and CoTH, while no gliotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster was found, which is a known virulence factor in Aspergillus fumigatus adapted to the environment. The Z2 strain was found to have 69 cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are potential drug resistant targets. Sensitivity testing of Z2 showed it was only inhibited by amphotericin B and posaconazole. Detailed genomic information of the C. bertholletiae Z2 strain may provide useful data for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- En-Min Zhou
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin-Ai Chen
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ming-Ming Zhou
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Li-Yao Xu
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Di Wang
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - He-Ping Shen
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wei-Qun Xu
- Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZCH), Hangzhou 310058, China.
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4
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Navarro-Mendoza MI, Pérez-Arques C, Parker J, Xu Z, Kelly S, Heitman J. Alternative ergosterol biosynthetic pathways confer antifungal drug resistance in the human pathogens within the Mucor species complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.01.569667. [PMID: 38076934 PMCID: PMC10705545 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.01.569667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Mucormycoses are emerging fungal infections caused by a variety of heterogeneous species within the Mucorales order. Among the Mucor species complex, Mucor circinelloides is the most frequently isolated pathogen in mucormycosis patients and despite its clinical significance, there is an absence of established genome manipulation techniques to conduct molecular pathogenesis studies. In this study, we generated a spontaneous uracil auxotrophic strain and developed a genetic transformation procedure to analyze molecular mechanisms conferring antifungal drug resistance. With this new model, phenotypic analyses of gene deletion mutants were conducted to define Erg3 and Erg6a as key biosynthetic enzymes in the M. circinelloides ergosterol pathway. Erg3 is a C-5 sterol desaturase involved in growth, sporulation, virulence, and azole susceptibility. In other fungal pathogens, erg3 mutations confer azole resistance because Erg3 catalyzes the production of a toxic diol upon azole exposure. Surprisingly, M. circinelloides produces only trace amounts of this toxic diol and yet, it is still susceptible to posaconazole and isavuconazole due to alterations in membrane sterol composition. These alterations are severely aggravated by erg3Δ mutations, resulting in ergosterol depletion and consequently, hypersusceptibility to azoles. We also identified Erg6a as the main C-24 sterol methyltransferase, whose activity may be partially rescued by the paralogs Erg6b and Erg6c. Loss of Erg6a function diverts ergosterol synthesis to the production of cholesta-type sterols, resulting in resistance to amphotericin B. Our findings suggest that mutations or epimutations causing loss of Erg6 function may arise during human infections, resulting in antifungal drug resistance to first-line treatments against mucormycosis.
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Rosling A, Eshghi Sahraei S, Kalsoom Khan F, Desirò A, Bryson AE, Mondo SJ, Grigoriev IV, Bonito G, Sánchez-García M. Evolutionary history of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and genomic signatures of obligate symbiosis. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:529. [PMID: 38811885 PMCID: PMC11134847 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10391-2] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The colonization of land and the diversification of terrestrial plants is intimately linked to the evolutionary history of their symbiotic fungal partners. Extant representatives of these fungal lineages include mutualistic plant symbionts, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in Glomeromycota and fine root endophytes in Endogonales (Mucoromycota), as well as fungi with saprotrophic, pathogenic and endophytic lifestyles. These fungal groups separate into three monophyletic lineages but their evolutionary relationships remain enigmatic confounding ancestral reconstructions. Their taxonomic ranks are currently fluid. RESULTS In this study, we recognize these three monophyletic linages as phyla, and use a balanced taxon sampling and broad taxonomic representation for phylogenomic analysis that rejects a hard polytomy and resolves Glomeromycota as sister to a clade composed of Mucoromycota and Mortierellomycota. Low copy numbers of genes associated with plant cell wall degradation could not be assigned to the transition to a plant symbiotic lifestyle but appears to be an ancestral phylogenetic signal. Both plant symbiotic lineages, Glomeromycota and Endogonales, lack numerous thiamine metabolism genes but the lack of fatty acid synthesis genes is specific to AM fungi. Many genes previously thought to be missing specifically in Glomeromycota are either missing in all analyzed phyla, or in some cases, are actually present in some of the analyzed AM fungal lineages, e.g. the high affinity phosphorus transporter Pho89. CONCLUSION Based on a broad taxon sampling of fungal genomes we present a well-supported phylogeny for AM fungi and their sister lineages. We show that among these lineages, two independent evolutionary transitions to mutualistic plant symbiosis happened in a genomic background profoundly different from that known from the emergence of ectomycorrhizal fungi in Dikarya. These results call for further reevaluation of genomic signatures associated with plant symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rosling
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | | | - Alessandro Desirò
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Abigail E Bryson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Lawrence Berkeley National laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Lawrence Berkeley National laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Marisol Sánchez-García
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala Biocentre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
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6
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Tanwar M, Singh A, Singh TP, Sharma S, Sharma P. Comprehensive Review on the Virulence Factors and Therapeutic Strategies with the Aid of Artificial Intelligence against Mucormycosis. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1431-1457. [PMID: 38682683 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00082] [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] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Mucormycosis, a rare but deadly fungal infection, was an epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in cases (COVID-19-associated mucormycosis, CAM) is attributed to excessive steroid and antibiotic use, poor hospital hygiene, and crowded settings. Major contributing factors include diabetes and weakened immune systems. The main manifesting forms of CAM─cutaneous, pulmonary, and the deadliest, rhinocerebral─and disseminated infections elevated mortality rates to 85%. Recent focus lies on small-molecule inhibitors due to their advantages over standard treatments like surgery and liposomal amphotericin B (which carry several long-term adverse effects), offering potential central nervous system penetration, diverse targets, and simpler dosing owing to their small size, rendering the ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier via passive diffusion facilitated by the phospholipid membrane. Adaptation and versatility in mucormycosis are facilitated by a multitude of virulence factors, enabling the pathogen to dynamically respond to various environmental stressors. A comprehensive understanding of these virulence mechanisms is imperative for devising effective therapeutic interventions against this highly opportunistic pathogen that thrives in immunocompromised individuals through its angio-invasive nature. Hence, this Review delineates the principal virulence factors of mucormycosis, the mechanisms it employs to persist in challenging host environments, and the current progress in developing small-molecule inhibitors against them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Tanwar
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Anamika Singh
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Tej Pal Singh
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Sujata Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Pradeep Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
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7
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Gebremariam T, Alkhazraji S, Gu Y, Najvar LK, Borroto-Esoda K, Patterson TF, Filler SG, Wiederhold NP, Ibrahim AS. Ibrexafungerp is efficacious in a neutropenic murine model of pulmonary mucormycosis as monotherapy and combined with liposomal amphotericin B. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0154523. [PMID: 38557112 PMCID: PMC11064560 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01545-23] [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] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Ibrexafungerp (formerly SCY-078) is the first member of the triterpenoid class that prevents the synthesis of the fungal cell wall polymer β-(1,3)-D-glucan by inhibiting the enzyme glucan synthase. We evaluated the in vivo efficacy of ibrexafungerp against pulmonary mucormycosis using an established murine model. Neutropenic mice were intratracheally infected with either Rhizopus delemar or Mucor circinelloides. Treatment with placebo (diluent control), ibrexafungerp (30 mg/kg, PO BID), liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB 10 mg/kg IV QD), posaconazole (PSC 30 mg/kg PO QD), or a combination of ibrexafungerp plus LAMB or ibrexafungerp plus PSC began 16 h post-infection and continued for 7 days for ibrexafungerp or PSC and through day 4 for LAMB. Ibrexafungerp was as effective as LAMB or PSC in prolonging median survival (range: 15 days to >21 days) and enhancing overall survival (30%-65%) vs placebo (9 days and 0%; P < 0.001) in mice infected with R. delemar. Furthermore, median survival and overall percent survival resulting from the combination of ibrexafungerp plus LAMB were significantly greater compared to all monotherapies (P ≤ 0.03). Similar survival results were observed in mice infected with M. circinelloides. Monotherapies also reduce the lung and brain fungal burden by ~0.5-1.0log10 conidial equivalents (CE)/g of tissue vs placebo in mice infected with R. delemar (P < 0.05), while a combination of ibrexafungerp plus LAMB lowered the fungal burden by ~0.5-1.5log10 CE/g compared to placebo or any of the monotherapy groups (P < 0.03). These results are promising and warrant continued investigation of ibrexafungerp as a novel treatment option against mucormycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teclegiorgis Gebremariam
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor—University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Sondus Alkhazraji
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor—University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Yiyou Gu
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor—University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Laura K. Najvar
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | | | - Thomas F. Patterson
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Scott G. Filler
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor—University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nathan P. Wiederhold
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Ashraf S. Ibrahim
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor—University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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8
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Lax C, Nicolás FE, Navarro E, Garre V. Molecular mechanisms that govern infection and antifungal resistance in Mucorales. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0018822. [PMID: 38445820 PMCID: PMC10966947 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00188-22] [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: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYThe World Health Organization has established a fungal priority pathogens list that includes species critical or highly important to human health. Among them is the order Mucorales, a fungal group comprising at least 39 species responsible for the life-threatening infection known as mucormycosis. Despite the continuous rise in cases and the poor prognosis due to innate resistance to most antifungal drugs used in the clinic, Mucorales has received limited attention, partly because of the difficulties in performing genetic manipulations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further escalated cases, with some patients experiencing the COVID-19-associated mucormycosis, highlighting the urgent need to increase knowledge about these fungi. This review addresses significant challenges in treating the disease, including delayed and poor diagnosis, the lack of accurate global incidence estimation, and the limited treatment options. Furthermore, it focuses on the most recent discoveries regarding the mechanisms and genes involved in the development of the disease, antifungal resistance, and the host defense response. Substantial advancements have been made in identifying key fungal genes responsible for invasion and tissue damage, host receptors exploited by the fungus to invade tissues, and mechanisms of antifungal resistance. This knowledge is expected to pave the way for the development of new antifungals to combat mucormycosis. In addition, we anticipate significant progress in characterizing Mucorales biology, particularly the mechanisms involved in pathogenesis and antifungal resistance, with the possibilities offered by CRISPR-Cas9 technology for genetic manipulation of the previously intractable Mucorales species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lax
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco E. Nicolás
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Eusebio Navarro
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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9
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Pintye A, Bacsó R, Kovács GM. Trans-kingdom fungal pathogens infecting both plants and humans, and the problem of azole fungicide resistance. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1354757. [PMID: 38410389 PMCID: PMC10896089 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1354757] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Azole antifungals are abundantly used in the environment and play an important role in managing fungal diseases in clinics. Due to the widespread use, azole resistance is an emerging global problem for all applications in several fungal species, including trans-kingdom pathogens, capable of infecting plants and humans. Azoles used in agriculture and clinics share the mode of action and facilitating cross-resistance development. The extensive use of azoles in the environment, e.g., for plant protection and wood preservation, contributes to the spread of resistant populations and challenges using these antifungals in medical treatments. The target of azoles is the cytochrome p450 lanosterol 14-α demethylase encoded by the CYP51 (called also as ERG11 in the case of yeasts) gene. Resistance mechanisms involve mainly the mutations in the coding region in the CYP51 gene, resulting in the inadequate binding of azoles to the encoded Cyp51 protein, or mutations in the promoter region causing overexpression of the protein. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued the first fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) to raise awareness of the risk of fungal infections and the increasingly rapid spread of antifungal resistance. Here, we review the main issues about the azole antifungal resistance of trans-kingdom pathogenic fungi with the ability to cause serious human infections and included in the WHO FPPL. Methods for the identification of these species and detection of resistance are summarized, highlighting the importance of these issues to apply the proper treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Pintye
- Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Plant Anatomy, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Renáta Bacsó
- Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor M. Kovács
- Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Plant Anatomy, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Kalita B, Roy A, Jayaprakash A, Arunachalam A, P.T.V L. Identification of lncRNA and weighted gene coexpression network analysis of germinating Rhizopus delemar causing mucormycosis. Mycology 2024; 14:344-357. [PMID: 38187880 PMCID: PMC10769135 DOI: 10.1080/21501203.2023.2265414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhizopus delemar, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, causes a highly fatal disease, mucormycosis. Spore germination is a crucial mechanism for disease pathogenesis. Thus, exploring the molecular mechanisms of fungal germination would underpin our knowledge of such transformation and, in turn, help control mucormycosis. To gain insight into the developmental process particularly associated with cell wall modification and synthesis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed including both coding and non-coding transcripts identified in the current study, to find out the module of interest in the germination stages. The module-trait relationship identified a particular module to have a high correlation only at the resting phase and further analysis revealed the module to be enriched for protein phosphorylation, carbohydrate metabolic process, and cellular response to stimulus. Moreover, co-expression network analysis of highly connected nodes revealed cell wall modifying enzymes, especially those involved in mannosylation, chitin-glucan crosslinking, and polygalacturonase activities co-expressing and interacting with the novel lncRNAs among which some of them predicted to be endogenous target mimic (eTM) lncRNAs. Hence, the present study provides an insight into the onset of spore germination and the information on the novel non-coding transcripts with key cell wall-related enzymes as potential targets against mucormycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barsha Kalita
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - Abhijeet Roy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | | | | | - Lakshmi P.T.V
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
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11
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Velumani K, Arasu A, Issac PK, Kishore Kumar MS, Guru A, Arockiaraj J. Advancements of fish-derived peptides for mucormycosis: a novel strategy to treat diabetic compilation. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:10485-10507. [PMID: 37917415 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08882-8] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Mucormycosis, an extremely fatal fungal infection, is a major hurdle in the treatment of diabetes consequences. The increasing prevalence and restricted treatment choices urge the investigation of novel therapeutic techniques. Because of their effective antimicrobial characteristics and varied modes of action, fish-derived peptides have lately emerged as viable options in the fight against mucormycosis. This review examines the potential further application of fish-derived peptides in diagnosing and managing mucormycosis in relation to diabetic complications. First, we examine the pathophysiology of mucormycosis and the difficulties in treating it in diabetics. We emphasize the critical need for alternative therapeutic methods for tackling the limitations of currently available antifungal medicines. The possibility of fish-derived peptides as an innovative approach to combat mucormycosis is then investigated. These peptides, derived from several fish species, provide wide antimicrobial properties against a variety of diseases. They also have distinct modes of action, such as rupture of cell membranes, suppression of development, and modification of the host immunological response. Furthermore, we investigate the problems and prospects connected with the clinical application of fish-derived peptides. Ultimately, future advances in fish-derived peptides, offer interesting avenues for the management of mucormycosis in the context of diabetic comorbidities. More research and clinical trials are needed to properly investigate these peptide's therapeutic potential and pave the way for their adoption into future antifungal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadhirmathiyan Velumani
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602 105, India
| | - Abirami Arasu
- Department of Microbiology, SRM Arts and Science College, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603 203, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Issac
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602 105, India.
| | - Meenakshi Sundaram Kishore Kumar
- Biomedical Research Unit and Laboratory Animal Centre (BRULAC), Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600 077, India
| | - Ajay Guru
- Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India.
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
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12
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Alejandre-Castañeda V, Patiño-Medina JA, Valle-Maldonado MI, García A, Ortiz-Alvarado R, Ruíz-Herrera LF, Castro-Cerritos KV, Ramírez-Emiliano J, Ramírez-Díaz MI, Garre V, Lee SC, Meza-Carmen V. Transcription Factors Tec1 and Tec2 Play Key Roles in the Hyphal Growth and Virulence of Mucor lusitanicus Through Increased Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism. J Microbiol 2023; 61:1043-1062. [PMID: 38114662 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-023-00096-8] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a lethal and difficult-to-treat fungal infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Mucor lusitanicus, a member of Mucorales, is commonly used as a model to understand disease pathogenesis. However, transcriptional control of hyphal growth and virulence in Mucorales is poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of Tec proteins, which belong to the TEA/ATTS transcription factor family, in the hyphal development and virulence of M. lusitanicus. Unlike in the genome of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, which have a single Tec homologue, in the genome of Mucorales, two Tec homologues, Tec1 and Tec2, were found, except in that of Phycomyces blakesleeanus, with only one Tec homologue. tec1 and tec2 overexpression in M. lusitanicus increased mycelial growth, mitochondrial content and activity, expression of the rhizoferrin synthetase-encoding gene rfs, and virulence in nematodes and wax moth larvae but decreased cAMP levels and protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Furthermore, tec1- and tec2-overexpressing strains required adequate mitochondrial metabolism to promote the virulent phenotype. The heterotrimeric G beta subunit 1-encoding gene deletant strain (Δgpb1) increased cAMP-PKA activity, downregulation of both tec genes, decreased both virulence and hyphal development, but tec1 and tec2 overexpression restored these defects. Overexpression of allele-mutated variants of Tec1(S332A) and Tec2(S168A) in the putative phosphorylation sites for PKA increased both virulence and hyphal growth of Δgpb1. These findings suggest that Tec homologues promote mycelial development and virulence by enhancing mitochondrial metabolism and rhizoferrin accumulation, providing new information for the rational control of the virulent phenotype of M. lusitanicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viridiana Alejandre-Castañeda
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico
| | - J Alberto Patiño-Medina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico
| | | | - Alexis García
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, 78249, USA
| | - Rafael Ortiz-Alvarado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico
| | - León F Ruíz-Herrera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico
| | | | | | - Martha I Ramírez-Díaz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Soo Chan Lee
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, 78249, USA
| | - Víctor Meza-Carmen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Mexico.
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13
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Douglas AP, Stewart AG, Halliday CL, Chen SCA. Outbreaks of Fungal Infections in Hospitals: Epidemiology, Detection, and Management. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1059. [PMID: 37998865 PMCID: PMC10672668 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Nosocomial clusters of fungal infections, whilst uncommon, cannot be predicted and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Here, we review reports of nosocomial outbreaks of invasive fungal disease to glean insight into their epidemiology, risks for infection, methods employed in outbreak detection including genomic testing to confirm the outbreak, and approaches to clinical and infection control management. Both yeasts and filamentous fungi cause outbreaks, with each having general and specific risks. The early detection and confirmation of the outbreak are essential for diagnosis, treatment of affected patients, and termination of the outbreak. Environmental sampling, including the air in mould outbreaks, for the pathogen may be indicated. The genetic analysis of epidemiologically linked isolates is strongly recommended through a sufficiently discriminatory approach such as whole genome sequencing or a method that is acceptably discriminatory for that pathogen. An analysis of both linked isolates and epidemiologically unrelated strains is required to enable genetic similarity comparisons. The management of the outbreak encompasses input from a multi-disciplinary team with epidemiological investigation and infection control measures, including screening for additional cases, patient cohorting, and strict hygiene and cleaning procedures. Automated methods for fungal infection surveillance would greatly aid earlier outbreak detection and should be a focus of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby P. Douglas
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Adam G. Stewart
- Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Campus, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia;
| | - Catriona L. Halliday
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia; (C.L.H.); (S.C.-A.C.)
| | - Sharon C.-A. Chen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia; (C.L.H.); (S.C.-A.C.)
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
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14
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Alqarihi A, Kontoyiannis DP, Ibrahim AS. Mucormycosis in 2023: an update on pathogenesis and management. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1254919. [PMID: 37808914 PMCID: PMC10552646 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1254919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis (MCR) is an emerging and frequently lethal fungal infection caused by the Mucorales family, with Rhizopus, Mucor, and Lichtheimia, accounting for > 90% of all cases. MCR is seen in patients with severe immunosuppression such as those with hematologic malignancy or transplantation, Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and immunocompetent patients with severe wounds. The recent SARS COV2 epidemy in India has resulted in a tremendous increase in MCR cases, typically seen in the setting of uncontrolled DM and corticosteroid use. In addition to the diversity of affected hosts, MCR has pleiotropic clinical presentations, with rhino-orbital/rhino-cerebral, sino-pulmonary and necrotizing cutaneous forms being the predominant manifestations. Major insights in MCR pathogenesis have brought into focus the host receptors (GRP78) and signaling pathways (EGFR activation cascade) as well as the adhesins used by Mucorales for invasion. Furthermore, studies have expanded on the importance of iron availability and the complex regulation of iron homeostasis, as well as the pivotal role of mycotoxins as key factors for tissue invasion. The molecular toolbox to study Mucorales pathogenesis remains underdeveloped, but promise is brought by RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 approaches. Important recent advancements have been made in early, culture-independent molecular diagnosis of MCR. However, development of new potent antifungals against Mucorales remains an unmet need. Therapy of MCR is multidisciplinary and requires a high index of suspicion for initiation of early Mucorales-active antifungals. Reversal of underlying immunosuppression, if feasible, rapid DKA correction and in selected patients, surgical debulking are crucial for improved outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alqarihi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Ashraf S Ibrahim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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15
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Chaverri P, Romberg MK, Montero-Vargas M, McKemy JM, Rane KK, Balbalian CJ, Castlebury LA. Phylogeographic and Phylogenomic Structure of the Quarantine Plant Pathogen Colletotrichum liriopes, Including New Reports in the United States. PLANT DISEASE 2023; 107:2816-2824. [PMID: 36802295 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-10-22-2324-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Global agricultural trade has accelerated the emergence and re-emergence of new plant pathogens. In the United States, the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum liriopes is still considered a foreign quarantine pathogen that affects ornamental plants (i.e., Liriope spp.). Even though this species has been reported in East Asia on various asparagaceous hosts, its first and only report in the United States was in 2018. However, that study used only ITS nrDNA for identification, and no available culture or voucher specimen was maintained. The main objective of the present study was to determine the geographic and host distribution of specimens identified as C. liriopes. To accomplish this, new and existing isolates, sequences, and genomes obtained from various hosts and geographic locations (i.e., China, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States) were compared with the ex-type of C. liriopes. Multilocus phylogenetic (ITS, Tub2, GAPDH, CHS-1, and HIS3), phylogenomic, and splits tree analyses revealed that all the studied isolates/sequences form a well-supported clade with little intraspecific variation. Morphological characterizations support these findings. The minimum spanning network, low nucleotide diversity, and negative Tajima's D from both multilocus and genomic data suggest that there was a recent movement/invasion of a few East Asian genotypes to other countries where the ornamental plants are produced (e.g., South America) and subsequently to the importing countries, such as the United States. The study reveals that the geographic and host distribution of C. liriopes sensu stricto is expanded to the United States (i.e., at least Maryland, Mississippi, and Tennessee) and on various hosts in addition to Asparagaceae and Orchidaceae. The present study produces fundamental knowledge that can be used in efforts to reduce costs or losses from agricultural trade and to expand our understanding of pathogen movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Chaverri
- USDA ARS, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, U.S.A
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, USDA ARS Research Participation Program, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, U.S.A
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD 20715, U.S.A
| | | | - Maripaz Montero-Vargas
- Advanced Computing Laboratory, Costa Rica National High Technology Center (CeNAT), San José, Costa Rica
| | | | - Karen K Rane
- Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A
| | - Clarissa J Balbalian
- Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, U.S.A
| | - Lisa A Castlebury
- USDA ARS, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, U.S.A
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16
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Gryganskyi AP, Golan J, Muszewska A, Idnurm A, Dolatabadi S, Mondo SJ, Kutovenko VB, Kutovenko VO, Gajdeczka MT, Anishchenko IM, Pawlowska J, Tran NV, Ebersberger I, Voigt K, Wang Y, Chang Y, Pawlowska TE, Heitman J, Vilgalys R, Bonito G, Benny GL, Smith ME, Reynolds N, James TY, Grigoriev IV, Spatafora JW, Stajich JE. Sequencing the Genomes of the First Terrestrial Fungal Lineages: What Have We Learned? Microorganisms 2023; 11:1830. [PMID: 37513002 PMCID: PMC10386755 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071830] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The first genome sequenced of a eukaryotic organism was for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as reported in 1996, but it was more than 10 years before any of the zygomycete fungi, which are the early-diverging terrestrial fungi currently placed in the phyla Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota, were sequenced. The genome for Rhizopus delemar was completed in 2008; currently, more than 1000 zygomycete genomes have been sequenced. Genomic data from these early-diverging terrestrial fungi revealed deep phylogenetic separation of the two major clades-primarily plant-associated saprotrophic and mycorrhizal Mucoromycota versus the primarily mycoparasitic or animal-associated parasites and commensals in the Zoopagomycota. Genomic studies provide many valuable insights into how these fungi evolved in response to the challenges of living on land, including adaptations to sensing light and gravity, development of hyphal growth, and co-existence with the first terrestrial plants. Genome sequence data have facilitated studies of genome architecture, including a history of genome duplications and horizontal gene transfer events, distribution and organization of mating type loci, rDNA genes and transposable elements, methylation processes, and genes useful for various industrial applications. Pathogenicity genes and specialized secondary metabolites have also been detected in soil saprobes and pathogenic fungi. Novel endosymbiotic bacteria and viruses have been discovered during several zygomycete genome projects. Overall, genomic information has helped to resolve a plethora of research questions, from the placement of zygomycetes on the evolutionary tree of life and in natural ecosystems, to the applied biotechnological and medical questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii P. Gryganskyi
- Division of Biological & Nanoscale Technologies, UES, Inc., Dayton, OH 45432, USA
| | - Jacob Golan
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Somayeh Dolatabadi
- Biology Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar 96179-76487, Iran;
| | - Stephen J. Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Vira B. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | - Volodymyr O. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | | | - Iryna M. Anishchenko
- MG Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Julia Pawlowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological & Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Ngoc Vinh Tran
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore;
| | - Teresa E. Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Rytas Vilgalys
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Gerald L. Benny
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Matthew E. Smith
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Nicole Reynolds
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Timothy Y. James
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joseph W. Spatafora
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 93106, USA;
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17
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Pham D, Howard-Jones AR, Sparks R, Stefani M, Sivalingam V, Halliday CL, Beardsley J, Chen SCA. Epidemiology, Modern Diagnostics, and the Management of Mucorales Infections. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:659. [PMID: 37367595 DOI: 10.3390/jof9060659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis is an uncommon, yet deadly invasive fungal infection caused by the Mucorales moulds. These pathogens are a WHO-assigned high-priority pathogen group, as mucormycosis incidence is increasing, and there is unacceptably high mortality with current antifungal therapies. Current diagnostic methods have inadequate sensitivity and specificity and may have issues with accessibility or turnaround time. Patients with diabetes mellitus and immune compromise are predisposed to infection with these environmental fungi, but COVID-19 has established itself as a new risk factor. Mucorales also cause healthcare-associated outbreaks, and clusters associated with natural disasters have also been identified. Robust epidemiological surveillance into burden of disease, at-risk populations, and emerging pathogens is required. Emerging serological and molecular techniques may offer a faster route to diagnosis, while newly developed antifungal agents show promise in preliminary studies. Equitable access to these emerging diagnostic techniques and antifungal therapies will be key in identifying and treating mucormycosis, as delayed initiation of therapy is associated with higher mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pham
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Annaleise R Howard-Jones
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, NSW Health Pathology-Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Rebecca Sparks
- Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia
| | - Maurizio Stefani
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, NSW Health Pathology-Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Varsha Sivalingam
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, NSW Health Pathology-Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Catriona L Halliday
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, NSW Health Pathology-Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Justin Beardsley
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sharon C-A Chen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, NSW Health Pathology-Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2170, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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18
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Cánovas-Márquez JT, Lax C, Tahiri G, Navarro E, Nicolás FE, Garre V. Advances in understanding infections caused by the basal fungus Mucor. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011394. [PMID: 37262085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- José T Cánovas-Márquez
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Carlos Lax
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ghizlane Tahiri
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Eusebio Navarro
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco E Nicolás
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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19
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Mucorales and Mucormycosis: Recent Insights and Future Prospects. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030335. [PMID: 36983503 PMCID: PMC10058716 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The classification of Mucorales encompasses a collection of basal fungi that have traditionally demonstrated an aversion to modern genetic manipulation techniques. This aversion led to a scarcity of knowledge regarding their biology compared to other fungal groups. However, the emergence of mucormycosis, a fungal disease caused by Mucorales, has attracted the attention of the clinical field, mainly because available therapies are ineffective for decreasing the fatal outcome associated with the disease. This revitalized curiosity about Mucorales and mucormycosis, also encouraged by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, has spurred a significant and productive effort to uncover their mysteries in recent years. Here, we elaborate on the most remarkable breakthroughs related to the recently discovered genetic advances in Mucorales and mucormycosis. The utilization of a few genetic study models has enabled the identification of virulence factors in Mucorales that were previously described in other pathogens. More notably, recent investigations have identified novel genes and mechanisms controlling the pathogenic potential of Mucorales and their interactions with the host, providing fresh avenues to devise new strategies against mucormycosis. Finally, new study models are allowing virulence studies that were previously hampered in Mucorales, predicting a prolific future for the field.
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20
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Meena DS, Kumar D, Bohra GK. Combination therapy in Mucormycosis: Current evidence from the world literature, a mini review. J Mycol Med 2023; 33:101332. [PMID: 36270213 PMCID: PMC9472709 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of Mucorales infections is an urgent global public health threat rapidly disseminating during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Invasive mucormycosis carries significant morbidity and mortality; this is further compounded by the lack of newer effective antifungals on the horizon. Liposomal Amphotericin (L-AMB) is currently considered the cornerstone of antifungals therapy against mucormycosis; However, two decades later (since the introduction of L-AMB), the outcome remains dismal. Furthermore, adverse events related to therapeutic doses of L-AMB are also a hindrance. There is an imperative need for an alternative therapeutic approach to reduce the high mortality. One such approach is to combine the amphotericin with other agents (e.g., caspofungin, posaconazole, isavuconazole, and iron chelators) that can work synergistically or help in reducing the therapeutic doses of L-AMB. This review aims to highlight the various treatment approaches by gathering the clinical evidence from the literature and considering all potential pharmacological combinations that can provide the direction for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Durga Shankar Meena
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
| | - Gopal Krishana Bohra
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
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21
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Szebenyi C, Gu Y, Gebremariam T, Kocsubé S, Kiss-Vetráb S, Jáger O, Patai R, Spisák K, Sinka R, Binder U, Homa M, Vágvölgyi C, Ibrahim AS, Nagy G, Papp T. cotH Genes Are Necessary for Normal Spore Formation and Virulence in Mucor lusitanicus. mBio 2023; 14:e0338622. [PMID: 36625576 PMCID: PMC9973265 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03386-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection caused by certain members of the fungal order of Mucorales. The species most frequently identified as the etiological agents of mucormycosis belong to the genera Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, and Mucor. The frequency of systemic mucormycosis has been increasing, mainly because of increasing numbers of susceptible patients. Furthermore, Mucorales display intrinsic resistance to the majority of routinely used antifungal agents (e.g., echinocandins and short-tailed azoles), which limits the number of possible therapeutic options. All the above-mentioned issues urge the improvement of molecular identification methods and the discovery of new antifungal targets and strategies. Spore coat proteins (CotH) constitute a kinase family present in many pathogenic bacteria and fungi and participate in the spore formation in these organisms. Moreover, some of them can act as virulence factors being receptors of the human GRP78 protein during Rhizopus delemar-induced mucormycosis. We identified 17 cotH-like genes in the Mucor lusitanicus genome database. Successful disruption of five cotH genes in Mucor was performed using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The CotH3 and CotH4 proteins play a role in adaptation to different temperatures as well as in developing the cell wall structure. We also show CotH4 protein is involved in spore wall formation by affecting the total chitin content and, thus, the composition of the spore wall. The role of CotH3 and CotH4 proteins in virulence was confirmed in two invertebrate models and a diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) mouse model. IMPORTANCE Current treatment options for mucormycosis are inadequate, resulting in high mortality rates, especially among immunosuppressed patients. The development of novel therapies for mucormycosis has been hampered by lack of understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms. The importance of the cell surface CotH proteins in the pathogenesis of Rhizopus-mediated mucormycosis has been recently described. However, the contribution of this family of proteins to the virulence of other mucoralean fungi and their functionality in vital processes remain undefined. Through the use of the CRISPR-Case9 gene disruption system, we demonstrate the importance of several of the CotH proteins to the virulence of Mucor lusitanicus by using three infection models. We also report on the importance of one of these proteins, CotH4, to spore wall formation by affecting chitin content. Therefore, our studies extend the importance of CotH proteins to Mucor and identify the mechanism by which one of the CotH proteins contributes to the development of a normal fungal cell wall, thereby indicating that this family of proteins can be targeted for future development of novel therapeutic strategies of mucormycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csilla Szebenyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Yiyou Gu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Teclegiorgis Gebremariam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Sándor Kocsubé
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Kiss-Vetráb
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Olivér Jáger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Roland Patai
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Spisák
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Theoretical Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Rita Sinka
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ulrike Binder
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mónika Homa
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ashraf S. Ibrahim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gábor Nagy
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Papp
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathomechanisms Research Group, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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22
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Dam P, Cardoso MH, Mandal S, Franco OL, Sağıroğlu P, Polat OA, Kokoglu K, Mondal R, Mandal AK, Ocsoy I. Surge of mucormycosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel Med Infect Dis 2023; 52:102557. [PMID: 36805033 PMCID: PMC9940844 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Patients with respiratory viral infections are more likely to develop co-infections leading to increased fatality. Mucormycosis is an epidemic amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that conveys a 'double threat' to the global health fraternity. Mucormycosis is caused by the Mucorales group of fungi and exhibits acute angioinvasion generally in immunocompromised patients. The most familiar foci of infections are sinuses (39%), lungs (24%), and skin tissues (19%) where the overall dissemination occurs in 23% of cases. The mortality rate in the case of disseminated mucormycosis is found to be 96%. Symptoms are mostly nonspecific and often resemble other common bacterial or fungal infections. Currently, COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) is being reported from a number of countries such as the USA, Turkey, France, Mexico, Iran, Austria, UK, Brazil, and Italy, while India is the hotspot for this deadly co-infection, accounting for approximately 28,252 cases up to June 8, 2021. It strikes patients within 12-18 days after COVID-19 recovery, and nearly 80% require surgery. Nevertheless, the mortality rate can reach 94% if the diagnosis is delayed or remains untreated. Sometimes COVID-19 is the sole predisposing factor for CAM. Therefore, this study may provide a comprehensive resource for clinicians and researchers dealing with fungal infections, intending to link the potential translational knowledge and prospective therapeutic challenges to counter this opportunistic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulami Dam
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Sericulture, Raiganj University, North Dinajpur, West Bengal, 733134, India
| | - Marlon H Cardoso
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil; Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil; Instituto de Biociências (INBIO), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Sukhendu Mandal
- Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, University of Calcutta, 700019, India
| | - Octávio L Franco
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil; Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Pınar Sağıroğlu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | | | - Kerem Kokoglu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Erciyes University School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Rittick Mondal
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Sericulture, Raiganj University, North Dinajpur, West Bengal, 733134, India
| | - Amit Kumar Mandal
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Sericulture, Raiganj University, North Dinajpur, West Bengal, 733134, India; Centre for Nanotechnology Science (CeNS), Raiganj University, North Dinajpur, West Bengal, 733134, India.
| | - Ismail Ocsoy
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, 38039, Turkey.
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23
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Francis A, Ghosh S, Tyagi K, Prakasam V, Rani M, Singh NP, Pradhan A, Sundaram RM, Priyanka C, Laha GS, Kannan C, Prasad MS, Chattopadhyay D, Jha G. Evolution of pathogenicity-associated genes in Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA by genome duplication and transposon-mediated gene function alterations. BMC Biol 2023; 21:15. [PMID: 36721195 PMCID: PMC9890813 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01526-0] [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: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhizoctonia solani is a polyphagous fungal pathogen that causes diseases in crops. The fungal strains are classified into anastomosis groups (AGs); however, genomic complexity, diversification into the AGs and the evolution of pathogenicity-associated genes remain poorly understood. RESULTS We report a recent whole-genome duplication and sequential segmental duplications in AG1-IA strains of R. solani. Transposable element (TE) clusters have caused loss of synteny in the duplicated blocks and introduced differential structural alterations in the functional domains of several pathogenicity-associated paralogous gene pairs. We demonstrate that the TE-mediated structural variations in a glycosyl hydrolase domain and a GMC oxidoreductase domain in two paralogous pairs affect the pathogenicity of R. solani. Furthermore, to investigate the association of TEs with the natural selection and evolution of pathogenicity, we sequenced the genomes of forty-two rice field isolates of R. solani AG1-IA. The genomic regions with high population mutation rates and with the lowest nucleotide diversity are enriched with TEs. Genetic diversity analysis predicted the genes that are most likely under diversifying and purifying selections. We present evidence that a smaller variant of a glucosamine phosphate N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) protein, predicted to be under purifying selection, and an LPMP_AA9 domain-containing protein, predicted to be under diversifying selection, are important for the successful pathogenesis of R. solani in rice as well as tomato. CONCLUSIONS Our study has unravelled whole-genome duplication, TE-mediated neofunctionalization of genes and evolution of pathogenicity traits in R. solani AG1-IA. The pathogenicity-associated genes identified during the study can serve as novel targets for disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleena Francis
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Srayan Ghosh
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India ,grid.8250.f0000 0000 8700 0572Present address: Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Kriti Tyagi
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - V. Prakasam
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - Mamta Rani
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Nagendra Pratap Singh
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Amrita Pradhan
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - R. M. Sundaram
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - C. Priyanka
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - G. S. Laha
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - C. Kannan
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - M. S. Prasad
- grid.464820.cICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030 India
| | - Debasis Chattopadhyay
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Gopaljee Jha
- grid.419632.b0000 0001 2217 5846National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 India
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24
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Prakash S, Kumar A. Mucormycosis threats: A systemic review. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:119-127. [PMID: 36333107 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
During the catastrophic wave of Coronavirus disease 2019, health agencies started to report an infrequent but lethal mucormycosis or black fungal infection. Primarily, it causes sinusitis by affecting nasal, oral, lung, brain, ocular, and other body tissues. It becomes more fatal, especially in diabetic, cancer, and immune-compromised patients. Before 2020, the prevalence of mucormycosis was very rare but it has rapidly emerged globally from late 2020 to mid-2021. Recently, the mucormycosis got worse and epidemic with more than 30,000 cases reported across India. The etiology of infection can be diagnosed by molecular, serological, microscopic, and clinical methods. However, early diagnosis of this ailment is still a challenging task due to no standalone diagnostic tool available along with clinical manifestations of the ailment resembling other fungal diseases. The treatment of mucormycosis is also challenging and frequently requires long-term treatment. Amphotericin B was found to be an effective antifungal for preventing mucormycosis but it failed if infection disseminated to necrotizing tissues or adjacent organs. Removal of infected tissue/organ by surgery is an alternative treatment to control mucormycosis. In addition, reversal of underlying predisposing conditions based on therapy is also in practice for its prevention. This review highlights different aspects of mucormycosis such as pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and their challenges and so on. We also emphasized the epidemiological shift during the recent outbreak and its influence on the different regions of India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaurya Prakash
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Haryana, India
| | - Antresh Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Haryana, India
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25
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Hussain MK, Ahmed S, Khan A, Siddiqui AJ, Khatoon S, Jahan S. Mucormycosis: A hidden mystery of fungal infection, possible diagnosis, treatment and development of new therapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:115010. [PMID: 36566630 PMCID: PMC9734071 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a fungal infection which got worsens with time if not diagnosed and treated. The current COVID-19 pandemic has association with fungal infection specifically with mucormycosis. Already immunocompromised patients are easy target for COVID-19 and mucormycosis as well. COVID-19 infection imparts in weak immune system so chances of infection is comparatively high in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, diabetes, corticosteroid medicines, and a weakened immune system are the most prevalent risk factors for this infection as we discussed in case studies here. The steroid therapy for COVID-19 patients sometimes have negative impact on the patient health and this state encounters many infections including mucormycosis. There are treatments available but less promising and less effective. So, researchers are focusing on the promising agents against mucormycosis. It is reported that early treatment with liposomal amphotericin B (AmB), manogepix, echinocandins isavuconazole, posacanazole and other promising therapeutic agents have overcome the burden of mucormycosis. Lipid formulations of AmB have become the standard treatment for mucormycosis due to their greater safety and efficacy. In this review article, we have discussed case studies with the infection of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we focused on anti-mucormycosis agents with mechanism of action of various therapeutics, including coverage of new antifungal agents being investigated as part of the urgent global response to control and combat this lethal infection, especially those with established risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Kamil Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Govt. Raza PG College, Rampur, 244901, India,M.J.P. Rohil Khand University, Bareilly, India
| | - Shaista Ahmed
- Centre for Translational and Clinical Research, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Andleeb Khan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arif Jamal Siddiqui
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Sadaf Jahan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, 11952, Saudi Arabia,Corresponding author
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26
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Reynolds NK, Stajich JE, Benny GL, Barry K, Mondo S, LaButti K, Lipzen A, Daum C, Grigoriev IV, Ho HM, Crous PW, Spatafora JW, Smith ME. Mycoparasites, Gut Dwellers, and Saprotrophs: Phylogenomic Reconstructions and Comparative Analyses of Kickxellomycotina Fungi. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:6974727. [PMID: 36617272 PMCID: PMC9866270 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac185] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Improved sequencing technologies have profoundly altered global views of fungal diversity and evolution. High-throughput sequencing methods are critical for studying fungi due to the cryptic, symbiotic nature of many species, particularly those that are difficult to culture. However, the low coverage genome sequencing (LCGS) approach to phylogenomic inference has not been widely applied to fungi. Here we analyzed 171 Kickxellomycotina fungi using LCGS methods to obtain hundreds of marker genes for robust phylogenomic reconstruction. Additionally, we mined our LCGS data for a set of nine rDNA and protein coding genes to enable analyses across species for which no LCGS data were obtained. The main goals of this study were to: 1) evaluate the quality and utility of LCGS data for both phylogenetic reconstruction and functional annotation, 2) test relationships among clades of Kickxellomycotina, and 3) perform comparative functional analyses between clades to gain insight into putative trophic modes. In opposition to previous studies, our nine-gene analyses support two clades of arthropod gut dwelling species and suggest a possible single evolutionary event leading to this symbiotic lifestyle. Furthermore, we resolve the mycoparasitic Dimargaritales as the earliest diverging clade in the subphylum and find four major clades of Coemansia species. Finally, functional analyses illustrate clear variation in predicted carbohydrate active enzymes and secondary metabolites (SM) based on ecology, that is biotroph versus saprotroph. Saprotrophic Kickxellales broadly lack many known pectinase families compared with saprotrophic Mucoromycota and are depauperate for SM but have similar numbers of predicted chitinases as mycoparasitic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California–Riverside
| | | | - Kerrie Barry
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Stephen Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Kurt LaButti
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Anna Lipzen
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Chris Daum
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley
| | - Hsiao-Man Ho
- Department of Science Education, University of Education, 134, Section 2, Heping E. Road, National Taipei, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Pedro W Crous
- Department of Evolutionary Phytopathology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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27
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Kobayashi Y, Shibata TF, Hirakawa H, Nishiyama T, Yamada A, Hasebe M, Shigenobu S, Kawaguchi M. The genome of Lyophyllum shimeji provides insight into the initial evolution of ectomycorrhizal fungal genomes. DNA Res 2023; 30:6969780. [PMID: 36610744 PMCID: PMC9896470 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycorrhizae are one of the most fundamental symbioses between plants and fungi, with ectomycorrhizae being the most widespread in boreal forest ecosystems. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are hypothesized to have evolved convergently from saprotrophic ancestors in several fungal clades, especially members of the subdivision Agaricomycotina. Studies on fungal genomes have identified several typical characteristics of mycorrhizal fungi, such as genome size expansion and decreases in plant cell-wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs). However, genomic changes concerning the evolutionary transition to the ectomycorrhizal lifestyle are largely unknown. In this study, we sequenced the genome of Lyophyllum shimeji, an ectomycorrhizal fungus that is phylogenetically related to saprotrophic species and retains some saprotroph-like traits. We found that the genome of Ly. shimeji strain AT787 lacks both incremental increases in genome size and reduced numbers of PCWDEs. Our findings suggest that the previously reported common genomic traits of mycorrhizal fungi are not essential for the ectomycorrhizal lifestyle, but are a result of abolishing saprotrophic activity. Since Ly. shimeji is commercially consumed as an edible mushroom, the newly available genomic information may also impact research designed to enhance the cultivation of this mushroom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuki Kobayashi
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: +81-0564-55-7672, (Y.K.)
| | - Tomoko F Shibata
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hideki Hirakawa
- Kazusa DNA Research Institute, 2-6-7 Kazusa-Kamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishiyama
- Research Center for Experimental Modeling of Human Disease, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Yamada
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Kamiina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Mitsuyasu Hasebe
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Trans-omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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28
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Li Z, Shi CH, Huang Y, Wang HC, Li WH, Cai LT. Phenotypic analysis and genome sequence of Rhizopus oryzae strain Y5, the causal agent of tobacco pole rot. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1031023. [PMID: 36687611 PMCID: PMC9846616 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1031023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhizopus oryzae is a destructive pathogen that frequently causes tobacco pole rot in curing chambers. Phenotypic characterization of the pathogen was conducted to provide basic biological and pathological information using Biolog Phenotype MicroArray (PM). In addition, the Y5 strain of R. oryzae was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) technologies. Using PM plates 1-8, 758 growth conditions were tested. Results indicated that R. oryzae could metabolize 54.21% of tested carbon sources, 86.84% of nitrogen sources, 100% of sulfur sources, and 98.31% of phosphorus sources. About 37 carbon compounds, including D-xylose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-sorbitol, β-methyl-D-glucoside, D-galactose, L-arabinose, and D-cellobiose, significantly supported the growth of the pathogen. PM 3 indicated the active nitrogen sources, including Gly-Asn, Ala-Asp., Ala-Gln, and uric acid. PM 6-8 showed 285 different nitrogen pathways, indicating that different combinations of different amino acids support the growth of the pathogen. Genome sequencing results showed that the R. oryzae Y5 strain had raw data assembled into 2,271 Mbp with an N50 value of 10,563 bp. A genome sequence of 50.3 Mb was polished and assembled into 53 contigs with an N50 length of 1,785,794 bp, maximum contig length of 3,223,184 bp, and a sum of contig lengths of 51,182,778 bp. A total of 12,680 protein-coding genes were predicted using the Nonredundant, Gene Ontology, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and SWISS-PROT databases. The genome sequence and annotation resources of R. oryzae provided a reference for studying its biological characteristics, trait-specific genes, pathogen-host interaction, pathogen evolution, and population genetic diversity. The phenomics and genome of R. oryzae will provide insights into microfungal biology, pathogen evolution, and the genetic diversity of epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- MARA Key Laboratory of Sustainable Crop Production in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China,Guizhou Provincial Academician Workstation of Microbiology and Health, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Cai-hua Shi
- MARA Key Laboratory of Sustainable Crop Production in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China,School of Food Science and Technology & School of Chemical Engineering, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China,*Correspondence: Cai-hua Shi,
| | - Yang Huang
- China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Corporation Technical Centre, Chengdu, China
| | - Han-cheng Wang
- Guizhou Provincial Academician Workstation of Microbiology and Health, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, Guizhou, China,Han-cheng Wang,
| | - Wen-hong Li
- Guizhou Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Liu-ti Cai
- Guizhou Provincial Academician Workstation of Microbiology and Health, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Tonmoy MIQ, Ahmed SF, Hami I, Shakil MSK, Verma AK, Hasan M, Reza HA, Bahadur NM, Rahaman MM, Hossain MS. Identification of novel inhibitors of high affinity iron permease (FTR1) through implementing pharmacokinetics index to fight against black fungus: An in silico approach. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 106:105385. [PMID: 36368610 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Mucormycosis has been reported to show resistance to available antifungal drugs and was recently found in COVID-19 as a co-morbidity that demands new classes of drugs. In an attempt to find novel inhibitors against the high-affinity iron permease (FTR1), a novel target having fundamental importance on the pathogenesis of mucormycosis, 11,000 natural compounds were investigated in this study. Virtual screening and molecular docking identified two potent natural compounds [6',7,7,10',10',13'-hexamethylspiro[1,8-dihydropyrano[2,3-g]indole-3,11'-3,13-diazatetracyclo[5.5.2.01,9.03,7]tetradecane]-2,9,14'-trione and 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(2,2,8,8-tetramethylpyrano[2,3-f]chromen-6-yl)chromen-4-one] that effectively bind to the active cavity of FTR1 with a binding affinity of -9.9 kcal/mol. Multiple non-covalent interactions between the compounds and the active residues of this cavity were noticed, which is required for FTR1 inhibition. These compounds were found to have inhibitory nature and meet essential requirements to be drug-like compounds with a considerable absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) profile with no toxicity probabilities. Molecular dynamics simulation confirms the structural compactness and less conformational variation of the drug-protein complexes maintaining structural stability and rigidity. MM-PBSA and post-simulation analysis predict binding stability of these compounds in the active cavity. This study hypothesizing that these compounds could be a potential inhibitor of FTR1 and will broaden the clinical prospects of mucormycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahafujul Islam Quadery Tonmoy
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Sk Faisal Ahmed
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Ithmam Hami
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Md Shahriar Kabir Shakil
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Abhishek Kumar Verma
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Al Reza
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Newaz Mohammed Bahadur
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Md Mizanur Rahaman
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Shahadat Hossain
- Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh; Computational Biology and Chemistry Lab (CBC), Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
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Abstract
Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of fungi belonging to the order Mucorales. These molds exist throughout the environment and generally do not cause serious problems in humans. Mucormycosis mainly affects individuals who are immunocompromised. The clinical manifestations of mucormycosis are wide-ranging; they include sinusitis (pansinusitis, rhino-orbital, or rhino-cerebral) as well as cutaneous, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and disseminate infections. Many uncertainties remain regarding how to control these infections despite the recent addition of triazoles to the antifungal arsenal for treating this infection. Currently, lipid formulations of amphotericin B have become the standard treatment for mucormycosis due to their efficiency. Moreover, a growing body of data supports the need for surgical excision of infected and/or necrosed tissue whenever practical. In this mini review, the current status of treatment options for mucormycosis and recent studies of novel therapeutic options will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Smith
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Soo Chan Lee
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Naranjo-Ortiz MA, Molina M, Fuentes D, Mixão V, Gabaldón T. Karyon: a computational framework for the diagnosis of hybrids, aneuploids, and other nonstandard architectures in genome assemblies. Gigascience 2022; 11:6751106. [PMID: 36205401 PMCID: PMC9540331 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent technological developments have made genome sequencing and assembly highly accessible and widely used. However, the presence in sequenced organisms of certain genomic features such as high heterozygosity, polyploidy, aneuploidy, heterokaryosis, or extreme compositional biases can challenge current standard assembly procedures and result in highly fragmented assemblies. Hence, we hypothesized that genome databases must contain a nonnegligible fraction of low-quality assemblies that result from such type of intrinsic genomic factors. FINDINGS Here we present Karyon, a Python-based toolkit that uses raw sequencing data and de novo genome assembly to assess several parameters and generate informative plots to assist in the identification of nonchanonical genomic traits. Karyon includes automated de novo genome assembly and variant calling pipelines. We tested Karyon by diagnosing 35 highly fragmented publicly available assemblies from 19 different Mucorales (Fungi) species. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that 10 (28.57%) of the assemblies presented signs of unusual genomic configurations, suggesting that these are common, at least for some lineages within the Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Naranjo-Ortiz
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain,Health and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain,Biology Department, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA,Naturhistoriskmuseum, University of Oslo, Oslo 0562, Norway
| | - Manu Molina
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain,Health and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain,Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Diego Fuentes
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona 08034, Spain,Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Verónica Mixão
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain,Health and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain,Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona 08034, Spain,Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Correspondence address. Toni Gabaldón, Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain. E-mail:
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Islam MR, Rahman MM, Ahasan MT, Sarkar N, Akash S, Islam M, Islam F, Aktar MN, Saeed M, Harun-Or-Rashid M, Hosain MK, Rahaman MS, Afroz S, Bibi S, Rahman MH, Sweilam SH. The impact of mucormycosis (black fungus) on SARS-CoV-2-infected patients: at a glance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:69341-69366. [PMID: 35986111 PMCID: PMC9391068 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22204-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of various diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic made health workers more attentive, and one of the new pathogens is the black fungus (mucormycosis). As a result, millions of lives have already been lost. As a result of the mutation, the virus is constantly changing its traits, including the rate of disease transmission, virulence, pathogenesis, and clinical signs. A recent analysis revealed that some COVID-19 patients were also coinfected with a fungal disease called mucormycosis (black fungus). India has already categorized the COVID-19 patient black fungus outbreak as an epidemic. Only a few reports are observed in other countries. The immune system is weakened by COVID-19 medication, rendering it more prone to illnesses like black fungus (mucormycosis). COVID-19, which is caused by a B.1.617 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been circulating in India since April 2021. Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection induced by exposure to a fungus called mucormycete. The most typically implicated genera are Mucor rhyzuprhizopusdia and Cunninghamella. Mucormycosis is also known as zygomycosis. The main causes of infection are soil, dumping sites, ancient building walls, and other sources of infection (reservoir words "mucormycosis" and "zygomycosis" are occasionally interchanged). Zygomycota, on the other hand, has been identified as polyphyletic and is not currently included in fungal classification systems; also, zygomycosis includes Entomophthorales, but mucormycosis does not. This current review will be focused on the etiology and virulence factors of COVID-19/mucormycosis coinfections in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis patients, as well as their prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Rezaul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Mominur Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Tanjimul Ahasan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nadia Sarkar
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shopnil Akash
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahfuzul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Fahadul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Most. Nazmin Aktar
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohd Saeed
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md. Harun-Or-Rashid
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Kawsar Hosain
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Saidur Rahaman
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sadia Afroz
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, 1207 Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shabana Bibi
- Department of Biosciences, Shifa Tameer-E-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Md. Habibur Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Banani, Dhaka 1213 Bangladesh
- Department of Global Medical Science, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26426 Korea
| | - Sherouk Hussein Sweilam
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942 Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Cairo-Suez Road, Badr City, 11829 Egypt
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Pathogenesis and Pathology of COVID-Associated Mucormycosis: What Is New and Why. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2022; 16:206-220. [PMID: 36193101 PMCID: PMC9520103 DOI: 10.1007/s12281-022-00443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review There is global increase in the incidence of mucormycosis. However, a sudden increase in the COVID-associated mucormycosis (CAM) was noted, particularly in India, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interplay of factors involved in the pathogenesis is complex. In this review, the influence of pre-existing disease, exaggerated risk factors, altered milieu due to COVID-19 itself and the consequences of its treatment on the host pathogen interactions leading to the disease and morphology of the fungus will be highlighted. Recent Findings Hyperglycemia, acidosis, available free iron, lowered host defenses, and the fungal virulence factors promote the growth of Mucorales. There is a high background prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in India. Uncontrolled or undiagnosed DM, COVID-19 itself, and inappropriate administration of corticosteroids in high doses and for prolonged periods result in hyperglycemia. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and metabolic acidosis due to hypoxia or renal failure contribute to acidic pH and dissociate bound iron from serum proteins. The host defenses are lowered due to COVID-19-induced immune dysregulation, hyperglycemia itself, and administration of corticosteroids and immune suppressants for the treatment of COVID-19. The altered metabolic milieu in the local microenvironment of nose and paranasal sinuses (PNS) promotes specific interaction of glucose-regulated protein-78 (GRP-78) on host cells with spore coat protein homologue (CotH 3) on Mucorales resulting in rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) as the predominant clinical form in CAM. The pathology is extensive soft tissue involvement with angioinvasion and perineural invasion. Melanized hyphae and sporangia were seen on histopathology, which is unique to CAM. While many factors favor the growth of Mucorales in CAM, hyperglycemia, hyperferritinemia, and administration of hyperbaric oxygen result in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inadequate humidification results in dehydration. Melanization is possibly the adaptive and protective mechanism of Mucorales to escape the unfavorable conditions due to the treatment of COVID-19. Summary High background prevalence of DM, inappropriate administration of corticosteroids and immune dysregulation due to COVID-19 favor the growth of Mucorales in CAM. Melanization of Mucorales hyphae and sporangia on histopathology probably represent adaptive and protective mechanism due to the treatment with hyperbaric oxygen with inadequate humidification as well as the metabolic alterations.
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Ogaji YO, Lee RC, Sawbridge TI, Cocks BG, Daetwyler HD, Kaur S. De Novo Long-Read Whole-Genome Assemblies and the Comparative Pan-Genome Analysis of Ascochyta Blight Pathogens Affecting Field Pea. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080884. [PMID: 36012871 PMCID: PMC9410150 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080884] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascochyta Blight (AB) is a major disease of many cool-season legumes globally. In field pea, three fungal pathogens have been identified to be responsible for this disease in Australia, namely Peyronellaea pinodes, Peyronellaea pinodella and Phoma koolunga. Limited genomic resources for these pathogens have been generated, which has hampered the implementation of effective management strategies and breeding for resistant cultivars. Using Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing, we report the first high-quality, fully annotated, near-chromosome-level nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies for 18 isolates from the Australian AB complex. Comparative genome analysis was performed to elucidate the differences and similarities between species and isolates using phylogenetic relationships and functional diversity. Our data indicated that P. pinodella and P. koolunga are heterothallic, while P. pinodes is homothallic. More homology and orthologous gene clusters are shared between P. pinodes and P. pinodella compared to P. koolunga. The analysis of the repetitive DNA content showed differences in the transposable repeat composition in the genomes and their expression in the transcriptomes. Significant repeat expansion in P. koolunga’s genome was seen, with strong repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) activity being evident. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that genetic diversity can be exploited for species marker development. This study provided the much-needed genetic resources and characterization of the AB species to further drive research in key areas such as disease epidemiology and host–pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne O. Ogaji
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Robert C. Lee
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Tim I. Sawbridge
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Benjamin G. Cocks
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Hans D. Daetwyler
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Sukhjiwan Kaur
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated invasive fungal infections are an important complication in a substantial number of critically ill, hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Three groups of fungal pathogens cause co-infections in COVID-19: Aspergillus, Mucorales and Candida species, including Candida auris. Here we review the incidence of COVID-19-associated invasive fungal infections caused by these fungi in low-, middle- and high-income countries. By evaluating the epidemiology, clinical risk factors, predisposing features of the host environment and immunological mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of these co-infections, we set the scene for future research and development of clinical guidance. Hoenigl and colleagues review the epidemiology, immunology and clinical risk factors contributing to COVID-19-associated fungal infections.
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García-Carnero LC, Mora-Montes HM. Mucormycosis and COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis: Insights of a Deadly but Neglected Mycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050445. [PMID: 35628701 PMCID: PMC9144279 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become a health threat worldwide, with high mortality and morbidity among patients with comorbidities. This viral infection promotes the perfect setting in patients for the development of opportunistic infections, such as those caused by fungi. Mucormycosis, a rare but deadly fungal infection, has recently increased its incidence, especially in endemic areas, since the onset of the pandemic. COVID-19-associated mucormycosis is an important complication of the pandemic because it is a mycosis hard to diagnose and treat, causing concern among COVID-19-infected patients and even in the already recovered population. The risk factors for the development of mucormycosis in these patients are related to the damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 itself, the patient’s overstimulated immune response, and the therapy used to treat COVID-19, causing alterations such as hyperglycemia, acidosis, endothelial and lung damage, and immunosuppression. In this review, the molecular aspects of mucormycosis and the main risk factors for the development of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis are explained to understand this virus–fungi–host interaction and highlight the importance of this neglected mycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Héctor M. Mora-Montes
- Correspondence: (L.C.G.-C.); (H.M.M.-M.); Tel.: +52-473-7320006 (ext. 8193) (H.M.M.-M.)
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Genetic Manipulation in Mucorales and New Developments to Study Mucormycosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073454. [PMID: 35408814 PMCID: PMC8998210 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the Mucoralean fungi physiology is a neglected field that the lack of effective genetic tools has hampered in the past. However, the emerging fungal infection caused by these fungi, known as mucormycosis, has prompted many researchers to study the pathogenic potential of Mucorales. The main reasons for this current attraction to study mucormycosis are its high lethality, the lack of effective antifungal drugs, and its recent increased incidence. The most contemporary example of the emergence character of mucormycosis is the epidemics declared in several Asian countries as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, this pressure to understand mucormycosis and develop new treatment strategies has encouraged the blossoming of new genetic techniques and methodologies. This review describes the history of genetic manipulation in Mucorales, highlighting the development of methods and how they allowed the main genetic studies in these fungi. Moreover, we have emphasized the recent development of new genetic models to study mucormycosis, a landmark in the field that will configure future research related to this disease.
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In Silico Evaluation of Antifungal Compounds from Marine Sponges against COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20030215. [PMID: 35323514 PMCID: PMC8950821 DOI: 10.3390/md20030215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The world is already facing the devastating effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A disseminated mucormycosis epidemic emerged to worsen this situation, causing havoc, especially in India. This research aimed to perform a multitargeted docking study of marine-sponge-origin bioactive compounds against mucormycosis. Information on proven drug targets and marine sponge compounds was obtained via a literature search. A total of seven different targets were selected. Thirty-five compounds were chosen using the PASS online program. For homology modeling and molecular docking, FASTA sequences and 3D structures for protein targets were retrieved from NCBI and PDB databases. Autodock Vina in PyRx 0.8 was used for docking studies. Further, molecular dynamics simulations were performed using the IMODS server for top-ranked docked complexes. Moreover, the drug-like properties and toxicity analyses were performed using Lipinski parameters in Swiss-ADME, OSIRIS, ProTox-II, pkCSM, and StopTox servers. The results indicated that naamine D, latrunculin A and S, (+)-curcudiol, (+)-curcuphenol, aurantoside I, and hyrtimomine A had the highest binding affinity values of −8.8, −8.6, −9.8, −11.4, −8.0, −11.4, and −9.0 kcal/mol, respectively. In sum, all MNPs included in this study are good candidates against mucormycosis. (+)-curcudiol and (+)-curcuphenol are promising compounds due to their broad-spectrum target inhibition potential.
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Garre V. Recent Advances and Future Directions in the Understanding of Mucormycosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:850581. [PMID: 35281441 PMCID: PMC8907824 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.850581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis is an emerging infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales that has recently gained public relevance due to the high incidence among COVID-19 patients in some countries. The reduced knowledge about Mucorales pathogenesis is due, in large part, to the historically low interest for these fungi fostered by their reluctance to be genetically manipulated. The recent introduction of more tractable genetic models together with an increasing number of available whole genome sequences and genomic analyses have improved our understanding of Mucorales biology and mucormycosis in the last ten years. This review summarizes the most significant advances in diagnosis, understanding of the innate and acquired resistance to antifungals, identification of new virulence factors and molecular mechanisms involved in the infection. The increased awareness about the disease and the recent successful genetic manipulation of previous intractable fungal models using CRISPR-Cas9 technology are expected to fuel the characterization of Mucorales pathogenesis, facilitating the development of effective treatments to fight this deadly infection.
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Madanagopal P, Ramprabhu N, Jagadeesan R. In silico prediction and structure-based multitargeted molecular docking analysis of selected bioactive compounds against mucormycosis. BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE 2022; 46:24. [PMID: 35125861 PMCID: PMC8802264 DOI: 10.1186/s42269-022-00704-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unusual increase in cases of mucormycosis was observed in India, owing to immunological dysregulation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, particularly in patients with poorly controlled diabetes with ketoacidosis to have contributed to the rise, and it has been declared an epidemic in several states of India. Because of the black colouring of dead and dying tissue caused by the fungus, it was dubbed "black fungus" by several Indian media outlets. In this study, attempts were taken to unmask novel therapeutic options to treat mucormycosis disease. Rhizopus species is the primary fungi responsible for 70% of mucormycosis cases. RESULTS We chose three important proteins from the Rhizopus delemar such as CotH3, Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase and Mucoricin which plays a crucial role in the virulence of Mucorales. Initially, we explored the physiochemical, structural and functional insights of proteins and later using AutoDock Vina, we applied computational protein-ligand binding modelling to perform a virtual screening around 300 selected compounds against these three proteins, including FDA-approved drugs, FDA-unapproved drugs, investigational-only drugs and natural bioactive compounds. ADME parameters, toxicity risk and biological activity of those compounds were approximated via in silico methods. Our computational studies identified six ligands as potential inhibitors against Rhizopus delemar, including 12,28-Oxamanzamine A, vialinin B and deoxytopsentin for CotH3; pramiconazole and saperconazole for Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase; and Hesperidin for Mucoricin. Interestingly, 12,28-Oxamanzamine A showed a maximum binding affinity with all three proteins (CotH3: - 10.2 kcal/mol Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase: - 10.9 kcal/mol Mucoricin: - 8.6 kcal/mol). CONCLUSIONS In summary, our investigation identified 12,28-Oxamanzamine A, vialinin B, deoxytopsentin, pramiconazole, saperconazole and hesperidin as potent bioactive compounds for treating mucormycosis that may be considered for further optimisation techniques and in vitro and in vivo studies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42269-022-00704-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Premnath Madanagopal
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa College of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India
| | - Nagarjun Ramprabhu
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa College of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India
| | - Rahul Jagadeesan
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa College of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India
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41
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Pritam M, Singh G, Kumar R, Singh SP. Screening of potential antigens from whole proteome and development of multi-epitope vaccine against Rhizopus delemar using immunoinformatics approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:2118-2145. [PMID: 35067195 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2028676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a deadly fungal disease mainly caused by Rhizopus oryzae (strain 99-880), also known as Rhizopus delemar. Previously, mucormycosis occurs in immunocompromised patients of diabetes mellitus, cancer, organ transplant, etc. But there was a drastic increase in mucormycosis cases in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite several available therapies and antifungal treatments, the mortality rate of mucormycosis is about more than 50%. Currently, there is no vaccine available in the market for mucormycosis that urgently needs to develop a potential vaccine against mucormycosis with high efficacy. In the present study, we have screened 4 genome-derived predicted antigens (GDPA) through sequential filtration of the whole proteome of R. delemar using different benchmarked bioinformatics tools. These 4 GDPA along with 4 randomly selected experimentally reported antigens (ERA) were sourced for prediction of B- and T- cell epitopes and utilized in designing of two potential multi-epitope vaccine candidates which can induce both innate and adaptive immunity against R. delemar. Besides these, comparative immune simulation studies and in silico cloning were performed using L. lactis as an expression system for their possible uses as oral vaccines. This is the first multi-epitope vaccine designed against R. delemar through systematic pipelined reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatic approaches. Although the wet-lab based experimental validation of designed vaccines is required before testing in the preclinical model, the current study will significantly help in reducing the cost of experimentation as well as improving the efficacy of vaccine therapy against mucormycosis and other pathogenic diseases.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Pritam
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
| | - Garima Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
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Banik A, Ahmed SR, Marma H, Sinha S, Rahman Khan MM, Miah K. Targeting mucormycosis polyprotein (RVT_1 region) through antifungal phytochemicals of plants: An in-silico perspective. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.100851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Dental and Oral Manifestations of COVID-19 Related Mucormycosis: Diagnoses, Management Strategies and Outcomes. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 8:jof8010044. [PMID: 35049983 PMCID: PMC8781413 DOI: 10.3390/jof8010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been nearly two years since the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected the world. Several innovations and discoveries related to COVID-19 are surfacing every day and new problems associated with the COVID-19 virus are also coming to light. A similar situation is with the emergence of deep invasive fungal infections associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent literature reported the cases of pulmonary and rhino-cerebral fungal infections appearing in patients previously infected by COVID-19. Histopathological analysis of these cases has shown that most of such infections are diagnosed as mucormycosis or aspergillosis. Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis usually affects the maxillary sinus with involvement of maxillary teeth, orbits, and ethmoidal sinuses. Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for both COVID-19 as well as mucormycosis. At this point, there is scanty data on the subject and most of the published literature comprises of either case reports or case series with no long-term data available. The aim of this review paper is to present the characteristics of COVID-19 related mucormycosis and associated clinical features, outcome, diagnostic and management strategies. A prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment planning can surely benefit these patients.
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44
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Singh PP, Srivastava D, Shukla S, Varsha. Rhizophagus proliferus genome sequence reiterates conservation of genetic traits in AM fungi, but predicts higher saprotrophic activity. Arch Microbiol 2021; 204:105. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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45
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Patnaik A, Sharma B, Ahmad R, Kumar A, Chitrotpala R, Gupta M. A Case of Bilateral Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in a Post-COVID Rhino-Orbital-Cerebral Mucormycosis Patient. Cureus 2021; 13:e20062. [PMID: 35003938 PMCID: PMC8723730 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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46
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COVID-19-associated-mucormycosis: possible role of free iron uptake and immunosuppression. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:747-754. [PMID: 34709573 PMCID: PMC8552432 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06862-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19-associated-mucormycosis, commonly referred to as the "Black Fungus," is a rare secondary fungal infection in COVID-19 patients prompted by a group of mucor molds. Association of this rare fungal infection with SARS-CoV-2 infection has been declared as an endemic in India, with minor cases in several other countries around the globe. Although the fungal infection is not contagious like the viral infection, the causative fungal agent is omnipresent. Infection displays an overall mortality rate of around 50%, with many other secondary side effects posing a potential threat in exacerbating COVID-19 mortality rates. In this review, we have accessed the role of free iron availability in COVID-19 patients that might correlate to the pathogenesis of the causative fungal agent. Besides, we have analyzed the negative consequences of using immunosuppressive drugs in encouraging this opportunistic fungal infection.
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47
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Genome Comparisons of the Fission Yeasts Reveal Ancient Collinear Loci Maintained by Natural Selection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100864. [PMID: 34682285 PMCID: PMC8537764 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100864] [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: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fission yeasts have a unique life history and exhibit distinct evolutionary patterns from other yeasts. Besides, the species demonstrate stable genome structures despite the relatively fast evolution of their genomic sequences. To reveal what could be the reason for that, comparative genomic analyses were carried out. Our results provided evidence that the structural and sequence evolution of the fission yeasts were correlated. Moreover, we revealed ancestral locally collinear blocks (aLCBs), which could have been inherited from their last common ancestor. These aLCBs proved to be the most conserved regions of the genomes as the aLCBs contain almost eight genes/blocks on average in the same orientation and order across the species. Gene order of the aLCBs is mainly fission-yeast-specific but supports the idea of filamentous ancestors. Nevertheless, the sequences and gene structures within the aLCBs are as mutable as any sequences in other parts of the genomes. Although genes of certain Gene Ontology (GO) categories tend to cluster at the aLCBs, those GO enrichments are not related to biological functions or high co-expression rates, they are, rather, determined by the density of essential genes and Rec12 cleavage sites. These data and our simulations indicated that aLCBs might not only be remnants of ancestral gene order but are also maintained by natural selection.
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48
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Montoliu-Nerin M, Sánchez-García M, Bergin C, Kutschera VE, Johannesson H, Bever JD, Rosling A. In-depth Phylogenomic Analysis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Based on a Comprehensive Set of de novo Genome Assemblies. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:716385. [PMID: 37744125 PMCID: PMC10512289 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.716385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Morphological characters and nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) phylogenies have so far been the basis of the current classifications of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Improved understanding of the evolutionary history of AM fungi requires extensive ortholog sampling and analyses of genome and transcriptome data from a wide range of taxa. To circumvent the need for axenic culturing of AM fungi we gathered and combined genomic data from single nuclei to generate de novo genome assemblies covering seven families of AM fungi. We successfully sequenced the genomes of 15 AM fungal species for which genome data was not previously available. Comparative analysis of the previously published Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM197198 assembly confirm that our novel workflow generates genome assemblies suitable for phylogenomic analysis. Predicted genes of our assemblies, together with published protein sequences of AM fungi and their sister clades, were used for phylogenomic analyses. We evaluated the phylogenetic placement of Glomeromycota in relation to its sister phyla (Mucoromycota and Mortierellomycota), and found no support to reject a polytomy. Finally, we explored the phylogenetic relationships within Glomeromycota. Our results support family level classification from previous phylogenetic studies, and the polyphyly of the order Glomerales with Claroideoglomeraceae as the sister group to Glomeraceae and Diversisporales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merce Montoliu-Nerin
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marisol Sánchez-García
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala Biocentre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claudia Bergin
- Microbial Single Cell Genomics Facility, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Verena Esther Kutschera
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - James D. Bever
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Anna Rosling
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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49
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Fernando LD, Dickwella Widanage MC, Penfield J, Lipton AS, Washton N, Latgé JP, Wang P, Zhang L, Wang T. Structural Polymorphism of Chitin and Chitosan in Fungal Cell Walls From Solid-State NMR and Principal Component Analysis. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:727053. [PMID: 34513930 PMCID: PMC8423923 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.727053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chitin is a major carbohydrate component of the fungal cell wall and a promising target for novel antifungal agents. However, it is technically challenging to characterize the structure of this polymer in native cell walls. Here, we recorded and compared 13C chemical shifts of chitin using isotopically enriched cells of six Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Candida strains, with data interpretation assisted by principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) methods. The structure of chitin is found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, with peak multiplicity detected in each sample and distinct fingerprints observed across fungal species. Fungal chitin exhibits partial similarity to the model structures of α- and γ-allomorphs; therefore, chitin structure is not significantly affected by interactions with other cell wall components. Addition of antifungal drugs and salts did not significantly perturb the chemical shifts, revealing the structural resistance of chitin to external stress. In addition, the structure of the deacetylated form, chitosan, was found to resemble a relaxed two-fold helix conformation. This study provides high-resolution information on the structure of chitin and chitosan in their cellular contexts. The method is applicable to the analysis of other complex carbohydrates and polymer composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyanage D Fernando
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | | | - Jackson Penfield
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, United States
| | - Andrew S Lipton
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Nancy Washton
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, United States
| | - Tuo Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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50
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Sahu RK, Salem-Bekhit MM, Bhattacharjee B, Almoshari Y, Ikbal AMA, Alshamrani M, Bharali A, Salawi A, Widyowati R, Alshammari A, Elbagory I. Mucormycosis in Indian COVID-19 Patients: Insight into Its Patho-Genesis, Clinical Manifestation, and Management Strategies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:1079. [PMID: 34572661 PMCID: PMC8468123 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10091079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis in patients who have COVID-19 or who are otherwise immunocompromised has become a global problem, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Infection is debilitating and fatal, leading to loss of organs and emotional trauma. Radiographic manifestations are not specific, but diagnosis can be made through microscopic examination of materials collected from necrotic lesions. Treatment requires multidisciplinary expertise, as the fungus enters through the eyes and nose and may even reach the brain. Use of the many antifungal drugs available is limited by considerations of resistance and toxicity, but nanoparticles can overcome such limitations by reducing toxicity and increasing bioavailability. The lipid formulation of amphotericin-B (liposomal Am-B) is the first-line treatment for mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients, but its high cost and low availability have prompted a shift toward surgery, so that surgical debridement to remove all necrotic lesions remains the hallmark of effective treatment of mucormycosis in COVID-19. This review highlights the pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and management of mucormycosis in patients who have COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Kumar Sahu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia; (R.K.S.); (R.W.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Assam University (A Central University), Silchar 788011, India
| | - Mounir M. Salem-Bekhit
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Bedanta Bhattacharjee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh 786004, India;
| | - Yosif Almoshari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia; (Y.A.); (M.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Abu Md Ashif Ikbal
- Department of Pharmacy, Tripura University (A Central University), Suryamaninagar 799022, India
| | - Meshal Alshamrani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia; (Y.A.); (M.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Alakesh Bharali
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Azara, Hatkhowapara, Guwahati 781017, India;
| | - Ahmad Salawi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia; (Y.A.); (M.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Retno Widyowati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia; (R.K.S.); (R.W.)
| | - Abdulrahman Alshammari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ibrahim Elbagory
- College of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Arar 1321, Saudi Arabia;
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