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Steenwyk JL, Balamurugan C, Raja HA, Gonçalves C, Li N, Martin F, Berman J, Oberlies NH, Gibbons JG, Goldman GH, Geiser DM, Houbraken J, Hibbett DS, Rokas A. Phylogenomics reveals extensive misidentification of fungal strains from the genus Aspergillus. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0398023. [PMID: 38445873 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03980-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Modern taxonomic classification is often based on phylogenetic analyses of a few molecular markers, although single-gene studies are still common. Here, we leverage genome-scale molecular phylogenetics (phylogenomics) of species and populations to reconstruct evolutionary relationships in a dense data set of 710 fungal genomes from the biomedically and technologically important genus Aspergillus. To do so, we generated a novel set of 1,362 high-quality molecular markers specific for Aspergillus and provided profile Hidden Markov Models for each, facilitating their use by others. Examining the resulting phylogeny helped resolve ongoing taxonomic controversies, identified new ones, and revealed extensive strain misidentification (7.59% of strains were previously misidentified), underscoring the importance of population-level sampling in species classification. These findings were corroborated using the current standard, taxonomically informative loci. These findings suggest that phylogenomics of species and populations can facilitate accurate taxonomic classifications and reconstructions of the Tree of Life.IMPORTANCEIdentification of fungal species relies on the use of molecular markers. Advances in genomic technologies have made it possible to sequence the genome of any fungal strain, making it possible to use genomic data for the accurate assignment of strains to fungal species (and for the discovery of new ones). We examined the usefulness and current limitations of genomic data using a large data set of 710 publicly available genomes from multiple strains and species of the biomedically, agriculturally, and industrially important genus Aspergillus. Our evolutionary genomic analyses revealed that nearly 8% of publicly available Aspergillus genomes are misidentified. Our work highlights the usefulness of genomic data for fungal systematic biology and suggests that systematic genome sequencing of multiple strains, including reference strains (e.g., type strains), of fungal species will be required to reduce misidentification errors in public databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Steenwyk
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Charu Balamurugan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Huzefa A Raja
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ningxiao Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- USDA-ARS, Salinas, California, USA
| | | | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
| | - Nicholas H Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - John G Gibbons
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David M Geiser
- Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jos Houbraken
- Food and Indoor Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David S Hibbett
- Biology Department, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Liu Y, Li P, Qi C, Zha Z, Meng J, Liu C, Han J, Zhou Q, Luo Z, Wang J, Zhu H, Ye Y, Chen C, Zhou Y, Zhang Y. Cryptic piperazine derivatives activated by knocking out the global regulator LaeA in Aspergillus flavipes. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 103:117685. [PMID: 38503009 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Genome sequencing on an intertidal zone-derived Aspergillus flavipes strain revealed its great potential to produce secondary metabolites. To activate the cryptic compounds of A. flavipes, the global regulator flLaeA was knocked out, leading to substantial up-regulation of the expression of two NRPS-like biosynthetic gene clusters in the ΔflLaeA mutant. With a scaled-up fermentation of the ΔflLaeA strain, five compounds, including two previously undescribed piperazine derivatives flavipamides A and B (1 and 2), along with three known compounds (3-5), were obtained by LC-MS guided isolation. The new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and the biosynthetic pathway was proposed on the bias of bioinformatic analysis and 13C isotope labeling evidence. This is the first report to access cryptic fungi secondary metabolites by inactivating global regulator LaeA and may provide a new approach to discovering new secondary metabolites by such genetic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengkun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Changxing Qi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziou Zha
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Meng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiapei Han
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Zengwei Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Hucheng Zhu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Ye
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunmei Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yonghui Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Pan J, Wang J, Teng J, Huang L, Wei B, Xia N, Zhu P. Deciphering the underlying core microorganisms and the marker compounds of Liupao tea during the pile-fermentation process. J Sci Food Agric 2024; 104:2862-2875. [PMID: 38017631 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pile fermentation is one of the key steps in developing the Liupao tea (LBT) quality and unique characteristics. The complex biochemical profile of LBT results from microorganisms present during the pile-fermentation process. However, the critical underlying microorganisms and the marker compounds still need to be determined. RESULTS Staphylococcus, Brevibacterium, Kocuria, Aspergillus, and Blastobotrys were the common dominant microorganisms at the end of the pile fermentation of LBT. Staphylococcus, Aspergillus, Blastobotrys, and nine other genera carried by raw tea are the core microorganisms in the LBT during pile fermentation. A total of 29 critical compounds contributed to the metabolic changes caused by the processing of LBT. Of these, gallic acid, adenine, hypoxanthine, uridine, betaine, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and α-linolenic acid could be characterized as potential marker compounds. Correlation analysis showed that the core microorganisms, including Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Kocuria, Aureobasidium, Blastobotrys, Debaryomyce, and Trichomonascus, were closely related to major chemical components and differential compounds. Moreover, the mutually promoting Staphylococcus, Kocuria, Blastobotrys, and Trichomonascus were correlated with the enrichment of marker compounds. Integrated molecular networking and metabolic pathways revealed relevant compounds and enzymes that possibly affect the enrichment of marker compounds. CONCLUSION This study analyzed the LBT fermentation samples by omics analysis to reveal the stable microbial community structure, critical microorganisms, and markers compounds affecting the quality of LBT, which contributes to a better understanding of pile fermentation of LBT and the fermentation theory of dark tea. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincen Pan
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Jie Wang
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Jianwen Teng
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Li Huang
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Deep Processing and Safety Control for Specialty Agricultural Products in Guangxi Universities, Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Baoyao Wei
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Ning Xia
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Pingchuan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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Jiang Z, Gai W, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Jin X, Han Z, Ao G, He J, Shu D, Liu X, Zhou Y, Hua Z. Clinical performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for diagnosis of pulmonary Aspergillus infection and colonization. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1345706. [PMID: 38606292 PMCID: PMC11007027 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1345706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Investigations assessing the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for distinguish Aspergillus infection from colonization are currently insufficient. Methods The performance of mNGS in distinguishing Aspergillus infection from colonization, along with the differences in patients' characteristics, antibiotic adjustment, and lung microbiota, were analyzed. Results The abundance of Aspergillus significantly differed between patients with Aspergillus infection (n=36) and colonization (n=32) (P < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve result for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) mNGS indicated an area under the curve of 0.894 (95%CI: 0.811-0.976), with an optimal threshold value of 23 for discriminating between Aspergillus infection and colonization. The infection group exhibited a higher proportion of antibiotic adjustments in comparison to the colonization group (50% vs. 12.5%, P = 0.001), with antibiotic escalation being more dominant. Age, length of hospital stay, hemoglobin, cough and chest distress were significantly positively correlated with Aspergillus infection. The abundance of A. fumigatus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) significantly increased in the infection group, whereas the colonization group exhibited higher abundance of A. niger. Conclusion BALF mNGS is a valuable tool for differentiating between colonization and infection of Aspergillus. Variations in patients' age, length of hospital stay, hemoglobin, cough and chest distress are observable between patients with Aspergillus infection and colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Jiang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Wei Gai
- WillingMed Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- WillingMed Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yafeng Zheng
- WillingMed Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xuru Jin
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Han
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Geriletu Ao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Jiahuan He
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Danni Shu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Xianbing Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Yingying Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Zhidan Hua
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
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5
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Calvo AM, Dabholkar A, Wyman EM, Lohmar JM, Cary JW. Regulatory functions of homeobox domain transcription factors in fungi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0220823. [PMID: 38421174 PMCID: PMC10952592 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02208-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Homeobox domain (HD) proteins present a crucial involvement in morphological differentiation and other functions in eukaryotes. Most HD genes encode transcription factors (TFs) that orchestrate a regulatory role in cellular and developmental decisions. In fungi, multiple studies have increased our understanding of these important HD regulators in recent years. These reports have revealed their role in fungal development, both sexual and asexual, as well as their importance in governing other biological processes in these organisms, including secondary metabolism, pathogenicity, and sensitivity to environmental stresses. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on the regulatory roles of HD-TFs in fungi, with a special focus on Aspergillus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Calvo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | - A. Dabholkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | - E. M. Wyman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | - J. M. Lohmar
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, USDA/ARS, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - J. W. Cary
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, USDA/ARS, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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6
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El-Dawy EGAM, Hussein MA, El-Nahas S. Description and management of Aspergillus section Nigri causing post-harvest bulbs rot of onion. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6076. [PMID: 38480751 PMCID: PMC10937967 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53849-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
When onions are improperly stored, a post-harvest disease known as black mold of onion bulbs can result in considerable economic losses. Aspergillus section Nigri, one of many species, has been implicated in the development of black mold. In the present study, rot onion bulbs were collected from markets in Qena, Egypt. Thirteen Aspergillus section Nigri isolates were obtained and identified by morphological and molecular characterization. The ochratoxins potential of isolated A. section Nigri was tested, and three isolates were producers at the range of 1.5-15 ppm. For the presence of pks gene, no amplification product was detected. Using the fungal growth inhibition test, the isolates of A. niger were inhibited by eco-friendly materials Cement and Zeolite. Cement exhibited maximum percentage growth inhibition against the tested isolates at 74.7-86.7%. The pathogenicity activity of the A. niger isolates was tested by inoculation of healthy onion bulbs, other onion bulbs covered with Cement and Zeolite before inoculation by A. niger was used. The two treatments significantly reduced bulbs rot disease of onion than untreated bulbs. Seven and nine isolates showed 0% rot on covered bulbs by Cement and Zeolite, respectively as compared with inoculated onions, which exhibited rot ranging from 55 to 80%. Using eco-friendly materials with efficiency against post-harvest bulbs rot of onion was evaluated in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman G A M El-Dawy
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Center, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed A Hussein
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Center, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Safaa El-Nahas
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt
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Ma X, Li S, Tong X, Liu K. An overview on the current status and future prospects in Aspergillus cellulase production. Environ Res 2024; 244:117866. [PMID: 38061590 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Cellulase is a new research point besides glucoamylase, amylase, and protease in the enzyme industry. Cellulase can decompose lignocellulosic biomass into small-molecule sugars, which facilitates microbial utilization; thus, it has a vast market potential in the field of feed, food, energy, and chemistry. The Aspergillus was the first strain used in cellulase preparation because of its safety and non-toxicity, strong growth ability, and high enzyme yield. This review provides the latest research and advances on preparing cellulase from Aspergillus. The metabolic mechanisms of cellulase secretion by Aspergillus, the selection of fermentation substrates, the comparison of the fermentation modes, and the effect of fermentation conditions have been discussed in this review. Also, the subsequent separation and purification techniques of Aspergillus cellulase, including salting out, organic solvent precipitation, ultrafiltration, and chromatography, have been declared. Further, bottlenecks in Aspergillus cellulase preparation and corresponding feasible approaches, such as genetic engineering, mixed culture, and cellulase immobilization, have also been proposed in this review. This paper provides theoretical support for the efficient production and application of Aspergillus cellulase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Ma
- China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shengpin Li
- China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoxia Tong
- China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Kun Liu
- China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100081, China.
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Liu L, Li L, Li F, Ma W, Guo W, Fang X. Role of Pmk1, Mpk1, or Hog1 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway of Aspergillus cristatus. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 171:103874. [PMID: 38307402 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2024.103874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus cristatus is a probiotic fungus known for its safety and abundant secondary metabolites, making it a promising candidate for various applications. However, limited progress has been made in researching A. cristatus due to challenges in genetic manipulation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is involved in numerous physiological processes, but its specific role in A. cristatus remains unclear. In this study, we successfully developed an efficient polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated protoplast transformation method for A. cristatus, enabling us to investigate the function of Pmk1, Mpk1, and Hog1 in the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings revealed that Pmk1, Mpk1, and Hog1 are crucial for sexual reproduction, melanin synthesis, and response to external stress in A. cristatus. Notably, the deletion of Pmk1, Mpk1, or Hog1 resulted in the loss of sexual reproduction capability in A. cristatus. Overall, this research on MAPK will contribute to the continued understanding of the reproductive strategy and melanin synthesis mechanism of A. cristatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Longyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Fengyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Xu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China; Rongcheng Huihai Chuangda Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Weihai, Shandong 264309, China.
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Wang P, Lu H, Sun J, Yang G, Huang B. Co-infection of Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis strain RCEF7483 by a novel chrysovirus and a known partitivirus. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:114. [PMID: 38383867 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03848-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
An airborne microflora isolate, Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis RCEF7483, was found to harbor seven dsRNA elements, indicating co-infection with a novel chrysovirus and a known partitivirus. Sequence analysis and RT-PCR confirmed dsRNA5-7 as components of Aspergillus ochraceous virus (AOV), a member of the Partitiviridae family. In light of its distinct host, we have designated it Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis partitivirus 1 (AoPV1). The dsRNA segments, named dsRNA1-4, with lengths of 3706 bp, 3410 bp, 3190 bp, and 3158 bp, respectively, constitute the genome of a novel chrysovirus designated Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis chrysovirus 1 (AoCV1). The dsRNA1-4 segments contain five open-reading frames (ORF1-5). Specifically, ORF1 encodes a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) with a length of 1112 amino acids, and ORF2 encodes a putative coat protein (CP) spanning 976 amino acids. Additionally, ORF3-5 encode hypothetical proteins (HP1, HP2, and HP3) with lengths of 108, 843, and 914 amino acids, respectively. Comparative analysis revealed the highest similarity of dsRNA1-4 with corresponding proteins in Aspergillus terreus chrysovirus 1 (AtCV1) (RdRp, 66.58%; CP, 51.02%; HP2, 61.80%; and HP3, 41.30%). Due to falling below the threshold for a new species in the Chrysoviridae, we propose that dsRNA1-4 in A. ochraceopetaliformis strain RCEF7483 constitute the novel chrysovirus AoCV1. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis using RdRp amino acid sequences placed AoCV1 within the Alphachrysovirus genus of the Chrysoviridae family, clustering with AtCV1 and other alphachrysoviruses. Our study contributes to the understanding of mycoviruses in A. ochraceopetaliformis and expands our knowledge of the diversity and evolution of chrysoviruses in fungal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Pest Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Hanwen Lu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Pest Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Pest Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Guogen Yang
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Pest Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
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Heldman MR, Ahmed AA, Liu W, Vo A, Keane-Candib J, Stevens-Ayers T, Boeckh M, Blauwkamp TA, Fisher CE, Hill JA. Serial Quantitation of Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Before and After Diagnosis of Pulmonary Invasive Mold Infections After Hematopoietic Cell Transplant. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:576-587. [PMID: 37405403 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing (mcfDNA-Seq) is a noninvasive test for microbial diagnosis of invasive mold infection (IMI). The utility of mcfDNA-Seq for predicting IMI onset and the clinical implications of mcfDNA concentrations are unknown. METHODS We retrospectively tested plasma from hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients with pulmonary IMI and ≥1 mold identified by mcfDNA-Seq in plasma collected within 14 days of clinical diagnosis. Samples collected from up to 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after IMI diagnosis were evaluated using mcfDNA-Seq. RESULTS Thirty-five HCT recipients with 39 IMIs (16 Aspergillus and 23 non-Aspergillus infections) were included. Pathogenic molds were detected in 38%, 26%, 11%, and 0% of samples collected during the first, second, third, and fourth week before clinical diagnosis, respectively. In non-Aspergillus infections, median mcfDNA concentrations in samples collected within 3 days of clinical diagnosis were higher in infections with versus without extrapulmonary spread (4.3 vs 3.3 log10 molecules per microliter [mpm], P = .02), and all patients (8/8) with mcfDNA concentrations >4.0 log10 mpm died within 42 days after clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Plasma mcfDNA-Seq can identify pathogenic molds up to 3 weeks before clinical diagnosis of pulmonary IMI. Plasma mcfDNA concentrations may correlate with extrapulmonary spread and mortality in non-Aspergillus IMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine R Heldman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Winnie Liu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alythia Vo
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Terry Stevens-Ayers
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael Boeckh
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Cynthia E Fisher
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joshua A Hill
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
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11
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Wang ZD, Wang BT, Jin L, Ruan HH, Jin FJ. Implications of carbon catabolite repression for Aspergillus-based cell factories: A review. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300551. [PMID: 38403447 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a global regulatory mechanism that allows organisms to preferentially utilize a preferred carbon source (usually glucose) by suppressing the expression of genes associated with the utilization of nonpreferred carbon sources. Aspergillus is a large genus of filamentous fungi, some species of which have been used as microbial cell factories for the production of organic acids, industrial enzymes, pharmaceuticals, and other fermented products due to their safety, substrate convenience, and well-established post-translational modifications. Many recent studies have verified that CCR-related genetic alterations can boost the yield of various carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), even under CCR conditions. Based on these findings, we emphasize that appropriate regulation of the CCR pathway, especially the expression of the key transcription factor CreA gene, has great potential for further expanding the application of Aspergillus cell factories to develop strains for industrial CAZymes production. Further, the genetically modified CCR strains (chassis hosts) can also be used for the production of other useful natural products and recombinant proteins, among others. We here review the regulatory mechanisms of CCR in Aspergillus and its direct application in enzyme production, as well as its potential application in organic acid and pharmaceutical production to illustrate the effects of CCR on Aspergillus cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Dong Wang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bao-Teng Wang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Long Jin
- College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Hua Ruan
- College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng-Jie Jin
- College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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12
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Naeimi B, Safari F, Ahmadikia K, Ahmadipour MJ, Sadeghzadeh F, Kondori N, Ahmadi B. Screening Candida auris through a multiplex stepwise PCR algorithm directly from clinical samples of patients suspected of otomycosis in south of Iran; Detection of five cases. Mycoses 2024; 67:e13686. [PMID: 38214363 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Otomycosis is an infection of the external auditory canal caused by molds and yeasts with descending frequency. Laboratory diagnosis is usually confirmed by microscopy and culture. However, they are not specific enough to reliably differentiate the causative agents, especially for rare pathogens such as Candida auris. The purpose of the current study was to the molecular screening of C. auris species from direct clinical samples of patients with suspected otomycosis in Southern of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 221 ear aspirates collected from 221 patients with suspected otomycosis over a four-year period. All the ear aspirations were examined with pan-fungal primers, then those with a positive result was included in two separate reaction mixtures simultaneously to identify the most clinically relevant Aspergillus and Candida species. The validity of positive samples for C. auris was assessed by sequencing. RESULTS Of the 189 pan-fungal positive PCRs, 78 and 39 specimens contained Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp., respectively. Furthermore, 65 specimens showed simultaneous positive bands in both Candida and Aspergillus species-specific multiplex PCR including five samples/patients with positive result for C. auris (5/189; 2.6%). Four out of five cases with C. auris species-specific PCR were reconfirmed by sequencing, while none were positive for C. auris in culture. CONCLUSION Unfortunately, due to high treatment failure rates of antifungal classes against C. auris species, rapid and accurate identification of patients colonised with C. auris is critical to overcome the challenge of preventing transmission. This PCR assay can be successfully applied for rapid and accurate detection of C. auris directly in patient samples and is able to differentiate C. auris from closely related Candida species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behrouz Naeimi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedical, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Safari
- Department of Microbiology, Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Kazem Ahmadikia
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Farzaneh Sadeghzadeh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedical, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Nahid Kondori
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institution of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bahram Ahmadi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedical, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
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13
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Hagiuda R, Hirose D. Species diversity of xerophilic Aspergillus and Penicillium in marine surface waters revealed by isolation using osmophilic medium. J Microorg Control 2024; 29:17-26. [PMID: 38508758 DOI: 10.4265/jmc.29.1_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The species diversity of xerophilic and halophilic fungi distributed in marine surface water was studied at four local sites located in two geographically distant regions in Japan. At each site, 5-10 samples were collected and isolated using an osmophilic medium. Species identification was conducted based on nucleotide sequence of calmodulin or β -tubulin and morphological characteristics for Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces, and on the sequences of rRNA internal transcribed spacer for the other taxa. Overall, 231 strains were isolated from all sites and classified into 85 species belonged to 12 orders and 33 genera. The isolates that showed better mycelial growth than the control(no NaCl added) in the halotolerance test were defined as halophilic fungi, and only 22 species(10 Aspergillus species and 12 Penicillium species) were halophilic. Comparison of the halophilic fungal flora of the two regions revealed that four species common to both regions were isolated for Aspergillus, but no such species were isolated for Penicillium. Given that 15 halophilic species(10 Aspergillus and 5 Penicillium species) are known to be xerophilic species distributed in indoor environments, it can be inferred that indoor xerophilic species are likely to be widely distributed in marine surface water.
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14
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Huang ZY, Taizoumbe KA, Liang C, Goldfuss B, Xu JH, Dickschat JS. Spiroluchuene A Synthase: A Cyclase from Aspergillus luchuensis Forming a Spirotetracyclic Diterpene. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202315659. [PMID: 37962519 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The diterpene synthase AlTS was identified from Aspergillus luchuensis. AlTS catalyses the formation of the diterpene hydrocarbon spiroluchuene A, which exhibits a novel skeleton characterised by a spirocyclic ring system. The cyclisation mechanism towards this compound was elucidated through isotopic labelling experiments in conjunction with DFT calculations and metadynamic simulations. The biosynthetic intermediate luchudiene, besides the derivative spiroluchuene B, was captured from an enzyme variant obtained through site-directed mutagenesis. With its 10-membered ring luchudiene is structurally related to germacrenes and can undergo a Cope rearrangement to luchuelemene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Yu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Kizerbo A Taizoumbe
- Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Chengqin Liang
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Bernd Goldfuss
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstraße 4, 50939, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jian-He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jeroen S Dickschat
- Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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15
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Schippers JR, Verweij PE, Heunks LMA, van Dijk K. Absence of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis in a tertiary intensive care unit in the Netherlands. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22134. [PMID: 38092785 PMCID: PMC10719264 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a severe complication in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Throughout the pandemic, a notable prevalence of mucormycosis has been observed in the Indian population, whereas lower occurrences have been reported in Europe. However, limited data exist regarding its prevalence in Europe, which is potentially underestimated due to the low sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of mucormycosis in a high-risk critically ill COVID-19 population in the Netherlands, and to evaluate the potential benefit of adding Mucor PCR to BAL as part of routine follow-up. In this study, we included 1035 critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to either one of the two ICUs at AmsterdamUMC between March 2020 and May 2022; of these, 374 had undergone at least one bronchoscopy. Following the AmsterdamUMC protocols, bronchoscopies were conducted weekly until clinical improvement was achieved. We cultured BAL fluid for fungi and used PCR and galactomannan testing to detect Aspergillus spp. Additionally, we retrospectively performed qPCR targeting Mucorales DNA in the BAL of 89 deceased patients. All cultures were negative for Mucorales, whereas 42 (11%) cultures were positive for Aspergillus. Furthermore, qPCR targeting Mucorales was negative in all 89 deceased patients. This study showed that pulmonary mucormycosis was not present in critically ill COVID-19 patients in two tertiary care ICUs. These results indicate routine Mucorales qPCR screening is not clinically necessary in a high-standard-of-care tertiary ICU in a low-endemic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Schippers
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AmsterdamUMC, VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - P E Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L M A Heunks
- Department of Intensive Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - K van Dijk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, AmsterdamUMC, VUMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Palumbo JD, Sarreal SBL, Kim JH. Simultaneous detection of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus species of sections Circumdati and Flavi using multiplex digital PCR. Lett Appl Microbiol 2023; 76:ovad142. [PMID: 38111225 DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovad142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Populations of ochratoxin-producing Aspergillus section Circumdati species and aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus section Flavi species frequently coexist in soil and are the main sources of mycotoxin contamination of tree nuts. Identification of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus species in these sections is difficult using traditional isolation and culture methods. We developed a multiplex digital PCR (dPCR) assay to detect and quantify Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, and Aspergillus steynii (section Circumdati), as well as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus (section Flavi), in environmental samples based on species-specific calmodulin gene sequences. Relative quantification of each species by dPCR of mixed-species templates correlated with corresponding DNA input ratios. Target species could be detected in soil inoculated with conidia from each species. Non-target species of sections Circumdati, Flavi, and Nigri were generally not detectable using this dPCR method. Detected non-target species (Aspergillus fresenii, Aspergillus melleus, Aspergillus sclerotiorum, and Aspergillus subramanianii) were discernible from A. ochraceus in dual-template dPCR reactions based on differential fluorescence intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Palumbo
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, United States
| | - Siov Bouy L Sarreal
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, United States
| | - Jong H Kim
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, United States
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17
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Xu S, Zhang X, Yang Q, Li J, Yu Z. Identification of Microbial Community in Otomycosis by Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS): Potential Implication of Treatment with Terbinafine. Mycopathologia 2023; 188:995-1005. [PMID: 37723360 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-023-00791-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
The present study was designed to identify the microbial community as well as to analyze its diversity by means of metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) in 17 patients with otomycosis treated with terbinafine in the Department of Otolaryngology of Shandong Provincial Hospital from June 2021 to June 2022, so as to evaluate the relationship between microbial community and terbinafine resistance. Those 17 patients were divided into two groups, i.e., Terbinafine Effective Group (TEG, n = 14 cases) and Terbinafine Resistance Group (TRG, n = 3 cases) according to the therapy effect, whose microbial community of secretion of external auditory canal was identified using mNGS. We found that the sequence of bacteria was significantly more than that of fungi and, whereas, the difference between the two groups of bacteria was not significant. There were significant differences in fungal community between the two groups. Aspergillus was the main pathogenic fungus of TEG patients while Malassezia was a dominant fungus in TRG patients. In conclusion, the results from this work indicate that Aspergillus terreusis is the main pathogenic fungus in this cohort of otomycosis patients and MNGS sequencing can offer comprehensive information about the microbial community of otomycosis. The fungus community dominated by Malassezia is more likely to be resistant to terbinafine, which provides certain guidance for clinical treatment of otomycosis with terbinafine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Qianqian Yang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
| | - Zhaoyan Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- Dr. Michael Siu Academician Workstation, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Infectious Respiratory Diseases, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China.
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18
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Chowdhury M, Singh G, Pandey M, Mishra H, Meena VP, Sethi P, Singh A, Prakash B, Upadhyay AD, Mohan A, Sinha S, Xess I, Wig N, Kabra SK, Ray A. The Utility of Galactomannan and Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays in Bronchoalveolar Lavage for Diagnosis of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis. Mycopathologia 2023; 188:1041-1053. [PMID: 37857979 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-023-00797-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is established by combined clinic-radio-microbiological criteria. Out of the different microbiological criteria, a positive serology for Aspergillus-specific IgG levels is the cornerstone of diagnosis. Alternatively, other microbiological evidence are sometimes sought viz., positive Aspergillus antigen (broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, i.e., BALF galactomannan ≥ 1.0), histopathological demonstration of the fungi following lung biopsy or resection, demonstration of hyaline septate hyphae in direct microscopy resembling Aspergillus spp. or its growth on a respiratory specimen. However, the exact roles of BALF- GM and the newer BALF-PCR have not been confirmed by studies till date. This study enrolled 210 patients with suspected CPA. Of the participants, 88 patients met the criteria for CPA, whereas 122 patients had an alternative diagnosis. The sensitivity-specificity of AsperGenius® PCR and "in-house" PCR were 52.27(36.69-67.54) %-33.78 (23.19-45.72) % and 36.36 (22.41-52.23) %-39.19 (28.04-51.23) % respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of BALF (> 1.0) and serum galactomannan (> 1.0) were 46.55% (33.34-60.13)/64.08% (54.03-73.3) and 29.82% (22.05-37.6)/86.84% (81.1-92.59) respectively. The optimal cut-off values for BALF-Galactomannan and serum galactomannan in diagnosing CPA were found to be 0.69 (sensitivity: 64%; specificity: 53%) and 0.458 (sensitivity: 67%; specificity: 64%) respectively. This results of this study suggests that Aspergillus PCR from BAL may not be a good "rule-in" test for diagnosing CPA. While the performances of GM in BAL and serum may be better than PCR, it should be best used in conjunction with other clinical, radiological, and other microbiological characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Prayas Sethi
- Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | | | - Bindu Prakash
- Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Ashish Datt Upadhyay
- Department of Biostatistics (Clinical Research Unit), AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Anant Mohan
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sanjeev Sinha
- Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | | | - Naveet Wig
- Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | | | - Animesh Ray
- Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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19
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Ghazanfari M, Abastabar M, Haghani I, Moazeni M, Hedayati S, Yaalimadad S, Nikoueian Shirvan B, Bongomin F, Hedayati MT. Azole-Containing Agar Plates and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing for the Detection of Azole-Resistant Aspergillus Species in Hospital Environmental Samples. Microb Drug Resist 2023; 29:561-567. [PMID: 37713303 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2023.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The indoor environment of hospitals should be considered as an important reservoir of azole resistant Aspergillus species. In this study, we evaluated azole-containing agar plates (ACAPs) and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) for the detection of azole-resistant Aspergillus species in hospital environmental samples. Between September 2021 and January 2022, environmental samples (108 instruments and 12 air) were collected from different wards of 4 educational hospitals in Mazandaran province, Iran. All samples were cultured using ACAPs. Recovered Aspergillus isolates were molecularly identified at species level using partial DNA sequencing of beta-tubulin gene. AFST of Aspergillus species was performed using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M38-A3 guideline. Screening for cyp51A mutations was also done. Overall, 18 (15.0%) isolates of Aspergillus species were recovered from ACAPs, of which Aspergillus tubingensis (50%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (38.9%) were the commonest species. No isolate of Aspergillus species grew on posaconazole (PCZ)-containing agar plates. Among the 18 Aspergillus isolated species from ACAPs, 83.3% were related to samples from instruments. Of the nine isolates of A. tubingensis, 22.2% and 44.4% isolates showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 2 μg/mL against voriconazole (VCZ) and itraconazole, respectively; and 44.4% isolates showed MIC = 1 μg/mL against PCZ. Of the seven isolates of A. fumigatus, one (14.3%) was resistant to VCZ. This isolate showed F46Y, G54E, G138C, M172V, M220I, D255E, T289F, G432C, and G448S mutation in cyp51A. Our finding showed the emergence of high MICs in cryptic and non-fumigatus species of Aspergillus such as A. tubingensis and VCZ resistance in A. fumigatus in indoor environment of hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Ghazanfari
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahdi Abastabar
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Iman Haghani
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Maryam Moazeni
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shakiba Hedayati
- Student Research Committee Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Sanaz Yaalimadad
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Bahador Nikoueian Shirvan
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Felix Bongomin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Mohammad T Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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20
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Moubarz G, Shousha WG, Saad-Hussein A, Shawky MM, Shawky S. Influence of chitotriosidase gene polymorphisms on oxidative stress and susceptibility to Aspergillus infection among exposed workers. Int J Environ Health Res 2023; 33:1195-1204. [PMID: 35616283 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2080189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) is involved in the innate defense against chitin-containing pathogens. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role of CHIT1 gene polymorphisms on susceptibility to Aspergillus infection in addition to oxidative stress caused by infection. CHIT1 gene polymorphisms were identified in 60 Aspergillus-positive workers by REFLP. We also measured concentrations of the CHIT1 enzyme, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The majority of workers were wild-type (AA) (66.5%), followed by heterozygous (AB) (28.5%), and homozygous mutants (BB) (5%). The mean concentrations of specific IgE for all Aspergillus species were affected by change in CHIT1 genotypes. Our findings indicate that decreased CHIT1 activity in homozygous mutant CHIT1 allele is associated with a subsequent decrease in TAC levels, resulting in an increased risk of fungal infection and accumulation of oxidant MDA. Thus, CHIT1 enzyme activity plays a critical role in the susceptibility of WWTP workers to fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehan Moubarz
- Environmental & Occupational Medicine Department, Environment & Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Amal Saad-Hussein
- Environmental & Occupational Medicine Department, Environment & Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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21
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Mah J, Nicholas V, Tayyar R, Moreno A, Murugesan K, Budvytiene I, Banaei N. Superior Accuracy of Aspergillus Plasma Cell-Free DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction Over Serum Galactomannan for the Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:1282-1290. [PMID: 37450614 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised hosts carries high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is often delayed because definitive diagnosis requires invasive specimen collection, while noninvasive testing with galactomannan is moderately accurate. Plasma cell-free DNA polymerase chain reaction (cfDNA PCR) represents a novel testing modality for the noninvasive diagnosis of invasive fungal disease (IFD). We directly compared the performance of Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR with serum galactomannan for the diagnosis of IA during routine clinical practice. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with suspected IFD who had Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR testing at Stanford Health Care from 1 September 2020 to 30 October 2022. Patients were categorized into proven, probable, possible, and no IA based on the EORTC/MSG definitions. Primary outcomes included the clinical sensitivity and specificity for Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR and galactomannan. RESULTS Overall, 238 unique patients with Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR test results, including 63 positives and 175 nonconsecutive negatives, were included in this study. The majority were immunosuppressed (89.9%) with 22.3% 30-day all-cause mortality. The overall sensitivity and specificity of Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR were 86.0% (37 of 43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 72.7-95.7) and 93.1% (121 of 130; 95% CI, 87.4-96.3), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of serum galactomannan in hematologic malignancies/stem cell transplants were 67.9% (19 of 28; 95% CI, 49.3-82.1) and 89.8% (53 of 59; 95% CI, 79.5-95.3), respectively. The sensitivity of cfDNA PCR was 93.0% (40 of 43; 95% CI, 80.9-98.5) in patients with a new diagnosis of IA. CONCLUSIONS Aspergillus plasma cfDNA PCR represents a more sensitive alternative to serum galactomannan for noninvasive diagnosis of IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Mah
- Division of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Veronica Nicholas
- Division of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ralph Tayyar
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Angel Moreno
- Division of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kanagavel Murugesan
- Division of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Indre Budvytiene
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Niaz Banaei
- Division of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, California, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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22
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White PL, Donnelly JP. Polymerase Chain Reaction of Plasma and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid for Diagnosing Invasive Aspergillosis. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:1291-1293. [PMID: 37448327 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- P Lewis White
- Public Health Wales Mycology Reference Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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23
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Deng S, Kim J, Pomraning KR, Gao Y, Evans JE, Hofstad BA, Dai Z, Webb-Robertson BJ, Powell SM, Novikova IV, Munoz N, Kim YM, Swita M, Robles AL, Lemmon T, Duong RD, Nicora C, Burnum-Johnson KE, Magnuson J. Identification of a specific exporter that enables high production of aconitic acid in Aspergillus pseudoterreus. Metab Eng 2023; 80:163-172. [PMID: 37778408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Aconitic acid is an unsaturated tricarboxylic acid that is attractive for its potential use in manufacturing biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, plasticizers, and surfactants. Previously Aspergillus pseudoterreus was engineered as a platform to produce aconitic acid by deleting the cadA (cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase) gene in the itaconic acid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the aconitic acid transporter gene (aexA) was identified using comparative global discovery proteomics analysis between the wild-type and cadA deletion strains. The protein AexA belongs to the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS). Deletion of aexA almost abolished aconitic acid secretion, while its overexpression led to a significant increase in aconitic acid production. Transportation of aconitic acid across the plasma membrane is a key limiting step in its production. In vitro, proteoliposome transport assay further validated AexA's function and substrate specificity. This research provides new approaches to efficiently pinpoint and characterize exporters of fungal organic acids and accelerate metabolic engineering to improve secretion capability and lower the cost of bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Deng
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Joonhoon Kim
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Kyle R Pomraning
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Yuqian Gao
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - James E Evans
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Beth A Hofstad
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Ziyu Dai
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Samantha M Powell
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Irina V Novikova
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Nathalie Munoz
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Young-Mo Kim
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Marie Swita
- Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Ana L Robles
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Teresa Lemmon
- Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Rylan D Duong
- Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Carrie Nicora
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Kristin E Burnum-Johnson
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA.
| | - Jon Magnuson
- DOE Agile Biofoundry, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA; Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA
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24
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He W, Jiang R, Li S, Zhang M, Zhang T, Zhu X, Wang X. Biodegradation mechanism of chlortetracycline by a novel fungal Aspergillus sp. LS-1. Chemosphere 2023; 340:139792. [PMID: 37579822 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Chlortetracycline (CTC), a widely used typical tetracycline antibiotic, has raised increasing concerns due to its potential health and environmental risks. Biodegradation is considered an effective method to reduce CTC in environment. In this study, a strain Aspergillus sp. LS-1, which can efficiently degrade CTC, was isolated from CTC-rich activated sludge. Under optimal conditions, the maximum removal efficiency of CTC could reach 95.41%. Temperature was the most significant factor affecting the degradation efficiency of LS-1. The 19 products were identified in the CTC degradation by strain LS-1, and three degradation pathways were proposed. All the degradation pathways for CTC exhibited ring-cleaving, which may accelerate the mineralization of CTC. To gain more comprehensive insights into this strain, we obtained the genome of LS-1, which had high GC content (50.1%) and completeness (99.3%). The gene annotation revealed that LS-1 contains some vital enzymes and resistance genes that may carry functional genes involved in the CTC degradation. In addition, other antibiotic resistance genes were found in the genome of LS-1, indicating that LS-1 has the potential to degrade other antibiotics. This study provides a more theoretical basis for the investigation of CTC degradation by fungi and new insights into the biodegradation of CTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenshan He
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Run Jiang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Siqi Li
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Minglu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry,Beijing Technology and Business University,Beijing 100048,China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiaobiao Zhu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Environmental Material for Water Purification, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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25
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Sun Y, Yuan X, Luo Z, Cao Y, Liu S, Liu Y. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal comparisons against liquid-state fermentation of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea by Aspergillus cristatus. Food Res Int 2023; 172:113115. [PMID: 37689883 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Liquid-state fermentation (LSF) of tea leaves is a promising way to obtain tea-based nutraceutical products rich in various bioactive compounds. In the study, the changes of bioactive compounds, tea pigments and complex metabolites from LSF of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea infusions with Aspergillus cristatus were determined. Chemical analyses revealed that soluble sugars, monosaccharide composition, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, free amino acids, soluble proteins and tea pigments were changed in different ways. An untargeted metabolomic analysis and ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) based transcriptomic analysis were performed to investigate the metabolic differentiation and clarify the key differentially expressed genes (DEGs, fold change >2 and p < 0.05), showing that amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism were the most enriched pathways during A. cristatus fermentation of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea infusions. In addition, glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism were greatly accumulated in the fermentation of primary dark tea and white tea infusions; Pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, fatty acid degradation, tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis and valine and leucine, isoleucine degradation were greatly accumulated in the fermentation of primary dark tea and green tea infusions; Starch and sucrose metabolism was greatly accumulated in the fermentation of green tea and white tea infusions; Galactose metabolism was significantly enhanced in the fermentation of primary dark tea infusion; Amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were significantly enhanced in the fermentation of green tea infusion. Besides, some other pathways involving aminobenzoate degradation, biosynthesis of cofactors, pyrimidine metabolism, benzoxazinoid biosynthesis and phenazine biosynthesis, tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis also differed from each other. These findings support that A. cristatus plays a vital role in the biochemical and genetic regulation of metabolite profile, and could be considered a potential prospect for better use of A. cristatus on different kinds of tea materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiao Sun
- Natural Food Macromolecule Research Center, School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, PR China; Shaanxi Research Institute of Agricultural Products Processing Technology, Xi'an 710021, PR China.
| | - Xushuang Yuan
- Natural Food Macromolecule Research Center, School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, PR China
| | - Zhaojun Luo
- Natural Food Macromolecule Research Center, School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, PR China
| | - Yungang Cao
- Natural Food Macromolecule Research Center, School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, PR China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Shaanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an 710003, PR China
| | - Yang Liu
- Shaanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an 710003, PR China.
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26
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Wang Y, Quan S, Zhao Y, Xia Y, Zhang R, Ran M, Wu Z, Zhang W. The active synergetic microbiota with Aspergillus as the core dominates the metabolic network of ester synthesis in medium-high temperature Daqu. Food Microbiol 2023; 115:104336. [PMID: 37567625 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The active ester-synthesis microorganisms in medium-high temperature Daqu (MHT-Daqu) largely impact the strong-flavor Baijiu quality, while their actual composition and metabolic mechanism remain unclear. Here, to explore how the active microbiota contributes to MHT-Daqu ester biosynthesis, metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic analyses coupled with experimental verification were performed. The results showed that the MHT-Daqu microbiota with the higher ester-forming ability exhibited a more active dynamic alteration from transcription to translation. The genera Aspergillus, Bacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus could transcribe and translate obviously more ester-forming enzymes. In the ester-synthesis metabolic network, the synergetic microbiota confirmed by interaction analysis, containing Eurotiales, Bacillales, and Saccharomycetales, played an essential role, in which the Eurotiales and its representative genus Aspergillus contributed the highest transcript and protein abundance in almost every metabolic process, respectively. The recombined fermentation verified that their corresponding genera could produce the ester and precursor profiles very close to that of the original MHT-Daqu active microbiota, while the microbiota without Aspergillus caused a polar separation. These results indicated that the synergetic microbiota with Aspergillus as the core dominated the metabolic network of ester synthesis in MHT-Daqu. Our study provides a detailed framework of the association between the active synergetic microbiota and ester synthesis in MHT-Daqu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Shikai Quan
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Yajiao Zhao
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Yu Xia
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Rui Zhang
- Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd, Luzhou, 646600, China.
| | - Maofang Ran
- Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd, Luzhou, 646600, China.
| | - Zhengyun Wu
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Wenxue Zhang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China; School of Liquor-Brewing Engineering, Sichuan University of Jinjiang College, Meishan, 620860, China.
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27
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Igarashi T, Katayama T, Maruyama JI. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing for comparative genetic analysis related to soy sauce brewing in Aspergillus sojae industrial strains. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2023; 87:1236-1248. [PMID: 37500264 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbad101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus sojae has traditionally been used in soy sauce brewing. Genetic modification techniques have been established in A. sojae, but it is difficult to apply them to various industrial strains. Although we have previously developed a CRISPR/Cpf1 system for genetic modification of A. sojae, another genome editing system was required for versatile modification. In addition, repetitive genetic modification using the CRISPR system has not been established in A. sojae. In this study, we demonstrated mutagenesis, gene deletion/integration, and large deletion of a chromosomal region in A. sojae using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We also successfully performed repetitive genetic modification using a method that involved forced recycling of genome-editing plasmids. Moreover, we demonstrated that the effects of genetic modification related to soy sauce brewing differed among A. sojae industrial strains. These results showed that our technique of using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool for genetic modification in A. sojae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Igarashi
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuya Katayama
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Maruyama
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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28
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Song X, Li T, Gu H, Yin H. Space exposure enhanced pectin-degrading enzymes expression and activity in Aspergillus costaricaensis. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:295. [PMID: 37658165 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03740-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus is a well-studied fungal genus that is widely used in the processing of plant biomass in industries. This study investigated the effects of space exposure on the ability of Aspergillus costaricaensis, a filamentous fungus isolated from rotten orange peel, to degrade pectin. These fungal spores were carried into space by the Long March 5B carrier rocket and exposed to cosmic radiation for 79 h. After the flight, these spores were resuscitated, and then the growing strains were screened with pectin as the sole carbon source, and the pectinase activity was evaluated. A mutant with increased biomass accumulation ability and pectin-degrading activity compared to the ground control strain was obtained. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that several CAZymes genes were significantly upregulated in the mutant, especially those related to pectin degradation. Among the 44 pectinases identified from the annotated genome, 42 were up-regulated. The activities of these pectinases are able to synergistically break down the structure of pectin. In addition, the expression of some genes involved in metabolism, sugar transport, and stress response was altered. These results imply that space exposure might serve as a potential mutagenesis breeding technique, offering the opportunity to acquire biomass-degrading microbial strains with potential for industrial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Song
- Dalian Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Agricultural Preparations, Dalian Technology Innovation Center for Green Agriculture, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Tang Li
- Dalian Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Agricultural Preparations, Dalian Technology Innovation Center for Green Agriculture, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Hui Gu
- Dalian Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Agricultural Preparations, Dalian Technology Innovation Center for Green Agriculture, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Heng Yin
- Dalian Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Agricultural Preparations, Dalian Technology Innovation Center for Green Agriculture, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
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29
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Legan AW, Mack BM, Mehl HL, Wissotski M, Ching’anda C, Maxwell LA, Callicott KA. Complete genome of the toxic mold Aspergillus pseudotamarii isolate NRRL 25517 reveals genomic instability of the aflatoxin biosynthesis cluster. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad150. [PMID: 37401423 PMCID: PMC10468309 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Fungi can synthesize a broad array of secondary metabolite chemicals. The genes underpinning their biosynthesis are typically arranged in tightly linked clusters in the genome. For example, ∼25 genes responsible for the biosynthesis of carcinogenic aflatoxins by Aspergillus section Flavi species are grouped in a ∼70 Kb cluster. Assembly fragmentation prevents assessment of the role of structural genomic variation in secondary metabolite evolution in this clade. More comprehensive analyses of secondary metabolite evolution will be possible by working with more complete and accurate genomes of taxonomically diverse Aspergillus species. Here, we combined short- and long-read DNA sequencing to generate a highly contiguous genome of the aflatoxigenic fungus, Aspergillus pseudotamarii (isolate NRRL 25517 = CBS 766.97; scaffold N50 = 5.5 Mb). The nuclear genome is 39.4 Mb, encompassing 12,639 putative protein-encoding genes and 74-97 candidate secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters. The circular mitogenome is 29.7 Kb and contains 14 protein-encoding genes that are highly conserved across the genus. This highly contiguous A. pseudotamarii genome assembly enables comparisons of genomic rearrangements between Aspergillus section Flavi series Kitamyces and series Flavi. Although the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster of A. pseudotamarii is conserved with Aspergillus flavus, the cluster has an inverted orientation relative to the telomere and occurs on a different chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Legan
- US Department of Agriculture, Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85701, USA
| | - Brian M Mack
- US Department of Agriculture, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA
| | - Hillary L Mehl
- US Department of Agriculture, Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85701, USA
| | - Marina Wissotski
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Connel Ching’anda
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Lourena A Maxwell
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kenneth A Callicott
- US Department of Agriculture, Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85701, USA
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30
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Davis KA, Jones AM, Panaccione DG. Two Satellite Gene Clusters Enhance Ergot Alkaloid Biosynthesis Capacity of Aspergillus leporis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0079323. [PMID: 37432119 PMCID: PMC10467348 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00793-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Ergot alkaloids are fungal specialized metabolites that are important in agriculture and serve as sources of several pharmaceuticals. Aspergillus leporis is a soil saprotroph that possesses two ergot alkaloid biosynthetic gene clusters encoding lysergic acid amide production. We identified two additional, partial biosynthetic gene clusters within the A. leporis genome containing some of the ergot alkaloid synthesis (eas) genes required to make two groups of clavine ergot alkaloids, fumigaclavines and rugulovasines. Clavines possess unique biological properties compared to lysergic acid derivatives. Bioinformatic analyses indicated the fumigaclavine cluster contained functional copies of easA, easG, easD, easM, and easN. Genes resembling easQ and easH, which are required for rugulovasine production, were identified in a separate gene cluster. The pathways encoded by these partial, or satellite, clusters would require intermediates from the previously described lysergic acid amide pathway to synthesize a product. Chemical analyses of A. leporis cultures revealed the presence of fumigaclavine A. However, rugulovasine was only detected in a single sample, prompting a heterologous expression approach to confirm functionality of easQ and easH. An easA knockout strain of Metarhizium brunneum, which accumulates the rugulovasine precursor chanoclavine-I aldehyde, was chosen as expression host. Strains of M. brunneum expressing easQ and easH from A. leporis accumulated rugulovasine as demonstrated through mass spectrometry analysis. These data indicate that A. leporis is exceptional among fungi in having the capacity to synthesize products from three branches of the ergot alkaloid pathway and for utilizing an unusual satellite cluster approach to achieve that outcome. IMPORTANCE Ergot alkaloids are chemicals produced by several species of fungi and are notable for their impacts on agriculture and medicine. The ability to make ergot alkaloids is typically encoded by a clustered set of genes that are physically adjacent on a chromosome. Different ergot alkaloid classes are formed via branching of a complex pathway that begins with a core set of the same five genes. Most ergot alkaloid-producing fungi have a single cluster of genes that is complete, or self-sufficient, and produce ergot alkaloids from one or occasionally two branches from that single cluster. Our data show that Aspergillus leporis is exceptional in having the genetic capacity to make products from three pathway branches. Moreover, it uses a satellite cluster approach, in which gene products of partial clusters rely on supplementation with a chemical intermediate produced via another gene cluster, to diversify its biosynthetic potential without duplicating all the steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. Davis
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Abigail M. Jones
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Daniel G. Panaccione
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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Lee KH, Won D, Kim J, Lee JA, Kim CH, Kim JH, Jeong SJ, Ku NS, Choi JY, Yeom JS, Cho H, Chung H, Cheong JW, Lee ST, Jang JE, Shin S, Ahn JY. Utility of Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Whole-Genome Sequencing for Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis in Patients With Hematologic Malignancy or COVID-19. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:444-452. [PMID: 37317030 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated the clinical accuracy and utility of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of plasma microbial cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a novel noninvasive method in diagnosing invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients with hematologic malignancy (HM) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS Adults with HM or COVID-19 and suspected IA were recruited. IA cases were retrospectively diagnosed according to EORTC/MSG definitions and ECMM/ISHAM criteria for HM and COVID-19 patients, respectively. The results of cfDNA WGS were compared with the conventional diagnosis. RESULTS Microbial cfDNA WGS was performed 53 times from 41 participants (19 from HM, 16 from COVID-19, and 7 from the control group). In participants with HM, Aspergillus cfDNA was detected in 100% of proven IA and 91.7% of probable IA cases. In participants with COVID-19, 50.0% of probable IA were positive for Aspergillus in cfDNA WGS. Concordance between Aspergillus cfDNA detection and proven/probable IA conventional diagnosis was significantly higher in participants with HM than in those with COVID-19. IA diagnosed using EORTC/MGS definitions showed significantly high concordance between Aspergillus cfDNA detection and proven/probable IA. CONCLUSIONS Aspergillus cfDNA detection strongly correlated with proven/probable IA diagnosed using EORTC/MSG definitions and could be used as an additional diagnostic tool for IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dongju Won
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jinnam Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Ah Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chang Hyup Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su Jin Jeong
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nam Su Ku
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jun Yong Choi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joon-Sup Yeom
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyunsoo Cho
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Haerim Chung
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - June-Won Cheong
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Tae Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ji Eun Jang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Saeam Shin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Young Ahn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Keri VC, Chandrasekar PH. Polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis: approaches for appropriate use. Leuk Lymphoma 2023; 64:1330-1334. [PMID: 37211858 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2209683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Detection of aspergillus by PCR is a helpful tool for early diagnosis. The test has excellent sensitivity and specificity with a high negative predictive value. Well-accepted, standardized method for DNA extraction for PCR testing is to be adopted for all commercial assays and conclusive validation data are awaited in varied clinical settings. This perspective offers guidance for utilizing PCR testing while awaiting such data. Quantification by PCR, species-specific identification assays and detection of resistance genetic markers are of future promise. Herein, we summarize the available data on aspergillus PCR and describe its potential utility through a clinical case scenario-based approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishakh C Keri
- Division of Infectious diseases, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Zhu RS, Zhou LH, Cheng JH, Luo Y, Qiu WJ, Huang JT, Jiang YK, Zhao HZ, Wang X, Chen ZQ, Zhu LP. Diagnostic Laboratory Features and Performance of an Aspergillus IgG Lateral Flow Assay in a Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis Cohort. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0026423. [PMID: 37125929 PMCID: PMC10269518 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00264-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a chronic and progressive fungal disease with high morbidity and mortality. Avoiding diagnostic delay and misdiagnosis are concerns for CPA patients. However, diagnostic practice is poorly evaluated, especially in resource-constrained areas where Aspergillus antibody testing tools are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic laboratory findings in a retrospective CPA cohort and to evaluate the performance of a novel Aspergillus IgG lateral flow assay (LFA; Era Biology, Tianjin, China). During January 2016 and December 2021, suspected CPA patients were screened at the Center for Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital. A total of 126 CPA patients were enrolled. Aspergillus IgG was positive in 72.1% with chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis, 75.0% with chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis, 41.7% with simple aspergilloma, and 30.3% with Aspergillus nodule(s). The cavitary CPA subtypes had significantly higher levels of Aspergillus IgG. Aspergillus IgG was negative in 52 patients, who were finally diagnosed by histopathology, respiratory culture, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Sputum culture was positive in 39.3% (42/107) of patients and Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common species (69.0%, 29/42). For CPA cohort versus controls, the sensitivity and specificity of the LFA were 55.6% and 92.7%, respectively. In a subgroup analysis, the LFA was highly sensitive for A. fumigatus-associated chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA; 96.2%, 26/27). Given the complexity of the disease, a combination of serological and non-serological tests should be considered to avoid misdiagnosis of CPA. The novel LFA has a satisfactory performance and allows earlier screening and diagnosis of CPA patients. IMPORTANCE There are concerns on avoiding diagnostic delay and misdiagnosis for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis due to its high morbidity and mortality. A proportion of CPA patients test negative for Aspergillus IgG. An optimal diagnostic strategy for CPA requires in-depth investigation based on real-world diagnostic practice, which has been rarely discussed. We summarized the clinical and diagnostic laboratory findings of 126 CPA patients with various CPA subtypes. Aspergillus IgG was the most sensitive test for diagnosing CPA. However, it was negative in 52 patients, who were finally diagnosed by non-serological tests, including biopsy, respiratory culture, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing. We also evaluated a novel Aspergillus IgG lateral flow assay, which showed a satisfactory performance in cavitary CPA patients and was highly specific to Aspergillus fumigatus. This study gives a full picture of the diagnostic practice for CPA patients in Chinese context and calls for early diagnosis of CPA with combined approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Sheng Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-Hong Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Hui Cheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Luo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Jia Qiu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Tian Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Kui Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua-Zhen Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhong-Qing Chen
- Department of Pathology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Ping Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Liu Z, Fu B, Wang J, Li W, Hu Y, Liu Z, Fu C, Li D, Wang C, Xu N. Transcriptomics Reveals the Effect of Strain Interactions on the Growth of A. Oryzae and Z. Rouxii. J Agric Food Chem 2023; 71:5525-5534. [PMID: 36989392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The microbial community structure in traditional fermented foods is quite complex, making the relationship between strains unclear. In this regard, the co-culture system can simulate microbial interactions during food fermentation and reveal the morphological changes, metabolic processes, and gene expression of microbial communities. The present study sought to investigate the effects of microbial interactions on the growth of Aspergillus oryzae and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii through omics. After co-cultivation, the pH value and dry weight were consistent with the pure culture of Z. rouxii. Additionally, the consumption of reducing sugar decreased, and the enzymatic activity increased compared with the pure culture of fungus. The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and transcriptomics showed that co-culture significantly promoted the effect on Z. rouxii. A total of 6 different VOCs and 2202 differentially expressed genes were identified in the pure and co-culture of Z. rouxii. The differentially expressed genes were mainly related to the endonucleolytic cleavage of rRNA, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, and RNA polymerase metabolic pathways. The study results will provide insights into the effect of microbial interactions on the growth of A. oryzae and Z. rouxii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeping Liu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Bin Fu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Wei Li
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Zhijie Liu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Caixia Fu
- Hubei Tulaohan Flavouring and Food Co., Ltd., Yichang, Hubei 443000, China
| | - Dongsheng Li
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
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Awad MF, Albogami B, Mwabvu T, Hassan MM, Baazeem A, Hassan MM, Elsharkawy MM. Identification and biodiversity patterns of Aspergillus species isolated from some soil invertebrates at high altitude using morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15035. [PMID: 37033730 PMCID: PMC10075209 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
The carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic chemicals such as aflatoxin are a worldwide health problem. Aspergillus spp., responsible for most cases of aflatoxin contamination, are common in the environment and spread easily to many different types of food. The objectives of this study were to conduct a survey of fungi associated with three soil invertebrates in Taif, Saudi Arabia, identify these isolates and explore mycotoxins formation.
Methods
In total, 114 fungal isolates were collected from various soil invertebrates (millipedes, Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio laevis) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, among them, 22 isolates were identified as Aspergillus spp. based on morphological and molecular characteristics followed by both Fusarium and Penicillium.
Results
The sequences of ITS 1 and ITS 4 were utilized. Using bootstrap analysis, phylogenetic tree was split into two distinct clusters. Five sub clusters were included inside the first major cluster, and their bootstrap value was 99%. While, there were two small clusters in the second major cluster. All the tested Aspergillus strains were able to have a single PCR fragment amplified using the primer AspTef. TEF-1 DNA sequence bootstrap analysis with 1,000 replicates revealed two distinct groups. Additionally, the Aspergillus isolates were grouped into two different clusters with about 65% genetic similarity using ISSR-PCR analysis. The standard polymerase chain reaction was used to effectively amplify the Aopks, afl-A and omt-A genes in aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains. Four Aspergillus strains used in this investigation were shown to generate aflatoxin B1. While, three Aspergillus stains showed ochratoxin genes.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the results indicate significant differences in the fungal community between ecoregions and soil invertebrates. Moreover, mycotoxin detection and identification among Aspergillus isolates were elucidated. This study could shed light on the risk of mycotoxin contamination along the supply chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Fadl Awad
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bander Albogami
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tarombera Mwabvu
- School of Biology & Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa
| | - Montaser M. Hassan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa Baazeem
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed M. Hassan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohsen Mohamed Elsharkawy
- Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr Elsheikh, Egypt
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Caillet A, Bellanger AP, Navellou JC, Daguindau E, Rocchi S, Scherer E, Berceanu A, Millon L. Refractory invasive pulmonary aspergillosis due to Aspergillus flavus detected with the combination of two in-house Aspergillus qPCR. J Mycol Med 2023; 33:101350. [PMID: 36375310 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We present a case of probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis due to Aspergillus flavus, in a female patient treated for an acute myeloid leukemia. Two weeks after an allogenic stem cell transplantation a probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed based on thoracic imaging combined with positive galactomannan antigen and positive in-house mitochondrial Aspergillus qPCR in serum. Although an antifungal treatment was initiated, Aspergillus qPCR and galactomannan antigen remained positive in serum and worsening of the thoracic lesions was observed. The discordance between the negativity of the in-house ribosomal Aspergillus qPCR (specific to A. fumigatus) and the positivity of the in-house mitochondrial Aspergillus qPCR (targeting A. fumigatus and some other Aspergillus) allowed the suspicion of a thermophilic Aspergillus species that was not A. fumigatus. No strain was obtained in culture but the involvement of A. flavus was confirmed using a specific A. flavus qPCR. This case illustrated the usefulness of our original strategy combining two different in-house Aspergillus qPCRs, in addition to galactomannan assay, to diagnose invasive aspergillosis in hematology patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Caillet
- Hematology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
| | - Anne-Pauline Bellanger
- Chrono-Environnement CNRS 6249 Research Team, Franche-Comté University, Besançon 25000, France; Parasitology-Mycology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France.
| | | | - Etienne Daguindau
- Hematology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
| | - Steffi Rocchi
- Chrono-Environnement CNRS 6249 Research Team, Franche-Comté University, Besançon 25000, France; Parasitology-Mycology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
| | - Emeline Scherer
- Chrono-Environnement CNRS 6249 Research Team, Franche-Comté University, Besançon 25000, France; Parasitology-Mycology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
| | - Ana Berceanu
- Hematology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
| | - Laurence Millon
- Chrono-Environnement CNRS 6249 Research Team, Franche-Comté University, Besançon 25000, France; Parasitology-Mycology Department, Besançon University Hospital, Besançon 25000, France
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Nishihara Y, Nakamura T, Sakai Y, Ban Y, Tashiro M, Izumikawa K, Kasahara K. Isolation of Aspergillus udagawae in Canaliculitis: A Case Report. Med Mycol J 2023; 64:99-102. [PMID: 38030278 DOI: 10.3314/mmj.23-00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus udagawae is a cryptic species of Aspergillus section Fumigati. Here, we report a case of canaliculitis with isolated A. udagawae. Fungal canaliculitis is a rare lacrimal disease, and its clinical features are poorly understood. The causative fungus was initially misclassified as Aspergillus thermomutatus by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) but was finally identified as A. udagawae by β-tubulin genetic analysis. The patient showed rapid improvement and did not experience relapse after drainage alone, without antifungal therapy. A. udagawae has low virulence, which may be related to the minimally invasive nature of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takahito Nakamura
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Nara Prefecture Seiwa Medical Center
| | - Yuki Sakai
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Nara Prefecture Seiwa Medical Center
| | - Yumiko Ban
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nara Prefecture Seiwa Medical Center
| | - Masato Tashiro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
| | - Koichi Izumikawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
| | - Kei Kasahara
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University
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Jiang X, Jiang Y, Ye F. Detection and identification of Mucorales and Aspergillus in paraffin-embedded samples by real-time quantitative PCR. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1082347. [PMID: 36936757 PMCID: PMC10017852 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1082347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In this study, we used real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) to rapidly detect Mucorales and Aspergillus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, targeting 18SrRNA gene and 28SrRNA gene. Identification of Mucorales and Aspergillus was analysed by combining Mucorales RQ-PCR (Mucorales18SrRNA and Mucorales28SrRNA) with Aspergillus RQ-PCR (Aspergillus18SrRNA and Aspergillus28SrRNA). Objectives The aims of this study were to compare the diagnostic performances of four RQ-PCR assays as single and combined diagnostic and identification tools. Methods We collected 12 control group samples and 81 experimental group samples diagnosed by histopathology, including mucormycosis (19 patients, 21 FFPE samples), aspergillosis (54 patients, 57 FFPE samples) and mucormycosis with aspergillosis (3 patients, 3 FFPE samples). All samples were detected by four RQ-PCR tests to compare and analyze diagnostic performance. Results The sensitivities of Mucorales18SrRNA and Mucorales28SrRNA were both 75%, with the tests having specificities of 97.10% and 94.20%. The sensitivities of Aspergillus18SrRNA and Aspergillus28SrRNA were 73.33% and 65%, with the tests having specificities of 87.88% and 81.82%. The values of the evaluation indexes of the combined detection of Mucorales28SrRNA and Aspergillus18SrRNA (M28A18) were the highest with a kappa coefficient value of 0.353, followed by M18A18. M28A18 had a sensitivity of 67.90% and a specificity of 100%. Conclusions We recommend using the combination of Mucorales RQ-PCR and Aspergillus RQ-PCR as a screening tool to detect samples suspected of mucormycosis and/or aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pathology, Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Yong Jiang,
| | - Feng Ye
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Cosseboom SD, Hu M. Off-target selection of resistance to azoxystrobin in Aspergillus species associated with grape late season rots. Pestic Biochem Physiol 2022; 188:105227. [PMID: 36464347 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Due to recent evidence of Aspergillus uvarum pathogenicity on wine grapes and variable fungicide sensitivity to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, the identity and QoI sensitivity of Aspergillus isolates from the Mid-Atlantic United States was investigated. Phylogenic analysis of 31 isolates revealed 26 as A. uvarum and 5 as A. japonicus, both of which have been previously isolated from grape. The A. uvarum isolates had variable sensitivities to the QoI azoxystrobin, and the genomic region that codes for the target of QoIs, cytochrome b, was sequenced. Translation of the cytochrome b coding sequence revealed that the most resistant isolates (termed cytb3) contained three mutations, S108A, F129L, and A194V, and the moderately sensitive isolates (termed cytb2) contained two mutations S108A and A194V. This is the first report of an amino acid variation in cytochrome b at position 108. Cytb3 isolates were significantly less inhibited than the cytb2 and wild-type isolates (cytbWT) in vitro, and were significantly less inhibited than the cytbWT isolates on detached fruit. Molecular docking analysis revealed similar differences, with azoxystrobin binding most securely in the cytbWT variant of cytochrome b than cytb2 and cytb3. As Aspergillus rot has not been a target disease of fungicide sprays in the U.S., the selection of resistant phenotypes is likely resultant from sprays for other diseases. Resistance is of concern due to the pathogenicity of A. uvarum and A. japonicus on wine grapes, and the ability of these species to be mycotoxigenic or pathogenic for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Cosseboom
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States of America
| | - Mengjun Hu
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States of America.
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Yuan B, Keller NP, Oakley BR, Stajich JE, Wang CCC. Manipulation of the Global Regulator mcrA Upregulates Secondary Metabolite Production in Aspergillus wentii Using CRISPR-Cas9 with In Vitro Assembled Ribonucleoproteins. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2828-2835. [PMID: 36197945 PMCID: PMC9624091 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Genome sequencing of filamentous fungi has demonstrated that most secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are silent under standard laboratory conditions. In this work, we have established an in vitro CRISPR-Cas9 system in Aspergillus wentii. To activate otherwise silent BGCs, we deleted the negative transcriptional regulator mcrA. Deletion of mcrA (mcrAΔ) resulted in differential production of 17 SMs in total when the strain was cultivated on potato dextrose media (PDA). Nine out of fifteen of these SMs were fully characterized, including emodin (1), physcion (2), sulochrin (3), physcion bianthrone (4), 14-O-demethylsulochrin (5), (trans/cis)-emodin bianthrone (6 and 7), and (trans/cis)-emodin physcion bianthrone (8 and 9). These compounds were all found to be produced by the same polyketide synthase (PKS) BGC. We then performed a secondary knockout targeting this PKS cluster in the mcrAΔ background. The metabolite profile of the dual-knockout strain revealed new metabolites that were not previously detected in the mcrAΔ parent strain. Two additional SMs were purified from the dual-knockout strain and were characterized as aspergillus acid B (16) and a structurally related but previously unidentified compound (17). For the first time, this work presents a facile genetic system capable of targeted gene editing in A. wentii. This work also illustrates the utility of performing a dual knockout to eliminate major metabolic products, enabling additional SM discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Berl R Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Clay C C Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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Chesnay A, Bailly É, Cosson L, Flament T, Desoubeaux G. Advent of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor for cystic fibrosis treatment: What consequences on Aspergillus-related diseases? Preliminary insights. J Cyst Fibros 2022; 21:1084-1085. [PMID: 36151024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adélaïde Chesnay
- Parasitologie-Mycologie-Médecine Tropicale, Pôle Biologie Médicale, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de, Tours 37044, France; Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37032, France.
| | - Éric Bailly
- Parasitologie-Mycologie-Médecine Tropicale, Pôle Biologie Médicale, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de, Tours 37044, France
| | - Laure Cosson
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences de la Mucoviscidose Pediatrique, Médecine pédiatrique, Pôle Enfant, Hôpital Clocheville, CHRU de, Tours 37044, France
| | - Thomas Flament
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences de la Mucoviscidose Adultes, Service Pneumologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires, Pôle Médecine, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de, Tours 37044, France
| | - Guillaume Desoubeaux
- Parasitologie-Mycologie-Médecine Tropicale, Pôle Biologie Médicale, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de, Tours 37044, France; Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37032, France
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Liu K, Ding X, Wang G, Liu W. Complete Genome Sequencing of Halophilic Endophytic Aspergillus montevidensis, Strain ZYD4, Isolated from Alfalfa Stems Grown in Saline-Alkaline Soils. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2022; 35:867-869. [PMID: 35822852 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-12-21-0314-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaihui Liu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xiaowei Ding
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Guoliang Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Wanting Liu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
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Bao S, Song H, Chen Y, Zhong C, Tang H. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients: a retrospective study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:925982. [PMID: 35979088 PMCID: PMC9376315 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.925982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to obtain further in-depth information on the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for diagnosing pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients. We did a retrospective study, in which 33 non-neutropenic patients were included, of which 12 were patients with pulmonary aspergillosis and 21 were diagnosed with non-pulmonary aspergillosis. Fungi and all other co-pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (27 cases), blood (6 cases), and/or pleural fluid (1 case) samples were analyzed using mNGS. One of the patients submitted both BALF and blood samples. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and radiologic features of pulmonary aspergillosis patients and compared the diagnostic accuracy, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of mNGS with conventional etiological methods and serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan. We also explored the efficacy of mNGS in detecting mixed infections and co-pathogens. We further reviewed modifications of antimicrobial therapy for patients with pulmonary aspergillosis according to the mNGS results. Finally, we compared the detection of Aspergillus in BALF and blood samples from three patients using mNGS. In non-neutropenic patients, immunocompromised conditions of non-pulmonary aspergillosis were far less prevalent than in patients with pulmonary aspergillosis. More patients with pulmonary aspergillosis received long-term systemic corticosteroids (50% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.05). Additionally, mNGS managed to reach a sensitivity of 91.7% for diagnosing pulmonary aspergillosis, which was significantly higher than that of conventional etiological methods (33.3%) and serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan (33.3%). In addition, mNGS showed superior performance in discovering co-pathogens (84.6%) of pulmonary aspergillosis; bacteria, bacteria-fungi, and bacteria-PJP-virus were most commonly observed in non-neutropenic patients. Moreover, mNGS results can help guide effective treatments. According to the mNGS results, antimicrobial therapy was altered in 91.7% of patients with pulmonary aspergillosis. The diagnosis of Aspergillus detected in blood samples, which can be used as a supplement to BALF samples, seemed to show a higher specificity than that in BALF samples. mNGS is a useful and effective method for the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients, detection of co-pathogens, and adjustment of antimicrobial treatment.
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Xue Y, Liang Y, Zhang W, Geng C, Feng D, Huang X, Dong S, Zhang Y, Sun J, Qi F, Lu X. Characterization and Structural Analysis of Emodin- O-Methyltransferase from Aspergillus terreus. J Agric Food Chem 2022; 70:5728-5737. [PMID: 35475366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All O-methylated derivatives of emodin, including physcion, questin, and 1-O-methylemodin, show potential antifungal activities. Notably, emodin and questin are two pivotal intermediates of geodin biosynthesis in Aspergillus terreus. Although most of the geodin biosynthetic steps have been investigated, the key O-methyltransferase (OMT) responsible for the O-methylation of emodin to generate questin has remained unidentified. Herein, through phylogenetic tree analysis and in vitro biochemical assays, the long-sought class II emodin-O-methyltransferase GedA has been functionally characterized. Additionally, the catalytic mechanism and key residues at the catalytic site of GedA were elucidated by enzyme-substrate-methyl donor analogue ternary complex crystal structure determination and site-directed mutagenesis. As we demonstrate, GedA adopts a typical general acid/base (E446/H373)-mediated transmethylation mechanism. In particular, residue D374 is also crucial for efficient catalysis through blocking the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in emodin. This study will facilitate future engineering of GedA for the production of physcion or other site-specific O-methylated anthraquinone derivatives with potential applications as biopesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Xue
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration/Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Yajing Liang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ce Geng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Dandan Feng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Xuenian Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sheng Dong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Yingfang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration/Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Jia Sun
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration/Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Feifei Qi
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
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Bagryantseva OV, Gmoshinski IV, Shipelin VA, Sheveleva SA, Riger NA, Shumakova AA, Efimochkina NR, Markova YM, Tsurikova NV, Smotrina YV, Sokolov IE, Kolobanov AI, Khotimchenko SA. [Assessment of the influence of an enzymal preparation - a complex of glucoamylase and xylanase from Aspergillus awamori Xyl T-15 on the intestinal microbiom and immunological indicators of rats]. Vopr Pitan 2022; 91:42-52. [PMID: 35852977 DOI: 10.33029/0042-8833-2022-91-3-42-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The requirements for the safety of food products obtained by microbial synthesis are including as obligation for to conduct toxicological studies - the study of various biochemical and immunological markers of toxic effects. The necessity of these studies is explained by a possible change in the structure of food ingredients produced by a microbial cell and, consequently, a change in their biological properties, as well as the possible presence of living forms and/or DNA of producer strains or of their toxic metabolites in these ingredients. At the same time, it is well known that the nutrient composition of foods has a significant impact on the composition and properties of microorganisms that make up the gut microbiome, which, in turn, determines the immune status. The purpose of the research was to justify the analyses of gut microbiocenosis composition for inclusion in the protocol of safety investigation of foods obtained by microbial synthesis [on the example of an enzyme preparation (EP) - a complex of glucoamylase and xylanase from a genetically modified strain of Aspergillus awamori Xyl T-15]. Material and methods. In experimental studies carried out for 80 days, Wistar rats (males and females) were used. The study of the effect of EP (a complex of glucoamylase and xylanase from a genetically modified Aspergillus awamori Xyl T-15 strain) in dozes 10, 100 and 1000 mg/kg body mass on the cecum microbiome and the immune status (content of cytokines and chemokines: IL-1a, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, INF-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1, MIP-1a and Regulated on Activation Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted - RANTES) was carried out. Results. It has been shown that EP - a complex of glucoamylase and xylanase from A. awamori Xyl T-15 at doses of 100 mg/kg or more causes mild disturbances in the composition of gut microbiocenosis. At the same time, these disorders have a significant immunomodulat ory and immunotoxic effect on the body, which manifests itself in a dose-dependent change in the profile of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in blood and spleen. The adverse effect of EP on the body is probably due to the formation of metabolites that are not formed during usual digestive processes in the gastrointestinal tract. The minimum effective dose (LOAEL) of EP was 100 mg/kg body weight In accordance with established requirements, the activity of the EP should not appear in ready-to-use food. Subject to this requirement, amount of EP entering the body cannot exceed the established LOAEL level. Therefore, a complex of glucoamylase and xylanase can be used in food industry, subject to the establishment of regulations «for technological purposes» for A. awamori Xyl T-15 strain. Conclusion. The data obtained on the relationship between the state of the microbiome and the immune status upon the introduction of EP indicate the need to include indicators of the state of gut microbiocenosis in the test protocol of safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- O V Bagryantseva
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - I V Gmoshinski
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - V A Shipelin
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - S A Sheveleva
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - N A Riger
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - A A Shumakova
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - N R Efimochkina
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yu M Markova
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - N V Tsurikova
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yu V Smotrina
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - I E Sokolov
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - A I Kolobanov
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - S A Khotimchenko
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Foоd Safety, 109240, Moscow, Russian Federation
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Sun WW, Li CY, Chiang YM, Lin TS, Warren S, Chang FR, Wang CCC. Characterization of a silent azaphilone biosynthesis gene cluster in Aspergillus terreus NIH 2624. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 160:103694. [PMID: 35398258 PMCID: PMC9701353 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungal secondary metabolites are an important source of bioactive components. Genome sequencing ofAspergillus terreusrevealed many silent secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters presumed to be involved in producing secondary metabolites. Activation of silent gene clusters through overexpressing a pathway-specific regulator is an effective avenue for discovering novel fungal secondary metabolites. Replacement of the native promoter of the pathway-specific activator with the inducible Tet-on system to activate thetazpathway led to the discovery of a series of azaphilone secondary metabolites, among which azaterrilone A (1) was purified and identified for the first time. Genetic deletion of core PKS genes and transcriptional analysis further characterized thetazgene cluster to consist of 16 genes with the NR-PKS and the HR-PKS collaborating in a convergent mode. Based on the putative gene functions and the characterized compounds structural information, a biosynthetic pathway of azaterrilone A (1) was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wen Sun
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Chi-Ying Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Yi-Ming Chiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 71710, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Shyang Lin
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Shauna Warren
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Fang-Rong Chang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
| | - Clay C C Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Nargesi S, Jafarzadeh J, Najafzadeh MJ, Nouripour-Sisakht S, Haghani I, Abastabar M, Ilkit M, Hedayati MT. Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility of clinically relevant and cryptic species of Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri. J Med Microbiol 2022; 71. [PMID: 35451946 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri comprise clinically relevant and cryptic species that differ significantly in drug susceptibility, meaning that effective treatment depends on correct species identification.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. There are no comprehensive data for molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) of clinically relevant and cryptic species of Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri as the main agents of invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis in Iran. We aimed to perform molecular identification and AFST of 213 clinical Aspergillus isolates belonging to sections Flavi and Nigri. Molecular identification of isolates was performed using sequencing of the β-tubulin gene and in vitro AFST was conducted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A3 guidelines.Results. The most common isolates in sections Flavi and Nigri were Aspergillus flavus (110/113, 97.3 %) and Aspergillus tubingensis (49/100, 49.0 %), respectively. A total of 62/213 (29.1 %) isolates belonging to cryptic species were identified; among them, A. tubingensis was the most prevalent (49/62, 79.0%). Aspergillus flavus and A. niger isolates that responded to the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of itraconazole above the epidemiological cutoff values were the most frequently detected: 8/110 (7.3 %) and 3/41 (7.3 %), respectively. In section Flavi, Aspergillus alliaceus responded to amphotericin B at a high MIC (>16 µg mL-1) and in section Nigri, one of the three Aspergillus luchuensis/awamori isolates responded to itraconazole at an MIC >16 µg ml-1. Interestingly, for all Aspergillus welwitschiae isolates, the MIC50 and MIC90 of itraconazole were both 16 µg ml-1.Conclusion. A considerable presence of A. flavus and A. niger isolates showing non-wild-type responses to azoles in clinical cases of aspergillosis indicates the importance of classifying clinical Aspergillus isolates at the species level and performing antifungal susceptibility testing on the isolates, which would ensure appropriate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Nargesi
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Jalal Jafarzadeh
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Najafzadeh
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9199-91766, Iran
| | | | - Iman Haghani
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahdi Abastabar
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | - Mohammad Taghi Hedayati
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Li Q, Lu J, Zhang G, Liu S, Zhou J, Du G, Chen J. Recent advances in the development of Aspergillus for protein production. Bioresour Technol 2022; 348:126768. [PMID: 35091037 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.126768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus had been widely used in the industrial production of recombinant proteins. In addition to the safety and broad substrate utilization spectrum, its efficient post-translational modification and strong protein secretion capacity have significant advantages for developing an excellent protein-producing cell factory in industrial production. However, the difficulties in genetic manipulation of Aspergillus and varying expression levels of different heterologous proteins hampered its further development and application. Recently, the development of CRISPR genome editing and high-throughput screening platforms has facilitated the Aspergillus development of a wide range of modifications and applications. Meanwhile, multi-omics analysis and multiplexed genetic engineering have promoted effective knowledge mining. This paper provides a comprehensive and updated review of these advances, including high-throughput screening, genome editing, protein expression modules, and fermentation optimization. It also highlights and discusses the latest significant progress, aiming to provide a practical guide for implementing Aspergillus as an efficient protein-producing cell factory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Li
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jinchang Lu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhang
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
| | - Song Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
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Xie H, Wang X, van der Hooft JJ, Medema MH, Chen ZY, Yue X, Zhang Q, Li P. Fungi population metabolomics and molecular network study reveal novel biomarkers for early detection of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species. J Hazard Mater 2022; 424:127173. [PMID: 34597924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mycotoxins threaten global food safety, public health and cause huge socioeconomic losses. Early detection is an effective preventive strategy, yet efficient biomarkers for early detection of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species are lacking. Here, we proposed to use untargeted metabolomics and machine learning to mine biomarkers of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species. We systematically delineated metabolic differences across 568 extensive field sampling A. flavus and performed biomarker analysis. Versicolorin B, 11-hydroxy-O-methylsterigmatocystin et.al metabolites shown a high correlation (from 0.71 to 0.95) with strains aflatoxin-producing capacity. Molecular networking analysis deciphered the connection of aflatoxins and biomarkers as well as potential emerging mycotoxins. We then developed a model using the biomarkers as variables to discern aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species with 97.8% accuracy. A validation dataset and metabolome from other 16 fungal isolates confirmed the robustness and specificity of these biomarkers. We further demonstrated the solution feasibility in agricultural products by early detection of biomarkers, which predicted aflatoxin contamination risk 35-47 days in advance. A developed operable decision rule by the XGBoost algorithm help regulators to intuitively assess the risk prioritization with 87.2% accuracy. Our research provides novel insights into global food safety risk assessment which will be crucial for early prevention and control of mycotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huali Xie
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430061, China; Key laboratory of Detection for Aflatoxins, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China; Laboratory of Risk Assessment for Oilseeds Products (Wuhan), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xiupin Wang
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430061, China; Laboratory of Risk Assessment for Oilseeds Products (Wuhan), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Quality Inspection and Test Center for Oilseeds Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China
| | | | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Zhi-Yuan Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Yue
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430061, China; Laboratory of Risk Assessment for Oilseeds Products (Wuhan), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430061, China; Key laboratory of Detection for Aflatoxins, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China; Laboratory of Risk Assessment for Oilseeds Products (Wuhan), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Quality Inspection and Test Center for Oilseeds Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
| | - Peiwu Li
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430061, China; Key laboratory of Detection for Aflatoxins, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China; Laboratory of Risk Assessment for Oilseeds Products (Wuhan), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Quality Inspection and Test Center for Oilseeds Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430061, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
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Moral J, Garcia-Lopez MT, Gordon A, Ortega-Beltran A, Puckett R, Tomari K, Gradziel TM, Michailides TJ. Resistance to Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus in Almond Advanced Selections and Cultivars and Its Interaction with the Aflatoxin Biocontrol Strategy. Plant Dis 2022; 106:504-509. [PMID: 34569835 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-05-21-0892-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination of almond kernels, caused by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, is a severe concern for growers because of its high toxicity. In California, the global leader of almond production, aflatoxin can be managed by applying the biological control strain AF36 of A. flavus and selecting resistant cultivars. Here, we classified the almond genotypes by K-Means cluster analysis into three groups (susceptible [S], moderately susceptible [MS], or resistant [R]) based on aflatoxin content of inoculated kernels. The protective effects of the shell and seedcoat in preventing aflatoxin contamination were also examined. The presence of intact shells reduced aflatoxin contamination >100-fold. The seedcoat provided a layer of protection but not complete protection. In kernel inoculation assays, none of the studied almond genotypes showed a total resistance to the pathogen. However, nine traditional cultivars and four advanced selections were classified as R. Because these advanced selections contained germplasm derived from peach, we compared the kernel resistance of three peach cultivars to that shown by kernels of an R (Sonora) and an S (Carmel) almond cultivar and five pistachio cultivars. Overall, peach kernels were significantly more resistant to the pathogen than almond kernels, which were more resistant than pistachio kernels. Finally, we studied the combined effect of the cultivar resistance and the biocontrol strain AF36 in limiting aflatoxin contamination. For this, we coinoculated almond kernels of R Sonora and S Carmel with AF36 72 h before or 48 h after inoculating with an aflatoxin-producing strain of A. flavus. The percentage of aflatoxin reduction by AF36 strain was greater in kernels of Carmel (98%) than in those of Sonora (83%). Cultivar resistance also affected the kernel colonization by the biological control strain. AF36 strain limited aflatoxin contamination in almond kernels even when applied 48 h after the aflatoxin-producing strain. Our results show that biocontrol combined with the use of cultivars with resistance to aflatoxin contamination can result in a more robust protection strategy than the use of either practice in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Moral
- Department of Agronomy, Maria de Maeztu Excellence Unit, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, U.S.A
| | - M Teresa Garcia-Lopez
- Department of Agronomy, Maria de Maeztu Excellence Unit, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California-Davis Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA 93648, U.S.A
| | - Ana Gordon
- Department of Agronomy, Maria de Maeztu Excellence Unit, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | | | - Ryan Puckett
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California-Davis Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA 93648, U.S.A
| | - Kenji Tomari
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California-Davis Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA 93648, U.S.A
| | - Thomas M Gradziel
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A
| | - Themis J Michailides
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California-Davis Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA 93648, U.S.A
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