Fungal Planet description sheets: 214-280

Novel species of microfungi described in the present study include the following from South Africa: Cercosporella dolichandrae from Dolichandra unguiscati, Seiridium podocarpi from Podocarpus latifolius, Pseudocercospora parapseudarthriae from Pseudarthria hookeri, Neodevriesia coryneliae from Corynelia uberata on leaves of Afrocarpus falcatus, Ramichloridium eucleae from Euclea undulata and Stachybotrys aloeticola from Aloe sp. (South Africa), as novel member of the Stachybotriaceae fam. nov. Several species were also described from Zambia, and these include Chaetomella zambiensis on unknown Fabaceae, Schizoparme pseudogranati from Terminalia stuhlmannii, Diaporthe isoberliniae from Isoberlinia angolensis, Peyronellaea combreti from Combretum mossambiciensis, Zasmidium rothmanniae and Phaeococcomyces rothmanniae from Rothmannia engleriana, Diaporthe vangueriae from Vangueria infausta and Diaporthe parapterocarpi from Pterocarpus brenanii. Novel species from the Netherlands include: Stagonospora trichophoricola, Keissleriella trichophoricola and Dinemasporium trichophoricola from Trichophorum cespitosum, Phaeosphaeria poae, Keissleriella poagena, Phaeosphaeria poagena, Parastagonospora poagena and Pyrenochaetopsis poae from Poa sp., Septoriella oudemansii from Phragmites australis and Dendryphion europaeum from Hedera helix (Germany) and Heracleum sphondylium (the Netherlands). Novel species from Australia include: Anungitea eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus leaf litter, Beltraniopsis neolitseae and Acrodontium neolitseae from Neolitsea australiensis, Beltraniella endiandrae from Endiandra introrsa, Phaeophleospora parsoniae from Parsonia straminea, Penicillifer martinii from Cynodon dactylon, Ochroconis macrozamiae from Macrozamia leaf litter, Triposporium cycadicola, Circinotrichum cycadis, Cladosporium cycadicola and Acrocalymma cycadis from Cycas spp. Furthermore, Vermiculariopsiella dichapetali is described from Dichapetalum rhodesicum (Botswana), Ophiognomonia acadiensis from Picea rubens (Canada), Setophoma vernoniae from Vernonia polyanthes and Penicillium restingae from soil (Brazil), Pseudolachnella guaviyunis from Myrcianthes pungens (Uruguay) and Pseudocercospora neriicola from Nerium oleander (Italy). Novelties from Spain include: Dendryphiella eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus globulus, Conioscypha minutispora from dead wood, Diplogelasinospora moalensis and Pseudoneurospora canariensis from soil and Inocybe lanatopurpurea from reforested woodland of Pinus spp. Novelties from France include: Kellermania triseptata from Agave angustifolia, Zetiasplozna acaciae from Acacia melanoxylon, Pyrenochaeta pinicola from Pinus sp. and Pseudonectria rusci from Ruscus aculeatus. New species from China include: Dematiocladium celtidicola from Celtis bungeana, Beltrania pseudorhombica, Chaetopsina beijingensis and Toxicocladosporium pini from Pinus spp. and Setophaeosphaeria badalingensis from Hemerocallis fulva. Novel genera of Ascomycetes include Alfaria from Cyperus esculentus (Spain), Rinaldiella from a contaminated human lesion (Georgia), Hyalocladosporiella from Tectona grandis (Brazil), Pseudoacremonium from Saccharum spontaneum and Melnikomyces from leaf litter (Vietnam), Annellosympodiella from Juniperus procera (Ethiopia), Neoceratosperma from Eucalyptus leaves (Thailand), Ramopenidiella from Cycas calcicola (Australia), Cephalotrichiella from air in the Netherlands, Neocamarosporium from Mesembryanthemum sp. and Acervuloseptoria from Ziziphus mucronata (South Africa) and Setophaeosphaeria from Hemerocallis fulva (China). Several novel combinations are also introduced, namely for Phaeosphaeria setosa as Setophaeosphaeria setosa, Phoma heteroderae as Peyronellaea heteroderae and Phyllosticta maydis as Peyronellaea maydis. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

Disseminated trichosporonosis in a neutropenic murine model

Life-threatening disseminated infection with Trichosporon beigelii (trichosporonosis) is a rare mycosis most commonly seen in patients with hematologic malignancies made neutropenic by cytotoxic therapy. This infection is usually resistant to conventional antifungal therapies. Poor correlation between therapeutic outcome of trichosporonosis and in vitro susceptibility of clinical isolates of T. beigelii to antifungal agents is often reported. To obtain a better understanding of its pathogenesis, and to aid in the future study of the therapy of this disease, a murine model of trichosporonosis was developed. The in vitro growth of clinical isolates of T. beigelii was first studied. Subsequently, mice made neutropenic with cyclophosphamide were inoculated intravenously with the fungus to produce the disease model. Inoculum size which produced 100% mortality, yet allowed an apparent therapeutic window (6 x 10(6)) was determined. Tissue distribution and burden of organism during the course of infection was examined by viability and histopathologic studies. T. beigelii disseminated rapidly in this model, involving numerous organs including the heart, brain, kidneys, lungs, and liver. The heart and kidneys of the infected animals showed evidence of infection as early as 6 hours following inoculation. Further understanding of the pathogenesis of trichosporonosis in the neutropenic host was imparted by this study. This will aid in the future study of antibiotic treatment of this disease and its untreated progression.

Treatment of a murine model of systemic candidiasis with liposomal amphotericin B bearing antibody to Candida albicans

Survival of mice infected with an intravenous injection of Candida albicans was observed in a short-term (21-day) survival study. Concentration of C. albicans in the kidneys, liver, and spleen was determined at various times. The effects of treatment with the commercial formulation of amphotericin B (fAMB), liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB), and liposomal amphotericin B bearing external antibody specific for C. albicans (LAMB-Ab) were compared. In single intravenous treatment dosages of 0.6 mg of amphotericin B/kg, the liposomal forms of the drug (LAMB and LAMB-Ab) enhanced the percentage survival and mean survival time of mice in comparison with those treated with the unencapsulated antifungal compound, fAMB (p less than 0.03 and p less than 0.001, respectively). LAMB-Ab, at this dosage, produced an increase in the survival (p less than 0.007) of mice over that produced by LAMB. LAMB-Ab treatment caused a greater than 3-fold increase over fAMB. The percentage of LAMB-Ab-treated mice which survived for 21 days was almost double that of the LAMB-treated mice. The increase in survival following this treatment did not, however, lead to the eradication of C. albicans in all mice which survived to the end of the experiment.