Risk Factors for Malassezia Fungemia and Disseminated Disease Patients under total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and immunocompromised patients with increased length of stay (LOS) in intensive care ...units are at risk for Malassezia infections.\n Conclusions Over the last few decades, advances in research and technologies have greatly contributed to elucidating the role of Malassezia species in human and animal skin diseases and in human bloodstream infections. In particular, PCR-RFLP, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), AFLP, PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST, e.g., of ITS, IGS, chs2, and RNA polymerase 1 and 2), and MALDI-TOF MS resulted in the accurate identification and genotyping of Malassezia strains from humans or animals, thus resolving questions related to the geographical distribution of the infection agents and the characterization of strains causing outbreaks 61, 62.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Cryptococcus neoformans is a complex of important human pathogens.•We provide evidence that at least seven species occur in the species complex.•The seven species are described, together with ...information on occurrence, epidemiology, virulence and host ranges.•MALDI-TOF MS can identify all seven species.
Phylogenetic analysis of 11 genetic loci and results from many genotyping studies revealed significant genetic diversity with the pathogenic Cryptococcus gattii/Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. Genealogical concordance, coalescence-based, and species tree approaches supported the presence of distinct and concordant lineages within the complex. Consequently, we propose to recognize the current C. neoformans var. grubii and C. neoformans var. neoformans as separate species, and five species within C. gattii. The type strain of C. neoformans CBS132 represents a serotype AD hybrid and is replaced. The newly delimited species differ in aspects of pathogenicity, prevalence for patient groups, as well as biochemical and physiological aspects, such as susceptibility to antifungals. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry readily distinguishes the newly recognized species.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Plastic debris has been accumulating in the marine realm since the start of plastic mass production in the 1950s. Due to the adverse effects on ocean life, the fate of plastics in the marine ...environment is an increasingly important environmental issue. Microbial degradation, in addition to weathering, has been identified as a potentially relevant breakdown route for marine plastic debris. Although many studies have focused on microbial colonization and the potential role of microorganisms in breaking down marine plastic debris, little is known about fungi-plastic interactions. Marine fungi are a generally understudied group of microorganisms but the ability of terrestrial and lacustrine fungal taxa to metabolize recalcitrant compounds, pollutants, and some plastic types (e.g., lignin, solvents, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polyurethane, and polyethylene) indicates that marine fungi could be important degraders of complex organic matter in the marine realm, too. Indeed, recent studies demonstrated that some fungal strains from the ocean, such as
Zalerion maritimum
have the ability to degrade polyethylene. This mini-review summarizes the available information on plastic-fungi interactions in marine environments. We address (i) the currently known diversity of fungi colonizing marine plastic debris and provide (ii) an overview of methods applied to investigate the role of fungi in plastic degradation, highlighting their advantages and drawbacks. We also highlight (iii) the underestimated role of fungi as plastic degraders in marine habitats.
spp. are lipid-dependent yeasts, inhabiting the skin and mucosa of humans and animals. They are involved in a variety of skin disorders in humans and animals and may cause bloodstream infections in ...severely immunocompromised patients. Despite a tremendous increase in scientific knowledge of these yeasts during the last two decades, the epidemiology of
spp. related to fungemia remains largely underestimated most likely due to the difficulty in the isolation of these yeasts species due to their lipid-dependence. This review summarizes and discusses the most recent literature on
spp. infection and fungemia, its occurrence, pathogenicity mechanisms, diagnostic methods,
susceptibility testing and therapeutic approaches.
This paper lists the accepted names and classification of marine fungi, updating the scheme presented in 2009. The classification includes 1,112 species (in 472 genera): Ascomycota 805 (in 352 ...genera), Basidiomycota 21 species (in 17 genera), Chytridiomycota and related phyla 26 species (in 13 genera), Zygomycota three (in two genera), Blastocladiomycota one species (one genus), asexual morphs of filamentous fungi 43 (in 26 genera); and marine yeasts: Ascomycota 138 species (in 35 genera), Basidiomycota 75 species (in 26 genera). These fungi belong to 129 families and 65 orders. The Halosphaeriaceae remains the largest family of marine fungi with 141 species in 59 genera, while the most specious genera are Aspergillus (47 species), Penicillium (39 species) and the yeast genus Candida (64 species). The review includes details of recent higher order nomenclature changes, and accounts of new families, genera and species described over the past 5 years.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Background and aims
Amazonia comprises a mosaic of ecosystems that harbor high biodiversity. Knowledge about fungal diversity and ecology in this region remains very limited. Here, we examine soil ...fungal communities in forests of the Colombian Amazonia and their relationship to important edaphic variables.
Methods
Fungal communities were studied in
terra-firme
forests dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees,
terra-firme
forests with the ectomycorrhizal (EcM) tree
Pseudomonotes tropenbosii
(Dipterocarpaceae), and white sand forests (WSF) with the EcM host plant genera
Dicymbe
and
Aldina
(Fabaceae). Fungal community composition was determined through 454-pyrosequencing of the ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA. We established the impact of the type of forest and edaphic parameters in structuring the fungal communities.
Results
We found a high diversity of fungi with 2,507 OTUs occurring in the soil samples studied. Carbon content and pH were the main edaphic factors contributing to structure the fungal community across all forests. Fungal community composition differs among
terra-firme
plots and WSF, while it was similar among AM and EcM-dominated areas in
terra-firme
. Our results revealed an important EcM fungal diversity in
terra-firme
AM-forests, where some EcM plants such as the ones in the genera
Coccoloba
and
Neea
occur scattered within an AM-matrix.
Conclusions
This is a first approximation to understand the ecology of soil fungal communities in forests of the Colombian Amazonia. We found that fungal soil communities have a spatial variation related to forest type (
terra-firme
and WSF), soil pH, and soil carbon content. Due to the strong correlation between vegetation and soil fertility in Amazonia, it is difficult to understand the effects of those factors to the fungal communities.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NMLJ, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Opportunistic infections due to Candida species occur frequently in cancer patients because of their inherent immunosuppression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of ...yeast species from the oral cavity of patients during treatment for oncological and haematological malignancies.
MALDI-TOF was performed to identify yeasts isolated from the oral cavity of 350 cancer patients. Moreover, antifungal susceptibility testing was performed in according to CLSI guidelines (M27-A3).
Among 162 yeasts and yeast-like fungi isolated from the oral cavity of cancer patients, Candida albicans was the most common species (50.6%), followed by Candida glabrata (24.7%), Pichia kudriavzevii (Candida krusei (9.9%)), Candida tropicalis (4.3%), Candida dubliniensis (3.7%), Kluyveromyces marxianus (Candida kefyr (3.7%)) and Candida parapsilosis (1%). In addition, uncommon yeast species i.e., Saprochaete capitata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clavispora lusitaniae (C. lusitaniae) and Pichia kluyveri (C. eremophila) were recovered from oral lesions. Oral colonization by C. albicans, non-albicans Candida species and uncommon yeasts were as follow; 55%, 44% and 1%, whereas oral infection due to C. albicans was 33.3%, non-albicans Candida species 60.6%, and uncommon yeasts 6.1%. Poor oral hygiene and xerostomia were identified as independent risk factors associated with oral yeast colonization. The overall resistance to fluconazole was 11.7% (19/162). Low MIC values were observed for anidulafungin for all Candida and uncommon yeast species.
This current study provides insight into the prevalence and susceptibility profiles of Candida species, including emerging Candida species and uncommon yeasts, isolated from the oral cavity of Iranian cancer patients. The incidence of oral candidiasis was higher amongst patients with hematological malignancies. The majority of oral infections were caused by non-albicans Candida species which were often more resistant to anti-fungal agents. Our findings suggest that anidulafungin should be used as antifungal of choice for prophylaxis in clinically high-risk patients with documented oral colonization or infection.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The incidence of candidemia caused by
and
is constantly increasing and is accompanied by the rising use of the few available antifungals. The widespread use of echinocandins and azoles for the ...treatment of invasive candidemia has enhanced the development of antifungal resistance, resulting in an increasing health care problem. Hence, the rapid detection of resistant strains is required. This study aimed to evaluate the detection of
and
strains resistant to caspofungin by the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization Biotyper antibiotic susceptibility test rapid assay (MBT ASTRA). This novel semiquantitative technique facilitates the detection of caspofungin-resistant strains within 6 h. MBT ASTRA results were compared to the data obtained by the use of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Clinical isolates of
(
= 58) and
(
= 57) were analyzed by MBT ASTRA and the CLSI microdilution method. Antifungal susceptibility testing against caspofungin by the CLSI microdilution method classified the
isolates into 36 susceptible and 22 resistant strains and the
isolates into 5 susceptible, 33 resistant, and 19 intermediate strains. For
, the comparison of MBT ASTRA and the CLSI method revealed an excellent categorical agreement of 100%. A sensitivity and a specificity between MBT ASTRA and the CLSI microdilution method of 94% and 80%, respectively, were detected for
strains, based on categorical agreement. In conclusion, the results obtained by MBT ASTRA indicate that this is a very promising approach for the rapid detection of
isolates resistant to caspofungin.
The conventional baker’s yeast,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, is the indispensable baking yeast of all times. Its monopoly coupled to its major drawbacks, such as streamlined carbon substrate ...utilisation base and a poor ability to withstand a number of baking associated stresses, prompt the need to search for alternative yeasts to leaven bread in the era of increasingly complex consumer lifestyles. Our previous work identified the inefficient baking attributes of
Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus
and
Kazachstania gamospora
as well as preliminarily observations of improving the fermentative capacity of these potential alternative baker’s yeasts using evolutionary engineering. Here we report on the characterisation and improvement in baking traits in five out of six independently evolved lines incubated for longer time and passaged for at least 60 passages relative to their parental strains as well as the conventional baker’s yeast. In addition, the evolved clones produced bread with a higher loaf volume when compared to bread baked with either the ancestral strain or the control conventional baker’s yeast. Remarkably, our approach improved the yeasts’ ability to withstand baking associated stresses, a key baking trait exhibited poorly in both the conventional baker’s yeast and their ancestral strains.
W. subpelliculosus
evolved the best characteristics attractive for alternative baker’s yeasts as compared to the evolved
K. gamospora
strains. These results demonstrate the robustness of evolutionary engineering in development of alternative baker’s yeasts.
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CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Asexually reproducing fungi play a significant role in essential processes in managed and wild ecosystems such as nutrients cycling and multitrophic interactions. A large number of such taxa are ...among the most notorious plant and animal pathogens. In addition, they have a key role in food production, biotechnology and medicine. Taxa without or rare sexual reproduction are distinguished based on their sporulating structures and conidiomata in traditional morphology-based taxonomy. The number, variation and diversity of asexually reproducing taxa are insufficiently known, even though fungi capable of asexual reproduction may provide an untapped, rich biological resource for future exploitation. Currently, ca. 30,000 asexual species belonging to ca. 3800 genera have been reported (including 1388 coelomycetous and 2265 hyphomycetous genera). Recent reports (2017–2020) reiterate that the number of asexually producing fungi is higher than the number of frequently sexually-reproducing fungi. With the advent of molecular tools and the abandonment of the dual nomenclature system for pleomorphic fungi, priority criteria were established and revisited in the latest outline of fungi and fungus-like taxa. However, species numbers and taxonomic boundaries of pleomorphic taxa and their synanamorphs or synasexual morphs have yet to be addressed. The number of species of speciose genera (e.g.
Alternaria
,
Aspergillus
,
Cercospora
,
Fusarium, Phoma
and
Pseudocercospora
), cryptic species, species of pleomorphic genera, less studied life modes (such as lichenicolous taxa, taxa from extreme environments) and species from biodiversity-rich areas still need evaluation to achieve more reliable estimates of their diversity. This paper discusses the current knowledge on the matter, with diversity estimates, and potential obstacles in several chapters on (1) speciose genera; (2) pleomorphic genera; (3) cryptic species; (4) well-studied but insufficiently resolved taxa, e.g. leaf inhabiting species, marine fungi, (5) less studied life modes, e.g. lichenicolous, rock-inhabiting fungi, insect-associated and yeast-forming taxa and (6) species from biodiversity-rich areas.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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