During a routine survey to establish a fungal inventory on broad-leaf deciduous trees in forests of the country, a black yeast-like species was repeatedly isolated from leaves of Acer ...pseudosieboldianum. Sequence comparisons using the ITS rDNA and LSU gene regions and morphological characteristics showed that the fungus isolated in this study was resided in a distinct lineage, indicating it as a novel species of Aureobasidium. This novel species is described here as Aureobasidium acericola sp. nov. The discovery of this fungus suggests that additional taxa residing in Aureobasidium are likely to be discovered in Korea and illustrates that further surveys and research should be planned to achieve this goal in the future
The order Chaetothyriales (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycetes) harbours obligatorily melanised fungi and includes numerous etiologic agents of chromoblastomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis and other diseases of ...vertebrate hosts. Diseases range from mild cutaneous to fatal cerebral or disseminated infections and affect humans and cold-blooded animals globally. In addition, Chaetothyriales comprise species with aquatic, rock-inhabiting, ant-associated, and mycoparasitic life-styles, as well as species that tolerate toxic compounds, suggesting a high degree of versatile extremotolerance. To understand their biology and divergent niche occupation, we sequenced and annotated a set of 23 genomes of main the human opportunists within the Chaetothyriales as well as related environmental species. Our analyses included fungi with diverse life-styles, namely opportunistic pathogens and closely related saprobes, to identify genomic adaptations related to pathogenesis. Furthermore, ecological preferences of Chaetothyriales were analysed, in conjuncture with the order-level phylogeny based on conserved ribosomal genes. General characteristics, phylogenomic relationships, transposable elements, sex-related genes, protein family evolution, genes related to protein degradation (MEROPS), carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), melanin synthesis and secondary metabolism were investigated and compared between species. Genome assemblies varied from 25.81 Mb (Capronia coronata) to 43.03 Mb (Cladophialophora immunda). The bantiana-clade contained the highest number of predicted genes (12 817 on average) as well as larger genomes. We found a low content of mobile elements, with DNA transposons from Tc1/Mariner superfamily being the most abundant across analysed species. Additionally, we identified a reduction of carbohydrate degrading enzymes, specifically many of the Glycosyl Hydrolase (GH) class, while most of the Pectin Lyase (PL) genes were lost in etiological agents of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis. An expansion was found in protein degrading peptidase enzyme families S12 (serine-type D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidases) and M38 (isoaspartyl dipeptidases). Based on genomic information, a wide range of abilities of melanin biosynthesis was revealed; genes related to metabolically distinct DHN, DOPA and pyomelanin pathways were identified. The MAT (MAting Type) locus and other sex-related genes were recognized in all 23 black fungi. Members of the asexual genera Fonsecaea and Cladophialophora appear to be heterothallic with a single copy of either MAT-1-1 or MAT-1-2 in each individual. All Capronia species are homothallic as both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes were found in each single genome. The genomic synteny of the MAT-locus flanking genes (SLA2-APN2-COX13) is not conserved in black fungi as is commonly observed in Eurotiomycetes, indicating a unique genomic context for MAT in those species. The heterokaryon (het) genes expansion associated with the low selective pressure at the MAT-locus suggests that a parasexual cycle may play an important role in generating diversity among those fungi.
The marine ecosystem is a complex niche with unique environmental circumstances. Microbial communities from the sea are one of the main origins of compounds with tremendous capabilities. Marine ...yeasts have the ability to produce secondary metabolites that are architecturally distinct from those found in terrestrial species. Melanin pigment synthesized by marine halotolerant black yeast
AS1 isolated from Mediterranean salt lakes in Alexandria, Egypt was found to exert a radical scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with an IC
of 61.38 μg/ml. Furthermore, it showed no cytotoxicity toward human skin fibroblast cell line (HSF) with an IC
value above 0.1 mg/ml. The antimicrobial capability of the pigment was revealed against the tested number of bacterial and fungal strains with the highest inhibition zone of 25 mm against
sp. and a growth inhibition percentage up to 63.6% against
. From an environmental impact point of view, the pigment disclosed a heavy metal removal efficiency of 85.7, 84.8, and 81.5% for Pb
, Cd
, and Ni
, respectively, at 100 mg/L metal concentration. The previously mentioned results suggested melanin from
AS1 as a promising biocompatible candidate in various medical, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and environmental applications.
A clade where the most halotolerant fungus in the world – Hortaea werneckii, belongs (hereafter referred to as Hortaea werneckii lineage) includes five species: Hortaea werneckii, H. thailandica, ...Stenella araguata, Eupenidiella venezuelensis, and Magnuscella marina, of which the first species attracts increasing attention of mycologists. The species diversity and phylogenetic relationships within this lineage are weakly known. In this study two moderately halophilic black yeast strains were isolated from brine of graduation tower in Poland. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (=ITS), rDNA 28S D1–D2 (=LSU), and RNA polymerase II (rpb2) sequences showed that the two strains belong to Hortaea werneckii lineage but cannot be assigned to any described taxa. Accordingly, a new genus and species, Salinomyces and Salinomyces polonicus, are described for this fungus. Furthermore, molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed that Hortaea thailandica is more closely related to S. polonicus than to H. werneckii. A new combination Salinomyces thailandicus is proposed for this fungus.
Intracellular glycerol accumulation is one of the main fungal adaptations to osmotic and also cold stress. We investigated the management of glycerol metabolism in polyextremotolerant black yeasts ...Aureobasidium pullulans and Aureobasidium subglaciale. We show that increased salinity (5 % and 10 %; w/v), but not cold (10 °C) trigger intracellular glycerol accumulation. The transcriptional response of the genes involved in glycerol synthesis, degradation and import, to increased salinity, low temperature or a combination of both was analysed with real-time PCR. Each of the two species contains an NAD+-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, a glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase, a mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, two copies of a glycerol kinase, and more than ten copies of major facilitator superfamily transporters similar to glycerol proton symporters. Similarly to glycerol accumulation itself, transcriptional response to hypersaline stress was larger compared to low temperature stress and was more consistent in A. pullulans compared to A. subglaciale, reflecting the different stress tolerance and ecological strategy of each species.
•Glycerol metabolism genes of two polyextremotolerant black yeasts are identified.•Phylogenetic analysis shows an old duplication of glycerol kinase genes.•Expression of six genes at high salinity and cold is investigated in both species.•Intracellular and extracellular glycerol concentration is measured.•Transcriptional response reflects the ecological differences between the species.
and
(Fungi:
) are black yeast agents potentially causing disseminated infection in apparently healthy humans. They are the only
species producing extracellular polysaccharides around yeast cells. In ...order to gain understanding of eventual differences in intrinsic virulence of the species, their clinical profiles were compared and found to be different, suggesting pathogenic strategies rather than coincidental opportunism. Ecologically relevant factors were compared in a model set of strains of both species, and significant differences were found in clinical and environmental preferences, but virulence, tested in
larvae, yielded nearly identical results. Virulence factors, i.e., melanin, capsule and muriform cells responded in opposite direction under hydrogen peroxide and temperature stress and thus were inconsistent with their hypothesized role in survival of phagocytosis. On the basis of physiological profiles, possible natural habitats of both species were extrapolated, which proved to be environmental rather than animal-associated. Using comparative genomic analyses we found differences in gene content related to lipid metabolism, cell wall modification and polysaccharide capsule production. Despite the fact that both species cause disseminated infections in apparently healthy humans, it is concluded that they are opportunists rather than pathogens.
Numerous agents of infections in humans and other mammals are found among fungi that are able to survive extreme environmental conditions and to quickly adapt to novel habitats. Nevertheless, the ...relationship between opportunistic potential and polyextremotolerance was not yet studied systematically in fungi. Here, the link between polyextremotolerance and opportunistic pathogenicity is shown in a kingdom-wide phylogenetic analysis as a statistically significant co-occurrence of extremotolerance (e.g. osmotolerance and psychrotolerance) and opportunism at the level of fungal orders. In addition to extremotolerance, fungal opportunists share another characteristic—an apparent lack of specialised virulence traits. This is illustrated by a comparative genomic analysis of 20 dothideomycetous and eurotiomycetous black fungi. While the genomes of specialised fungal plant pathogens were significantly enriched in known virulence-associated genes that encode secreted proteases, carbohydrate active enzyme families, polyketide synthases, and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, no such signatures were observed in human opportunists. Together the presented results have several implications. If infection of human hosts is a side effect of fungal stress tolerance and adaptability, the human body is most likely neither the preferred habitat of such species, nor important for their evolutionary success. This defines opportunism as opposed to pathogenicity, where infection is advantageous for the species’ fitness. Since opportunists are generally incapable of the host-to-host transmission, any host-specific adaptations are likely to be lost with the resolution of the infection, explaining the observed lack of specialised virulence traits. In this scenario opportunistic infections should be seen as an evolutionary dead end and unlikely to lead to true pathogenicity.
The black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis is an opportunistic pathogen, causing phaeohyphomycosis in immunosuppressed patients, chromoblastomycosis and fatal infections of the central nervous system in ...otherwise healthy Asian patients. In addition, it is also regularly isolated from respiratory samples from cystic fibrosis patients, with rates varying between 1% and 19%.
Melanin, as part of the cell wall of black yeasts, is one major factor known contributing to the pathogenicity of E. dermatitidis and increased resistance against host defense and anti-infective therapeutics. Further virulence factors, e.g. the capability to adhere to surfaces and to form biofilm were reported. A better understanding of the pathogenicity of E. dermatitidis is essential for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. In this review, the current knowledge of E. dermatitidis prevalence, clinical importance, diagnosis, microbiological characteristics, virulence attributes, susceptibility, and resistances as well as therapeutically strategies are discussed.
Fungi have been found in every marine habitat that has been explored; however, the diversity and functions of fungi in the ocean are poorly understood. In this study, fungi were cultured from the ...marine environment in the vicinity of Woods Hole, MA, USA, including from plankton, sponge, and coral. Our sampling resulted in 35 unique species across 20 genera. We observed many isolates by time-lapse, differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy and analyzed modes of growth and division. Several black yeasts displayed highly unconventional cell division cycles compared to those of traditional model yeast systems. Black yeasts have been found in habitats inhospitable to other life and are known for halotolerance, virulence, and stress resistance. We find that this group of yeasts also shows remarkable plasticity in terms of cell size control, modes of cell division, and cell polarity. Unexpected behaviors include division through a combination of fission and budding, production of multiple simultaneous buds, and cell division by sequential orthogonal septations. These marine-derived yeasts reveal alternative mechanisms for cell division cycles that seem likely to expand the repertoire of rules established from classic model system yeasts.
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•35 fungal species were isolated from the ocean, sponge, coral, and coastal sediment•Time-lapse imaging reveals unusual cell cycles, cell-division patterns, and polarity
Mitchison-Field et al. isolate, culture, and perform time-lapse DIC microscopy of marine-derived fungi from Woods Hole, MA. They identify a group of black yeast with unconventional cell division cycles and modes of cell division.
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