Proposed nomenclature for Pseudallescheria,Scedosporium and related genera

As a result of fundamental changes in the International Code of Nomenclature on the use of separate names for sexual and asexual stages of fungi,generic names of many groups should be reconsidered.Members of the ECMM/ISHAM working group on Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium infections herein advocate a novel nomenclature for genera and species in Pseudallescheria,Scedosporium and allied taxa.The generic names Parascedosporium,Lomentospora,Petriella,Petriellopsis,and Scedosporium are proposed for a lineage within Microascaceae with mostly Scedosporium anamorphs producing slimy,annellidic conidia.Considering that Scedosporium has priority over Pseudallescheria and that Scedosporium prolificans is phylogenetically distinct from the other Scedosporium species,some name changes are proposed.Pseudallescheria minutispora and Petriellidium desertorum are renamed as Scedosporium minutisporum and S.desertorum,respectively.Scedosporium prolificans is renamed as Lomentospora prolificans.

Dishwashers provide a selective extreme environment for human-opportunistic yeast-like fungi

Urban life has led to the creation of human-made environments that,from a microbiological perspective,provide extreme life conditions.Certain non-ubiquitous microorganisms such as thermophilic members of the black yeast genus Exophiala are enriched within these habitats for which no counterpart is known in nature.Dishwashers consistently accumulate a number of specific black,white and red yeasts on the rubber seals of doors and in stagnant water at the interior.Several of these yeasts are primarily known as agents of human opportunistic infections.In this review,the literature data are supported by a screening study involving 937 households in 15 cities in Turkey.Fungi were detected in 230 samples(24.5%).Using rDNA sequencing,the prevalent species were identified as Exophiala dermatitidis(n=116),Candida parapsilosis(n=44),E.phaeomuriformis(n=35),Magnusiomyces capitatus(n=22),Rhodotorula mucilaginosa(n=15),and C.lusitaniae(n=14).The possible role of dishwashers in transmitting disease is discussed.

Chaetomium-like fungi causing opportunistic infections in humans:a possible role for extremotolerance

Members of the family Chaetomiaceae are ubiquitous ascosporulating fungi commonly,which reside in soil enriched with manure or cellulosic materials.Their role as human pathogens is largely ignored.However,the ability of some species to grow at high temperature enables them to play an important role as opportunistic pathogens.The family contains several genera and species that have never been reported to cause human infection.Hereby,three new species are described;two belong to the genus Subramaniula and one represents a Chaetomium species.Subramaniula asteroides was isolated from various sources including eye and skin infections as well as from the natural environment,and S.obscura was isolated from a toe infection.Chaetomium anamorphosum was isolated from a kidney transplant patient suffering from fungal peritonitis.All species described were previously misidentified as Papulaspora spp.due to the formation of cellular clumps or bulbil-like structures,which are characteristic of Papulaspora.The isolates failed to form sexual fruit bodies and ascospores remained absent,which is an unusual feature for the generally ascosporulating genera Chaetomium and Subramaniula;minute conidia from phialides were sometimes observed.

Relationship between antifungal resistance of fluconazole resistant Candida albicans and mutations in ERG11 gene

Background The cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14a-demethylase （Ergllp） encoded by ERG11 gene is the primary target for azole antifungals. Changes in azole affinity of this enzyme caused by amino acid substitutions have been reported as a mechanism of azole antifungal resistance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between amino acid substitutions in Erg11 p from fluconazole resistant Candida a/bicans （C. albicans） isolates and their cross-resistance to azoles. Methods Mutations in ERG11 gene were screened in 10 clinical isolates of fluconazole resistant C. albicans strains. DNA sequence of ERG11 was determined by PCR based DNA sequencing. Results In the 10 isolates, 19 types of amino acid substitutions were found, of which 10 substitutions （F72S, F103L, F1451, F198L, G206D, G227D, N349S, F416S, F422L and T482A） have not been reported previously. Mutations in ERG11 gene were detected in 9 isolates of fluconazole resistant C. albicans, but were not detected in 1 isolate. Conclusions Although no definite correlation was found between the type of amino acid substitutions in Ergllp and the phenotype of cross-resistance to azoles, the substitutions F72S, F1451 and G227D in our study may be highly associated with resistance to azoles because of their special location in Erg11p.

Th and Treg response induced by Aspergillusfumigatus pulsed dendritic cells in vitro

Background Dendritic cells （DCs） can recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns （PAMP） of Aspergillus fumigatus （A. fumigatus）, activating the immune response. During A. fumigatus infection, a Th and Treg response induced in the fungi-pulsed DCs is not yet well understood. Methods In this study, bone marrow-derived dendritic cells （BMDCs） were separated and proliferated from C57BL/6 mice. A. fumigatus pulsed DCs were generated and cultured with CD4~ T cells derived from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice in vitro. CD4~ T cells differentiation after co-culture were analyzed by flow cytometry, ELISA, and real-time PCR analysis. Results The A. fumigatus pulsed DCs exhibited increased Thl and Treg frequency, Thl-related cytokines （IFN-y and IL- l2）, Treg-related cytokines （TGF-13） and T-bet, and Foxp3 mRNA levels compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between A. fumigatus pulsed DCs group and the control group about Th17 and Th2 frequency. Conclusions The inactivated conidia of A. fumigatus were able to activate BMDCs and made them capable of triggering T cell responses in vitro. A. fumigatus loaded DCs was a weak inducer of Th17 and Th2, but induced a strong Thl and Trea resDonse.

Differential mRNA expression of Sporothrix schenckii catalase gene in two growth phases and effect factors

Sporothrix schenckii （S. schenckii）, a dimorphic fungus, is the etiological agent of sporotrichosis. After entrance of microconidia or mycelial fragments into a mammalian host, the fungus differentiates into the parasitic yeast form. Meanwhile, several defensive signals would be triggered when the innate immune system was stimulated by S. schenckii invasion and microbe-specific phagocytosis. The success of S. schenckii infection partly depends on its ability to avoid oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species （ROS） released by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and activated macrophages. However, the antioxidant defense mechanisms of S. schenckii remains unknown. Catalases, one of the central enzymes involved in scavenging ROS via converting hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） to water and molecular oxygen, play an essential role in protecting intracellular pathogenic fungi against ROS and regulating growth and development in some fungi. No catalase in S. schenckii has been identified and characterized previously. Recently we have cloned a catalase homologous gene from the yeast form of S. schenckii and designated it Sscat. In this report,

Phylogeny and taxonomy of meristematic rock-inhabiting black fungi in the Dothideomycetes based on multi-locus phylogenies

The last decade has revealed an unexpected fungal diversity associated with natural rocks,often collected in environments influenced by harsh climatic conditions.Yet the phylogenetic affiliations and the taxonomy of many of these extreme fungi,mainly within Dothideomycetes,the largest class of Ascomycota,have only partially been described.In the present study we confirm that most rock inhabiting-fungi(RIF)are highly polyphyletic among Dothideomycetidae,mainly within the order Capnodiales,an order otherwise incorporating several families of major plant pathological importance.Novel taxa were identified within the two major and distinct clades of Teratosphaeriaceae,both comprising meristematic black fungi.Thirty one novel species and 13 new genera are proposed,based on ITS and partial nucLSU,RPB2 and BT2 sequences.

Dexamethasone increases susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus to hydrogen peroxide via down-regulation of Afyapl gene expression in vitro

Background Glucocorticoid is speculated to be able to have Aspergillus fumigatus （A. tum/gatus） I^e~ng more susceptible to reactive oxygen species （ROS） by inhibiting Afyapl, the transcription factor activating protein-1 （AP-1） homologue in A. fumigatus, which may provide a clue to expand the clinical use of glucocorticoid in patients with fungal infections. In this study, we used dexamethasone to determine the direct effect on oxidative killing susceptibility of A. fumigatus in vitro, as well as the expression level of Afyapl gene and its target genes （catalase and superoxide dismutase （SOD） genes）. Methods A. fumigatus spores were treated with different concentrations （0, 0.02, 0.2 mg/ml） of glucocorticoids and assigned to four groups （A： 0.5 hour, B： 2 hours, C： 7 hours, D： 16 hours） according to the time of treatment. The H202 oxidative killing assay was done, using the standard method-spot test, in each group of A. fumigatus. We measured the oxidative killing susceptibility as well as the expression level of the gene Afyapl, CATA, SOD1 and SOD2 in A. fumigatus at each group. The antifungal susceptibility to itraconazole and amphotericin B in each group of A. fumigatus was also measured with M38-A2 method. Results The oxidative killing susceptibility of A. fumigatus was increased, consistent with the reduction of Afyapl, CATA, SOD1 and SOD2 gene expression level after being treated with dexamethasone for 0.5 hours. However, these observations were disappeared along with being treated for longer time. The antifungal susceptibility to itraconazole and amphotericin B in the A. fumigatus strains treated with dexamethasone indicated no change, compared with those without dexamethasone treatment. Conclusion Dexamethasone can have A. fumigatus being more susceptible to ROS when treated for shorter period （0.5 to 2 hours） via the reduction of Afyapl gene expression as well as the down-stream enzyme-coding gene expression.

Taxonomy of Ochroconis, genus including opportunistic pathogens on humans and animals

The genus Ochroconis(Sympoventuriaceae,Venturiales)is revised and currently contains 13 species for which the phylogenetic position has been determined using multilocus sequencing.The older generic name Scolecobasidium is considered to be of doubtful identity because the type specimen is ambiguous.Within the Ochroconis lineage,phylogenetic distances of all markers analyzed are exceptionally large,both between and within species.A new genus Verruconis is proposed for the neurotropic opportunist Ochroconis gallopava.Species accepted within the lineages are keyed out on the basis of phenotypic characters.Main ecological traits within each species are discussed.Verruconis species are thermophilic and one of them is an important agent of infection in the brain,while Ochroconis is mesophilic,several species causing infections in cold-blooded animals.

Cyphellophora and its relatives in Phialophora: biodiversity and possible role in human infection

Cyphellophora is a genus of black yeast-like fungi characterised by having simple phialides with multiseptate,curved conidia.Judging from SSU and LSU data,Cyphellophora was found to be located in a well-supported clade within the Chaetothyriales comprising a number of species occurring on human skin and nail.Cyphellophora is phylogenetically close to Phialophora europaea,P.reptans and P.oxyspora,though morphologically these species produce singlecelled phialoconidia rather than multiseptate ones.Pseudomicrodochium suttonii and P.fusarioides have dark colonies and phylogenetically fit in with Cyphellophora;the type species of Pseudomicrodochium,P.aciculare,has similar,septate conidia but has a hyaline thallus.In the present study,multilocus phylogenetic analyses were combined with morphology and physiology.Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region,the DNA dependent RNA polymerase II largest subunit and the partial beta tubulin gene were analysed for a set of 30 strains.Two novel species,Cyphellophora pauciseptata and Phialophora ambigua were discovered.Cyphellophora eucalypti was reduced to synonymy of C.guyanensis.The role of the studied fungi between colonization and infection of human skin was discussed.Putative virulence factors for these black yeast-like fungi were hypothesized to be the ability to assimilate monoaromatic hydrocarbons,to produce melanin pigments,and to tolerate the temperature of epidermal human skin.

Insights into the role of gut microbiota in obesity： pathogenesis, mechanisms, and therapeutic perspectives

Concern about health risks associated with rising obesity has become nearly universal, with the mean body mass index （BMI） and the prevalence of obese and overweight individuals increasing substantially worldwide during the previous three decades. Unfortunately, prevention and treatment of obesity and related complications have proven complex, and successful strategies to tackle this pathology remain limited. Epidemiological studies have highlighted potential environmental exposures, including diet, energy expenditure, early life influences, sleep deprivation, endocrine disruptors, chronic inflammation, and microbiome sta- tus, contributing to higher risk of obesity （Franks and McCarthy, 2016）. Among these, the microbiome has received extensive attention during the previous decade.

Environmental siblings of black agents of human chromoblastomycosis

Agents of human chromoblastomycosis,a skin disease almost exclusively caused by members of the order Chaetothyriales,are assumed to be traumatically inoculated into the skin with sharp environmental materials such as plant thorns or wooden splinters carrying the respective opportunist.In the supposition that such fungi should have their main habitat in the environment,we investigated the occurrence of black fungi in living areas of patients with chromoblastomycosis.In South America Fonsecaea agents are prevalent as agents of the disease,while also related Cladophialophora species,known from other types of skin infections,are known from the continent.Ninety environmental isolates were preliminarily selected as possible agents of chromoblastomycosis,based on morphology.Judging from ITS sequence data isolates were attributed to the genera Cladophialophora,Cyphellophora,Exophiala,Fonsecaea,Phialophora,and Veronaea.A total of 45 fungi morphologically identified as Fonsecaea or Cladophialophora isolated from debris and thorns of living prickly plants in Brazil were processed for taxonomic studies.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolates indeed belonged to the Chaetothyriales,but only rarely an agent of chromoblastomycosis was concerned;only two strains of F.pedrosoi and one F.monophora were isolated from debris plants.The remaining isolates belonged to hitherto unknown molecular siblings of Fonsecaea.Two novel taxa are introduced.

Antifungal activity of ibuprofen against aspergillus species and its interaction with common antifungal drugs

Background The incidence of invasive aspergillosis （IA） has increased in frequency in immunocompromised patients with a variety of diseases. The poor prognosis might be due to limited treatment option. This study aimed to evaluate antifungal activity of ibuprofen against clinical isolates of aspergillus species, as well as its interaction with azoles or with amphotericin B or with micafungin. Methods Antifungal activity of ibuprofen against 10 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus terreus were tested with both disk diffusion assay and standard broth microdilution method. To determine whether ibuprofen combined with itraconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, or micafungin had interactive effects on aspergillus spp., we used both disk diffusion assay and Chequerboard method. Results As for disk diffusion method, ibuprofen produced a zone of growth inhibition with diameters of （20.1±3.9） mm at 48 hours of incubation. As for broth microdilution method, the minimal inhibitory concentration （MIC） ranges of ibuprofen against aspergillus spp. were 1000-2000 μg/ml, and the minimal fungicidal concentration （MFC） ranges of that was 2000-8000 μg/ml. For 2 of 5 isolates, when ibuprofen combined with itraconazole or voriconazole, the zones of growth inhibition were larger than those of the individual drug. The results of Chequerboard method showed that fractional inhibitory concentration index （FICI） ranges were 1.125-2.500. Conclusions Ibuprofen is active against aspergillus spp.. And ibuprofen does not affect the in vitro activity of itraconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B or micafungin against aspergillus spp.

Effects of U0126 on growth and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in Aspergillus fumigatus

Background Invasive aspergillosis （IA）, which is mainly caused by Aspergillus fumigatus （A. fumigatus）, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Despite considerable progress in currently available antifungals the mortality still remains high in critically ill patients. U0126 which is a highly selective inhibitor of MEK1 and MEK2 in the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in mammalian cells has been demonstrated to have an anti-proliferative role in cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of U0126 on growth inhibition and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPKs） in A. fumigatus. Methods Germination percentage and hyphae growth in A. fumigatus treated with U0126 were observed and compared with untreated controls. Western blotting analysis was used to detect changes in activation of SakA, MpkA and MpkB. Results U0126 inhibited germination and hyphae growth in A. fumigatus and enhanced the phosphorylation of SakA and MpkA under oxidative stress. U0126 at 10 pmol/L did not block the activation of MpkB during nitrogen starvation stress. Conclusion U0126 shows promise as an antifungal candidate and the MAPK pathway may be a possible antifungal drug target for A. fumigatus.

Trichosporon montevideense isolated from the descending colon of a patient with active severe Crohn disease:a case report

To the Editor:A 13-year-old girl with Crohn disease(CD)from Shandong Province transferred to our inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)center during April 2013.Three months previously,the patient presented with hematochezia and fever,but antibiotic treatment was unsuccessful.After admission,a colonoscopy indicated manifestations of segmental lesions,cobble stoning,and stricture[Figure 1 A].Cytomegalovirus,Epstein-Barr virus,Clostridium difficile^and amoebae were excluded as possible causes.There were also no indications of Behcet disease,systemic vasculitis,or other autoimmune diseases.Our initial diagnosis was active severe CD(Vienna typing,A1L3B2).This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of First Hospital of Peking University(No.2019153).An appropriate signed patient consent form was obtained.

Diversity and delimitation of Rhizopus microsporus

Rhizopus microsporus has been used for centuries in the production of oriental fermented foods,but the species is also known as a toxin producer and from severe human infections.To study the diversity and species delimitation of Rhizopus microsporus,48 isolates from the reference collection of the CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre,comprising nine environmental,ten clinical,and 23 foodborne strains,in addition to six strains from unknown sources and representing all existing varieties of the species,were examined.Sequence diversity was based on the internal transcribed spacer(ITS),and on a part of the actin(ACT)and translation elongation factor 1-α(TEF)genes.Differences in physiological properties were assessed including temperature relationships.Spore morphology was studied,mating type tests were performed,and MALDI-ToF profiles were generated.Clinical and food-associated strains as well as members of different varieties mated successfully and consequently they belong to a single biological species.Molecular differences did not match with any other parameter investigated.Based on these results the varieties of Rhizopus microsporus are reduced to synonyms.

Global ITS diversity in the Sporothrix schenckii complex

Molecular phylogeny has revealed that sporotrichosis is caused by several Sporothrix species which differ in clinical behavior.The complex is embedded within Ophiostoma,a genus mainly comprising fungi that live in association with bark beetles,but differs by a high virulence towards humans and other mammals.The different ecology is corroborated by phylogenetic separation.The aim of the present study was to determine the validity of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer(ITS)region as a marker for diagnostics of species in the clinical group,using betatubulin sequences to calibrate species delimitations.The topology of the two gene trees was concordant,and all clinically relevant Sporothrix species could easily be recognized by means of the ITS region.An increased geographic sampling did not affected delimitation success in the clinical clade of the S.schenckii complex.

Multilocus analysis of the Exophiala jeanselmei clade containing black yeasts involved in opportunistic disease in humans

To confirm species delimitations in the‘jeanselmeiclade’in the Chaetothyriales,four independent markers were analysed,and phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using different algorithms.Reproductive isolation within the complex and reproductive modes in the species involved were determined,in order to explore specific borderlines using Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition(GCPSR).Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer(ITS),partial Translation Elongation Factor 1-α(TEF1),β-Tubulin(BT2),and Actin(ACT1)genes were analysed for a set of 81 strains.Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed using neighbour-joining(NJ),maximum parsimony(MP),maximum likelihood(ML)and Bayesian analysis(BA)to evaluate the concordance of topologies obtained under different optimization criteria.Incongruence among lineages was detected by Partition Homogeneity Test(PHT).Most Exophiala species analysed in this study seemed to be preponderantly clonal.A group of species around Exophiala spinifera showed a tendency toward human pathogenicity,whereas species around E.bergeri were often associated with environments rich in hydrocarbons.Though the tree topologies were not completely identical when different algorithms were used,the four gene lineages were nearly congruent and the trees of the combined multilocus data set did not provide more phylogenetic information than those of separate data sets.ITS data are sufficient for identification of species in the‘jeanselmei-clade’.

Novel Phialophora species from leaf-cutting ants (tribe Attini)

Ants in the tribe Attini(Hymenoptera,Formicidae)maintain a 50 million-year-old lifestyle of co-evolution with symbiotic basidiomycetous fungi which they cultivate as essential source of nutrition.However,other microorganisms have been reported from ant habitats indicating a higher diversity of consistently associated species than established to date.Recently,black yeast-like fungi have been reported as a possible symbiont,like a competitor of the actinomycete bacteria that grow in the integument of the insects.During the mating season,gynes of Atta capiguara and A.laevigata were collected from nests located in Botucatu,SP,Brazil and sampled using flotation technique.Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS,partial 28S(LSU)andβ-tubulin sequences revealed the occurrence of two novel species of Phialophora among the melanized fungi isolated.