Journal of Fungi最新文献

Scytalidiosis in humans primarily causes feet and nail infections, with systemic infections rarely reported. In dogs, only one systemic infection of Scytalidium spp. has been reported to date. A 3-year-old giant schnauzer presented with loss of appetite, lethargy, and hind limb lameness. A complete clinical examination was performed, along with hematobiochemical tests, radiography, CT, MRI, and cytological and microbiological analyses of it enlarged lymph nodes. Hyperglobulinemia, vertebral osteolysis, and generalized lymphadenomegaly were diagnosed. Cytopathological and molecular investigations confirmed Scytalidium. Although treated with itraconazole, the dog's condition worsened after a premature discontinuation of therapy, leading to euthanasia. A post-mortem and histopathological examination revealed widespread infection. This case highlights the need to consider fungal infections in cases of elevated β-2 protein.

Invasive candidiasis is a common fungal infection associated with multiple risk factors, such as cancer, neutropenia, corticosteroid therapy, catheterization, and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment. Candida albicans is the predominant causative agent, although other Candida species have been emerging in the last years, together with a rise in a number of strains resistant to the currently available antifungal drugs, which poses a challenge when treating these infections. Drug repurposing and drug combinations are promising strategies for the treatment of invasive mycoses. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the combination of fluconazole (FLZ) and cyclosporine A (CsA) against 39 clinical isolates and reference strains of Candida. Two methods, the Loewe additivity model and Bliss independence model, were used to assess the antifungal activity of the drug combination according to CLSI and EUCAST guidelines. The results demonstrated a synergistic effect between fluconazole (FLZ) and cyclosporine A (CsA) against 15-17 Candida isolates, depending on the evaluation model used, including FLZ-resistant strains of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. Notably, the combination significantly reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of FLZ in a substantial number of isolates, including those with resistance to FLZ. Additionally, time-kill curve studies confirmed the synergistic interaction, further validating the potential of this combination as an alternative therapeutic strategy for candidiasis treatment. These findings emphasize the importance of investigating innovative drug combinations to address the challenges posed by antifungal resistance and improve treatment options for invasive fungal infections.

Agrocybe cylindracea is an important mushroom highly valued as a functional food for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. Many bioactive extracts from A. cylindracea have been found to exhibit antitumor and antioxidant activities. This research investigated the distinct substrates that affected the physicochemical and biocomponent properties and biological efficiency of A. cylindracea. The substrates used were 48% giant juncao grass mixed with 30% Dicranopteris dichotoma grasses, 48% wasted tea leaves mixed with 30% sawdust, and 78% cottonseed hulls, all supplemented with 20% wheat bran and 2% lime. The findings indicated that A. cylindracea grown in the cotton seed hulls had a significant biological efficiency, at 35.8%, followed by the GD + DD (31.5%) and WTL + SD (28.7%). The ash content peaked in the fruiting bodies grown on giant juncao grass and D. dichotoma, while the fat content was highest in those grown on giant juncao grass and D. dichotoma, followed by wasted tea leaves and sawdust. The protein content was significantly higher in the fruiting bodies cultivated on wasted tea leaves and sawdust, followed by cottonseed hulls. The carbon dioxide emissions varied across substrates, with the highest emissions observed during the maturity stage of the fruiting bodies grown on giant juncao grass with D. dichotoma and wasted tea leaves and sawdust. Emissions decreased sharply 110 days after cultivation. Essential metabolites, such as dopamine and caffeine, were enriched in the fruiting bodies grown on wasted tea leaves, sawdust, and cottonseed hulls. In contrast, tyramine and uracil were enriched in those grown on cottonseed hulls.

Paracoccidiodomycosis (PCM) is the most important systemic mycosis in Brazil, and is usually associated with rural work. PCM is caused by inhalation of infective propagules of thermodimorphic fungi from the genus Paracoccidioides. In the past, it was believed that Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was the single species responsible for PCM cases. However, recent advances in molecular methods allowed the description of several new species, using phylogenetic concordance as the gold standard. Aside from P. brasiliensis sensu stricto, Paracoccidioides americana is also endemic in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate intraspecific genetic variability of Paracoccidioides isolates from patients diagnosed with PCM at a reference center for endemic mycoses in Rio de Janeiro state, from 2015 to 2021. Among the sixteen retrieved isolates, three (18.75%) were identified as P. americana and thirteen (81.25%) as P. brasiliensis sensu stricto. No intraspecific genetic variation was observed by the M-13 primer in P. americana isolates from this geographic region. However, P. brasiliensis sensu stricto isolates were clustered into two distinct molecular profiles, despite being grouped in a single clade in the phylogenetic tree after partial sequencing of arf and gp43 genes. The results suggest a single P. americana lineage and two P. brasiliensis populations causing PCM in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are one of the most commonly grown edible mushrooms using compost, which contains high concentrations of ammonia. In this study, inoculation of the oyster mushroom culture substrate with ammonia-assimilating bacterium Enterobacter sp. B12, either before or after composting, reduced the ammonia nitrogen content, increased the total nitrogen content of the compost, and enhanced the mushroom yield. Co-cultivation with P. ostreatus mycelia on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates containing 200 mM NH₄⁺, B12 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the mycelia and downregulated the expression of the ROS-generating enzymes NADPH oxidase A (NOXA) and the stress hormone ethylene synthase 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO). It also downregulated the expression of the ammonia-assimilating related genes in the mycelia, such as glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), glutamine synthetase (GS), ammonia transporter protein (AMT), and amino acid transporter protein (AAT), while upregulating its own ammonia-assimilation genes. These findings suggest that the mechanism by which B12 promoted oyster mushroom growth was that B12 assimilated ammonia, alleviated ammonia stress, mitigated ROS accumulation in the mycelia, and supplied ammonia and amino acids to the mycelia. To our knowledge, ammonia-assimilating bacteria are a novel type of mushroom growth promoter (MGP).

Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection which has a considerable impact on the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze onychomycosis cases with respect to fungal species, infection sites, and patient demographics such as age and sex. Furthermore, we assessed whether simple clinical and demographic data could predict positive results for mycological culture. A retrospective analysis of 2722 patients who had nail samples investigated with direct microscopy and mycological culture was performed. The fungi most frequently identified were Trichophyton rubrum in the toenails and Candida albicans in the fingernails, with a detailed incidence varying by age and sex. Predictive models, including logistic regression and k-nearest neighbors, did not provide clinically useful accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to perform confirmatory diagnostics before starting antifungal treatment.

Phallus impudicus is a fungus used as a medicine and nutrient-rich food. However, the shelf life of mature Phallus impudicus is only a few hours. Therefore, research on its preservation technology is essential for improving its economic value. This study investigated the effects of hexanal concentrations (25-100 μL/L) and treatment time (4-8 h) on the inhibition of peach-shaped Phallus impudicus (CK) maturation and found that the maturation rate was 25% under optimal conditions of 25 μL/L hexanal treatment for 6 h. Quantitative transcriptomic and lipidomic analyses were conducted among CK, mature Phallus impudicus (M-P), and hexanal-treated peach-shaped Phallus impudicus (H-P-P). In total, 2933 and 2746 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 156 and 111 differentially abundant lipids (DALs) were identified in CK vs. H-P-P and M-P vs. H-P-P, respectively. Functional analysis demonstrated that hexanal treatment inhibited phospholipase D gene expression and reduced phosphatidic acid abundance, thereby inhibiting the activation of the phosphatidylinositol signaling system and the signal amplification of the cell wall integrity mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These blocked signal transductions inhibited the gene expression of most β-glucanases, chitinases and chitin synthases, further affecting cell wall reconstruction. Moreover, hexanal treatment enhanced membrane stability by reducing the monogalactosyl diglyceride/digalactosyl diacylglycerol ratio and increasing the phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio. This study contributed to the development of hexanal treatment as a postharvest preservation technology for Phallus impudicus.

Lalguard C99 WP, based on the Cordyceps javanica BRM 27666 strain, is registered in Brazil for whitefly control. Spatial prediction is crucial for optimizing its field use and efficacy. In this study, the optimal temperature for mycelial growth and conidial production of C. javanica is 25-30 °C, with no growth at 33-35 °C. The highest nymphal mortality occurred at 25 and 30 °C, showing lower LT₅₀ values at 30 °C. Mycelial growth was similar at 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C when the fungus was exposed for 6 h and then transferred to a 27.4 °C environment; however, growth was slower at 35 °C with daily 6 h exposure alternating over 18 h at room temperature (mean of 28.5 °C). When the second instar whitefly nymphs were exposed for 6 h or 6 h daily at 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C, followed by 7 days at fluctuating temperatures (mean of 28.4-30.2 °C), nymphal mortality was similar across temperatures. Although other abiotic factors (solar radiation, humidity, rainfall, etc.) must be considered for fungal efficacy, spatial predictions based on fluctuating temperatures indicated that C. javanica is suitable for use throughout Brazil, though its performance varied at constant temperatures in different locations.

Olive trees are a cornerstone of Mediterranean agriculture but face significant threats from diseases such as Verticillium wilt and olive anthracnose. These diseases, caused by Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum spp., respectively, result in significant economic losses and degrade olive oil quality. While traditional chemical treatments present environmental risk, sustainable alternatives such as biological control agents (BCAs) are gaining attention. Epicoccum nigrum, an antagonistic fungus, has shown potential as a BCA due to its production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. This study aimed to observe whether E. nigrum has an antagonistic ability against V. dahliae and C. acutatum, and to elucidate the metabolic interactions between these fungi using NMR-based metabolomics. E. nigrum showed inhibitory effects on the growth of C. acutatum and V. dahlia of 44.97% and 38.73% respectively. Metabolomic profiling revealed distinct biochemical responses in E. nigrum, V. dahliae, and C. acutatum under mono- and dual-culture. Multivariate statistical analysis highlighted the metabolic shifts in mycelia and identified the primary metabolites, such as glutamine, 4-aminobutyrate, and phenylalanine that are involved in adaption for survival in stress conditions such as the presence of a competitor. The results could be important for a better understanding of the primary fungal metabolism, which is still poorly characterized. Further investigation is needed, but these results suggest that E. nigrum could serve as a BCA, offering a more sustainable approach to managing olive diseases.

Entomopathogenic fungi represent a valuable natural resource with significant potential as biological agents for pest management. However, different species or strains of fungi demonstrate varying effectiveness against specific targets. In this study, we assessed the impact of two fungal strains, Beauveria bassiana KN801 and KN802, on the rice planthoppers Ninaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera, in combination with insecticides. Our findings indicate that both B. bassiana strains can effectively infect the nymphs and adults of N. lugens and S. furcifera, resulting in a significantly higher mortality rate compared to the control groups. Notably, the B. bassiana strain KN801 demonstrated greater virulence than B. bassiana KN802 against these pests. However, no significant differences were observed when using different concentrations of the same fungal strain (B. bassiana KN801 or B. bassiana KN802) against these targets. Additionally, both fungi showed a germination rate of over 90% after treatment when combined with several common insecticides like chlorfenapyr and dinotefuran. The combined application of B. bassiana with chlorfenapyr or dinotefuran could improve pest control efficacy for these two pests. This study suggests that the two B. bassiana strains have the potential to infect rice planthoppers N. lugens and S. furcifera, indicating their promise as agents for the control of these pests.