Transcriptome-wide expression profiling of yeast and mycelial forms and the establishment of the Sporothrix Genome DataBase.

is a dimorphic fungus existing as mould in the environment and as yeast in the host. The morphological shift between mycelial/yeast phases is crucial for its virulence, but the transcriptional networks implicated in dimorphic transition are still not fully understood. Here, we report the global transcriptomic differences occurring between mould and yeast phases of , including changes in gene expression profiles associated with these distinct cellular phenotypes.

Infection caused by Sporothrix schenckii: an autochthonous case in Bari, Southern Italy.

An autochthonous case of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii is reported. The patient developed skin lesions localized along the lymphatics that appeared after he suffered an injury while collecting wicker canes in marshy water. The fungus was identified as Sporothrix schenckii by MALDI-TOF and sequencing.

Genotypes and population genetics of cryptococcus neoformans and cryptococcus gattii species complexes in Europe and the mediterranean area.

A total of 476 European isolates (310 Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, 150 C. neoformans var.

Looking for New Antifungal Drugs from Flavonoids: Impact of the Genetic Diversity of Candida albicans on the in-vitro Response.

Background: In an era in which antimicrobial resistance is increasing at an alarming pace, it is very important to find new antimicrobial agents effective against pathogenic microrganisms resistant to traditional treatments. Among the notable breakthroughs in the past years of research in natural-drug discovery, there is the identification and testing of flavonoids, a group of plant-derived substances capable of promoting many beneficial effects on humans. These compounds show different biological activities such as inhibition of neuroinflammation and tumor growth as well as antimicrobial activity against many microbial pathogens.

Fundamental niche prediction of the pathogenic yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Europe.

Fundamental niche prediction of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Europe is an important tool to understand where these pathogenic yeasts have a high probability to survive in the environment and therefore to identify the areas with high risk of infection. In this study, occurrence data for C. neoformans and C.

Whole RNA-Sequencing and Transcriptome Assembly of Candida albicans and Candida africana under Chlamydospore-Inducing Conditions.

Candida albicans is the most common cause of life-threatening fungal infections in humans, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Crucial to its success as an opportunistic pathogen is the considerable dynamism of its genome, which readily undergoes genetic changes generating new phenotypes and shaping the evolution of new strains. Candida africana is an intriguing C.

Whole-Genome Sequencing and In Silico Analysis of Two Strains of Sporothrix globosa.

Sporothrix globosa is a thermo-dimorphic fungus belonging to a pathogenic clade that also includes Sporothrix schenckii, which causes human and animal sporotrichosis. Here, we present the first genome assemblies of two S. globosa strains providing data for future comparative genomic studies in pathogenic Sporothrix species.

Environmental distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii around the Mediterranean basin.

In order to elucidate the distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii in the Mediterranean basin, an extensive environmental survey was carried out during 2012-2015. A total of 302 sites located in 12 countries were sampled, 6436 samples from 3765 trees were collected and 5% of trees were found to be colonized by cryptococcal yeasts.

Molecular characterization of environmental Cryptococcus neoformans VNII isolates in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are encapsulated yeasts able to cause fatal neurological infections in both human and other mammals. Cryptococcosis is the most common fungal infection of the central nervous system and has a huge burden in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Bird excreta are considered an environmental reservoir for C.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Dimorphic Fungus Sporothrix pallida, a Nonpathogenic Species Belonging to Sporothrix, a Genus Containing Agents of Human and Feline Sporotrichosis.

Sporothrix pallidais considered to be a mostly avirulent environmental fungus, phylogenetically closely related to the well-known pathogenSporothrix schenckii Here, we present the first assembly of its genome, which provides a valuable resource for future comparative genomic studies between nonpathogenic and pathogenicSporothrixspp.

Multilocus microsatellite analysis of European and African Candida glabrata isolates.

This study aimed to elucidate the genetic relatedness and epidemiology of 127 clinical and environmental Candida glabrata isolates from Europe and Africa using multilocus microsatellite analysis. Each isolate was first identified using phenotypic and molecular methods and subsequently, six unlinked microsatellite loci were analyzed using automated fluorescent genotyping. Genetic relationships were estimated using the minimum-spanning tree (MStree) method.

Molecular Characterization of the N-Acetylglucosamine Catabolic Genes in Candida africana, a Natural N-Acetylglucosamine Kinase (HXK1) Mutant.

Background: In this study we report the genetic characterization, including expression analysis, of the genes involved in the uptake (NGT1) and catabolism (HXK1/NAG5, DAC1/NAG2, NAG1) of the aminosugar N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in Candida africana, a pathogenic biovariant of Candida albicans that is naturally unable to assimilate the GlcNAc.

Results: DNA sequence analysis of these genes revealed a number of characteristic nucleotide substitutions including a unique and distinctive guanine insertion that shifts the reading frame and generates a premature stop codon (TGA) 154 bp downstream of the ATG start codon of the HXK1 gene encoding the GlcNAc-kinase, a key enzyme of the GlcNAc catabolic pathway. However, all examined genes produced transcripts even though different levels of expression were observed among the Candida isolates examined.

Molecular characterization of patulin producing and non-producing Penicillium species in apples from Morocco.

The isolation of patulin-producing Penicillia in apples collected in different markets in four localities in Morocco is reported. Fungi were identified by β-tubulin sequencing and further characterized using a specific PCR-based method targeting the isoepoxydon dehydrogenase (IDH) gene to discriminate between patulin-producing and non-producing strains. Production of patulin was also evaluated using standard cultural and biochemical methods.

Evaluation of T3B fingerprinting for identification of clinical and environmental Sporothrix species.

In this study, PCR fingerprinting using the universal primer T3B was applied to distinguish among clinical and environmental species of the Sporothrix complex, Sporothrix brasiliensis, S. globosa, S. mexicana, S.

Current methods for identifying clinically important cryptic Candida species.

In recent years, the taxonomy of the most important pathogenic Candida species (Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida glabrata) has undergone profound changes due to the description of new closely-related species. This has resulted in the establishment of cryptic species complexes difficult to recognize in clinical diagnostic laboratories. The identification of these novel Candida species seems to be clinically relevant because it is likely that they differ in virulence and drug resistance.

Potential association of specific Candida parapsilosis genotypes, bloodstream infections and colonization of health workers' hands.

Fungal nosocomial infections continue to be a serious problem among hospitalized patients, decreasing quality of life and adding millions of euros to healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of fungi associated with the hands of healthcare workers and to genotype Candida parapsilosis isolates in order to understand whether their high clinical prevalence stems from endemic nosocomial genotypes or from the real emergence of epidemiologically-unrelated strains. Approximately 39% (50/129) of healthcare workers were positive for yeasts and among 77 different fungal isolates recovered, C.

Looking for Candida nivariensis and C. bracarensis among a large Italian collection of C. glabrata isolates: results of the FIMUA working group.

Two recently described pathogenic Candida species, C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis, share many phenotypic characteristics with C.

Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex in southern Italy: an overview on the environmental diffusion of serotypes, genotypes and mating-types.

Given the lack of comprehensive molecular epidemiology studies in Reggio Calabria and Messina, Italy, we decided to perform an extensive environmental sampling to describe the current molecular epidemiology of C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex in southern Italy.

Isolation and molecular characterization of Candida africana from Jos, Nigeria.

During a survey of the prevalence of Candida spp. in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, two atypical C. albicans isolates were recovered.

Molecular characterization of Italian Candida parapsilosis isolates reveals the cryptic presence of the newly described species Candida orthopsilosis in blood cultures from newborns.

The authors report the molecular characterization of Candida parapsilosis isolates recovered from the blood and venous central catheter tips of patients admitted to different care units of the Polyclinic Hospital, University of Messina, Italy. Among 97 presumed C. parapsilosis isolates examined, 94 were identified as C.

New insight into molecular phylogeny and epidemiology of Sporothrix schenckii species complex based on calmodulin-encoding gene analysis of Italian isolates.

In this study, we investigated phylogenetic relationships among Italian Sporothrix schenckii isolates, by comparing their partial calmodulin sequences. In this analysis, we used 26 environmental strains of S. schenckii, plus two autochthonous clinical isolates.

Environmental isolation of Cryptococcus gattii serotype B, VGI/MATα strains in southern Italy.

Until recently, Cryptococcus gattii was believed to be endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. To date, it has unexpectedly emerged as primary pathogen in temperate climate indicating that it has evolved and adapted to new environmental conditions including those existing in the Mediterranean area. Earlier attempts to isolate C.

Actinomadura pelletieri mycetoma--an atypical case with spine and abdominal wall involvement.

We describe a case of mycetoma caused by Actinomadura pelletieri with simultaneous involvement of the spine, abdominal wall and retroperitoneal space in a man who had suffered from 'Madura foot' 10 years earlier. The characteristics of this case were analysed and contextualized among those of other cases of mycetoma caused by other micro-organisms found through a review of the international literature. The rarity of the disease in industrialized countries and its possible atypical presentations may hinder a prompt diagnosis.