Evaluation of a Novel Mitochondrial Pan- Marker for the Detection, Identification, Quantification, and Growth Stage Determination of Mucormycetes.

Mucormycosis infections are infrequent yet aggressive and serious fungal infections. Early diagnosis of mucormycosis and its discrimination from other fungal infections is required for targeted treatment and more favorable patient outcomes. The majority of the molecular assays use 18 S rDNA.

Factor H Binding Molecule Hgt1p - A Low Glucose-Induced Transmembrane Protein Is Trafficked to the Cell Wall and Impairs Phagocytosis and Killing by Human Neutrophils.

Complement is a tightly controlled arm of the innate immune system, facilitating phagocytosis and killing of invading pathogens. Factor H (FH) is the main fluid-phase inhibitor of the alternative pathway. Many pathogens can hijack FH from the host and protect themselves from complement-dependent killing.

Intrinsic short-tailed azole resistance in mucormycetes is due to an evolutionary conserved aminoacid substitution of the lanosterol 14α-demethylase.

Mucormycoses are emerging and potentially lethal infections. An increase of breakthrough infections has been found in cohorts receiving short-tailed azoles prophylaxis (e.g.

Pan-azole-resistant Candida tropicalis carrying homozygous erg11 mutations at position K143R: a new emerging superbug?

Objectives: Candidaemia is a public health problem mainly in hospitalized individuals worldwide. In Brazil, Candida albicans is the most prevalent species that causes candidaemia, followed by Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis . Few data on the abundance of antifungal resistance are available for Latin America.

SNaPBceBcon: a Practical Tool for Identification and Genotyping of Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia contaminans.

We propose an optimized protocol for an extensive population analysis of Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia contaminans. Seven new polymorphisms were added to the recently proposed SNaPBcen assay, and a total of 18 markers ensured the clear identification and distinction of B. cepacia and B.

Etest cannot be recommended for in vitro susceptibility testing of mucorales.

Amphotericin B and posaconazole susceptibility patterns were determined for the most prevalent Mucorales, following EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) broth microdilution guidelines. In parallel, Etest was performed and evaluated against EUCAST. The overall agreement of MICs gained with Etest and EUCAST was 75.

Feasibility of mini-sequencing schemes based on nucleotide polymorphisms for microbial identification and population analyses.

Practical schemes based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been proposed as alternatives to simplify and replace the molecular methodologies based on the extensive sequencing analysis of genes. SNaPshot mini-sequencing has been progressively experienced during the last decade and represents a fast and robust strategy to analyze critical polymorphisms. Such assays have been proposed to characterize some bacteria and microbial eukaryotes, and its feasibility was now reviewed in the present manuscript.

Susceptibility profiles of amphotericin B and posaconazole against clinically relevant mucorales species under hypoxic conditions.

The effect of hypoxic conditions on the in vitro efficacy of amphotericin B and posaconazole against Mucorales was evaluated by defining MICs with Etest and broth microdilution and identifying minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs). With Etest, oxygen-dependent changes were detected, while the MIC and the MFC determined with broth microdilution remained unaltered with reduced oxygen levels. The observed differences depended on the method used.

Laboratory diagnosis of mucormycosis: current status and future perspectives.

Fungal infections caused by members of the Mucorales order are rapidly progressing and fatal. The importance of mucormycosis has grown in recent years as the number of patients with predisposing factors has increased dramatically. Clinical symptoms are elusive and conventional techniques are often insensitive and unspecific; in particular, cultures are often negative even though direct microscopy is positive.

SNaPAfu: a novel single nucleotide polymorphism multiplex assay for aspergillus fumigatus direct detection, identification and genotyping in clinical specimens.

Objective: Early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis is essential for positive patient outcome. Likewise genotyping of fungal isolates is desirable for outbreak control in clinical setting. We designed a molecular assay that combines detection, identification, and genotyping of Aspergillus fumigatus in a single reaction.