Structural analysis of novel trehalose-based oligosaccharides from extremely stress-tolerant ascospores of Neosartorya fischeri (Aspergillus fischeri).

Different fungi, including the genera Neosartorya, Byssochlamys and Talaromyces, produce (asco)spores that survive pasteurization treatments and are regarded as the most stress-resistant eukaryotic cells. Here, the NMR analysis of a series of trehalose-based oligosaccharides, being compatible solutes that are accumulated to high levels in ascospores of the fungus Neosartorya fischeri, is presented. These oligosaccharides consist of an α,α-trehalose backbone, extended with one [α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 ↔ 1)-α-D-Glcp; isobemisiose], two [α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 ↔ 1)-α-D-Glcp] or three [α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 ↔ 1)-α-D-Glcp] glucose units.

MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of black yeasts of the genus Exophiala.

In this study, we investigated the applicability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of Exophiala species. The analysis included a total of 110 Exophiala isolates, including 15 CBS strains representing 4 species, Exophiala dermatitidis (61), E. phaeomuriformis (36), E.

Application of the phylogenetic species concept to Wallemia sebi from house dust and indoor air revealed by multi-locus genealogical concordance.

A worldwide survey of Wallemia occurring in house dust and indoor air was conducted. The isolated strains were identified as W. sebi and W.

Analyses of black fungi by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS): species-level identification of clinical isolates of Exophiala dermatitidis.

Conventional mycological identifications based on the recognition of morphological characteristics can be problematic. A relatively new methodology applicable for the identification of microorganisms is based on the exploitation of taxon- specific mass patterns recorded from abundant cell proteins directly from whole-cell preparations, using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This study reports the application of MALDI-TOF MS for the differentiation and identifications of black yeasts, isolated from the respiratory tracts of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Neglected fungal zoonoses: hidden threats to man and animals.

Zoonotic fungi can be naturally transmitted between animals and humans, and in some cases cause significant public health problems. A number of mycoses associated with zoonotic transmission are among the group of the most common fungal diseases, worldwide. It is, however, notable that some fungal diseases with zoonotic potential have lacked adequate attention in international public health efforts, leading to insufficient attention on their preventive strategies.

Understanding fungal functional biodiversity during the mitigation of environmentally dispersed pentachlorophenol in cork oak forest soils.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is globally dispersed and contamination of soil with this biocide adversely affects its functional biodiversity, particularly of fungi - key colonizers. Their functional role as a community is poorly understood, although a few pathways have been already elucidated in pure cultures. This constitutes here our main challenge - elucidate how fungi influence the pollutant mitigation processes in forest soils.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 281-319.

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from South Africa: Alanphillipsia aloeicola from Aloe sp., Arxiella dolichandrae from Dolichandra unguiscati, Ganoderma austroafricanum from Jacaranda mimosifolia, Phacidiella podocarpi and Phaeosphaeria podocarpi from Podocarpus latifolius, Phyllosticta mimusopisicola from Mimusops zeyheri and Sphaerulina pelargonii from Pelargonium sp. Furthermore, Barssia maroccana is described from Cedrus atlantica (Morocco), Codinaea pini from Pinus patula (Uganda), Crucellisporiopsis marquesiae from Marquesia acuminata (Zambia), Dinemasporium ipomoeae from Ipomoea pes-caprae (Vietnam), Diaporthe phragmitis from Phragmites australis (China), Marasmius vladimirii from leaf litter (India), Melanconium hedericola from Hedera helix (Spain), Pluteus albotomentosus and Pluteus extremiorientalis from a mixed forest (Russia), Rachicladosporium eucalypti from Eucalyptus globulus (Ethiopia), Sistotrema epiphyllum from dead leaves of Fagus sylvatica in a forest (The Netherlands), Stagonospora chrysopyla from Scirpus microcarpus (USA) and Trichomerium dioscoreae from Dioscorea sp.

Revision of agents of black-grain eumycetoma in the order Pleosporales.

Eumycetoma is a chronic fungal infection characterised by large subcutaneous masses and the presence of sinuses discharging coloured grains. The causative agents of black-grain eumycetoma mostly belong to the orders Sordariales and Pleosporales. The aim of the present study was to clarify the phylogeny and taxonomy of pleosporalean agents, viz.

The Colletotrichum gigasporum species complex.

In a preliminary analysis, 21 Colletotrichum strains with large conidia preserved in the CBS culture collection clustered with a recently described species, C. gigasporum, forming a clade distinct from other currently known Colletotrichum species complexes. Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, ACT, TUB2, CHS-1, GAPDH) as well as each of the single-locus analyses resolved seven distinct species, one of them being C.

Novel Curvularia species from clinical specimens.

The fungal genus Curvularia includes numerous plant pathogens and some emerging opportunistic pathogens of humans. In a previous study we used morphology and sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) gene to identify species within a set of 99 clinical Curvularia isolates from the USA. Seventy-two isolates could be identified while the remaining 27 isolates belonged in three unclassified clades that were tentatively labelled Curvularia sp.

Moniliellomycetes and Malasseziomycetes, two new classes in Ustilaginomycotina.

Ustilaginomycotina (Basidiomycota, Fungi) has been reclassified recently based on multiple gene sequence analyses. However, the phylogenetic placement of two yeast-like genera Malassezia and Moniliella in the subphylum remains unclear. Phylogenetic analyses using different algorithms based on the sequences of six genes, including the small subunit (18S) ribosomal DNA (rDNA), the large subunit (26S) rDNA D1/D2 domains, the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS 1 and 2) including 5.

Introducing the Consolidated Species Concept to resolve species in the Teratosphaeriaceae.

The Teratosphaeriaceae represents a recently established family that includes numerous saprobic, extremophilic, human opportunistic, and plant pathogenic fungi. Partial DNA sequence data of the 28S rRNA and RPB2 genes strongly support a separation of the Mycosphaerellaceae from the Teratosphaeriaceae, and also provide support for the Extremaceae and Neodevriesiaceae, two novel families including many extremophilic fungi that occur on a diversity of substrates. In addition, a multi-locus DNA sequence dataset was generated (ITS, LSU, Btub, Act, RPB2, EF-1α and Cal) to distinguish taxa in Mycosphaerella and Teratosphaeria associated with leaf disease of Eucalyptus, leading to the introduction of 23 novel genera, five species and 48 new combinations.

Mycoparasitic species of Sphaerellopsis, and allied lichenicolous and other genera.

Species of Sphaerellopsis (sexual morph Eudarluca) are well-known cosmopolitan mycoparasites occurring on a wide range of rusts. Although their potential role as biocontrol agents has received some attention, the molecular phylogeny of the genus has never been resolved. Based on morphology and DNA sequence data of the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU, 28S) and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and 5.

Phacidium and Ceuthospora (Phacidiaceae) are congeneric: taxonomic and nomenclatural implications.

The morphologically diverse genus Ceuthospora has traditionally been linked to Phacidium sexual morphs via association, though molecular or cultural data to confirm this relationship have been lacking. The aim of this study was thus to resolve the relationship of these two genera by generating nucleotide sequence data for three loci, ITS, LSU and RPB2. Based on these results, Ceuthospora is reduced to synonymy under the older generic name Phacidium.

Disruption of photoautotrophic intertidal mats by filamentous fungi.

Ring-like structures, 2.0-4.8 cm in diameter, observed in photosynthetic microbial mats on the Wadden Sea island Schiermonnikoog (the Netherlands) showed to be the result of the fungus Emericellopsis sp.

Recognition of seven species in the Cryptococcus gattii/Cryptococcus neoformans species complex.

Phylogenetic analysis of 11 genetic loci and results from many genotyping studies revealed significant genetic diversity with the pathogenic Cryptococcus gattii/Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. Genealogical concordance, coalescence-based, and species tree approaches supported the presence of distinct and concordant lineages within the complex. Consequently, we propose to recognize the current C.

Sugar catabolism in Aspergillus and other fungi related to the utilization of plant biomass.

Fungi are found in all natural and artificial biotopes and can use highly diverse carbon sources. They play a major role in the global carbon cycle by decomposing plant biomass and this biomass is the main carbon source for many fungi. Plant biomass is composed of cell wall polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin) and lignin.

Molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans strains collected from a single institution in Lima, Peru.

Background: Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection with a worldwide distribution, mainly caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii.

Aims: To molecularly characterize the mating-types, serotypes, genotypes and antifungal susceptibility profiles of a set of retrospectively isolated C. neoformans strains from Lima, Peru.

Translation elongation factor 1-α gene as a potential taxonomic and identification marker in dermatophytes.

Intra- and interspecies variations of the translation elongation factor 1-α (Tef-1α) gene were evaluated as a new identification marker in a wide range of dermatophytes, which included 167 strains of 30 species. An optimized pan-dermatophyte primer pair was designed, and the target was sequenced. Consensus sequences were used for multiple alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis and the levels of intra- and interspecific nucleotide polymorphism were assessed.

Specific antifungal susceptibility profiles of opportunists in the Fusarium fujikuroi complex.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and assess the in vitro activity of eight drugs, including the new azole isavuconazole, against 81 strains representing 13 species of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex.

Methods: A total of 81 Fusarium spp. isolates, within the F.

Spectrum of Fusarium infections in tropical dermatology evidenced by multilocus sequencing typing diagnostics.

Fusarium species are emerging causative agents of superficial, cutaneous and systemic human infections. In a study of the prevalence and genetic diversity of 464 fungal isolates from a dermatological ward in Thailand, 44 strains (9.5%) proved to belong to the genus Fusarium.

Identification and nomenclature of the genus Penicillium.

Penicillium is a diverse genus occurring worldwide and its species play important roles as decomposers of organic materials and cause destructive rots in the food industry where they produce a wide range of mycotoxins. Other species are considered enzyme factories or are common indoor air allergens. Although DNA sequences are essential for robust identification of Penicillium species, there is currently no comprehensive, verified reference database for the genus.