Transcription Factors Tec1 and Tec2 Play Key Roles in the Hyphal Growth and Virulence of Mucor lusitanicus Through Increased Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism.

Mucormycosis is a lethal and difficult-to-treat fungal infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Mucor lusitanicus, a member of Mucorales, is commonly used as a model to understand disease pathogenesis. However, transcriptional control of hyphal growth and virulence in Mucorales is poorly understood.

An Autochthonous Susceptible Clade I Otomycosis Case in Iran.

is a newly emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen considered to be a serious global health threat. Due to diagnostic challenges, there is no precise estimate for the prevalence rate of this pathogen in Iran. Since 2019, only six culture-proven cases have been reported from Iran, of which, five belonged to clade V and one to clade I.

Extracellular Delivery of Functional Mitochondria Rescues the Dysfunction of CD4 T Cells in Aging.

Mitochondrial dysfunction alters cellular metabolism, increases tissue oxidative stress, and may be principal to the dysregulated signaling and function of CD4 T lymphocytes in the elderly. In this proof of principle study, it is investigated whether the transfer of functional mitochondria into CD4 T cells that are isolated from old mice (aged CD4 T cells), can abrogate aging-associated mitochondrial dysfunction, and improve the aged CD4 T cell functionality. The results show that the delivery of exogenous mitochondria to aged non-activated CD4 T cells led to significant mitochondrial proteome alterations highlighted by improved aerobic metabolism and decreased cellular mitoROS.

Single-cell quantitative bioimaging of liver stage translation.

parasites cause malaria in humans. New multistage active antimalarial drugs are needed, and a promising class of drugs targets the core cellular process of translation, which has many potential molecular targets. During the obligate liver stage, parasites grow in metabolically active hepatocytes, making it challenging to study core cellular processes common to both host cells and parasites, as the signal from the host typically overwhelms that of the parasite.

Port implantation-related bloodstream infection caused by : A case report.

Background And Purpose: is a new opportunistic yeast previously named , which belongs to the order Saccharomycetales. Since its discovery, one environmental isolate of has been reported from Myanmar, and one clinical sample from Iran.

Case Report: We report a case of bloodstream infection related to an implantable venous access port.

Population structure and genetic diversity of isolates obtained from the United States.

Diseases caused by the zoonotic pathogen are an extensive economic problem as well as an animal welfare concern for the global swine industry. Previous studies have evaluated the genomic diversity and population structure of isolates, however, the majority of these studies utilized isolates obtained from countries other than the U.S.

In-vivo efficiency of the novel azole compounds (ATTAF-1 and ATTAF-2) against systemic candidiasis in a murine model.

Background: Antifungal resistance is the main health concern in the control of invasive fungal infections. This research was designed to further assess the antifungal activity of aryl-1,2,4-triazole-3-ylthio analogs of fluconazole (ATTAFs) against Candida albicans systemic candidiasis in the murine model.

Materials & Methods: The murine model of systemic candidiasis was designed via the inoculation of 1 × 10 CFU of Candida albicans.

Central nervous system Aspergillus quadrilineatus infection in a COVID-19 patient, a case report and literature review.

Background: Viral pneumonia such as COVID-19-associated aspergillosis could increase susceptibility to fungal super-infections in critically ill patients.

Methods: Here we report a pediatric case of Aspergillus quadrilineatus cerebral infection in a recently diagnosed COVID-19-positive patient underlying acute lymphocytic leukemia. Morphological, molecular methods, and sequencing were used to identify this emerging species.

High-Throughput Screening of the Repurposing Hub Library to Identify Drugs with Novel Inhibitory Activity against and Biofilms.

Candidiasis is one of the most frequent nosocomial infections affecting an increasing number of at-risk patients. remains the most frequent causative agent of candidiasis, but, in the last decade, has emerged as a formidable multi-drug-resistant pathogen. Both species are fully capable of forming biofilms, which contribute to resistance, increasing the urgency for new effective antifungal therapies.

A peptide-binding domain shared with an Antarctic bacterium facilitates human cell binding and intestinal colonization.

the causative agent of the disease cholera, is responsible for multiple pandemics. binds to and colonizes the gastrointestinal tract within the human host, as well as various surfaces in the marine environment (e.g.

A Customized Human Mitochondrial DNA Database (hMITO DB v1.0) for Rapid Sequence Analysis, Haplotyping and Geo-Mapping.

The field of mitochondrial genomics has advanced rapidly and has revolutionized disciplines such as molecular anthropology, population genetics, and medical genetics/oncogenetics. However, mtDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis for matrilineal haplotyping and phylogeographic inference remains hindered by the lack of a consolidated mitogenome database and an efficient bioinformatics pipeline. To address this, we developed a customized human mitogenome database (hMITO DB) embedded in a CLC Genomics workflow for read mapping, variant analysis, haplotyping, and geo-mapping.

Development of an Imaging Flow Cytometry Method for Fungal Cytological Profiling and Its Potential Application in Antifungal Drug Development.

Automated imaging techniques have been in increasing demand for the more advanced analysis and efficient characterization of cellular phenotypes. The success of the image-based profiling method hinges on assays that can rapidly and simultaneously capture a wide range of phenotypic features. We have developed an automated image acquisition method for fungal cytological profiling (FCP) using an imaging flow cytometer that can objectively measure over 250 features of a single fungal cell.

Single-cell quantitative bioimaging of liver stage translation.

parasite resistance to existing antimalarial drugs poses a devastating threat to the lives of many who depend on their efficacy. New antimalarial drugs and novel drug targets are in critical need, along with novel assays to accelerate their identification. Given the essentiality of protein synthesis throughout the complex parasite lifecycle, translation inhibitors are a promising drug class, capable of targeting the disease-causing blood stage of infection, as well as the asymptomatic liver stage, a crucial target for prophylaxis.

In vitro combination of antifungal drugs with tacrolimus (FK506) holds promise against clinical Candida species, including Candida auris.

In vitro interactions between tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, and fluconazole, itraconazole, caspofungin, or anidulafungin were evaluated against Candida auris, C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C.

The hospitalization rate and clinical characteristics of mucormycosis prior and during COVID-19 pandemic: A single-center study.

Introduction: There have been some reports of the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and mucormycosis. This study aims to compare the hospitalization rates and clinical characteristics of mucormycosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: In this retrospective study, we compared the hospitalization rate of mucormycosis patients in Namazi hospital in Southern Iran for two periods of 40 months.

Screening the medicine for malaria venture's Pandemic Response Box to identify novel inhibitors of Candida albicans and Candida auris biofilm formation.

Candida spp. are opportunistic yeasts capable of forming biofilms, which contribute to resistance, increasing the urgency for new effective antifungal therapies. Repurposing existing drugs could significantly accelerate the development of novel therapies against candidiasis.

Histone modification analysis reveals common regulators of gene expression in liver and blood stage merozoites of Plasmodium parasites.

Gene expression in malaria parasites is subject to various layers of regulation, including histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). Gene regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied during the main developmental stages of Plasmodium parasites inside erythrocytes, from the ring stage following invasion to the schizont stage leading up to egress. However, gene regulation in merozoites that mediate the transition from one host cell to the next is an understudied area of parasite biology.

A new tractable method for generating human alveolar macrophage-like cells to study lung inflammatory processes and diseases.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are unique lung resident cells that contact airborne pathogens and environmental particulates. The contribution of human AMs (HAMs) to pulmonary diseases remains poorly understood due to the difficulty in accessing them from human donors and their rapid phenotypic change during culture. Thus, there remains an unmet need for cost-effective methods for generating and/or differentiating primary cells into a HAM phenotype, particularly important for translational and clinical studies.

Acute inflammation alters lung lymphocytes and potentiates innate-like behavior in young mouse lung CD8 T cells, resembling lung CD8 T cells from old mice.

Inflammation plays a significant role in lung infection including that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in which both adaptive and innate lymphocytes can affect infection control. How inflammation affects infection is understood in a broad sense, including inflammaging (chronic inflammation) seen in the elderly, but the explicit role that inflammation can play in regulation of lymphocyte function is not known. To fill this knowledge gap, we used an acute lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in young mice and studied lymphocyte responses, focusing on CD8 T cell subsets.

Antifungal therapy of biofilms: Past, present and future.

Virtually all species linked to clinical candidiasis are capable of forming highly resistant biofilms on different types of surfaces, which poses an additional significant threat and further complicates therapy of these infections. There is a scarcity of antifungal agents, and their effectiveness, particularly against biofilms, is limited. Here we provide a historical perspective on antifungal agents and therapy of biofilms.

Catheter-associated blood stream infections due to Candida pararugosa in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia: A case report.

Infections caused by uncommon Candida species have dramatically increased in recent decades, mostly among hematological malignancies. This report aims to present a case of Candida pararugosa bloodstream infection, review previous cases with C. pararugosa infections, and provide a concise review of the clinical background, risk factors, and brief the management of infections.

Potential Inhibitory Effect of Miltefosine against Terbinafine-Resistant .

Several prolonged and significant outbreaks of dermatophytosis caused by , a new emerging terbinafine-resistant species, have been ongoing in India in recent years, and have since spread to various countries outside Asia. Miltefosine, an alkylphosphocholine, is the most recently approved drug for the treatment of both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Miltefosine in vitro activity against terbinafine-resistant and susceptible / species complex, including , is limited.