一般社団法人神緑会事業報告

Primary central nervous system phaeohyphomycosis is a fatal fungal infection due mainly to the neurotropic melanized fungi Cladophialophora bantiana , Rhinocladiella mackenziei , and Exophiala dermatitidis. Despite the combination of surgery with antifungal treatment, the prognosis continues to be poor, with mortality rates ranging from 50 to 70%. Therefore, a search for a more-appropriate therapeutic approach is urgently needed. Our in vitro studies showed that with the combination of amphotericin B and flucytosine against these species, the median fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices for strains ranged from 0.25 to 0.38, indicating synergy. By use of Bliss independence analysis, a significant degree of synergy was confirmed for all strains, with the sum ΔE ranging from 90.2 to 698.61%. No antagonism was observed. These results indicate that amphotericin B, in combination with flucytosine, may have a role in the treatment of primary cerebral infections caused by melanized fungi belonging to the order Chaetothyriales . Further in vivo studies and clinical investigations to elucidate and confirm these observations are warranted

DNA barcoding of clinically relevant Cunninghamella species

Mucormycosis caused, in part, by representatives of the genus Cunninghamella is a severe infection with high mortality in patients with impaired immunity. Several species have been described in the literature as etiologic agents. A DNA barcoding study using ITS rDNA and tef-1α provided concordance of molecular data with conventional characters. The currently accepted Cunninghamella species were well supported in phylogenetic trees of both markers except for C. septata with ITS that clustered in the C. echinulata clade. Sequence variability was distinctly higher for the ITS than for tef-1α. Intraspecific ITS variability of some of the species exceeded that between some closely related species, but the marker remained applicable for species identification. The most variable species for both markers was C. echinulata. Cunninghamella bertholletiae is the main pathogenic species; infections by C. blakesleeana, C. echinulata, and C. elegans are highly exceptional

The genusAnthopsisand its phylogenetic position inChaetothyriales

The genus Anthopsis was introduced for a black fungus with peculiar, inverted phialides and triangular conidia. The genus accommodates, in addition to the type species Anthopsis deltoidea, which once was reported as a cause of human phaeohyphomycosis, two further taxa: A.catenata and A.microspora. Current taxonomy is mainly based on microscopic structures of phialides. To assess the phylogenetic position of the genus, sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region and partial LSU rDNA were obtained for Anthopsis spp. and compared with sequences from public databases. Phylogenetic analyses based on both loci were used to assess the evolutionary relationships of Anthopsis spp. at the family and ordinal levels. Anthopsis s.str. was found to cluster in Chaetothyriales, while A.catenata proved to be of helotialean affinity. Thermotolerance and morphology of each species were recorded.Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah [30-130-36-RG]SCI(E)ARTICLE4254-2596

Molecular diagnostics of arthroconidial yeasts-frequent pulmonary opportunists

WOS: 000434852700342

Identification time of species using rolling circle amplification (RCA) and sequencing of ITS.

<p>Identification time of species using rolling circle amplification (RCA) and sequencing of ITS.</p