Molecular identification of fungi

Mitigation of fungal biodeterioration on paper documents and artworks represents a challenge to conservators worldwide. Numerous lists of fungal species have been identified from paper collections, but are those species responsible for the respective biodeterioration phenomena or just environmental contaminants? The present work was aimed at obtaining an association between specific fungal stains and causative fungal species. 23 stains from three paper documents were sampled. Fungal structures observed in situ with optical and scanning electron microscopy were compared with the identification of isolates by molecular biology tools. Correlation between the observed fungal structures and the identified fungal isolates was achieved, varying from 13% to 64% of the samples within the three studied documents. Grey/black and dark brown stains were associated with Chaetomium globosum, C. murorum, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. commune, Myxotrichum deflexum and Stachybotrys chartarum. Eurotium ...

Background: There are several conventional, immunological and molecular techniques to diagnose the fungi that cause aspergillosis in biological samples; these methods have some advantages and disadvantages. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate different methods used in identification and diagnosis of fungi causing aspergillosis. Materials and Methods: Male Western Albino rats were provided by Animal Care Unit at Faculty of Pharmacy, King Saud University. After adaptation for a reasonable period, rat's immunity was debilitated by injection of cyclophosphamide (i.p.); the infection was induced by injecting (i.v.) the prepared suspension of Aspergillus fumigatus spores. Blood samples, lung tissue, lung fluid smears and nasal fluid smears were obtained during the periods before and after injection. Isolation of fungus was carried out by synthetic media; and macro-and microcharacteristics were studied to identify the fungus. Enzyme-linked immunesorbent (ELISA) and LightCycler-based PCR was employed to check the existence of the fungus in blood samples. Results: The results indicated that all methods were unable to diagnose the A. fumigatus on the following day of infection except ELISA method; however, culturing methods varied according to the type of vital samples where lung tissue and lung fluid smears were the best. Moreover, more than half of the samples used in the culturing techniques had negative results. The highest rate of the cases diagnosed by ELISA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was recorded during the second week following the infection, and then it declined gradually till the end of the experiment. The molecular methods showed high efficiency followed by ELISA. Conclusions: It could be concluded that the best methods to identify A. fumigatus were molecular methods; however, the early diagnosis requires the enzymatic-immunological methods (ELISA). The current study recommends the integration among all possible techniques whenever the facilities are available. But when only microbiological methods are used, samples should be collected from different organs of the infected hosts.

Resumen: Se  presenta un panorama general del desarrollo de la micoquímica mexicana a través del recuento de algunos de sus principales trabajos hasta la fecha, tomando en cuenta como fuente central de información los archivos de la revista Scientia Fungorum en sus distintas épocas (1968-2018), complementando lo anterior, con estudios publicados por científicos mexicanos en las principales revistas indexadas en el área. : An overview of the development of Mexican mycochemistry is presented through the recount of some of its main works to date, taking into account as a central source of information the archives of the journal Scientia Fungorum in its different periods (1968-2018), complementing the above, with studies published by Mexican scientists in the main journals indexed in the area.

Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Species from different fungal genera have been indicated as responsible for the development of trunk diseases of grapevines. Greeneria uvicola is responsible for the bitter rot of Vitis vinifera grape bunchesnear harvest, and can also attack other Vitis species. In Uruguay, G. uvicola was isolated from dead arm affected grapevines and as an endophyte from healthy canes. Cadophora luteo-olivacea is a phialophora-likeascomycete with a wide distribution that was isolated from asymptomatic wood tissues in Vitis and Petridisease-affected nursery plants in Uruguay. Pathogenicity of isolates of both species was evaluated on Vitis vinifera cv. Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, and rootstocks SO4 and 3309C. Specific primers were developed for the ITS rDNA region for both species. Number of plants showing discoloration, length of discoloration, number of re-isolations and amplifications confirmed the pathogenicity of G. uvicola isolates. Pathogenicityof the...

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the emerging staple crops in Pakistan, with Punjab
producing over 95% of the country’s potatoes. Wilt is an emerging threat to the potato crop worldwide,
including in Pakistan. We identified and characterized Fusarium species associated with potato wilt
in Pakistan through morphological and molecular analyses. Samples were collected during the
2020–2022 potato seasons from five major potato-growing regions: Sahiwal, Chichawatni, Pakpattan,
Kamalia, and Faisalabad. Morphological characterization, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing,
specific translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were used to
identify six different Fusarium species: F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. incarnatum, F. fujikuroi, F. annulatum
and F. thapsinum. Pathogenicity tests in a greenhouse revealed that F. oxysporum and F. equiseti were
responsible for Fusarium wilt in all sampled regions, with F. oxysporum being more prevalent in
wilted samples. This is the first report of F. equiseti on wilted potatoes in Pakistan. In vitro biocontrol
tests using Trichoderma harzianum showed 89% inhibition against F. equiseti and 65% inhibition against
F. oxysporum. These findings on F. equiseti will aid in developing future control strategies, including
biocontrol measures for Fusarium wilt in potatoes.

Rumen has a complex microbial ecosystem which contains bacteria, archea, protozoa, fungi, and bacteriophage. Plant material that enters rumen was fermented by rumen microorganisms and anaerobic fungi, which are a member of rumen microorganisms, were resembled with 20 species belongs to 6 genera. Anaerobic fungi have two reproduction types as monocentric and polycentric growth. Vegetative thalluses could contain spherical or mycelial rhizoidal system. Classification of anaerobic fungi has remained controversial because of anaerobic life style and life cycle with two stages. Recent studies have separated the rumen fungi in a new phylum Neocallimastigomycota. Transfer of strictly anaerobic fungi between herbivores has not been clarified yet. This review was focused on the investigations about taxonomy and life cycle of rumen fungi, transfer between herbivores and interactions with the other rumen microorganisms.

Özet: Rumen bakteri, arkea, protozoa, fungus ve bakteriyofajlardan oluşan kompleks bir mikrobiyal ekosisteme sahiptir. Rumende besin maddelerinin fermantasyonunu gerçekleştiren rumen mikroorganizmaları içerisinde anaerobik funguslar 6 cins altında 20 tür ile temsil edilmektedir. Anaerobik ...

To further our understanding of wood decay in living light red meranti (Shorea smithiana) trees, microscopic characteristics of the cell and cell wall degradations of S. smithiana wood in the presence of the decay fungi, the identity of the causal fungi, and the decay potential and pattern by an isolated fungus were investigated. Cell wall degradations, including cell wall thinning, bore holes formation, rounded pit erosion, and eroded channel opening were clearly observed under light and scanning electron microscopy. In transverse view, many large voids resulting from a coalition of degraded wood tissue appeared in the decayed canker zone. All these observations suggest the well-known simultaneous decay pattern caused by white-rot fungi. By phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA, a basidiomycete fungus isolated from the decayed wood was identifi ed as Schizophyllum commune. The degradation caused by this fungus on sound S. smithiana wood in an in situ laboratory decay test was classifi ed as the early stage of simultaneous decay, and showed a similar pattern to that observed in the wood samples naturally decayed.

The mold Fusarium is a ubiquitous fungus causing plant, animal and human infections. In humans, Fusarium spp. are the major cause of eye infections in patients wearing contact lenses or after local trauma. Systemic infections by Fusarium spp. mainly occur in immunosuppressed patients and can disseminate throughout the human body. Due to high levels of resistance to antifungals a fast identification of the causative agent is an urgent need. By using a probe-based real-time PCR assay specific for the genus Fusarium we analysed several different clinical specimens detecting Fusarium spp. commonly found in clinical samples in Germany. Also, a large collection of lung fluid samples of haematological patients was analysed (n = 243). In these, two samples (0.8%) were reproducibly positive, but only one could be confirmed by sequencing. For this case of probable invasive fungal disease (IFD) culture was positive for Fusarium species. Here we describe a rapid, probe-based real-time PCR assay...

Tubers of terrestrial orchids are harvested and traded from the eastern Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea for the traditional product Salep. Over-exploitation of wild populations and increased middle-class prosperity have escalated prices for Salep, causing overharvesting, depletion of native populations and providing an incentive to expand harvesting to untapped areas in Iran. Limited morphological distinctiveness among traded Salep tubers renders species identification impossible, making it difficult to establish which species are targeted and affected the most. In this study, a reference database of 490 nrITS, trnL-F spacer and matK sequences of 133 taxa was used to identify 150 individual tubers from 31 batches purchased in 12 cities in Iran to assess species diversity in commerce. The sequence reference database consisted of 211 nrITS, 158 trnL-F, and 121 matK sequences, including 238 new sequences from collections made for this study. The markers enabled unambiguous species ide...

To further our understanding of wood decay in living light red meranti (Shorea smithiana) trees, microscopic characteristics of the cell and cell wall degradations of S. smithiana wood in the presence of the decay fungi, the identity of the causal fungi, and the decay potential and pattern by an isolated fungus were investigated. Cell wall degradations, including cell wall thinning, bore holes formation, rounded pit erosion, and eroded channel opening were clearly observed under light and scanning electron microscopy. In transverse view, many large voids resulting from a coalition of degraded wood tissue appeared in the decayed canker zone. All these observations suggest the well-known simultaneous decay pattern caused by white-rot fungi. By phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA, a basidiomycete fungus isolated from the decayed wood was identifi ed as Schizophyllum commune. The degradation caused by this fungus on sound S. smithiana wood in an in situ laboratory decay test was classifi ed as the early stage of simultaneous decay, and showed a similar pattern to that observed in the wood samples naturally decayed.

Mortierella and Umbelopsis species are particularly active in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis as they are able to produce many ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs. Genetic manipulation of the lipid production to generate PUFA overproducing strains and strains with altered PUFA profile requires well-established transformation systems and reliable selectable markers. Therefore, we screened different antifungal agents, which can be used for selection in further transformation experiments. Hygromycin B, carboxin, pyrithiamine and nourseothricin susceptibility of several Mortierella and Umbelopsis isolates was investigated using a broth microdilution method. Pyrithiamine was totally ineffective against all isolates while the other three antifungal agents were active against Mortierella and Umbelopsis strains. Several Mortierella isolates represented high sensitivity to hygromycin B whilst nourseothricin was rather active against Umbelopsis species. Carboxin inhibited the hyphal growth and the spore germination of all isolates completely in low concentrations.

Fern epiphytes exposed to light-and water-deprived environments are common. Drynaria is an epiphytic fern found in such habitats. One of its unique ecophysiological adaptation is their association with fungi. This research is one of the few studies that explored the phylogenetic relationship, colonization, occurrence and diversity of symbiotic fungi found in D. quercifolia. Genomic DNA of the RSF was extracted, and the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region of the 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were sequenced. Five isolates were recorded. All the isolates were identified up to the species level using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool program to their closest type available on NCBI databank. These five isolates are under two genera: Trichoderma and Aspergillus. Their phylogenetic relationship was determined using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA6) and two distinct monophyletic groups were formed: Sordariomycetes and Eurotiomycetes. The computed colonization rate (100%) implies their abundance in the roots of D. quercifolia where species of the genus Trichoderma and Aspergillus were found to occur very frequently. Understanding the diversity of root fungal symbionts and the presence of dominating species are necessary to determine their impact on ecosystem functioning. These factors lead to RSF's potential in organic agriculture and green biotechnology.

Water-related fungi are known to cause taste and odor problems, as well as negative health effects, and can lead to water-pipeline clogging. There is no legal regulation on the occurrence of fungi in water environments. However, much research has been performed, but further studies are needed. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the fungal load and the presence of mycotoxigenic fungi in man-made water systems (for homes, hospitals, and shopping centers) connected to municipal water in Istanbul, Turkey. The mean fungal concentrations found in the different water samples were 98 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 mL in shopping centers, 51 CFU/100 mL in hospitals, and 23 CFU/100 mL in homes. The dominant fungal species were identified as Aureobasidium pullulans and Fusarium oxysporum. Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and ochratoxigenic Aspergillus westerdijkiae were only detected in the hospital water samples. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cladosporium cladosporioides were also detected in the samples. The study reveals that the municipal water supplies, available for different purposes, could thus contain mycotoxigenic fungi. It was concluded that current disinfection procedures may be insufficient, and the presence of the above-mentioned fungi is important for people with suppressed immune systems.

Local bread known as "madiga" is typically enjoyed by residents of Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The aim of this study is to assess madiga bread for inbuilt pathogenic fungi in evaluating its level of edibility in Yenagoa Metropolis. A total of 42 samples was obtained and analyzed include; Hand swabs from factory workers (8/19%), hand swab of madiga vendors (6/14%), madiga bread gotten from market (12/29%), and madiga bread from factories (16/39%). The samples were processed using the following methods: culturing on Saboraud Dextrose Agar, identifying fungal isolates microscopic with Lacto-Phenol Cotton blue, staining the samples with Grama stain, germ tube test,

Local bread known as "madiga" is typically enjoyed by residents of Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The aim of this study is to assess madiga bread for inbuilt pathogenic fungi in evaluating its level of edibility in Yenagoa Metropolis. A total of 42 samples was obtained and analyzed include; Hand swabs from factory workers (8/19%), hand swab of madiga vendors (6/14%), madiga bread gotten from market (12/29%), and madiga bread from factories (16/39%). The samples were processed using the following methods: culturing on Saboraud Dextrose Agar, identifying fungal isolates microscopic with Lacto-Phenol Cotton blue, staining the samples with Grama stain, germ tube test,

Local bread known as "madiga" is typically enjoyed by residents of Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The aim of this study is to assess madiga bread for inbuilt pathogenic fungi in evaluating its level of edibility in Yenagoa Metropolis. A total of 42 samples was obtained and analyzed include; Hand swabs from factory workers (8/19%), hand swab of madiga vendors (6/14%), madiga bread gotten from market (12/29%), and madiga bread from factories (16/39%). The samples were processed using the following methods: culturing on Saboraud Dextrose Agar, identifying fungal isolates microscopic with Lacto-Phenol Cotton blue, staining the samples with Grama stain, germ tube test,

Abstract

Introduction: Subcutaneous mycosis includes a heterogeneous group of fungal infections that develop at the site of transcutaneous trauma. A rise in surviving population of individuals with co-morbidities together with lapses in infection control practices especially in rural India has led to emergence of myriad species of fungi causing such infections in recent years. This poses a diagnostic challenge to the clinicians. We therefore felt a need to study the mycological profile of subcutaneous tissue biopsies suspected of fungal etiology in our hospital setup.
Material and Methods: This was a Retrospective cross-sectional observational study conducted for a period of 4 years from Jan 2015 to Jan 2019 in the Department of microbiology, Government medical College Srinagar. A total of 148 specimens of subcutaneous tissue biopsies of patients suspected of localized fungal Infection were processed by microscopy and culture for fungi.
Results: Among a total of 148 subcutaneous tissue biopsy samples 76 (51%) were positive for fungi on KOH and culture. Mycological profile revealed that majority of fungi were Dermatophytes (n=22; 29%) and Yeasts (n=21; 28%). Third most common causative fungi isolated were Chromoblastomycetes (n=8; 11%), Phaeohyphomycetes (n=8;11%) and Aspergilli (n=8;11 %) comprising, A.fumigatus (n=11) and A.terreus (n=03), followed by Hyalohypomycetes (n=4;5%), sporotrichosis (n=3;4%) and Zygomycetes (n=4 ;5.3%).
Conclusions : Dermatophytes and yeasts are emerging subcutaneous fungal infections. Active surveillance for all types of fungal infections should be done at all levels to address knowledge gaps that exist in etiology, pathogenesis and manifestations of fungal diseases of skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Keywords: Mycological profile of subcutaneous mycosis, Suspected subcutaneous mycosis, Skin biopsy, Dermatophytes, Fungal diseases of skin and subcutaneous tissue

The passive flight of large numbers of mitospores ensures propagation and survival of many fungal species. Moreover, many fungi have a surplus DNA context which allows for easier manipulation and tampering, especially when inserting eukaryotic genes and translation systems. These facts taken together suggest a high prominence of the sporogonic airborne fungi in biosecurity/biodefence priority lists, but due to the low virulence and mortality of the fungal pathogens, they do not figure high, or, sometimes, not at all. The disruptive effect of biosecurity fungal threats is important per se and genetic manipulations are to further it. Novel, long range and high-persistence sampling methods, using robotics and unmanned systems already fielded in other applications may extend surveillance and responsive sampling. Effects-based, proteomic approaches may provide a solution for deliberate incidents, while polyphasic taxonomy may resolve spontaneous incidents and assist medical diagnosis, but in the biosecurity context, where mass collection and processing of samples and speed in producing robust results are vital, complex approaches might be proved more of a hindrance than an asset.

The passive flight of large numbers of mitospores ensures propagation and survival of many fungal species. Moreover, many fungi have a surplus DNA context which allows for easier manipulation and tampering, especially when inserting eukaryotic genes and translation systems. These facts taken together suggest a high prominence of the sporogonic airborne fungi in biosecurity/biodefence priority lists, but due to the low virulence and mortality of the fungal pathogens, they do not figure high, or, sometimes, not at all. The disruptive effect of biosecurity fungal threats is important per se and genetic manipulations are to further it. Novel, long range and high-persistence sampling methods, using robotics and unmanned systems already fielded in other applications may extend surveillance and responsive sampling. Effects-based, proteomic approaches may provide a solution for deliberate incidents, while polyphasic taxonomy may resolve spontaneous incidents and assist medical diagnosis, but in the biosecurity context, where mass collection and processing of samples and speed in producing robust results are vital, complex approaches might be proved more of a hindrance than an asset.

Sixty-eight isolates of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora obtained from symptomatic esca and Petri-diseased grapevines, and mostly from within the Portuguese Dão appellation, were investigated for phenotypic and molecular diversity, in order to determine intraspecific variability and population structure. In vitro growth features, including colony texture, colour, growing margin zonation, hyphal morphology and colony growth rate, were evaluated. Molecular characterization was performed through the sequencing of the total ITS region, and molecular analyses were used to infer phylogenetic relationships, using the Maximum Likelihood approach. Isolates were separated in two groups, supported by phenotypic and molecular analyses, but no clear correspondence was found between the two approaches. Nevertheless, both analyses revealed strong homogeneity among all isolates, despite their diverse geographical origin, year of isolation and scion/rootstock combination, supporting the clonal reproduction strategy described for this species.

The objective of this work is to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species in medicinal plants and bags for infusions, as well as to evaluate the relationship between the appearance of these fungi and their toxins in such substrata. A sample of 24 medicinal plants and 20 small bags of infusion used by the Cuban population were processed in order to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species, as well as aflatoxins's production. A microbiological test by means of Agar Malta for culture, and aflatoxins's determination by means of High Precision Thin Layer Chromatography were made. Out of the sample studied, Aspergillus ustus, A. flavus and A. parasiticus appeared in 48 %, but the concentration of aflatoxins B1 detected did not exceed the maximum values of 10 parts per billion (ppb), already established worldwide. Taking into account the increasing use of medicinal plants and the results stated in this work, new regulations for the sake of controlling the appearance of these fungi and their toxins are required, although it becomes necessary to validate fast and specific analytical methods.

Rumen has a complex microbial ecosystem which contains bacteria, archea, protozoa, fungi, and bacteriophage. Plant material that enters rumen was fermented by rumen microorganisms and anaerobic fungi, which are a member of rumen microorganisms, were resembled with 20 species belongs to 6 genera. Anaerobic fungi have two reproduction types as monocentric and polycentric growth. Vegetative thalluses could contain spherical or mycelial rhizoidal system. Classification of anaerobic fungi has remained controversial because of anaerobic life style and life cycle with two stages. Recent studies have separated the rumen fungi in a new phylum Neocallimastigomycota. Transfer of strictly anaerobic fungi between herbivores has not been clarified yet. This review was focused on the investigations about taxonomy and life cycle of rumen fungi, transfer between herbivores and interactions with the other rumen microorganisms.

The opportunistic mycoses are those fungal infections which are found in patients whose immunological defence mechanisms are weakened by cancer,AIDS, etc. In patient with AIDS, incidence of opportunistic mycoses are inversely correlated with the CD4 lymphocyte count. Our aim was to establish a correlation between fungal infections and CD4+ T cell count, evaluate prevalence of fungal infections in HIV patients , correlate fungal speciation and CD4+ T cell count .SDA, SDCA, SDCCA were used as isolation culture media. Moulds and their species were identified by colony morphology and Teasing and LCB mount findings. Candida spp. was the most common(101, 94.39%) isolated fungus followed by Aspergillus spp.(3.74%) and Rhizopus spp. (1.87%).Candida isolates were found in any ranges of CD4 cell count from 200 to less than 50, Aspergillus spp.was isolated from patients having CD4 cell count <50 and Rhizopus spp. were found in patients having CD4 cell count not more than 100. It was concluded that oral candidiasis is the commonest opportunistic fungal infections in HIV seropositive patients in this part of India. Almost all the patients having CD4 cell count less than 200.

Totally, 1.5 million fungal species estimated, of which less than 10 percent have been described to date. Recent advances in molecular biology as well as gene sequencing technologies facilitate the discovery and identification of new species in various groups of living organisms, especially fungi. Morphological methods do not have efficiency for the identification of fungal species, so, using new techniques based on DNA data has been considered in the rapid and accurate fungal species identification. DNA Barcoding is a new technique with several years’ backgrounds for detecting fungi and fungal like organisms. The Internal Transcribed Spacer in ribosomal RNA gene (ITS-rDNA) has been considered as a suitable barcode sequence. The efficacy of this region’s sequence data in most fungal groups has led to its use as a standard barcode by different mycologists. However, the ITS-rDNA region appears to be used as the primary barcode sequence for fungi of the genus or species group. The accu...

Of the main types of microorganisms that inhabit the rumen, fungi remain the least characterized group. They have been found to be critical as primary colonizers and digesters of plant matter in the rumen. While they share common fungal characteristics, such as a chitin-containing cell wall, a multi-stage life cycle and arrays of potent carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, they have evolved to an anaerobic lifestyle through other adaptations, such as the hydrogenosome, an organelle which may have developed from mitochondria. Evidence based on comparative genomics is indicating that a number of these adaptations may have involved horizontal gene transfer with other groups of rumen microorganisms.

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Candida species have significant roles in invasive candidiasis andthe emergence of clinical strains that are difficult to treat due tovirulent and resistant properties. Expansion of fungal pathogen diversity necessitates the development and adoption of new methods for prompt diagnosis and management. The review aimed to highlight the relevance of different Candida diagnostic methods for prompt management of Candida infections. The conventional gold standard diagnostic phenotypic-based (culture)method is time-consuming, associated withlow specificity and subjective interpretation.The specificity and sensitivity performances for candidaemia or deep-seated candidiasis of biochemical-based methods, including VITEK, API 20C AUX, and latex agglutination, have higher resolution than the culture. Nucleic acid-basedpolymerase chain reaction diagnostic techniques have been rapidly evolving. PCR will improve the diagnos...

Introducción. El frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) y el maní (Arachis hypogaea L.) son leguminosas consumidas en países en vías de desarrollo. Sin embargo, estos granos pueden estar contaminados con Aspergillus, un género de hongo que incluye especies productoras de micotoxinas. Objetivo. Identificar las especies de Aspergillus que colonizan los granos de frijol y maní en Costa Rica e identificar cepas atoxigénicas de A. flavus. Materiales y métodos. Se recolectaron 83 muestras de granos de frijol común y 19 muestras de maní durante los años 2019 y 2020, en regiones productoras de estos cultivos en Costa Rica. El total de muestras se utilizaron para aislar e identificar las especies de Aspergillus, mediante secuenciación parcial de los genes ITS (espaciador transcrito interno) y cmd (calmodulina). También se identificaron cepas atoxigénicas de A. flavus por métodos químicos y moleculares. Resultados. Un 46 % y 32 % de las muestras recolectadas de frijol y maní, respectivamente, p...

Resumen: Se  presenta un panorama general del desarrollo de la micoquímica mexicana a través del recuento de algunos de sus principales trabajos hasta la fecha, tomando en cuenta como fuente central de información los archivos de la revista Scientia Fungorum en sus distintas épocas (1968-2018), complementando lo anterior, con estudios publicados por científicos mexicanos en las principales revistas indexadas en el área. : An overview of the development of Mexican mycochemistry is presented through the recount of some of its main works to date, taking into account as a central source of information the archives of the journal Scientia Fungorum in its different periods (1968-2018), complementing the above, with studies published by Mexican scientists in the main journals indexed in the area.

Clinical microbiology deals with microorganisms and their interactions with humans. Among the various microbial species present in the environment, fungi are considered as versatile. Numerous fungal species live freely in the air, water, and soil, some cause infections in plants and a few are responsible for opportunistic and invasive infections in humans and animals. This book consists of five chapters that emphasize the role of fungi in human infections, their diagnosis, and prevention.

This work was carried out during two successive seasons (2016 and 2017) on cucumber fruits from a plastic greenhouse and from open field cultivation in El Gharbeia and El Giza Governorates, Egypt. Isolation trials from spoilage fruit samples of plastic greenhouse cultivation recorded high frequency of Alternaria tenusinium, Fusarium spp. and Pleospora alli. The most common fungi of rotten cucumber fruits from an open field were Galactomyces spp. and Fusarium spp. Pathogenicity tests proved that, Fusarium solani from El-Gharbeia followed by A. tenusinium from El-Giza were the most frequent isolates responsible for rot of cucumber fruits from plastic greenhouse cultivation. Moreover, the most frequent isolates causing postharvest disease of cucumber fruits of the open field were Galactomy ces candidium from El-Giza followed by Geotrichum sp. and F. fujikuroi from El-Gharbeia Governorates, respectively. This is the first report of several fungi causing postharvest fruit rot disease of cucumber i.e., G. candidium, Geotrichum sp., A. tenusinium, P. alli and Fusar ium spp. (F. fujikuroi, F. verticiolides, F. solani, F. geraminearium and Fusarium incarna tum). Fungal isolates were identified according to cultural, morphological and molecular characterization based on sequencing of internal transcribed spacer1 (ITS1). All the ITS nucleotide sequences of fungi were applied and conserved in GenBank.

The objective of this work is to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species in medicinal plants and bags for infusions, as well as to evaluate the relationship between the appearance of these fungi and their toxins in such substrata. A sample of 24 medicinal plants and 20 small bags of infusion used by the Cuban population were processed in order to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species, as well as aflatoxins's production. A microbiological test by means of Agar Malta for culture, and aflatoxins's determination by means of High Precision Thin Layer Chromatography were made. Out of the sample studied, Aspergillus ustus, A. flavus and A. parasiticus appeared in 48 %, but the concentration of aflatoxins B1 detected did not exceed the maximum values of 10 parts per billion (ppb), already established worldwide. Taking into account the increasing use of medicinal plants and the results stated in this work, new regulations for the sake of controlling the appearance of these fungi and their toxins are required, although it becomes necessary to validate fast and specific analytical methods.

Mycopathologia was founded in 1938 to 'diffuse the understanding of fungal diseases in man and animals among mycologists.' This was an important mission considering that pathogenic fungi for humans and animals represent a tiny minority of the estimated 1.5-5 million fungal inhabitants on Earth. These pathogens have diverged from the usual saprotrophic lifestyles of most fungi to colonize and infect humans and animals. Medical and veterinary mycology is the subdiscipline of microbiology that dwells into the mysteries of parasitic, fungal lifestyles. Among the oldest continuing scientific publications

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Candida species have significant roles in invasive candidiasis andthe emergence of clinical strains that are difficult to treat due tovirulent and resistant properties. Expansion of fungal pathogen diversity necessitates the development and adoption of new methods for prompt diagnosis and management. The review aimed to highlight the relevance of different Candida diagnostic methods for prompt management of Candida infections. The conventional gold standard diagnostic phenotypic-based (culture)method is time-consuming, associated withlow specificity and subjective interpretation.The specificity and sensitivity performances for candidaemia or deep-seated candidiasis of biochemical-based methods, including VITEK, API 20C AUX, and latex agglutination, have higher resolution than the culture. Nucleic acid-basedpolymerase chain reaction diagnostic techniques have been rapidly evolving. PCR will improve the diagnos...

Ergosterol, a component of fungal cell membrane, has been frequently detected as an indicator of fungal presence and mass in environmental samples like soil. However, its detection in major pathogenic fungal species has not been investigated. In this study, the ergosterol contents of ten pathogenic fungal species were determined. Liquid chromatography was used for the detection and quantification of ergosterol extracted from fungal broth cultures. Results showed that ergosterol eluted as a single, well resolved peak in the chromatogram profiles of all tested fungi. Based upon relative amounts of ergosterol produced per fungal mycelial dry weight, three groups of fungal pathogens were identified, namely low ergosterol

The balanced food for laying hens may be contaminated with strains of fungi. The mycotoxins produced by them generate economic and productive problems in birds, such as decreased production, loss of overall state and death in extreme cases. The mycotoxins that affect more birds are aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus genus. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of aflatoxins in commercial and manufactured by farmers food for laying hens in the city of General Pico, La Pampa. The samples obtained were analysed by the ELISA method. In 2014 the presence of toxic levels of aflatoxin was determined in 77,8% of the analysed samples, while in the first half of 2015 out of 17 samples 64,7% of them were with toxic levels. The appearance of Aflatoxins in foodstuff is a result of the lack of quality controls of the raw materials and inadequate storage systems. These results determine the need for preventive measures for food handlers to avoid risks to which they are exposed. Meanwhile, the use of sequestrants is the most appropriate indication to reduce toxic effects on birds and avoid production losses.

The objective of this work is to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species in medicinal plants and bags for infusions, as well as to evaluate the relationship between the appearance of these fungi and their toxins in such substrata. A sample of 24 medicinal plants and 20 small bags of infusion used by the Cuban population were processed in order to determine the incidence of Aspergillus sp. (aflatoxins's typesetters) fungus species, as well as aflatoxins's production. A microbiological test by means of Agar Malta for culture, and aflatoxins's determination by means of High Precision Thin Layer Chromatography were made. Out of the sample studied, Aspergillus ustus, A. flavus and A. parasiticus appeared in 48 %, but the concentration of aflatoxins B1 detected did not exceed the maximum values of 10 parts per billion (ppb), already established worldwide. Taking into account the increasing use of medicinal plants and the results stated in this work, new regulations for the sake of controlling the appearance of these fungi and their toxins are required, although it becomes necessary to validate fast and specific analytical methods.

Mucor circinelloides were isolated from post harvest infected papaya, which was collected from Savar region. M. circinelloides was identified by morphology and biology of fungus based on colony features, fungal mycelium, sporangia and sporagiospores as well as molecular approach. Mycelial colonies are floccose, pale greyish-brown. Sporangiophores were transparent, long, erect and shorter branches, 4.5-7 x 3.5-5 µm in size. Sporangia are hyaline, spherical, ranged from 20-80 µm in diameter. Columellae were hyaline, spherical to ellipsoidal up to 50 µm in diameter. The highest mycelial growth was recorded in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium for the growth and development of M. circinelloides. Temperature 30°C was optimum. This fungus grew well in pH 7. So, tested fungi grew well in neutral condition. Complete dark condition was favourable for the vegetative growth of the fungus. The molecular phylogeny in morphologically identified post-harvest pathogenic fungi of papaya such as M. circinelloides were studied based on their ITS. The sequences of ITS region of M. circinelloides revealed that the total length was 620 bp and sequence analysis suggested that 5.8S of rDNA sequences were identical.

La contaminación de productos agrícolas y pecuarios con aflatoxinas (AF) está distribuida mundialmente. Las AF son tóxicas, inmunodepresoras y carcinogénicas, pero en México es escasa la información sobre Aspergillus flavus, principal hongo que las produce. El objetivo fue caracterizar morfológica, molecular y aflatoxigénicamente aislados de A. flavus y cuantificar AF en pienso y en leche de vacas Holstein en Aguascalientes (México). Se seleccionó por conveniencia una unidad de producción lechera (2,749 vacas) y se recolectaron muestras mensuales (24 meses) de ingredientes alimenticios y ración total mezclada (n= 267), leche cruda (n= 288) y suelo agrícola (n= 40), las cuales se cultivaron (PDA) mediante vaciado en placa con diluciones seriadas. Los hongos se caracterizaron mediante MEB, TLC y vapores de amonio en agar coco; se secuenciaron los genes de calmodulina y regulador de la ruta biosintética de AF, así como la región de los espaciadores internos de la transcripción. Se cuan...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the major dates producing zones in the world, contributing 13% of the total world production. Most of the dates are delivered to local markets without any treatment thus, may be leading to microbial contamination which may increase the incidence of microbial growth. Some pathogenic fungi associated with soft dates (Phoenix dactylifera Linn.) collected from Almadinah Almunawarah, local markets, was isolated and molecularly identified during summer 2019. Contaminated date samples (Sukkary, Ajwa, Shalabi madinah, Barni and Sogea) were placed on PDA plates and incubated at 26°C for 5 days. Morphological and molecular identification of the resulting fungi were investigated. Molecular identification of fungal isolates was conducted using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Fungal DNAs were amplified by PCR using ITS1-F (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3'). The purified PCR products were sequenced and the obtained nucleotide sequences were submitted to GenBank on the NCBI. The results showed that the most dominant isolated fungi were Aspergillus niger (100%) associated with "Sogea", followed by Aspergillus tubingensis (66%) isolated from "Shalabi Almadinah" (40%), Rhizopus stolonifer (36.3%) associated with "Ajwa", Talaromyces minioluteus (14.2%) isolated from "Sukkary", respectively. Soft dates are most likely contaminated due to the artificial rise in moisture content and the related inappropriate storage conditions. In conclusion, the study has declared that Aspergillus spp. considered the most fungal contamination of date fruits. Fungal contamination may have an effect on the public health by their mycotoxins which may lead to severe poisoning, diarrhea, emesis, and death. Most date fruits sold and marketed are neither covered nor protected in any way from environmental contamination. If these dates are consumed without thoroughly washing that may induce imminent mycotic infection. The study recommended that prevention of dates fruit mold spoilage should be avoided by application of hazard analysis, critical control point programs and adherence to hygienic good manufacturing practices.