Search

Geoffroea decorticans, commonly known as Chañar, is a native Chilean plant widely used in folk medicine for its expectorant, pain relief, and antinociceptive properties. This study explored the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and protective effects of its ethanolic (EE) and aqueous (EA) seed extracts against oxidative stress induced by copper sulfate, using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) identified significant components such as phytol, alpha-tocopherol, vitexin, and rutin, with the EE being particularly rich in phytol and vitexin. Antioxidant assays-measuring the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging, and copper and iron chelation-confirmed their potent antioxidant capabilities. Both extracts were non-cytotoxic and provided protection against CuSO 4 -induced oxidative stress in the 3T3 cell line. Additionally, the use of Tenebrio molitor as an invertebrate model underscored the extracts' antioxidant and protective potentials, especially that of the EE. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant antioxidant and protective properties of Chañar seed extracts, particularly the ethanolic extract, in both in vitro and in vivo models.

The global diversity of fungi has been estimated between 2 to 11 million species, of which only about 155 000 have been named. Most fungi are invisible to the unaided eye, but they represent a major component of biodiversity on our planet, and play essential ecological roles, supporting life as we know it. Although approximately 20 000 fungal genera are presently recognised, the ecology of most remains undetermined. Despite all this diversity, the mycological community actively researches some fungal genera more commonly than others. This poses an interesting question: why have some fungal genera impacted mycology and related fields more than others? To address this issue, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to identify the top 100 most cited fungal genera. A thorough database search of the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed was performed to establish which genera are most cited. The most cited 10 genera are Saccharomyces , Candida , Aspergillus , Fusarium , Penicillium , Trichoderma , Botrytis , Pichia , Cryptococcus and Alternaria . Case studies are presented for the 100 most cited genera with general background, notes on their ecology and economic significance and important research advances. This paper provides a historic overview of scientific research of these genera and the prospect for further research. Citation: Bhunjun CS, Chen YJ, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald JZ, McKenzie EHC, Francisco EC, Frisvad JC, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie CM, Bai FY, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza FA, de Queiroz MB, Dutta AK, Gonkhom D, Goto BT, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance MA, Li JJ, Luo KY, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe DN, Wang DQ, Wei DP, Zhao CL, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes TD, Araujo JC, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa RN, Behrens FH, Bensch K, Bezerra JDP, Bilański P, Bradley CA, Bubner B, Burgess TI, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça FJS, Campbell LJ, Chaverri P, Chen YY, Chethana KWT, Coetzee B, Costa MM, Chen Q, Custódio FA, Dai YC, Damm U, de Azevedo Santiago ALCM, De Miccolis Angelini RM, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake AJ, Doilom M, Dong W, Alvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake AJ, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes AAM, Hausner G, He MQ, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena RS, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin CG, Liu JK, Liu XB, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Makhathini Mkhwanazi GJ, Manawasinghe IS, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart AR, Moreau PA, Morozova OV, Mostert L, Osiewacz HD, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips AJL, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka AR, Rodrigues AM, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe SJ, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas RG, Silar P, Souza-Motta CM, Silva-Filho AGS, Spies CFJ, Stchigel AM, Sterflinger K, Summerbell RC, Svetasheva TY, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro RC, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang XW, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe SN, Wu F, Xu R, Yang ZL, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao RL, Zhou N, Hyde KD, Crous PW (2024). What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Studies in Mycology 108 : 1-411. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2024 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Group I introns are small RNAs (250-500 nt) capable of catalyzing their own splicing from the precursor RNA. They are widely distributed across the tree of life and have intricate relationships with their host genomes. In this work, we review its basic structure, self-splicing and its mechanisms of gene mobility. As they are widely found in unicellular eukaryotes, especially fungi, we gathered information regarding their possible impact on the physiology of fungal cells and the possible application of these introns in medical mycology.

Medicinal plants, such as Talisia esculenta , are rich in antioxidant biomolecules, which are used in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. The antioxidant potential of T. esculenta extracts obtained from leaves and fruit peels was investigated using biochemical and 3T3 cell line assays as well as in vivo assays using an organism model Tenebrio molitor . Four extracts were tested: hydroethanolic extracts from leaves (HF) and from fruit peels (HC), and infusion extracts from leaves (IF) and from fruit peels (IC). The biochemical assays demonstrated an antioxidant capacity verified by TAC, reducing power, DPPH, and copper chelating assays. None of the extracts exhibited cytotoxicity against 3T3 cells, instead offering a protection against CuSO 4 -induced oxidative stress. The antioxidant activity observed in the extracts, including their role as free radical scavengers, copper chelators, and stress protectors, was further confirmed by T. molitor assays. The CLAE-DAD analysis detected phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, rutin, and quercitrin, as the main constituents of the samples. This study highlights that leaf and fruit peels extracts of T. esculenta could be effective protectors against ROS and copper-induced stress in cellular and invertebrate models, and they should be considered as coadjutants in the treatment and prevention of diseases related to oxidative stress and for the development of natural nutraceutical products.

The species complexes Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are the causative agents of cryptococcosis. Virulence and susceptibility to antifungals may vary within each species according to the fungal genotype. Therefore, specific and easily accessible molecular markers are required to distinguish cryptic species and/or genotypes. Group I introns are potential markers for this purpose because they are polymorphic concerning their presence and sequence. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the presence of group I introns in the mitochondrial genes cob and cox1 in different Cryptococcus isolates. Additionally, the origin, distribution, and evolution of these introns were investigated by phylogenetic analyses, including previously sequenced introns for the mtLSU gene. Approximately 80.5% of the 36 sequenced introns presented homing endonucleases, and phylogenetic analyses revealed that introns occupying the same insertion site form monophyletic clades. This suggests that they likely share a common ancestor that invaded the site prior to species divergence. There was only one case of heterologous invasion, probably through horizontal transfer to C. decagattii (VGIV genotype) from another fungal species. Our results showed that the C. neoformans complex has fewer introns compared to C. gattii. Additionally, there is significant polymorphism in the presence and size of these elements, both among and within genotypes. As a result, it is impossible to differentiate the cryptic species using a single intron. However, it was possible to differentiate among genotypes within each species complex, by combining PCRs of mtLSU and cox1 introns, for C. neoformans species, and mtLSU and cob introns for C. gattii species.

The genus Acaulospora has undergone many updates since it was first described; however, there are some missing pieces in the phylogenetic relationships among Acaulospora species. The present review aimed to: (i) understand the evolutionary meaning of their different spore wall ornamentations; (ii) define the best molecular marker for phylogenetic inferences, (iii) address some specific issues concerning the polyphyletic nature of Acaulospora lacunosa and Acaulospora scrobiculata , and the inclusion of Kuklospora species; and (iv) update the global geographical distribution of Acaulospora species. As such, the wall ornamentation of previously described Acaulospora species was reviewed and phylogenetic analyses were carried out based on ITS and SSU-ITS-LSU (nrDNA). Moreover, the already available type material of A. sporocarpia was inspected. According to the data obtained, temperate and tropical zones are the richest in Acaulospora species. We also confirmed that A. sporocarpia does not belong to Acaulospora . Furthermore, our phylogeny supported the monophyly of Acaulospora genus, including the Kuklospora species, K. colombiana and K. kentinensis . The nrDNA phylogeny presented the best resolution and revealed the homoplasic nature of many ornamentations in Acaulospora species, pointing out their unfeasible phylogenetic signal. This review reinforces the urgency of more molecular markers, in addition to the nrDNA sequences, for the definition of a multi-locus phylogeny.

Inteins are genetic mobile elements that are inserted within protein-coding genes, which are usually housekeeping genes. They are transcribed and translated along with the host gene, then catalyze their own splicing out of the host protein, which assumes its functional conformation thereafter. As Prp8 inteins are found in several important fungal pathogens and are absent in mammals, they are considered potential therapeutic targets since inhibiting their splicing would selectively block the maturation of fungal proteins. We developed a target-based drug screening system to evaluate the splicing of Prp8 intein from the yeast pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans (CnePrp8i) using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ura3 as a non-native host protein. In our heterologous system, intein splicing preserved the full functionality of Ura3. To validate the system for drug screening, we examined cisplatin, which has been described as an intein splicing inhibitor. By using our system, new potential protein splicing inhibitors may be identified and used, in the future, as a new class of drugs for mycosis treatment. Our system also greatly facilitates the visualization of CnePrp8i splicing dynamics in vivo.