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Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The in vitro activity of posaconazole (PSC) and voriconazole (VRC) was tested by using time-kill studies against 3 strains of Candida lusitaniae . Both drugs showed fungistatic activity against all strains. The efficacy of those compounds was evaluated by reducing kidney fungal burden and by determining (1→3)-β- d -glucan serum levels in a murine model of invasive infection of C. lusitaniae . The therapies tested were VRC at 10, 25, or 40 mg/kg/day and PSC at 5, 12.5, or 20 mg/kg/twice a day. All the dosages showed efficacy in a dose-dependant manner being high doses of both antifungals able to sterilize some kidneys after 10 days. With the exception of the strain FMR 9474, against which PSC was more effective than VRC, no differences in reducing tissue burden were found between the treatments. All doses of both antifungals were able to significantly reduce (1→3)-β- d -glucan serum levels with no significant differences between treatments and between the same doses of both drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Arcobacter is considered an emergent foodborne and waterborne enteropathogen. However, its prevalence in foods of animal origin is only partially known, because most studies have been concentrated on poultry, pork, and beef, and methods applied do not allow identification of all currently accepted Arcobacter species. We investigated the prevalence of Arcobacter in 203 food samples, 119 samples of seven different types of meats and 84 samples of four types of shellfish. Isolates were identified in parallel by using a published multiplex PCR method and a recently described 16S rDNA restriction fragment length polymorphism method that allows all currently accepted Arcobacter species to be characterized. The global prevalence of Arcobacter was 32%; it was highest in clams (5 of 5 samples, 100%) and chicken (9 of 14 samples, 64.3%) followed by pork (9 of 17 samples, 53.0%), mussels (23 of 56 samples, 41.1%), and duck meat (2 of 5 samples, 40.0%). Turkey meat and beef had a similar recovery rate (10 of 30 samples, 33.3%; 5 of 16 samples, 31.3%; respectively), and rabbit meat had the lowest rate (1 of 10 samples, 10.0%). No arcobacters were found in oysters, frozen shrimps, or sausages. This food survey is the first in which five of the seven accepted Arcobacter species have been isolated. Arcobacter butzleri was the most prevalent species (63.0% of isolates) followed by Arcobacter cryaerophilus (26.6%), Arcobacter mytili (4.7%), Arcobacter skirrowii (3.1%), and Arcobacter nitrofigilis (3.1%). Three (4.7%) of the isolates were classified as belonging to three potentially new phylogenetic lines. Our results indicated that Arcobacter species are widely distributed in the food products studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In India, Apophysomyces species complex is the second common agent of mucormycosis mainly affecting immunocompetent hosts unlike other Mucorales. It is frequently involved in causing necrotizing cutaneous infections. The present two-year study was planned to investigate the causative role of Apophysomyces spp. in cutaneous necrotizing infections. The tissue samples were processed using standard techniques and in five out of 65 patients, Apophysomyces variabilis was the etiological agent. Diabetes mellitus and trauma were common risk factors and despite appropriate treatment only one patient could be survived. Apophysomyces variabilis is emerging as agent of necrotizing infections which invariably result in poor patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Acrophialophora fusispora is a soil-borne fungus, which is emerging as a human pathogen. Only four cases of human infection had been described previously. We describe three more cases, two from Europe and one from India. Since this fungus has been misidentified in several other cases, it is probably more frequent than first thought. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The morphology of sexual fruit bodies has been historically regarded as a key character in fungal taxonomy. In the 1970s the class Plectomycetes was recognized in order to classify the cleistothecial ascomycetes. However, recent analysis of DNA sequencing data concerning the phylogeny of numerous cleistothecial ascomycetes confirmed that the criterion of the production of closed ascomata without a predefined opening and with an irregular arrangement of the asci at the centrum is of little systematic value, as pointed out by different authors on the basis of morphological studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: We report the 1st case of sinusitis and human infection by Xylaria enteroleuca (anamorph Nodulisporium sp.), a rare fungal endophyte of rain forest trees. The patient was a Brazilian woman who had her lung transplanted. Diagnosis was established by direct microscopic examination, computed tomographic scan, cultures, and sequencing of a ribosomal RNA gene. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility of the isolate is provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rhodotorula infections have emerged in recent years causing mainly fungemia associated to high mortality. We have evaluated the in vitro activity of nine antifungal drugs against four clinical strains of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, being amphotericin B, voriconazole and posaconazole the most active compounds. The experimental virulence of this fungus and the efficacy of the three mentioned drugs were evaluated in disseminated infections in neutropenic mice. Infection resulted in a high fungal load in all the organs studied without evident particular tropism. All treated animals showed reduced burden respect to the control in a strain dependent manner being voriconazole slightly superior to posaconazole and amphotericin B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cladophialophora is a genus of asexual black yeast-like fungi with one-celled, hydrophobic conidia which is predicted to have teleomorphs in the ascomycete genus Capronia, a member of the order Chaetothyriales. Cladophialophora species are relatively frequently involved in human disease ranging from mild cutaneous lesions to cerebral abscesses. Although the natural niche outside humans is unknown for most opportunistic Cladophialophora species, the fungi concerned are rarely isolated from environmental samples such as dead plant material, rotten wood, or soil. The objective of the present paper is to describe a novel species of Cladophialophora which was isolated from soil polluted with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). It proved to be able to grow with toluene and other related alkylbenzenes as its sole carbon and energy source. This strain is of interest for the biodegradation of toluene and other related xenobiotics under growth limiting conditions, particularly in air biofilters, dry and/or acidic soil. A preliminary genetic analysis using multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) and amplified fragments length polymorphism (AFLP) showed that this fungus was closely related to the pathogenic species Cladophialophora bantiana, sharing a C. bantiana-specific intron in SSU rDNA. However, it was unable to grow at 40°C and proved to be non-virulent in mice. The clear phylogenetic and ecophysiological delimitation of the species is fundamental to prevent biohazard in engineered bioremediation applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The genus Arcobacter that includes some species of clinical interest has been recently enlarged with the addition of several new species. The available molecular techniques for the characterization of Arcobacter spp. are unable to identify all the species included in this genus. We have developed a 16S rDNA-RFLP method able to separate the currently accepted 6 species of Arcobacter, including the 2 hybridization groups of Arcobacter cryaerophilus. The method based on the use of a pair of primers and of the endonuclease MseI has been validated using 12 reference strains (including the type strains) and 75 fresh isolates. All isolates tested produced species-specific RFLP patterns. This easy-to-perform method allows a fast and reliable recognition of the members of this complex genus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Azole-resistant Aspergillus isolates have increased alarmingly in recent years, translating into clinical failures. • Resistance mechanisms involve cyp51 genes, efflux pumps and other signalling pathways. • Analysing molecular mediators of azole resistance provides valuable data to manage azole-resistant Aspergillus isolates. Aspergillus fumigatus is the main causal agent of invasive aspergillosis (IA), however other species of the genus can also cause IA, such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus niger and related cryptic species. This infectious disease mainly affects immunosuppressed patients and is linked to elevated mortality rates. As voriconazole is the treatment of choice for this condition, the relevant increase in the number of azole-resistant isolates in recent years has gathered alarming attention, as it also translates into an increase in clinical failures. In this review, we summarise and discuss the azole resistance molecular data described to date in the most clinically prevalent sections of Aspergillus , including mechanisms involving the target proteins Cyp51 and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) or major facilitator superfamily (MFS) efflux pumps. Other resistance mechanisms proposed but not yet fully characterised are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The coelomycetous fungi are difficult to properly identify from their phenotypic characterization and their role as etiologic agents of human infections is not clear. We studied the species distribution of these fungi among clinical isolates that had been collected and stored over a ten-year period in two European reference laboratories (France and Spain). We identified phenotypically and molecularly 97 isolates by sequencing the D1-D2 fragment of the 28S nrRNA (LSU) gene and we provided the in vitro antifungal susceptibility pattern of seven antifungals against 46 isolates. Species of the orders Pleosporales and Glomerellales were present in both collections, and Botryosphaeriales and Diaporthales only in the French one. The most prevalent species were Medicopsis romeroi , Neocucurbitaria keratinophila , Neocucurbitaria unguis - hominis and Paraconiothyrium cyclothyrioides , which had been recovered primarily from superficial tissues. The Didymellaceae was the most common family represented, with 27 isolates distributed into five genera. Most of the isolates tested were susceptible to antifungals, and only the geometric mean (GM) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of itraconazole and caspofungin had higher values. This study provides a good picture of the great diversity of coelomycetous fungi in the European clinical context, and the basis for future studies on this interesting but neglected group of fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus section Versicolores includes species of clinical relevance and many others that have been poorly studied but are occasionally found in clinical samples. The aim of this study was to investigate, using a multilocus phylogenetic approach, the spectrum of species of the section Versicolores and to determine their in vitro antifungal susceptibility. The study was based on a set of 77 clinical isolates from different USA medical centres, which had been previously identified as belonging to this section. The genetic markers used were internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin ( BenA ), calmodulin ( CaM ), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), and the drugs tested, following the CLSI guidelines, were amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, terbinafine (TBF), and flucytosine (5FC). The most frequent species were Aspergillus sydowii (26 %), Aspergillus creber (22 %), and Aspergillus amoenus (18.2 %), followed by Aspergillus protuberus (13 %), Aspergillus jensenii (10.4 %), and Aspergillus tabacinus (5.2 %); while Aspergillus cvjetkovicii , Aspergillus fructus , Aspergillus puulaauensis , and Aspergillus versicolor were represented by only one isolate each (1.3 %). This is the first time that A. jensenii and A. puulaauensis have been reported from clinical samples. Considering the high number of isolates identified as belonging to this fungal group in this study, its clinical relevance should not be overlooked. Aspergillus versicolor , traditionally considered one of the most common species in this section in a clinical setting, was only rarely recovered in our study. The in vitro antifungal results showed that echinocandins and TBF were the most potent drugs, the azoles showed variable results, AMB was poorly active, and 5FC was the less active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echinocandins are recommended as a first-line therapy for invasive candidiasis. Candida rugosa was recently transferred to the new genus Diutina . We have determined the in vitro killing kinetics of two echinocandins, anidulafungin, and caspofungin and their in vivo efficacy, administering doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg, and 1 or 5 mg/kg, respectively against 2 clinical strains of D. rugosa . Both drugs showed a fungicidal concentration-dependent activity and, in a neutropenic murine model of disseminated infection, were able to reduce tissue burden and to prolong survival of mice. These results suggest that both echinocandins could be useful to treat infections by this fungus when isolates show minimal inhibitory concentrations within the range of susceptibility for both drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomy of scopulariopsis-like fungi, comprising numerous human opportunistic species, has recently been reassessed with delineation of the genera Microascus , Pithoascus , Pseudoscopulariopsis , and Scopulariopsis , using morphological data and multilocus sequence analysis based on four loci (ITS, LSU, EF-1α , and TUB ). In this study, the same genetic markers were used to investigate a set of clinical and environmental isolates, morphologically identified as Microascus and Scopulariopsis spp. The ingroups of the concatenated phylogenetic tree resolved 41 species clades, with isolates distributed in four main lineages corresponding to the genera Microascus , Pithoascus , Scopulariopsis , and newly established genus Fuscoannellis , typified by Scopulariopsis carbonaria . The new species Microascus chinensis , Microascus onychoides , Microascus pseudolongirostris , Pithoascus lunatus , and Scopulariopsis macurae were described. Microascus trigonosporus var. terreus and Scopulariopsis alboflavescens were found different from M. trigonosporus and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis , respectively. All the species identified in the study, except Fuscoannellis carbonaria and S. macurae , originated from clinical samples, suggesting their potential role in human disease. The use of a four marker combination was demonstrated an efficient and reliable approach to infer phylogenetic relationships among the scopulariopsis-like fungi. Yet, the only genetic marker able to discriminate all species was EF-1α , therefore proposed as a secondary barcode for the identification of these fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The efficacy of liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole was evaluated against the systemic infection by Fusarium oxysporum species complex or Fusarium keratoplasticum. Although MIC values were within the epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) recently stablished for Fusarium spp., no efficacy was obtained, indicating that ECVs for Fusarium are not relevant for in vivo efficacy. Highlights • No efficacy of LAMB and VRC was observed against murine systemic fusariosis. • Wild-type strains showed in vivo resistance to the antifungal treatment. • ECVs for F. oxysporum and F. solani complexes species did not guide outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have evaluated the efficacy of amphotericin B, posaconazole, and voriconazole in immunosuppressed murine models of disseminated infection by Curvularia spicifera and Curvularia hawaiiensis . The 3 antifungals improved survival of mice in comparison to controls; however, only the 2 azoles were able to reduce significantly the fungal load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have evaluated the in vitro activity of caspofungin against 36 wild-type strains of Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto using 3 techniques: broth microdilution, disk diffusion, and the determination of minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). The first 2 methods showed a good in vitro activity of caspofungin, but the MFCs were ≥2 dilutions above their corresponding MICs. In a murine model of disseminated infection, we evaluated the efficacy of caspofungin at 5 mg/kg against 8 strains of C. parapsilosis representing different degrees of in vitro susceptibility (0.12–1 μg/mL). All the isolates responded to treatment and (1→3)-β-D-glucan levels were reduced in all the cases; however, the study revealed differences among isolates, since caspofungin reduced the tissue burden of mice infected with isolates with MICs ≤0.5 μg/mL but was less effective against those with MICs of 1 μg/mL. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The in vitro antifungal susceptibility of a set of 99 clinical isolates of Curvularia was tested against 9 drugs using a reference microdilution method. The isolates had been identified previously to species level by comparing their ITS rDNA and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene sequences with those of reference strains. We were able to reliably identify 73.2% of the isolates, the most frequent species being Curvularia aeria, Curvularia geniculata/Curvularia senegalensis, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia inaequalis, Curvularia verruculosa, and Curvularia borreriae. Most of these isolates had been recovered from nasal sinus, which is generally considered one of the most frequent sites of infection by these fungi. In addition, at least 3 phylogenetic species that have not yet been formally described were detected. The most active drugs were the echinocandins, amphotericin B, and posaconazole, whereas voriconazole and itraconazole showed poor activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aspergillus flavus is the second most common cause of aspergillosis infection in immunocompromised patients and is responsible for the production of aflatoxins. Little is known about the population structure of A. flavus, although recent molecular and phenotypic data seem to demonstrate that different genetic lineages exist within this species. The aim of this study was to carry out a morphological, physiological, and molecular analysis of a set of clinical and environmental isolates to determine whether this variability is due to species divergence or intraspecific diversity, and to assess whether the clinical isolates form a separate group. The amdS and omtA genes were more phylogenetically informative than the other tested genes and their combined analysis inferred three main clades, with no clear distinction between clinical and environmental isolates. No important morphological and physiological differences were found between the members of the different clades, with the exception of the assimilation of d-glucosamine, which differentiates the members of the clade II from the others. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]