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Background: Fusarium species are significant plant and human pathogens. Current chemical agents against them are limited by their side effects and developed resistance, requiring an alternative way to overcome this problem. Objective: We aimed to assess the inhibitory effects of Streptomyces strains isolated from soil samples against Fusarium species. Methods: Totally 250 samples were collected. Morphological and physiological characterizations of the isolates were investigated. All isolates were evaluated to test their antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani. Molecular identification of active Streptomyces isolates was conducted using the 16S rRNA gene. Results: Fifty Streptomyces isolates were obtained. Among them, two strains showed the most antagonistic effect against Fusarium species. According to the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, these isolates were identified as Streptomyces rochei. Conclusion: The obtained results of this study indicated that S. rochei could use as a potent source of bioactive compounds with antifungal activity.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), is a common fungal infection that remains a global concern. The objectives of this study were molecular identification and assessment of the antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida species, causing VVC in southeast Iran.A cross-sectional investigation was carried out on 119 nonpregnant females suspected of VVC between February 2019 and May 2021. Yeast samples were characterized to the species level by conventional and molecular methods. All Candida isolates were examined for in vitro susceptibility profile to six conventional antifungal drugs using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines.Out of 119 subjects, 52 (43.7%) cases were affected by VVC, out of whom 11 (21.15%) cases had recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). The species distribution was as follows; Candida albicans (n = 21; 40.4%), C. glabrata (n = 11; 21.2%), C. tropicalis (n = 9; 17.3%), C. parapsilosis (n = 5; 9.7%), C. africana (n = 3; 5.7%), C. famata (n = 1; 1.9%), C. lusitaniae (n = 1; 1.9%), and C. dubliniensis (n = 1; 1.9%). The resistance rate of Candida isolates to fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole were 15.38%, 11.5%, and 3.8%, respectively. Resistance to fluconazole was obtained in 46% (5/11) of RVVC cases but only in 7% (3/41) of VVC cases.This study demonstrated that the majority of VVC cases were caused by non-albicans Candida species which also were resistant to some antifungal agents. Hence, our findings revealed the importance of conducting periodical epidemiological studies to determine changes in species distribution. Moreover, for effective management of treatment and infection, it is imperative to evaluate the susceptibility profiles of Candida species isolated from VVC patients.

Leishmaniasis is an overlooked, poverty-stricken, and complex disease with growing social and public health problems. In general, leishmaniasis is a curable disease; however, there is an expansion of unresponsive cases to treatment in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). One of the effective and ignored determinants in the treatment outcome of CL is poor treatment adherence (PTA). PTA is an overlooked and widespread phenomenon to proper Leishmania treatment. This study aimed to explore the effect of poor adherence in unresponsiveness to treatment in patients with anthroponotic CL (ACL) by comparing conventional statistical modalities and machine learning analyses in Iran. Overall, 190 cases consisting of 50 unresponsive patients (case group), and 140 responsive patients (control group) with ACL were randomly selected. The data collecting form that included 25 queries (Q) was recorded for each case and analyzed by R software and genetic algorithm (GA) approaches. Complex treatment regimens (Q11), cultural and lay views about the disease and therapy (Q8), life stress, hopelessness and negative feelings (Q22), adverse effects of treatment (Q13), and long duration of the lesion (Q12) were the most prevalent significant variables that inhibited effective treatment adherence by the two methods, in decreasing order of significance. In the inherent algorithm approach, similar to the statistical approach, the most significant feature was complex treatment regimens (Q11). Providing essential knowledge about ACL and treatment of patients with chronic diseases and patients with misconceptions about chemical drugs are important issues directly related to the disease's unresponsiveness. Furthermore, early detection of patients to prevent the long duration of the disease and the process of treatment, efforts to minimize side effects of treatment, induction of positive thinking, and giving hope to patients with stress and anxiety by medical staff, and family can help patients adhere to the treatment.

Background and Objectives: It is well known that Staphylococcus aureus biofilm plays an important role in adenoiditis and biofilm resistance frequently results in failure of therapy. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biofilm production of S. aureus isolates obtained from adenoid specimens and assess the relationship between biofilm formation ability and ica operon genes. Materials and Methods: A total of 112 adenoid samples were obtained from patients under 15 years old with adenoid hypertrophy. All S. aureus isolates were initially identified by standard microbiological tests and amplification of nuc by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Biofilm formation of S. aureus isolates was evaluated and icaADBC genes were detected by PCR technique. Results: There were 46 isolates (41%) identified as S. aureus. The ability to produce biofilm was detected among total S. aureus isolates. Molecular study of ica operon revealed that 2 (6.3%) and 19 (59.4%) isolates carried icaA and icaD, respec- tively. The prevalence of icaA + icaD was seen among 11 (34.4%) S. aureus isolates, while icaC and icaB were not detected. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that icaABCD operon are associated with biofilm formation in S. aureus isolates, how- ever the absence of these genes may not necessarily exclude this property.

Introduction. Limited data regarding the epidemiology and susceptibility profiles of cryptococcosis are available in the Middle East. Aim. Our study aimed to evaluate the molecular diversity, mating types and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Cryptococcus species (n=14) isolated from 320 suspected patients with cryptococcosis. Methodology. The URA5 gene was subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analysis. In addition, in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27-A4 and M59 guidelines. Results. Overall, 14 (4.4 %) patients were confirmed as cryptococcosis. Based on molecular type, 85.7 and 14.3 % of the isolates were C. neoformans VN I and VN II, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of URA5 gene sequences revealed clustering of VN I and VN II isolates into two distinct clades with a substantial difference within each molecular type. Voriconazole and 5-fluorocytosine, respectively, had the lowest (0.031 μg ml−1) and highest (8 µg ml−1) MICs. The epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) for amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole and 5-fluorocytosine encompassed ≥97 % of all 14 C. neoformans VN I species. However, according to the CLSI document M59, ECVs for itraconazole (7; 50 % of the isolates) and for posaconazole (1; 7.1 % of the isolate), were one log2 dilution higher than the wild type range. Combinations of amphotericin B with 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B with fluconazole and fluconazole with 5-fluorocytosine exhibited synergistic effects against 37, 31 and 12.5 % of the isolates, respectively. Conclusion. Our findings may significantly contribute to the development of management strategies for patients at a higher risk of cryptococcosis, particularly HIV-positive individuals.

Soy and maize are the most cultivated genetically modified (GM) crops in the world, which are commonly used in many food products. Establishing regulations for food products containing transgenic materials are obligatory in many countries in order to provide consumers with information. For this purpose, an accurate qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was applied to investigate GM food products from Iran. In present study, a total of 90 non-labeled soy and maize samples were collected from Tehran’s market and their DNA were extracted by a kit. All samples were analyzed to screen the 35 S promoter and (nopaline synthase) NOS terminator elements. Having screened the GM positive samples, they were subjected to identification of specific transgenic events RR soy, Bt11 and MON810 maize with PCR. According to our results, 95% of soy and 60% of maize analyzed samples were positive for the 35 S promoter and NOS terminator. Furthermore, event-specific analysis indicated the presence of RR soy, Bt11 and MON810 maize in tested samples, while none of these food-derived samples demonstrated any GM label. The obtained results revealed that the necessity of monitoring system to provide a good reliable control of GM materials in food products and subsequently on their labeling.

Background Legislation regulating for labeling and use of genetically modified (GM) crops are increased considerably worldwide in order to health and safety assurance of consumers. For this purpose, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has been developed for detection of GM rice in people’s food diet. Methods In this study, eighty-one non-labeled rice samples were collected randomly from different market sites of Tehran, Iran. In order to analysis, rice genomic DNA was extracted using MBST DNA extraction kit and subsequently, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) gene was used to confirm the quality of extracted DNA. Then, cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter and Agrobacterium nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator were selected as screening targets for detection of GM rice sequences by PCR. Results According to our results, 2 out of 81 (2.4%) samples tested were positive for CaMV 35S promoter while no positive result was detected for NOS terminator. Conclusion The obtained data indicated that this method is capable to identify the GM rice varieties. Furthermore, it can demonstrate the possibility of the presence of GM rice in Tehran’s market, thus putting emphasis on the requirement for developing a precise approach to evaluate this product.

Background Candidiasis is a variety of diseases, including cutaneous, mucosal, and disseminated organ infections caused by members of the genus Candida. The incidence of candidiasis is increasing in immunocompromised patients. Probiotics are microorganisms that have health benefits when used properly. The present study aimed to assess the inhibitory activity of Lactobacillus reuteri against five different Candida species isolated from the oral cavity of Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients. Methods The inhibitory effect of L. reuteri versus oral Candida species was studied with broth microdilution (BMD), agar overlay interference, and co-aggregation assays. Results Both cells and cell free supernatant (CFS) of L. reuteri had antifungal effects versus the five oral Candida species. In this study, Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) amounts for CFS of L. reuteri ranged from 6.25 to 25 μl/ml and 50 to 200 μl/ml, respectively. C. tropicalis and C. krusei were shown to be the most susceptible to CFS of L. reuteri. At 1010 and 108 colony forming unit (CFU/ml) of L. reuteri, no colonies of Candida species grew, and growth of all studied Candida species were completely inhibited. L. reuteri showed the most significant co-aggregation percentage for C. tropicalis (96%) followed by C. parapsilosis (95%). The ranking of the co-aggregation of L. reuteri with the five Candida species was C. tropicalis > C. parapsilosis > C. glabrata > C. krusei > C. albicans. Conclusion Today, the increasing resistance of antifungal drugs to infectious agents of Candida species has caused concern around the world. Hence, the role of probiotic, especially lactobacilli such as L. reuteri may be a suitable solution to inhibit candidiasis.

Background and Purpose: Candida parapsilosis is a predominant species found in nosocomial infection, particularly in hospitalized patients. The molecular epidemiology of the clinical strains of this species has not been well studied. The present study was performed with the aim of investigating the microsatellite genotyping of Candida parapsilosis among the Iranian clinical isolates. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 81 independent clinical C. parapsilosis isolates that were genotyped by using a panel of six microsatellite markers. Results: The short tandem repeat (STR) typing of clinical C. parapsilosis isolates demonstrated 68 separate genotypes, among which 57 genotypes were observed once and the remaining 11 cases were identified for multiple times. The Simpson’s diversity index for the panel of combined six markers yielded a diversity index of 0.9951. The heterogeneity was observed among the Iranian and the Netherlands clinical C. parapsilosis isolates. Conclusion: As the findings indicated, the clinical C. parapsilosis isolates from Iran showed a high genetic diversity. It can be concluded that molecular epidemiology could be useful for screening during outbreak investigation where C. parapsilosis is involved.&nbsp

INTRODUCTION: Limited data regarding the epidemiology and susceptibility profiles of cryptococcosis are available in the Middle East. AIM: Our study aimed to evaluate the molecular diversity, mating types and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Cryptococcus species (n=14) isolated from 320 suspected patients with cryptococcosis. METHODOLOGY: The URA5 gene was subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analysis. In addition, in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27-A4 and M59 guidelines. RESULTS: Overall, 14 (4.4 %) patients were confirmed as cryptococcosis. Based on molecular type, 85.7 and 14.3 % of the isolates were C. neoformans VN I and VN II, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of URA5 gene sequences revealed clustering of VN I and VN II isolates into two distinct clades with a substantial difference within each molecular type. Voriconazole and 5-fluorocytosine, respectively, had the lowest (0.031 μg ml(−1)) and highest (8 µg ml(−1)) MICs. The epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) for amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole and 5-fluorocytosine encompassed ≥97 % of all 14 C. neoformans VN I species. However, according to the CLSI document M59, ECVs for itraconazole (7; 50 % of the isolates) and for posaconazole (1; 7.1 % of the isolate), were one log2 dilution higher than the wild type range. Combinations of amphotericin B with 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B with fluconazole and fluconazole with 5-fluorocytosine exhibited synergistic effects against 37, 31 and 12.5 % of the isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings may significantly contribute to the development of management strategies for patients at a higher risk of cryptococcosis, particularly HIV-positive individuals.

Dihydroxyacid dehydratase (DHAD) is a key enzyme in biosynthetic pathway of isoleucine and valine. This pathway is absent in human but exists in various organisms such as fungi. Using RNA-seq analysis in this study, we identified MGL_3741gene which encodes DHAD protein in Malassezia globosa (M. globosa). Furthermore, we found that mentioned gene is homologous to the Ustilago maydis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus fumigatus ILV3P. For understanding the probable role of this gene in pathogenicity of M. globosa, we applied Real-time PCR to investigate the differentially expressed of the MGL_3741 gene in healthy and pathogenic states. Our results indicate a significant difference between two mentioned stats. These results revealed that ILV3-like gene in M. globosa can be related to the pathogenicity of this yeast.

Background: Members of the genus Fusarium are common soil saprophytes and important plant pathogens which also cause a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from onychomycosis to the life - threatening systemic infections. The antifungal susceptibility patterns of Fusarium isolates varies in different species. Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the antifungal susceptibility pattern of environmental and clinical Fusarium isolates to conventionally - used azole antifungal drugs in Iran. Methods: A total of 36 Fusarium isolates (16 clinical and 20 environmental) were included in this study. All environmental isolates were obtained from the culture collection of medical mycology laboratory of the School of Public Health at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Clinical isolates were obtained from patients with onychomycosis and were identified by PCR - sequencing of a fragment of translation elongation factor 1 alpha gene. All clinical and environmental isolates were tested for their in vitro susceptibility to itraconazole (ITC) and voriconazole (VRC) according to the CLSI M38 - A2 standard. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS version 21. Results: The majority of clinical isolates were identified as F. proliferatum (N = 6) followed by F. oxysporum (N = 4), F. solani (N = 3), F. verticillioides (N = 1), F. acutatum (N = 1), and F. thapsinum (N = 1). The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of ITC was observed for environmental F. verticillioides isolates (N = 5, GM = 13.93 µg/mL). For VRC, the lowest MICs were recorded for environmental F. verticillioides isolates (N = 5, GM = 2.3 µg/mL), and the highest MICs were observed for clinical F. solani isolates (N = 3, GM = 10.08 µg/mL). ITC was inactive against all clinical and the majority of environmental Fusarium isolates (MICs ≥ 16 µg/mL). Significant differences were observed between MICs of ITC and VRC against environmental F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides isolates (P < 0.001 for both). Similarly, the susceptibility of clinical F. proliferatum, F. oxysporum and F. solani isolates to VRC was significantly different (P = 0.023). Conclusions: The resistance pattern in Fusarium isolates is species specific and, therefore, identification at the species level is important for choosing the proper antifungal treatment.

Background Thioredoxin (Trx) is a member of pan-allergen family which has been identified in some fungi. Due to cross-reactivity to human Trx, the Trx of Aspergillus fumigatus and Malassezia sympodialis (M. sympodialis) can lead to the exacerbation of severe atopic diseases. However, the role of Trx in pityriasis versicolor (PV) is unclear. Purpose To evaluate the role of Trx protein of M. sympodialis and M. globosa in PV. Methodology Using RNA-seq technology, the MGL-1781 gene was found to be highly expressed in M. globosa isolated from PV patients. Based on the protein BLAST analysis, this gene was predicted to encode the hypothetical Trx protein of M. globosa. The expression level of the MGL-1781 gene along with the Trx encoding gene of M. sympodialis (Mala s 13) were quantified using real-time PCR assay among isolates from pityriasis versicolor (PV) patients and healthy controls. Results We found that the expression of MGL_1781 and Mala s 13 genes were significantly different among M. globosa and M. sympodialis isolated from PV patients and healthy individuals. The expression mean of the MGL-1781 and Mala s 13 genes were 103.919 and 1074.365, respectively. Conclusion Our results indicated that the MGL-1781 and Mala s 13 genes may respectively contribute to the virulence of M. globosa and M. sympodialis in PV, which warrant further investigations in this area.

Background Over the past decades, the incidence of opportunistic fungal infections due to Candida species dramatically increased. Rapid and accurate identification to the species level is a concern because these species susceptibility differences could affect therapeutic choices. Objectives The goal of this study was to identify the Candida isolates to the species level using conventional as well as molecular methods and to assess the in vitro susceptibility of C. albicans isolates. Methods A total of 80 clinical sample of immunocompromised patients were collected. Yeast isolates were identified to the species level using conventional as well as PCR-RFLP methods. Also, four primers were used for RAPD analysis of C. albicans strains. All C. albicans isolates were tested for in vitro susceptibility to the Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Amphotericin B and Nystatin according to the CLSI M27-A3 standard. Results Of the sixty-one Candida isolates, the most common species was C. albicans (34.42%), followed by C. glabrata (24.59%), C. parapsilosis complex (18.03%), C. krusei (14.75%), C. kefyr (3.27%), C. lusitaniae (3.27%) and C. dubliniensis (1.63%). RAPD-PCR results indicated C. albicans isolates allocate into three clusters (A, B, C) with higher than 80% homology level. The antifungal susceptibility results suggest that C.albicans isolates are the most susceptible to Amphotericin B (100%) followed by Itraconazole (90.47%). Conclusions Our funding indicated that identification to species level is important for choosing proper antifungal treatment mainly in immunocompromised patients. We also could observe that RAPD assay was able to identify genetic variability among C. albicans isolates.