Trametes polyzona, an emerging filamentous basidiomycete in Réunion Island.

We describe two serious Trametes polyzona pulmonary infections, which occurred in Réunion Island, in critically ill patients. The identification was performed using sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and D1/D2 region of 28S rDNA. In one case, the significance of T. polyzona in the pathological process was certain, proven by histopathological evidence of fungal lung infection. T. polyzona, an emerging filamentous basidiomycete, prevalent in tropical areas, has not been described so far in human infections.

Nephroprotective Effects of Two Ganoderma Species Methanolic Extracts in an In Vitro Model of Cisplatin Induced Tubulotoxicity.

Although cisplatin is used as a first-line therapy in many cancers, its nephrotoxicity remains a real problem. Acute kidney injuries induced by cisplatin can cause proximal tubular necrosis, possibly leading to interstitial fibrosis, chronic dysfunction, and finally to a cessation of chemotherapy. There are only a few nephroprotective actions that can help reduce cisplatin nephrotoxicity. This study aims to identify new prophylactic properties with respect to medicinal mushrooms. Among five Ganoderma species, the methanolic extracts of Ganoderma tuberculosum Murill., Ganoderma parvigibbosum Welti & Courtec. (10 µg/mL), and their association (5 + 5 µg/mL) were selected to study respective in vitro effects on human proximal tubular cells (HK-2) intoxicated by cisplatin. Measurements were performed after a pretreatment of 1 h with the extracts before adding cisplatin (20 µM). A viability assay, antioxidant activity, intracytoplasmic ß-catenin, calcium, caspase-3, p53, cytochrome C, IL-6, NFκB, membranous KIM-1, and ROS overproduction were studied. Tests showed that both methanolic extracts and their association prevented a loss of viability, apoptosis, and its signaling pathway. G. parvigibbosum and the association prevented an increase in intracytoplasmic ß-catenin. G. parvigibbosum prevented ROS overproduction and exhibited scavenger activity. None of the extracts could interfere with pro-inflammatory markers or calcium homeostasis. Our in vitro data demonstrate that these mushroom extracts have interesting nephroprotective properties. Finally, the chemical content was investigated through a phytochemical screening, and the determination of the total phenolic and triterpenoid content. Further studies about the chemical composition need to be conducted.

Large-scale phenotyping of 1,000 fungal strains for the degradation of non-natural, industrial compounds.

Fungal biotechnology is set to play a keystone role in the emerging bioeconomy, notably to address pollution issues arising from human activities. Because they preserve biological diversity, Biological Resource Centres are considered as critical infrastructures to support the development of biotechnological solutions. Here, we report the first large-scale phenotyping of more than 1,000 fungal strains with evaluation of their growth and degradation potential towards five industrial, human-designed and recalcitrant compounds, including two synthetic dyes, two lignocellulose-derived compounds and a synthetic plastic polymer. We draw a functional map over the phylogenetic diversity of Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, to guide the selection of fungal taxa to be tested for dedicated biotechnological applications. We evidence a functional diversity at all taxonomic ranks, including between strains of a same species. Beyond demonstrating the tremendous potential of filamentous fungi, our results pave the avenue for further functional exploration to solve the ever-growing issue of ecosystems pollution.

[Human papillomavirus testing in cervical cancer screening]. / Stellenwert des Nachweises von humanem Papillomvirus in der Früherkennung des Zervixkarzinoms.

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by one of the 18 oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV). It is estimated that 80% of all women will be infected by HPV in a lifetime, and the prevalence of HPV is highest among young, sexually active women and declines with increasing age. The risk of developing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions depends on the actual HPV type,the duration of infection, and the viral load. Due to the high prevalence of HPV infection, HPV testing in young women is of little value. The high negative predictive value of this test, combined with nor-mal Papanicolaou smear results, almost ensures that the patient is or will be free of a cancer precursor at the time of testing or in the immediate future. Hence, HPV testing combined with cytology is a reasonable approach in elderly women in order to increase the screening interval to 3-5 years. HPV testing is established for triage of borderline cytology findings of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance if colposcopy is not performed immediately and if HPV-negative women are rescheduled within 12 months. HPV testing 6 months after cone biopsy allows increasing the follow-up interval due to its high negative predictive value. In atypical glandular lesions not otherwise specified, HPV testing may identify patients requiring immediate treatment. In immunocompromised patients with borderline cytology due to persistent HPV infection, HPV test-ing identifies patients with a low risk of cancer precursors not requiring treatment.