Parengyodontium album Isolated from Cutaneous Lesions of a Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) During Treatment for Paracoccidioidomycosis Ceti.

The prominence of seafood in Japan motivates close monitoring of its seas and marine lives for potentially pathogenic fungi. During the treatments of the male Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) for paracoccidioidomycosis ceti (PCM-C), 5 white and floccose colonies showing identical genotype and morphological characteristics were isolated from two skin biopsy samples of cutaneous granulomatous lesions in 2018. The isolates were identified as Parengyodontium album known as one of fungal species having abilities to produce industrially important proteases, and to become a causative agent for emerging mycosis based on morphological and molecular biological characteristics. These lesions consisted of non-malignant pearl-like structures of hyperplastic keratinocytes. Interestingly, although the isolates could grow at 35 °C, their DNA sequences were phylogenetically located in a cluster consisting of environmental and clinical isolates lacking the ability to grow at 35 °C, based on previous reports. The opportunistic infection we observed in the dolphin might be caused by immune disorder due to PCM-C. Notably, although P. album is recognized as non-harmful, and has significant industrial importance and antitumor activity, it has potential to cause not only superficial but also systemic infection, and presents difficulties in treatment because of its high resistance to antifungal compounds.

Onychomycosis of the Middle Finger of a Japanese Judo Athlete due to Trichophyton tonsurans

We present a 17-year-old Japanese male high school student, who had applied steroid ointment for atopic dermatitis, with fingernail onychomycosis due to Trichophyton tonsurans. He was found positive for T. tonsurans infection based on hairbrush culture performed due to an epidemic of T. tonsurans infection in his judo club. The hairbrush culture method is very important in screening for this infection, and dermatologists should examine the entire body of athletes who are found positive using this method. For the diagnosis of T. tonsurans infection, other than the skin and hair, the nails should also be checked by dermoscopy because the fingernail may be the origin of this fungus.

Dehydropropylpantothenamide isolated by a co-culture of Nocardia tenerifensis IFM 10554T in the presence of animal cells.

A new amide, named dehydropropylpantothenamide (1), was obtained by a co-culture of Nocardia tenerifensis IFM 10554T in the presence of the mouse macrophage-like cell line J774.1 in modified Czapek-Dox (mCD) medium. Compound 1 was synthesized from D-pantothenic acid calcium salt in 6 steps. The absolute configuration of natural compound 1 was determined by comparisons of the optical rotation and CD spectra of synthetic 1. In the present study, a new method for producing secondary metabolites was demonstrated using a "co-culture" in which the genus Nocardia was cultured in the presence of an animal cell line.

Production of an emericellin and its analogues as fungal biological responses for Shimbu-to extract.

This research examined the production of fungal metabolites as a biological response to Kampo medicines. Shimbu-to (SMB) is a Kampo medicine composed of five herbal components: peony root (Shakuyaku), ginger (Shokyo), processed aconite root (Bushi), Poria sclerotium (Bukuryo), and Atractylodes lancea rhizomes (Sojutsu). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans CBS 112.46 incubated in potato dextrose broth supplemented with SMB extract revealed emericellin (2) as the major peak and new xanthone analogues 24-hydroxyshamixanthone (1), shamixanthone (3), epishamixanthone (4), pre-shamixanthone (5), and variecoxanthone A (6) as minor peaks. The structure of 1 was determined by detailed analysis of 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, and MS data. The results suggest that SMB extract regulates the biosynthesis of emericellin and its analogues in A. nidulans. Further investigations revealed that glucose induces the biosynthesis of emericellin and its analogues in A. nidulans in a concentration-dependent manner.

Successful treatment of Beauveria bassiana fungal keratitis with topical voriconazole.

We describe a 66-year-old woman who suffered from fungal keratitis after corneal transplantation. The causative organism was identified as Beauveria bassiana on the basis of morphological characteristics and the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene. The patient was successfully treated with topical voriconazole (VRCZ) use only. We, hereby, present the first report of a case with B. bassiana fungal keratitis that responded to topical antifungal VRCZ treatment.

[Chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea monophora].

Fonsecaea species are major etiologic agents of Chromoblastomycosis (CBM). By genetic analysis, the genus Fonsecaea has recently been revised and classified into F. pedorosoi, F. monophora and F. nubica. Here we report a severe chronic case of CBM caused by F. monophora. A 55-year-old Filipino male developed progressive skin lesions on the left lateral ankle in 1973, when he worked at a coconut plantation in the Philippines. In 1999, he received medical treatments for enlarged, multiple lesions on the left lower limb. When he moved to Japan in 2005, the lesions were remarkably improved and he discontinued taking the medicine. On our first examination in October 2008, a large, reddish, cicatricial plaque was observed on the left lower aspect of his leg. Several tumorous lesions surrounded the plaque, indicating that the therapies performed before had been insufficient. In addition, there were many patchy scars scattered on the thigh and the upper part of the lower leg. The diagnosis of CBM was made by the presence of muriform cells. Black, pulverulent colonies were yielded in culture of skin scrapings and tissues. Although the fungus could not be identified by microscopic morphology, r-RNA ITS sequence analysis enabled identification of Fonsecaea monophora. The patient responded well to oral voriconazole combined with local thermotherapy using pocket warmers. The tumoral masses subsided in 6 months, leaving pink scars with negative fungal culture. Voriconazole treatment was continued for 18 months. It seems that drugs are insufficiently delivered in the cicatricial lesions because of the paucity of blood flow, suggesting that a long-term follow-up is necessary for such a case.

A new indoloditerpene derivative, penijanthine A, isolated from Penicillium janthinellum.

In a screen searching for new bioactive agents, a new indoloditerpene, penijanthine A (1), was isolated from Penicillium janthinellum IFM 55557. The structure of 1 was established on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical investigation, as well as detailed comparison with the spectroscopic and physico-chemical data of paxilline (2), which was isolated along with 1.

New penicillide derivatives isolated from Penicillium simplicissimum.

Two new penicillide derivatives, secopenicillides A (3) and B (4), were isolated along with penicillide (1) and purpactin A (2), and altenusin (5) and dehydroaltenusin (6), the antifungal substances of this fungus, from the extract of Penicillium simplicissimum IFM 53375. The absolute structures of 3 and 4 were determined by spectroscopic investigation and chemical correlation to penicillide (1). The absolute configuration of purpactin A (2) was determined by the chemical method.