Phialemoniopsis limonesiae sp. nov. causing cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in an immunosuppressed woman.

Rare or opportunistic fungal infections are mostly described in immunosuppressed patients. We present a case of a cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis that developed on the dorsal foot in an immunosuppressed woman suffering from AIDS, caused by a novel Phialemoniopsis species. It clinically presented as an indurated violaceous plaque, surmounted by nodules exuding a sero-purulent discharge. A filamentous fungus was isolated from pus and cutaneous biopsy. ITS and LSU sequences phylogenetically resolved the fungus as an unknown species of Phialemoniopsis, which is an unresolved family within Sordariomycetes. In this study we describe the new species as Phialemoniopsis limonesiae, which clusters on a single branch clearly separated from its closest phylogenetic neighbours. This new strain showed low MIC to itraconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole.

Classification of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces and related genera (Eurotiales): An overview of families, genera, subgenera, sections, series and species.

The Eurotiales is a relatively large order of Ascomycetes with members frequently having positive and negative impact on human activities. Species within this order gain attention from various research fields such as food, indoor and medical mycology and biotechnology. In this article we give an overview of families and genera present in the Eurotiales and introduce an updated subgeneric, sectional and series classification for Aspergillus and Penicillium. Finally, a comprehensive list of accepted species in the Eurotiales is given. The classification of the Eurotiales at family and genus level is traditionally based on phenotypic characters, and this classification has since been challenged using sequence-based approaches. Here, we re-evaluated the relationships between families and genera of the Eurotiales using a nine-gene sequence dataset. Based on this analysis, the new family Penicillaginaceae is introduced and four known families are accepted: Aspergillaceae, Elaphomycetaceae, Thermoascaceae and Trichocomaceae. The Eurotiales includes 28 genera: 15 genera are accommodated in the Aspergillaceae (Aspergillago, Aspergillus, Evansstolkia, Hamigera, Leiothecium, Monascus, Penicilliopsis, Penicillium, Phialomyces, Pseudohamigera, Pseudopenicillium, Sclerocleista, Warcupiella, Xerochrysium and Xeromyces), eight in the Trichocomaceae (Acidotalaromyces, Ascospirella, Dendrosphaera, Rasamsonia, Sagenomella, Talaromyces, Thermomyces, Trichocoma), two in the Thermoascaceae (Paecilomyces, Thermoascus) and one in the Penicillaginaceae (Penicillago). The classification of the Elaphomycetaceae was not part of this study, but according to literature two genera are present in this family (Elaphomyces and Pseudotulostoma). The use of an infrageneric classification system has a long tradition in Aspergillus and Penicillium. Most recent taxonomic studies focused on the sectional level, resulting in a well-established sectional classification in these genera. In contrast, a series classification in Aspergillus and Penicillium is often outdated or lacking, but is still relevant, e.g., the allocation of a species to a series can be highly predictive in what functional characters the species might have and might be useful when using a phenotype-based identification. The majority of the series in Aspergillus and Penicillium are invalidly described and here we introduce a new series classification. Using a phylogenetic approach, often supported by phenotypic, physiologic and/or extrolite data, Aspergillus is subdivided in six subgenera, 27 sections (five new) and 75 series (73 new, one new combination), and Penicillium in two subgenera, 32 sections (seven new) and 89 series (57 new, six new combinations). Correct identification of species belonging to the Eurotiales is difficult, but crucial, as the species name is the linking pin to information. Lists of accepted species are a helpful aid for researchers to obtain a correct identification using the current taxonomic schemes. In the most recent list from 2014, 339 Aspergillus, 354 Penicillium and 88 Talaromyces species were accepted. These numbers increased significantly, and the current list includes 446 Aspergillus (32 % increase), 483 Penicillium (36 % increase) and 171 Talaromyces (94 % increase) species, showing the large diversity and high interest in these genera. We expanded this list with all genera and species belonging to the Eurotiales (except those belonging to Elaphomycetaceae). The list includes 1 187 species, distributed over 27 genera, and contains MycoBank numbers, collection numbers of type and ex-type cultures, subgenus, section and series classification data, information on the mode of reproduction, and GenBank accession numbers of ITS, beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) gene sequences.

Redefining Humicola sensu stricto and related genera in the Chaetomiaceae.

The traditional concept of the genus Humicola includes species that produce pigmented, thick-walled and single-celled spores laterally or terminally on hyphae or minimally differentiated conidiophores. More than 50 species have been described in the genus. Species commonly occur in soil, indoor environments, and compost habitats. The taxonomy of Humicola and morphologically similar genera is poorly understood in modern terms. Based on a four-locus phylogeny, the morphological concept of Humicola proved to be polyphyletic. The type of Humicola, H. fuscoatra, belongs to the Chaetomiaceae. In the Chaetomiaceae, species producing humicola-like thick-walled spores are distributed among four lineages: Humicola sensu stricto, Mycothermus, Staphylotrichum, and Trichocladium. In our revised concept of Humicola, asexual and sexually reproducing species both occur. The re-defined Humicola contains 24 species (seven new and thirteen new combinations), which are described and illustrated in this study. The species in this genus produce conidia that are lateral, intercalary or terminal on/in hyphae, and conidiophores are not formed or are minimally developed (micronematous). The ascospores of sexual Humicola species are limoniform to quadrangular in face view and bilaterally flattened with one apical germ pore. Seven species are accepted in Staphylotrichum (four new species, one new combination). Thick-walled conidia of Staphylotrichum species usually arise either from hyphae (micronematous) or from apically branched, seta-like conidiophores (macronematous). The sexual morph represented by Staphylotrichum longicolleum (= Chaetomium longicolleum) produces ascomata with long necks composed of a fused basal part of the terminal hairs, and ascospores that are broad limoniform to nearly globose, bilaterally flattened, with an apical germ pore. The Trichocladium lineage has a high morphological diversity in both asexual and sexual structures. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four subclades in this lineage. However, these subclades are genetically closely related, and no distinctive phenotypic characters are linked to any of them. Fourteen species are accepted in Trichocladium, including one new species, twelve new combinations. The type species of Gilmaniella, G. humicola, belongs to the polyphyletic family Lasiosphaeriaceae (Sordariales), but G. macrospora phylogenetically belongs to Trichocladium. The thermophilic genus Mycothermus and the type species My. thermophilum are validated, and one new Mycothermus species is described. Phylogenetic analyses show that Remersonia, another thermophilic genus, is sister to Mycothermus and two species are known, including one new species. Thermomyces verrucosus produces humicola-like conidia and is transferred to Botryotrichum based on phylogenetic affinities. This study is a first attempt to establish an inclusive modern classification of Humicola and humicola-like genera of the Chaetomiaceae. More research is needed to determine the phylogenetic relationships of "humicola"-like species outside the Chaetomiaceae.

Efficient identification of Malassezia yeasts by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

BACKGROUND: Infections caused by Malassezia yeasts are most likely underdiagnosed, because fatty acid supplementation is needed for growth. Rapid identification of Malassezia species is essential for appropriate treatment of Malassezia-related skin infections, fungaemia and nosocomial outbreaks in neonates, children and adults and can be life-saving for those patients. Ma-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been reported to be a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool to identify clinically important yeasts, but so far no data have been reported on identification of Malassezia isolates with this technique. OBJECTIVES: To create an extensive database of main mass spectra (MSPs) that will allow quick identification of Malassezia species by MALDI-TOF MS. METHODS: An in-house library of 113 MSPs was created from 48 reference strains from the CBS-KNAW yeast collection. The in-house library was challenged with two test sets of Malassezia strains, namely 165 reference strains from the CBS collection and 338 isolates collected in Greece, Italy, Sweden and Thailand. RESULTS: MALDI-TOF MS allowed correct identification of all 14 Malassezia spp. MALDI-TOF MS results were concordant with those of sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1/ITS2) and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the ribosomal DNA. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the MALDI-TOF MS system as a routine identification tool will contribute to correct identification of Malassezia yeasts with minimal effort and in a short turnaround time, which is especially important for the rapid identification of Malassezia in skin diseases and nosocomial outbreaks.