Expansion microscopy reveals characteristic ultrastructural features of pathogenic budding yeast species.

Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal pathogen associated with candidemia. Similar to other fungi, the complex life cycle of C. albicans has been challenging to study with high-resolution microscopy due to its small size. Here, we employed ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) to directly visualise subcellular structures at high resolution in the yeast and during its transition to hyphal growth. N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-ester pan-labelling in combination with immunofluorescence via snapshots of various mitotic stages provided a comprehensive map of nucleolar and mitochondrial segregation dynamics and enabled the resolution of the inner and outer plaque of spindle pole bodies (SPBs). Analyses of microtubules (MTs) and SPBs suggest that C. albicans displays a side-by-side SPB arrangement with a short mitotic spindle and longer astral MTs (aMTs) at the pre-anaphase stage. Modifications to the established U-ExM protocol enabled the expansion of six other human fungal pathogens, revealing that the side-by-side SPB configuration is a plausibly conserved feature shared by many fungal species. We highlight the power of U-ExM to investigate subcellular organisation at high resolution and low cost in poorly studied and medically relevant microbial pathogens.

Synergistic antifungal effects of the preservative ammonium propionate and medium chain fatty acids against dormant and germinating conidia, germ tubes and hyphae of Aspergillus chevalieri, a feed spoilage fungus.

In feed, propionic acid is the weak organic acid of choice to prevent growth of spoilage fungi. For safe and easy industrial handling this antifungal agent is applied in the presence of neutralizing ammonium, which however has the disadvantage to negatively affect the efficacy of fungus-inhibiting properties of the formulation. In the present study we investigated the impact of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) on the antifungal efficacy of an ammonium propionate formulation on dormant- and germinating conidia as well as germ tubes and hyphae of Aspergillus chevalieri, a xerophilic fungus predominant on moulded feed. Dormant conidia were not affected by 32 mM of ammonium propionate after a 28 h-treatment in demi water. Similar results were obtained with solely 0.52 mM MCFA. However, the combination of both components nearly eradicated formation of colonies from these conidia and was accompanied by distortion of the cellular structure as was visible with light- and transmission electron microscopy. Germination of conidia, characterised by swelling and germ tube formation, was significantly decreased in the presence of 16 mM ammonium propionate and 0.26 mM MCFA, while the latter component itself did not significantly decrease germination. We conclude that a combination of ammonium propionate and MCFA had a synergistic antifungal effect on dormant and germinating conidia. When the combination of ammonium propionate and MCFA was tested on hyphae for 30 min, we observed that cell death was significantly increased in comparison to components alone. Treatment of the hyphae with 16 mM of ammonium propionate caused aberrant mitochondria, as evidenced by irregularly shaped and enlarged mitochondria that contained electron-dense inclusions as observed by transmission electron microscopy. When the combination of ammonium propionate and MCFA was applied against the hyphae, more severe cell damage was observed, with signs of autophagy. Summarised, our results demonstrate synergistic antifungal effects of ammonium propionate and medium chain fatty acids on fungal survival structures, during their germination and after a short (sudden) treatment of growing cells. This is of potential importance for several areas of feed and food storage and shelf-life.

Three-Dimensional Ultrastructure of Arabidopsis Cotyledons Infected with Colletotrichum higginsianum.

We used serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to study the host-pathogen interface between Arabidopsis cotyledons and the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum. By combining high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution with SBF-SEM, followed by segmentation and reconstruction of the imaging volume using the freely accessible software IMOD, we created 3D models of the series of cytological events that occur during the Colletotrichum-Arabidopsis susceptible interaction. We found that the host cell membranes underwent massive expansion to accommodate the rapidly growing intracellular hypha. As the fungal infection proceeded from the biotrophic to the necrotrophic stage, the host cell membranes went through increasing levels of disintegration culminating in host cell death. Intriguingly, we documented autophagosomes in proximity to biotrophic hyphae using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a concurrent increase in autophagic flux between early to mid/late biotrophic phase of the infection process. Occasionally, we observed osmiophilic bodies in the vicinity of biotrophic hyphae using TEM only and near necrotrophic hyphae under both TEM and SBF-SEM. Overall, we established a method for obtaining serial SBF-SEM images, each with a lateral (x-y) pixel resolution of 10 nm and an axial (z) resolution of 40 nm, that can be reconstructed into interactive 3D models using the IMOD. Application of this method to the Colletotrichum-Arabidopsis pathosystem allowed us to more fully understand the spatial arrangement and morphological architecture of the fungal hyphae after they penetrate epidermal cells of Arabidopsis cotyledons and the cytological changes the host cell undergoes as the infection progresses toward necrotrophy. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.

Automated detection of superficial fungal infections from microscopic images through a regional convolutional neural network.

Direct microscopic examination with potassium hydroxide is generally used as a screening method for diagnosing superficial fungal infections. Although this type of examination is faster than other diagnostic methods, it can still be time-consuming to evaluate a complete sample; additionally, it possesses the disadvantage of inconsistent reliability as the accuracy of the reading may differ depending on the performer's skill. This study aims at detecting hyphae more quickly, conveniently, and consistently through deep learning using images obtained from microscopy used in real-world practice. An object detection convolutional neural network, YOLO v4, was trained on microscopy images with magnifications of 100×, 40×, and (100+40)×. The study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology at Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Korea between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, using 3,707 images (1,255 images for training, 1,645 images for testing). The average precision was used to evaluate the accuracy of object detection. Precision recall curve analysis was performed for the hyphal location determination, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed on the image classification. The F1 score, sensitivity, and specificity values were used as measures of the overall performance. The sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 95.2% and 100% in the 100× data model, and 99% and 86.6% in the 40× data model; the sensitivity and specificity in the combined (100+40)× data model were 93.2% and 89%, respectively. The performance of our model had high sensitivity and specificity, indicating that hyphae can be detected with reliable accuracy. Thus, our deep learning-based autodetection model can detect hyphae in microscopic images obtained from real-world practice. We aim to develop an automatic hyphae detection system that can be utilized in real-world practice through continuous research.

Hormonal Responses to Susceptible, Intermediate, and Resistant Interactions in the Brassica napus-Leptosphaeria maculans Pathosystem.

Hormone signaling plays a pivotal role in plant-microbe interactions. There are three major phytohormones in plant defense: salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ET). The activation and trade-off of signaling between these three hormones likely determines the strength of plant defense in response to pathogens. Here, we describe the allocation of hormonal signaling in Brassica napus against the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. Three B. napus genotypes (Westar, Surpass400, and 01-23-2-1) were inoculated with two L. maculans isolates (H75 8-1 and H77 7-2), subsequently exhibiting three levels of resistance: susceptible, intermediate, and resistant. Quantitative analyses suggest that the early activation of some SA-responsive genes, including WRKY70 and NPR1, contribute to an effective defense against L. maculans. The co-expression among factors responding to SA/ET/JA was also observed in the late stage of infection. The results of conjugated SA measurement also support that early SA activation plays a crucial role in durable resistance. Our results demonstrate the relationship between the onset patterns of certain hormone regulators and the effectiveness of the defense of B. napus against L. maculans.

Membrane traffic related to endosome dynamics and protein secretion in filamentous fungi.

In eukaryotic cells, membrane-surrounded organelles are orchestrally organized spatiotemporally under environmental situations. Among such organelles, vesicular transports and membrane contacts occur to communicate each other, so-called membrane traffic. Filamentous fungal cells are highly polarized and thus membrane traffic is developed to have versatile functions. Early endosome (EE) is an endocytic organelle that dynamically exhibits constant long-range motility through the hyphal cell, which is proven to have physiological roles, such as other organelle distribution and signal transduction. Since filamentous fungal cells are also considered as cell factories, to produce valuable proteins extracellularly, molecular mechanisms of secretory pathway including protein glycosylation have been well investigated. In this review, molecular and physiological aspects of membrane traffic especially related to EE dynamics and protein secretion in filamentous fungi are summarized, and perspectives for application are also described.

In Situ Imaging of Candida albicans Hyphal Growth via Atomic Force Microscopy.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans known for its ability to cause a wide range of infections. One major virulence factor of C. albicans is its ability to form hyphae that can invade host tissues and cause disseminated infections. Here, we introduce a method based on atomic force microscopy to investigate C. albicans hyphae in situ on silicone elastomer substrates, focusing on the effects of temperature and antifungal drugs. Hyphal growth rates differ significantly for measurements performed at different physiologically relevant temperatures. Furthermore, it is found that fluconazole is more effective than caspofungin in suppressing hyphal growth. We also investigate the effects of antifungal drugs on the mechanical properties of hyphal cells. An increase in Young's modulus and a decrease in adhesion force are observed in hyphal cells subjected to caspofungin treatment. Young's moduli are not significantly affected following treatment with fluconazole; the adhesion force, however, increases. Overall, our results provide a direct means of observing the effects of environmental factors and antifungal drugs on C. albicans hyphal growth and mechanics with high spatial resolution.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is one of the most common pathogens of humans. One important virulence factor of C. albicans is its ability to form elongated hyphae that can invade host tissues and cause disseminated infections. Here, we show the effect of different physiologically relevant temperatures and common antifungal drugs on the growth and mechanical properties of C. albicans hyphae using atomic force microscopy. We demonstrate that minor temperature fluctuations within the normal range can have profound effects on hyphal cell growth and that different antifungal drugs impact hyphal cell stiffness and adhesion in different ways.

Subcellular structure and behaviour in fungal hyphae.

This work briefly surveys the diversity of selected subcellular characteristics in hyphal tip cells of the fungal kingdom (Mycota). Hyphae are filamentous cells that grow by tip extension. It is a highly polarised mechanism that requires a robust secretory system for the delivery of materials (e.g. membrane, proteins, cell wall materials) to sites of cell growth. These events result it the self-assembly of a Spitzenkörper (Spk), found most often in the Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Blastocladiomycota, or an apical vesicle crescent (AVC), present in the most Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota. The Spk is a complex apical body composed of secretory vesicles, cytoskeletal elements, and signaling proteins. The AVC appears less complex, though little is known of its composition other than secretory vesicles. Both bodies influence hyphal growth and morphogenesis. Other factors such as cytoskeletal functions, endocytosis, cytoplasmic flow, and turgor pressure are also important in sustaining hyphal growth. Clarifying subcellular structures, functions, and behaviours through bioimagining analysis are providing a better understanding of the cell biology and phylogenetic relationships of fungi. LAY DESCRIPTION: Fungi are most familiar to the public as yeast, molds, and mushrooms. They are eukaryotic organisms that inhabit diverse ecological niches around the world and are critical to the health of ecosystems performing roles in decomposition of organic matter and nutrient recycling (Heath, 1990). Fungi are heterotrophs, unlike plants, and comprise the most successful and diverse phyla of eukaryotic microbes, interacting with all other forms of life in associations that range from beneficial (e.g., mycorrhizae) to antagonistic (e.g., pathogens). Some fungi can be parasitic or pathogenic on plants (e.g., Cryphonectria parasitica, Magnaporthe grisea), insects (e.g., Beauveria bassiana, Cordyceps sp.), invertebrates (e.g., Drechslerella anchonia), vertebrates (e.g., Coccidioides immitis, Candia albicans) and other fungi (e.g., Trichoderma viride, Ampelomyces quisqualis). The majority of fungi, however, are saprophytes, obtaining nutrition through the brake down of non-living organic matter.

Muriform Cells Can Reproduce by Dividing in an Athymic Murine Model of Chromoblastomycosis due to Fonsecaea pedrosoi.

Transformation of Fonsecaea pedrosoi into muriform cells enhances the resistance against phagocytosis and elimination by host immune cells, and links to the chronicity of chromoblastomycosis. Here, we aim to determine whether the muriform cells can reproduce in tissue without reverse transformation into hyphal form by using an experimental nu/nu-BALB/c mouse model of chromoblastomycosis due to F. pedrosoi. During the whole 81-day observation period, most of the hyphal inocula had transformed into muriform cells at 75 days postinoculation and maintained as this parasitic morphology till 81 days postinoculation simultaneously with increased fungal loads in tissue and the worsening of footpad lesion. Scanning and transmitting electronic microscope examinations showed that the muriform cells obtained in tissue or induced in vitro can reproduce daughter cells by dividing, and, meanwhile, the daughter cells had the potential to produce buds and grow into hyphae reversely. Furthermore, exoenzyme examination suggested that the profile of exoenzymes constituted by muriform cells was quite different from that constituted by hyphae although the assay showed both of them had obvious metabolic activity. By contrast, most muriform cells in the footpad gradually transformed into the elongated hyphae without obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells during repeated intraperitoneal administration of cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg, per every other day) from 50 to 80 days postinoculation. Therefore, we infer that F. pedrosoi can reproduce by dividing as muriform cells in mouse tissue, and the morphological transformation between hyphal form and muriform cells is possibly associated with the host immune status.

Agroindustrial waste as ecofriendly and low-cost alternative to production of chitosan from Mucorales fungi and antagonist effect against Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacco and Scytalidium lignicola Pesante.

This study aimed to evaluate the production of fungal chitosan (FuChi) from Mucorales fungi cultivated in a cashew apple juice (CAJ) and cheese whey (CW) mixture, and to determine the growth-inhibitory effect of this biopolymer against Fusarium solani CFF109 and Scytalidium lignicola CMM1098, which cause root rot disease in cassava plants. Cunninghamella phaeospora UCP 1303 and Cunninghamella elegans UCP 1306 showed the highest FuChi production in screening assay, being selected to a CCRD 22 design to analyze the influence of different CAJ and CW concentrations in the increase of FuChi production. All nine Mucorales fungi cultivated in CAJ-CW medium, showing FuChi production in the range of 27.58 (Mucor hiemalis UCP 1309) to 65.40 mg/g (C. elegans UCP 1306). During CCRD 22 design, the highest FuChi production (64.09 mg/g) was achieved by C. elegans UCP 1306 cultivated in medium containing 40% (v/v) of CAJ and 30% (v/v) of CW, presenting 75% deacetylation degree and crystallinity indexes of 41.50%. FuChi at 16000 µg/mL showed a better inhibition against S. lignicola mycelial growth (81.70%) when compared with F. solani (22.13%) and induced alterations in hyphae morphology on both strains. CAJ and CW are promising substrates for FuChi production, and this biopolymer shows antimicrobial effect against F. solani and S. lignicola.

From colony to rodlet: "A six meter long portrait of the xerophilic fungus Aspergillus restrictus decorates the hall of the Westerdijk institute."

The extreme xerophilic fungus Aspergillus restrictus is used as a model for a large artwork created out of five microscopic pictures in total measuring 80 cm by 624 cm. The artwork is printed on aluminium and located at the entrance of the Westerdijk Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands. The first picture is made from a colony of the fungus, which has a dimension of 1 cm and the last picture shows details of ornamentation on conidia and phialides of the fungus. The first two pictures of the artwork are made using a unique method of light microscopy in which many hundreds of pictures are made at different focal depths resulting in high detail and resolution of the pictures. For three other pictures, cryo-electron scanning microscopy was used including both a conventional system for lower magnification and a field emission scanning electron microscope for high resolution micrographs. The range of magnification is, at real size, between 78 and 63,000 times. When the observer passes the artwork it acts like a virtual microscope, just by walking past it you zoom-in to the smallest possible details. This coherent increase of magnification of one fungus, with very high quality light- and electron microscopy micrographs, shows different layers of fungal organization and emergent properties. These include the occurrence of secondary outcrops of hyphae and conidiophores in a colony; the formation of a stipe on a thin aerial hyphae; the presence and formation of characteristic structures on stipes, vesicles and phialides and a continuous zone between the forming conidia and phialides.

Visualization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Extraradical Hyphae and Spores Vitality and Activity.

The hyphae and spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi represent an essential component in the extraradical zone due to their role in nutrients and water uptake and as propagules that allow the perpetuation of the AM symbiosis over time, respectively. However, the attention of scientific literature is usually more focused on root colonization than on the study of the extraradical components of AM fungi, especially their vital, active, or functional fractions. This chapter presents some easy-to-use alternatives for staining vital, active, or functional structures of AM fungi for their subsequent microscopic visualization, such as the application of enzyme-based stains, NADPH formation, and also nucleus staining. Some modified methods for the extraction of mycelium from the soil are also presented.

Evaluation of antifungal effect and toxicity of xanthyletin and two bacterial metabolites against Thai isolates of Pythium insidiosum.

Pythiosis is a harmful disease caused by Pythium insidiosum, an aquatic oomycete. Therapeutic protocols based on antifungal drugs are often ineffective because the cytoplasmic membrane of P. insidiosum does not contain ergosterol. Therefore, the treatment of pythiosis is still challenging, particularly making use of natural products and secondary metabolites from bacteria. In this study, xanthyletin and substances obtained from Pseudomonas stutzeri ST1302 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ST2501 exhibited anti-P. insidiosum activity and, moreover, xanthyletin was non-toxic against human cell lines. The hyphae of P. insidiosum treated with these three substances exhibited lysis holes on a rough surface and release of anamorphic material. Therefore, xanthyletin could be considered a promising alternative agent for treating cutaneous pythiosis in the near future.

Chromium tolerance and accumulation in Aspergillus flavus isolated from tannery effluent.

Cr(VI) tolerance in Aspergillus flavus, strain SFL, isolated from tannery effluent was measured and compared with a reference strain of A. flavus, A1120. On solid medium, SFL had a high level of Cr(VI) tolerance (1,600 mg/L), which was 16 times that of A1120 and greater than most previously analyzed fungal strains. When in 100 mg/L of Cr(VI), SFL completely depleted Cr(VI) within 72 h while A1120 depleted 85% of Cr(VI). SFL was more effective in reducing extracellular Cr(VI) than A1120. While A1120 showed greater biosorption of Cr(VI) than SFL, intracellular accumulation was approximately 50% greater in SFL and was more energy-dependent than A1120. Cr(VI) modified the external surface of the hyphae. Cr speciation detected the presence of only Cr(III), corresponding to Cr(OH)3 , which precipitated on the hyphal surface. Cr(VI) bound to the functional groups carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl in both SFL and A1120. Transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray detected Cr on the fungal wall and within membrane-bound organelles of the cytoplasm. In conclusion, the greater tolerance of SFL to Cr(VI) relative to A1120 is due to more effective energy-dependant uptake of Cr(VI) into the cell and increased capacity of SFL to store Cr in intracellular vacuoles compared with A1120.

Deletion of bem46 retards spore germination and may be related to the polar growth of Aspergillus fumigatus.

Bud emergence 46 (BEM46), a member of the α/ß hydrolase superfamily, has been reported to be essential for polarized growth in Neurospora crassa. However, the role of BEM46 in aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) remains unclear. In this study, we constructed an A. fumigatus strain expressing BEM46 fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein, and a Δbem46 mutant, to explore the localization and the role of growth of BEM46 in A. fumigatus, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that BEM46 was dominantly expressed in the sites where hyphae germinated from conidia in A. fumigatus. When compared with the control strain, the Δbem46 mutant exhibited insignificant morphological changes but delayed germination. No significant changes were found regarding the radial growth of both strains in response to various antifungal agents. These results suggest that BEM46 plays an essential role in timely germination in A. fumigatus. From the observation of fluorescence localization, we infer that that BEM46 might be involved in polarized growth in A. fumigatus.

Ultra-Structural Alterations in Botrytis cinerea-The Causal Agent of Gray Mold-Treated with Salt Solutions.

Potassium bicarbonate (PB), calcium chelate (CCh), and sodium silicate (SSi) have been extensively used as antifungal generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds against plant pathogenic fungi. In this research, in in vitro tests, the radial growth, conidial germination, and germ tube elongation of Botrytis cinerea was completely inhibited at 0.3% of PB, SSi, and CCh. In in vivo tests, application of PB, SSi, and CCh completely inhibited the occurrence of gray mold incidence of inoculated 'Italia' grape berries at concentrations of 1.0, 0.8, and 0.8%, respectively. In order to investigate the detailed mechanisms by which salts exhibited antifungal activity, we analyzed their influence on morphological changes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and also on reactive species of oxygen (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. Defects such as malformation and excessive septation were detected on salt-treated hyphae morphology observed by SEM. The internal structure of conidia treated or not with salt solutions was examined by TEM. In treated conidia, most of the conidia were affected and cellular vacuolization and cytoplasmic disorganization was observed. For ROS accumulation, a higher increase was observed in fluorescent conidia in presence of PB, SSi, and CCh by 75, 68, and 70% as compared to control, respectively. MMP was significantly decreased after salt application indicating a loss of mitochondria function. Also, luminescence showed that B. cinerea-conidia treated with salts contained less ATP than the untreated conidia. The results obtained herein are a step towards a comprehensive understanding of the mode of action by which salts act as antifungal agents against B. cinerea.

Rapid discrimination of fungal species by the colony fingerprinting.

The contamination of foods and beverages by fungi is a severe health hazard. The rapid identification of fungi species in contaminated goods is important to avoid further contamination. To this end, we developed a fungal discrimination method based on the bioimage informatics approach of colony fingerprinting. This method involves imaging and visualizing microbial colonies (referred to as colony fingerprints) using a lens-less imaging system. Subsequently, the quantitative image features were extracted as discriminative parameters and subjected to analysis using machine learning approaches. Colony fingerprinting has been previously found to be a promising approach to discriminate bacteria. In the present proof-of-concept study, we tested whether this method is also useful for fungal discrimination. As a result, 5 fungi belonging to the Aspergillus, Penicilium, Eurotium, Alternaria, and Fusarium genera were successfully discriminated based on the extracted parameters, including the number of hyphae and their branches, and their intensity distributions on the images. The discrimination of 6 closely-related Aspergillus spp. was also demonstrated using additional parameters. The cultivation time required to generate the fungal colonies with a sufficient size for colony fingerprinting was less than 48 h, shorter than those for other discrimination methods, including MALDI-TOF-MS. In addition, colony fingerprinting did not require any cumbersome pre-treatment steps prior to discrimination. Colony fingerprinting is promising for the rapid and easy discrimination of fungi for use in the ensuring the safety of food manufacturing.

Protein extract from Cereus jamacaru (DC.) inhibits Colletotrichum gloeosporioides growth by stimulating ROS generation and promoting severe cell membrane damage.

Mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC.), is a cactaceous symbol of caatinga vegetation at Brazilian Northeast region, however, there are no much studies about biochemical properties of this species. Here, the pioneering study brings very relevant data to highlight the importance of research with endemic plants of the caatinga. Afterward, the presence of enzymes such as peroxidase, protease, chitinase, ß-1,3-glucanase, and serine (trypsin) and cysteine (papain) protease inhibitors were evaluated. The peroxidase activity was higher in roots than other tissues. The ß-1,3-glucanase and proteolytic activity were prominent in stem and roots. The chitinase activity and protease inhibitor for both classes analyzed were detected in the stem and fruit peel. Antifungal activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides showed the root extract has a promising inhibitory activity on this economical important phytopathogenic fungus. After the contact of the hyphae with root extract increase in membrane permeability, based on Propidium Iodide (PI) uptake, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected, compared to negative control. In addition, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis showed morphological damage on hyphae structure indicating that the treatment debilitates either cell membrane or cell wall leading to the cell death C. gloeosporioides.

[Inhibitory effect of extract of Coptidis Rhizoma on invasion of Candida albicans hyphae in vitro].

The aim of this paper was to investigate the inhibitory effect of extract of Coptidis Rhizoma(ECR) on invasion of Candida albicans hyphae in vitro.XTT reduction method was used to evaluate the metabolic activity of C.albicans.The colony edge growth of C.albicans was observed by solid medium.The growth of C.albicans hyphae was determined on semi-solid medium.The morphology and viability changes of C.albicans hyphae were assessed by scanning electron microscope and fluorescence microscope.qRT-PCR method was used to detect the ALS3 and SSA1 expression of C.albicans invasin genes.The results showed that the metabolic viability by XTT method detected that the activity of C.albicans was gradually decreased under the intervention of 64,128 and 256 mg·L-1 of ECR respectively.128,256 mg·L-1 of ECR significantly inhibited colony folds and wrinkles on solid medium and the hyphal invasion in semi-solid medium.Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed that 128,256 mg·L-1 of ECR could inhibit the formation of C.albicans hyphae.qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of invasin gene ALS3 and SSA1 was down-regulated,and especially 256 mg·L-1 of ECR could down-regulate the two genes expression by 4.8,1.68 times respectively.This study showed that ECR can affect the invasiveness of C.albicans by inhibiting the growth of hyphae and the expression of invasin.

Integration of electron microscopy and solid-state NMR analysis for new views and compositional parameters of Aspergillus fumigatus biofilms.

The general ability and tendency of bacteria and fungi to assemble into bacterial communities, termed biofilms, poses unique challenges to the treatment of human infections. Fungal biofilms, in particular, are associated with enhanced virulence in vivo and decreased sensitivity to antifungals. Much attention has been given to the complex cell wall structures in fungal organisms, yet beyond the cell surface, Aspergillus fumigatus and other fungi assemble a self-secreted extracellular matrix that is the hallmark of the biofilm lifestyle, protecting and changing the environment of resident members. Elucidation of the chemical and molecular detail of the extracellular matrix is crucial to understanding how its structure contributes to persistence and antifungal resistance in the host. We present a summary of integrated analyses of A. fumigatus biofilm architecture, including hyphae and the extracellular matrix, by scanning electron microscopy and A. fumigatus matrix composition by new top-down solid-state NMR approaches coupled with biochemical analysis. This combined methodology will be invaluable in formulating quantitative and chemical comparisons of A. fumigatus isolates that differ in virulence and are more or less resistant to antifungals. Ultimately, knowledge of the chemical and molecular requirements for matrix formation and function will drive the identification and development of new strategies to interfere with biofilm formation and virulence.