Detection of Hanseniaspora opuntiae in anovaginal samples of pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-a case report.

In this study, we report the first isolation of Hanseniaspora opuntiae obtained from four pregnant women in Brazil. Clinical isolates were obtained from four samples taken between 35 and 37 gestational weeks, as part of the routine antenatal care for maternal colonization screening for Streptococcus agalactiae group B. The patients were immunocompetent, with two of them diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. Species identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS and rDNA sequencing. While Hanseniaspora species have not traditionally been considered a typical opportunist pathogen, our findings emphasize the importance of investigating and screening for Hanseniaspora in pregnant populations, highlighting H. opuntiae as a potential agent of human infections.

Aureonitol, a Fungi-Derived Tetrahydrofuran, Inhibits Influenza Replication by Targeting Its Surface Glycoprotein Hemagglutinin.

The influenza virus causes acute respiratory infections, leading to high morbidity and mortality in groups of patients at higher risk. Antiviral drugs represent the first line of defense against influenza, both for seasonal infections and pandemic outbreaks. Two main classes of drugs against influenza are in clinical use: M2-channel blockers and neuraminidase inhibitors. Nevertheless, because influenza strains that are resistant to these antivirals have been described, the search for novel compounds with different mechanisms of action is necessary. Here, we investigated the anti-influenza activity of a fungi-derived natural product, aureonitol. This compound inhibited influenza A and B virus replication. This compound was more effective against influenza A(H3N2), with an EC50 of 100 nM. Aureonitol cytoxicity was also very low, with a CC50 value of 1426 µM. Aureonitol inhibited influenza hemagglutination and, consequently, significantly impaired virus adsorption. Molecular modeling studies revealed that aureonitol docked in the sialic acid binding site of hemagglutinin, forming hydrogen bonds with highly conserved residues. Altogether, our results indicate that the chemical structure of aureonitol is promising for future anti-influenza drug design.

Virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to Ctenocephalides felis felis.

Ctenocephalides felis felis is a flea species that parasitizes dogs and cats. The current study verified the in vitro virulence of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to eggs and adults of C. felis felis. The fungal isolates were cultivated on rice grains in plastic bags. Conidial suspensions were then prepared by immersing the grains in Tween 80 aqueous solution (0.01%). Eggs and adults of C. felis felis were obtained from a laboratory colony. Experiments were composed of one control and four treatment groups (10(5), 10(6), 10(7), and 10(8) conidia mL(-1)). Both insect pathogens inhibited egg hatchability and caused adult mortality. Among isolates used in this study, M. anisopliae (isolate E9) was the most successful at inhibiting hatching, while B. bassiana (isolate 986) was the most powerful for causing mortality in adults. The results indicate that these entomopathogenic fungi have promising potential for use in controlling both C. felis felis egg and adult stages.