Wisconsin bill would restrict pathogen studies.

Efforts to ban "gain-of-function" research on viruses and bacteria worry scientists.

Characteristics and potential clinical applications of the extracellular vesicles of human pathogenic Fungi.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of lipid membrane-enclosed compartments that contain different biomolecules and are released by almost all living cells, including fungal genera. Fungal EVs contain multiple bioactive components that perform various biological functions, such as stimulation of the host immune system, transport of virulence factors, induction of biofilm formation, and mediation of host-pathogen interactions. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on EVs of human pathogenic fungi, mainly focusing on their biogenesis, composition, and biological effects. We also discuss the potential markers and therapeutic applications of fungal EVs.

Cross-kingdom small RNA communication between plants and fungal phytopathogens-recent updates and prospects for future agriculture.

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are short non-coding regulatory RNA sequences that silence the complementary expressive transcripts through an endogenous RNA mediated interference mechanism (RNAi). These sRNAs typically move through plasmodesmata and phloem in plants to support disease resistance, and also through septal pores and vesicles in fungi to act as effector of pathogenicity. Notably, recent reports have shown the occurrence of a bidirectional trafficking of these sRNAs between the host plants and the attacking fungal phytopathogen which have significant implication in the nature of the infection. While the trans-species sRNAs from the pathogen can silence the host mRNAs and inhibit the host immunity genes, the sRNA modules from the host plants can silence the mRNA in the pathogen by impeding the expression of the pathogenicity-related genes. In the present review, we discuss the current state of sRNA trafficking between the plant and the pathogen with special emphasis on the mechanism of cross-kingdom communication which could contribute to the development of pathogen and pest control in future agriculture.

Pathogen-associated grooming.

A fungal surface protein elicits grooming in flies.

Changes of the microbial community in kiwifruit during storage after postharvest application of Wickerhamomyces anomalus.

High-throughput sequencing techniques can provide important information for understanding the interaction between exogenous microbial agents and fruit microbial communities, and explain how it controls postharvest fungal diseases. In this study, we found that Wickerhamomyces anomalus could control the postharvest disease of kiwifruit. Meanwhile, high-throughput sequencing technology results showed that the composition and structure changes of the fungal community in microbial flora were significantly greater than those of bacteria after W. anomalus treated. W. anomalus could colonize inside the fruit and regulate the community composition of bacteria to reduce the abundance of pathogens and eventually maintain the healthy state of the fruit. The dominant genus in the microbiota of kiwifruit after application of W. anomalus showed an increased ability to interact. Some fungi or bacteria are positively associated with yeast in the epiphytic and endophytic sample communities, guiding the synthesis of compound biocontrol strains for kiwifruit postharvest diseases.

Filtrates from cultures of endophytic fungi isolated from leaves of Copaifera oblongifolia (Fabaceae) affect germination and seedling development differently / Fungos endofíticos isolados de folhas de Copaifera oblongifolia (Fabaceae) afetam diferentemente a germinação e o desenvolvimento das plântulas

Interactions between endophytic fungi (EFs) and their host plants range from positive to neutral to negative. The results of such interactions can vary depending on the organ of the infected host plant. EFs isolated from the leaves of some species of plants have potential for use as agents to inhibit seed germination and control invasive plants. The objectives of this study were to identify EFs present in the leaves of Copaifera oblongifolia and to evaluate the role of these fungi in seed germination and seedling development. A total of 11 species of EFs were isolated, which were identified using the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequence of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. The isolated species of EFs are generalists and probably are transmitted horizontally. Laboratory tests revealed that filtrates of these fungal isolates differently affect seed germination and seedling development of C. oblongifolia. The species Curvularia intermedia, Neofusicoccum parvum, Pseudofusicoccum stromaticum and Phomopsis sp. negatively affected seed germination, with N. parvum standing out for its negative effects, inhibiting seedling germination and survival in 89 and 222%, respectively. In addition, Cochliobolus intermedius negatively affected seedling development. Thus, the combined use of N. parvum and C. intermedius, or products from the metabolism of these microorganisms, in the control of invasive plants deserves attention from future studies.

As interações entre fungos endofíticos (FEs) e suas plantas hospedeiras variam de positivas, neutras a negativas. Os resultados destas interações podem variar dependendo do órgão da planta hospedeira infectada. FEs isolados de folhas de algumas espécies de plantas têm potencial para serem usados como agentes inibidores da germinação de sementes e no controle de plantas invasoras. Os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar os FEs presentes nas folhas de Copaifera oblongifolia e avaliar o papel destes fungos na germinação das sementes e no desenvolvimento das plântulas. Um total de 11 espécies de FEs foi isolado das folhas de C. oblongifolia e identificado através da sequência dos espaçadores internos transcritos do DNA ribossomal nuclear. As espécies de FEs isoladas são generalistas e provavelmente devem ser transmitidas horizontalmente. Os resultados dos testes de germinação mostraram que filtrados destes isolados fúngicos podem afetar diferentemente a germinação das sementes e o desenvolvimento das plântulas de C. oblongifolia. As espécies Curvularia intermedia, Neofusicoccum parvum, Pseudofusicoccum stromaticum e Phomopsis sp. afetaram negativamente a germinação das sementes de C. oblongifolia. Dentre estas espécies devemos destacar que N. parvum reduziu a germinação e a sobrevivência das plântulas em 89 e 222%, respectivamente. Além disso, Cochiliobolus intermedius afetou negativamente o desenvolvimento das plântulas. Assim, o uso combinado de N. parvum e C. intermedius, ou de produtos do metabolismo destas espécies de fungos, têm potencial para serem usados no manejo de plantas invasoras.

Diversity of fungi obtained from bats captured in urban forest fragments in Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil / Diversidade de fungos em morcegos de fragmentos florestais urbanos de Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brasil

Bats are important for the homeostasis of ecosystems and serve as hosts of various microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi with pathogenic potential. This study aimed to isolate fungi from biological samples obtained from bats captured in the city of Sinop (state of Mato Grosso, Brazil), where large areas of deforestation exist due to urbanization and agriculture. On the basis of the flow of people and domestic animals, 48 bats were captured in eleven urban forest fragments. The samples were processed and submitted to microbiological cultures, to isolate and to identify the fungal genera. Thirty-four (70.83%) of the captured bats were positive for fungi; 18 (37.5%) and 16 (33.33%) of these bats were female and male, respectively. Penicillium sp., Scopulariopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Cryptococcus sp., Trichosporon sp., and Candida sp., which may cause opportunistic infections, were isolated. The bat species with the highest number of fungal isolates was Molossus molossus: 21 isolates (43.8%). According to our results, bats captured in urban forest fragments in Sinop harbor pathogenic fungi, increasing the risk of opportunistic fungal infections in humans and domestic animals.

Os morcegos apresentam grande importância na homeostasia dos ecossistemas e são hospedeiros de uma rica diversidade de micro-organismos como bactérias, vírus e fungos com potencial patogênico. Portanto, este estudo visou isolar fungos presentes em amostras biológicas de morcegos na cidade de Sinop - MT, que possui grandes áreas de desmatamento devido à urbanização e agricultura. Foram capturados 48 morcegos de diferentes espécies, em onze fragmentos florestais urbanos definidos de acordo com fluxo de pessoas e animais domésticos, para obtenção de amostras biológicas. Essas amostras foram processadas e submetidas aos cultivos microbiológicos, para isolamento e identificação dos gêneros dos fungos. Dos 48 morcegos, 34 (70,83%) foram positivos para pelos menos um gênero de fungo, sendo 18 (37,5%) fêmeas e 16 (33,33%) machos, e os gêneros isolados a partir das amostras biológicas foram Penicillium sp., Scopulariopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Cryptococcus sp., Trichosporon sp. e Candida sp., que podem ser causadores de infecções oportunistas. Desse total, a espécie que apresentou maior positividade para pelo menos um gênero de fungo foi Molossus molossus com 21 (43,8%). Nossos resultados demonstram que os morcegos capturados nos fragmentos florestais urbanos na cidade de Sinop - MT, podem atuar como agentes veiculadores de fungos com potencial patogênico, aumentando assim o risco de exposição e aquisição de infecções fúngicas oportunistas por pessoas e animais domésticos.

Immune regulation by fungal strain diversity in inflammatory bowel disease.

The fungal microbiota (mycobiota) is an integral part of the complex multikingdom microbial community colonizing the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and has an important role in immune regulation1-6. Although aberrant changes in the mycobiota have been linked to several diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease3-9, it is currently unknown whether fungal species captured by deep sequencing represent living organisms and whether specific fungi have functional consequences for disease development in affected individuals. Here we developed a translational platform for the functional analysis of the mycobiome at the fungal-strain- and patient-specific level. Combining high-resolution mycobiota sequencing, fungal culturomics and genomics, a CRISPR-Cas9-based fungal strain editing system, in vitro functional immunoreactivity assays and in vivo models, this platform enables the examination of host-fungal crosstalk in the human gut. We discovered a rich genetic diversity of opportunistic Candida albicans strains that dominate the colonic mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Among these human-gut-derived isolates, strains with high immune-cell-damaging capacity (HD strains) reflect the disease features of individual patients with ulcerative colitis and aggravated intestinal inflammation in vivo through IL-1ß-dependent mechanisms. Niche-specific inflammatory immunity and interleukin-17A-producing T helper cell (TH17 cell) antifungal responses by HD strains in the gut were dependent on the C. albicans-secreted peptide toxin candidalysin during the transition from a benign commensal to a pathobiont state. These findings reveal the strain-specific nature of host-fungal interactions in the human gut and highlight new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for diseases of inflammatory origin.

Metallic Structures: Effective Agents to Fight Pathogenic Microorganisms.

The current worldwide pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had alerted the population to the risk that small microorganisms can create for humankind's wellbeing and survival. All of us have been affected, directly or indirectly, by this situation, and scientists all over the world have been trying to find solutions to fight this virus by killing it or by stop/decrease its spread rate. Numerous kinds of microorganisms have been occasionally created panic in world history, and several solutions have been proposed to stop their spread. Among the most studied antimicrobial solutions, are metals (of different kinds and applied in different formats). In this regard, this review aims to present a recent and comprehensive demonstration of the state-of-the-art in the use of metals, as well as their mechanisms, to fight different pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Coinfection in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Korea.

Coinfection rates with other pathogens in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varied during the pandemic. We assessed the latest prevalence of coinfection with viruses, bacteria, and fungi in COVID-19 patients for more than one year and its impact on mortality. A total of 436 samples were collected between August 2020 and October 2021. Multiplex real-time PCR, culture, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed to detect pathogens. The coinfection rate of respiratory viruses in COVID-19 patients was 1.4%. Meanwhile, the rates of bacteria and fungi were 52.6% and 10.5% in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, respectively. Respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were the most commonly detected pathogens. Ninety percent of isolated A. baumannii was non-susceptible to carbapenem. Based on a multivariate analysis, coinfection (odds ratio [OR] = 6.095), older age (OR = 1.089), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (OR = 1.006) were risk factors for mortality as a critical outcome. In particular, coinfection with bacteria (OR = 11.250), resistant pathogens (OR = 11.667), and infection with multiple pathogens (OR = 10.667) were significantly related to death. Screening and monitoring of coinfection in COVID-19 patients, especially for hospitalized patients during the pandemic, are beneficial for better management and survival.

Dual activity of Serratia marcescens Pt-3 in phosphate-solubilizing and production of antifungal volatiles.

BACKGROUND: Soil fertility decline and pathogen infection are severe issues for crop production all over the world. Microbes as inherent factors in soil were effective in alleviating fertility decrease, promoting plant growth and controlling plant pathogens et al. Thus, screening microbes with fertility improving and pathogen controlling properties is of great importance to humans. RESULTS: Bacteria Pt-3 isolated from tea rhizosphere showed multiple functions in solubilizing insoluble phosphate, promoting plant growth, producing abundant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and inhibiting the growth of important fungal pathogens in vitro. According to the 16S rRNA phylogenetic and biochemical analysis, Pt-3 was identified to be Serratia marcescens. The solubilizing zone of Pt-3 in the medium of lecithin and Ca3(PO4)2 was 2.1 cm and 1.8 cm respectively. In liquid medium and soil, the concentration of soluble phosphorus reached 343.9 mg.L- 1, and 3.98 mg.kg- 1, and significantly promoted the growth of maize seedling, respectively. Moreover, Pt-3 produced abundant volatiles and greatly inhibited the growth of seven important phytopathogens. The inhibition rate ranged from 75.51 to 100% respectively. Solid phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry proved that the antifungal volatile was dimethyl disulfide. Dimethyl disulfide can inhibit the germination of Aspergillus flavus, and severely destroy the cell structures under scanning electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: S. marcescens Pt-3 with multiple functions will provide novel agent for the production of bioactive fertilizer with P-solubilizing and fungal pathogens control activity.

VEuPathDB: the eukaryotic pathogen, vector and host bioinformatics resource center.

The Eukaryotic Pathogen, Vector and Host Informatics Resource (VEuPathDB, https://veupathdb.org) represents the 2019 merger of VectorBase with the EuPathDB projects. As a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded by the National Institutes of Health, with additional support from the Welllcome Trust, VEuPathDB supports >500 organisms comprising invertebrate vectors, eukaryotic pathogens (protists and fungi) and relevant free-living or non-pathogenic species or hosts. Designed to empower researchers with access to Omics data and bioinformatic analyses, VEuPathDB projects integrate >1700 pre-analysed datasets (and associated metadata) with advanced search capabilities, visualizations, and analysis tools in a graphic interface. Diverse data types are analysed with standardized workflows including an in-house OrthoMCL algorithm for predicting orthology. Comparisons are easily made across datasets, data types and organisms in this unique data mining platform. A new site-wide search facilitates access for both experienced and novice users. Upgraded infrastructure and workflows support numerous updates to the web interface, tools, searches and strategies, and Galaxy workspace where users can privately analyse their own data. Forthcoming upgrades include cloud-ready application architecture, expanded support for the Galaxy workspace, tools for interrogating host-pathogen interactions, and improved interactions with affiliated databases (ClinEpiDB, MicrobiomeDB) and other scientific resources, and increased interoperability with the Bacterial & Viral BRC.

PHI-base in 2022: a multi-species phenotype database for Pathogen-Host Interactions.

Since 2005, the Pathogen-Host Interactions Database (PHI-base) has manually curated experimentally verified pathogenicity, virulence and effector genes from fungal, bacterial and protist pathogens, which infect animal, plant, fish, insect and/or fungal hosts. PHI-base (www.phi-base.org) is devoted to the identification and presentation of phenotype information on pathogenicity and effector genes and their host interactions. Specific gene alterations that did not alter the in host interaction phenotype are also presented. PHI-base is invaluable for comparative analyses and for the discovery of candidate targets in medically and agronomically important species for intervention. Version 4.12 (September 2021) contains 4387 references, and provides information on 8411 genes from 279 pathogens, tested on 228 hosts in 18, 190 interactions. This provides a 24% increase in gene content since Version 4.8 (September 2019). Bacterial and fungal pathogens represent the majority of the interaction data, with a 54:46 split of entries, whilst protists, protozoa, nematodes and insects represent 3.6% of entries. Host species consist of approximately 54% plants and 46% others of medical, veterinary and/or environmental importance. PHI-base data is disseminated to UniProtKB, FungiDB and Ensembl Genomes. PHI-base will migrate to a new gene-centric version (version 5.0) in early 2022. This major development is briefly described.

COVID-19-associated-mucormycosis: possible role of free iron uptake and immunosuppression.

COVID-19-associated-mucormycosis, commonly referred to as the "Black Fungus," is a rare secondary fungal infection in COVID-19 patients prompted by a group of mucor molds. Association of this rare fungal infection with SARS-CoV-2 infection has been declared as an endemic in India, with minor cases in several other countries around the globe. Although the fungal infection is not contagious like the viral infection, the causative fungal agent is omnipresent. Infection displays an overall mortality rate of around 50%, with many other secondary side effects posing a potential threat in exacerbating COVID-19 mortality rates. In this review, we have accessed the role of free iron availability in COVID-19 patients that might correlate to the pathogenesis of the causative fungal agent. Besides, we have analyzed the negative consequences of using immunosuppressive drugs in encouraging this opportunistic fungal infection.