A monograph of Aspergillus section Candidi.

Aspergillus section Candidi encompasses white- or yellow-sporulating species mostly isolated from indoor and cave environments, food, feed, clinical material, soil and dung. Their identification is non-trivial due to largely uniform morphology. This study aims to re-evaluate the species boundaries in the section Candidi and present an overview of all existing species along with information on their ecology. For the analyses, we assembled a set of 113 strains with diverse origin. For the molecular analyses, we used DNA sequences of three house-keeping genes (benA, CaM and RPB2) and employed species delimitation methods based on a multispecies coalescent model. Classical phylogenetic methods and genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) approaches were used for comparison. Phenotypic studies involved comparisons of macromorphology on four cultivation media, seven micromorphological characters and growth at temperatures ranging from 10 to 45 °C. Based on the integrative approach comprising four criteria (phylogenetic and phenotypic), all currently accepted species gained support, while two new species are proposed (A. magnus and A. tenebricus). In addition, we proposed the new name A. neotritici to replace an invalidly described A. tritici. The revised section Candidi now encompasses nine species, some of which manifest a high level of intraspecific genetic and/or phenotypic variability (e.g., A. subalbidus and A. campestris) while others are more uniform (e.g., A. candidus or A. pragensis). The growth rates on different media and at different temperatures, colony colours, production of soluble pigments, stipe dimensions and vesicle diameters contributed the most to the phenotypic species differentiation. Taxonomic novelties: New species: Aspergillus magnus Glässnerová & Hubka; Aspergillus neotritici Glässnerová & Hubka; Aspergillus tenebricus Houbraken, Glässnerová & Hubka. Citation: Glässnerová K, Sklenár F, Jurjevic Z, Houbraken J, Yaguchi T, Visagie CM, Gené J, Siqueira JPZ, Kubátová A, Kolarík M, Hubka V (2022). A monograph of Aspergillus section Candidi. Studies in Mycology 102: 1-51. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.102.01.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1182-1283.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Algeria, Phaeoacremonium adelophialidum from Vitis vinifera. Antarctica, Comoclathris antarctica from soil. Australia, Coniochaeta salicifolia as endophyte from healthy leaves of Geijera salicifolia, Eremothecium peggii in fruit of Citrus australis, Microdochium ratticaudae from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Neocelosporium corymbiae on stems of Corymbia variegata, Phytophthora kelmanii from rhizosphere soil of Ptilotus pyramidatus, Pseudosydowia backhousiae on living leaves of Backhousia citriodora, Pseudosydowia indooroopillyensis, Pseudosydowia louisecottisiae and Pseudosydowia queenslandica on living leaves of Eucalyptus sp. Brazil, Absidia montepascoalis from soil. Chile, Ilyonectria zarorii from soil under Maytenus boaria. Costa Rica, Colletotrichum filicis from an unidentified fern. Croatia, Mollisia endogranulata on deteriorated hardwood. Czech Republic, Arcopilus navicularis from tea bag with fruit tea, Neosetophoma buxi as endophyte from Buxus sempervirens, Xerochrysium bohemicum on surface of biscuits with chocolate glaze and filled with jam. France, Entoloma cyaneobasale on basic to calcareous soil, Fusarium aconidiale from Triticum aestivum, Fusarium juglandicola from buds of Juglans regia. Germany, Tetraploa endophytica as endophyte from Microthlaspi perfoliatum roots. India, Castanediella ambae on leaves of Mangifera indica, Lactifluus kanadii on soil under Castanopsis sp., Penicillium uttarakhandense from soil. Italy, Penicillium ferraniaense from compost. Namibia, Bezerromyces gobabebensis on leaves of unidentified succulent, Cladosporium stipagrostidicola on leaves of Stipagrostis sp., Cymostachys euphorbiae on leaves of Euphorbia sp., Deniquelata hypolithi from hypolith under a rock, Hysterobrevium walvisbayicola on leaves of unidentified tree, Knufia hypolithi and Knufia walvisbayicola from hypolith under a rock, Lapidomyces stipagrostidicola on leaves of Stipagrostis sp., Nothophaeotheca mirabibensis (incl. Nothophaeotheca gen. nov.) on persistent inflorescence remains of Blepharis obmitrata, Paramyrothecium salvadorae on twigs of Salvadora persica, Preussia procaviicola on dung of Procavia sp., Sordaria equicola on zebra dung, Volutella salvadorae on stems of Salvadora persica. Netherlands, Entoloma ammophilum on sandy soil, Entoloma pseudocruentatum on nutrient poor (acid) soil, Entoloma pudens on plant debris, amongst grasses. New Zealand, Amorocoelophoma neoregeliae from leaf spots of Neoregelia sp., Aquilomyces metrosideri and Septoriella callistemonis from stem discolouration and leaf spots of Metrosideros sp., Cadophora neoregeliae from leaf spots of Neoregelia sp., Flexuomyces asteliae (incl. Flexuomyces gen. nov.) and Mollisia asteliae from leaf spots of Astelia chathamica, Ophioceras freycinetiae from leaf spots of Freycinetia banksii, Phaeosphaeria caricis-sectae from leaf spots of Carex secta. Norway, Cuphophyllus flavipesoides on soil in semi-natural grassland, Entoloma coracis on soil in calcareous Pinus and Tilia forests, Entoloma cyaneolilacinum on soil semi-natural grasslands, Inocybe norvegica on gravelly soil. Pakistan, Butyriboletus parachinarensis on soil in association with Quercus baloot. Poland, Hyalodendriella bialowiezensis on debris beneath fallen bark of Norway spruce Picea abies. Russia, Bolbitius sibiricus on à moss covered rotting trunk of Populus tremula, Crepidotus wasseri on debris of Populus tremula, Entoloma isborscanum on soil on calcareous grasslands, Entoloma subcoracis on soil in subalpine grasslands, Hydropus lecythiocystis on rotted wood of Betula pendula, Meruliopsis faginea on fallen dead branches of Fagus orientalis, Metschnikowia taurica from fruits of Ziziphus jujube, Suillus praetermissus on soil, Teunia lichenophila as endophyte from Cladonia rangiferina. Slovakia, Hygrocybe fulgens on mowed grassland, Pleuroflammula pannonica from corticated branches of Quercus sp. South Africa, Acrodontium burrowsianum on leaves of unidentified Poaceae, Castanediella senegaliae on dead pods of Senegalia ataxacantha, Cladophialophora behniae on leaves of Behnia sp., Colletotrichum cliviigenum on leaves of Clivia sp., Diatrype dalbergiae on bark of Dalbergia armata, Falcocladium heteropyxidicola on leaves of Heteropyxis canescens, Lapidomyces aloidendricola as epiphyte on brown stem of Aloidendron dichotomum, Lasionectria sansevieriae and Phaeosphaeriopsis sansevieriae on leaves of Sansevieria hyacinthoides, Lylea dalbergiae on Diatrype dalbergiae on bark of Dalbergia armata, Neochaetothyrina syzygii (incl. Neochaetothyrina gen. nov.) on leaves of Syzygium chordatum, Nothophaeomoniella ekebergiae (incl. Nothophaeomoniella gen. nov.) on leaves of Ekebergia pterophylla, Paracymostachys euphorbiae (incl. Paracymostachys gen. nov.) on leaf litter of Euphorbia ingens, Paramycosphaerella pterocarpi on leaves of Pterocarpus angolensis, Paramycosphaerella syzygii on leaf litter of Syzygium chordatum, Parateichospora phoenicicola (incl. Parateichospora gen. nov.) on leaves of Phoenix reclinata, Seiridium syzygii on twigs of Syzygium chordatum, Setophoma syzygii on leaves of Syzygium sp., Starmerella xylocopis from larval feed of an Afrotropical bee Xylocopa caffra, Teratosphaeria combreti on leaf litter of Combretum kraussii, Teratosphaericola leucadendri on leaves of Leucadendron sp., Toxicocladosporium pterocarpi on pods of Pterocarpus angolensis. Spain, Cortinarius bonachei with Quercus ilex in calcareus soils, Cortinarius brunneovolvatus under Quercus ilex subsp. ballota in calcareous soil, Extremopsis radicicola (incl. Extremopsis gen. nov.) from root-associated soil in a wet heathland, Russula quintanensis on acidic soils, Tubaria vulcanica on volcanic lapilii material, Tuber zambonelliae in calcareus soil. Sweden, Elaphomyces borealis on soil under Pinus sylvestris and Betula pubescens. Tanzania, Curvularia tanzanica on inflorescence of Cyperus aromaticus. Thailand, Simplicillium niveum on Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonardi on underside of unidentified dicotyledonous leaf. USA, Calonectria californiensis on leaves of Umbellularia californica, Exophiala spartinae from surface sterilised roots of Spartina alterniflora, Neophaeococcomyces oklahomaensis from outside wall of alcohol distillery. Vietnam, Fistulinella aurantioflava on soil. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Cowan DA, Maggs-Kölling, et al. 2021. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1182-1283. Persoonia 46: 313-528. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2021.46.11.

Swim bladder mycosis in pretty tetra (Hemigrammus pulcher) caused by Exophiala pisciphila and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola, and experimental verification of pathogenicity.

Spontaneous invasive and chronic disseminated mycosis affected Hemigrammus pulcher kept in a public aquarium, and infection was manifested by inappetence, exophthalmia, erratic swimming, eroded scales, anaemia of the gills and abdominal distension. Internally, there was a grossly swollen swim bladder with a thickened wall filled with a dark mass. The body cavities contained a clear, light amber fluid and a swollen intestine which was full of a watery fluid containing small gas bubbles. Histopathology revealed a granulomatous inflammatory response with fungal hyphae in the lumen and wall of the swim bladder, hepatopancreas, spleen and kidneys with signs of nephrohydrosis. Exophiala pisciphila and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola were isolated from the swim bladder, abdominal cavity and gastrointestinal tract. The exogenous source of infection was probably the ample wooden decoration and plants inside the aquarium. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolation of both fungal species from fish artificially infected under laboratory conditions. As P. hymenocallidicola is less capable of defence against phagocytosis, E. pisciphila probably played a major role. Severe clinical manifestations with 100% mortality developed in two fish species infected by E. pisciphila. A significant increase in the plasma levels of amino acids was observed as a result of the activation of proteolysis.

Unravelling species boundaries in the Aspergillus viridinutans complex (section Fumigati): opportunistic human and animal pathogens capable of interspecific hybridization.

Although Aspergillus fumigatus is the major agent of invasive aspergillosis, an increasing number of infections are caused by its cryptic species, especially A. lentulus and the A. viridinutans species complex (AVSC). Their identification is clinically relevant because of antifungal drug resistance and refractory infections. Species boundaries in the AVSC are unresolved since most species have uniform morphology and produce interspecific hybrids in vitro. Clinical and environmental strains from six continents (n = 110) were characterized by DNA sequencing of four to six loci. Biological compatibilities were tested within and between major phylogenetic clades, and ascospore morphology was characterised. Species delimitation methods based on the multispecies coalescent model (MSC) supported recognition of ten species including one new species. Four species are confirmed opportunistic pathogens; A. udagawae followed by A. felis and A. pseudoviridinutans are known from opportunistic human infections, while A. felis followed by A. udagawae and A. wyomingensis are agents of feline sino-orbital aspergillosis. Recently described human-pathogenic species A. parafelis and A. pseudofelis are synonymized with A. felis and an epitype is designated for A. udagawae. Intraspecific mating assay showed that only a few of the heterothallic species can readily generate sexual morphs in vitro. Interspecific mating assays revealed that five different species combinations were biologically compatible. Hybrid ascospores had atypical surface ornamentation and significantly different dimensions compared to parental species. This suggests that species limits in the AVSC are maintained by both pre- and post-zygotic barriers and these species display a great potential for rapid adaptation and modulation of virulence. This study highlights that a sufficient number of strains representing genetic diversity within a species is essential for meaningful species boundaries delimitation in cryptic species complexes. MSC-based delimitation methods are robust and suitable tools for evaluation of boundaries between these species.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 716-784.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Chaetopsina eucalypti on Eucalyptus leaf litter, Colletotrichum cobbittiense from Cordyline stricta × C. australis hybrid, Cyanodermella banksiae on Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha, Discosia macrozamiae on Macrozamia miquelii, Elsinoë banksiigena on Banksia marginata, Elsinoë elaeocarpi on Elaeocarpus sp., Elsinoë leucopogonis on Leucopogon sp., Helminthosporium livistonae on Livistona australis, Idriellomyces eucalypti (incl. Idriellomyces gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua, Lareunionomyces eucalypti on Eucalyptus sp., Myrotheciomyces corymbiae (incl. Myrotheciomyces gen. nov., Myrotheciomycetaceae fam. nov.), Neolauriomyces eucalypti (incl. Neolauriomyces gen. nov., Neolauriomycetaceae fam. nov.) on Eucalyptus sp., Nullicamyces eucalypti (incl. Nullicamyces gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus leaf litter, Oidiodendron eucalypti on Eucalyptus maidenii, Paracladophialophora cyperacearum (incl. Paracladophialophoraceae fam. nov.) and Periconia cyperacearum on leaves of Cyperaceae, Porodiplodia livistonae (incl. Porodiplodia gen. nov., Porodiplodiaceae fam. nov.) on Livistona australis, Sporidesmium melaleucae (incl. Sporidesmiales ord. nov.) on Melaleuca sp., Teratosphaeria sieberi on Eucalyptus sieberi, Thecaphora australiensis in capsules of a variant of Oxalis exilis. Brazil, Aspergillus serratalhadensis from soil, Diaporthe pseudoinconspicua from Poincianella pyramidalis, Fomitiporella pertenuis on dead wood, Geastrum magnosporum on soil, Marquesius aquaticus (incl. Marquesius gen. nov.) from submerged decaying twig and leaves of unidentified plant, Mastigosporella pigmentata from leaves of Qualea parviflorae, Mucor souzae from soil, Mycocalia aquaphila on decaying wood from tidal detritus, Preussia citrullina as endophyte from leaves of Citrullus lanatus, Queiroziella brasiliensis (incl. Queiroziella gen. nov.) as epiphytic yeast on leaves of Portea leptantha, Quixadomyces cearensis (incl. Quixadomyces gen. nov.) on decaying bark, Xylophallus clavatus on rotten wood. Canada, Didymella cari on Carum carvi and Coriandrum sativum. Chile, Araucasphaeria foliorum (incl. Araucasphaeria gen. nov.) on Araucaria araucana, Aspergillus tumidus from soil, Lomentospora valparaisensis from soil. Colombia, Corynespora pseudocassiicola on Byrsonima sp., Eucalyptostroma eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus pellita, Neometulocladosporiella eucalypti (incl. Neometulocladosporiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla, Tracylla eucalypti (incl. Tracyllaceae fam. nov., Tracyllalales ord. nov.) on Eucalyptus urophylla. Cyprus, Gyromitra anthracobia (incl. Gyromitra subg. Pseudoverpa) on burned soil. Czech Republic, Lecanicillium restrictum from the surface of the wooden barrel, Lecanicillium testudineum from scales of Trachemys scripta elegans. Ecuador, Entoloma yanacolor and Saproamanita quitensis on soil. France, Lentithecium carbonneanum from submerged decorticated Populus branch. Hungary, Pleuromyces hungaricus (incl. Pleuromyces gen. nov.) from a large Fagus sylvatica log. Iran, Zymoseptoria crescenta on Aegilops triuncialis. Malaysia, Ochroconis musicola on Musa sp. Mexico, Cladosporium michoacanense from soil. New Zealand , Acrodontium metrosideri on Metrosideros excelsa, Polynema podocarpi on Podocarpus totara, Pseudoarthrographis phlogis (incl. Pseudoarthrographis gen. nov.) on Phlox subulata. Nigeria, Coprinopsis afrocinerea on soil. Pakistan, Russula mansehraensis on soil under Pinus roxburghii. Russia, Baorangia alexandri on soil in deciduous forests with Quercus mongolica. South Africa, Didymocyrtis brachylaenae on Brachylaena discolor. Spain, Alfaria dactylis from fruit of Phoenix dactylifera, Dothiora infuscans from a blackened wall, Exophiala nidicola from the nest of an unidentified bird, Matsushimaea monilioides from soil, Terfezia morenoi on soil. United Arab Emirates, Tirmania honrubiae on soil. USA, Arxotrichum wyomingense (incl. Arxotrichum gen. nov.) from soil, Hongkongmyces snookiorum from submerged detritus from a fresh water fen, Leratiomyces tesquorum from soil, Talaromyces tabacinus on leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Vietnam, Afroboletus vietnamensis on soil in an evergreen tropical forest, Colletotrichum condaoense from Ipomoea pes-caprae. Morphological and culture characteristics along with DNA barcodes are provided.

Polyphasic taxonomy of Aspergillus section Aspergillus (formerly Eurotium), and its occurrence in indoor environments and food.

Aspergillus section Aspergillus (formerly the genus Eurotium) includes xerophilic species with uniseriate conidiophores, globose to subglobose vesicles, green conidia and yellow, thin walled eurotium-like ascomata with hyaline, lenticular ascospores. In the present study, a polyphasic approach using morphological characters, extrolites, physiological characters and phylogeny was applied to investigate the taxonomy of this section. Over 500 strains from various culture collections and new isolates obtained from indoor environments and a wide range of substrates all over the world were identified using calmodulin gene sequencing. Of these, 163 isolates were subjected to molecular phylogenetic analyses using sequences of ITS rDNA, partial ß-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. Colony characteristics were documented on eight cultivation media, growth parameters at three incubation temperatures were recorded and micromorphology was examined using light microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy to illustrate and characterize each species. Many specific extrolites were extracted and identified from cultures, including echinulins, epiheveadrides, auroglaucins and anthraquinone bisanthrons, and to be consistent in strains of nearly all species. Other extrolites are species-specific, and thus valuable for identification. Several extrolites show antioxidant effects, which may be nutritionally beneficial in food and beverages. Important mycotoxins in the strict sense, such as sterigmatocystin, aflatoxins, ochratoxins, citrinin were not detected despite previous reports on their production in this section. Adopting a polyphasic approach, 31 species are recognized, including nine new species. ITS is highly conserved in this section and does not distinguish species. All species can be differentiated using CaM or RPB2 sequences. For BenA, Aspergillus brunneus and A. niveoglaucus share identical sequences. Ascospores and conidia morphology, growth rates at different temperatures are most useful characters for phenotypic species identification.

Cephalotheca sulfurea (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes), a new fungal pathogen of the farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

The first case of visceral mycotic infection due to Cephalotheca sulfurea (Cephalothecaceae, Ascomycota) is documented in farmed rainbow trout from a raceway culture system. The disease clinically manifested as a hyperaemic area in the liver of the fish, and histological examination using silver and PAS staining showed the presence of numerous foci of hyphae and spores. The causative agent was first isolated in pure culture from the liver and identified using morphological characteristics. Sequence data from ITS and LSU rDNA also clearly confirmed C. sulfurea as the causal agent. The pathogenicity of related species belonging to the family Cephalothecaceae has been well-documented in humans and dogs (superficial as well as systemic infections). However, C. sulfurea has never been reported as a pathogen of humans or animals, including marine and freshwater fishes. The morphological identification of C. sulfurea is difficult due to its similarity to several different fungal genera, and molecular methods are strongly recommended for reliable identification.

Non-invasive Pregnancy Diagnosis from Urine by the Cuboni Reaction and the Barium Chloride Test in Donkeys (Equus asinus) and Alpacas (Vicugna pacos).

The aim of the research was to evaluate two chemical tests for non-invasive pregnancy diagnosis from urine, the Cuboni reaction and the barium chloride test, in donkeys (Equus asinus) and alpacas (Vicugna pacos). The research was carried out from April 2013 to September 2014. Urine samples were collected on five private Czech farms from 18 jennies and 12 alpaca females. Urine was collected non-invasively into plastic cups fastened on a telescopic rod, at 6-9 week intervals. In total, 60 and 54 urine samples from alpacas and jennies, respectively, were collected. The Cuboni reaction was performed by the State Veterinary Institute Prague. The barium chloride test was done with 5 ml of urine mixed together with 5 ml of 1% barium chloride solution. Results of the Cuboni reaction were strongly influenced by the reproductive status of jennies; the test was 100% successful throughout the second half of pregnancy. However, no relationship was found between the real reproductive status of alpaca females and results of the Cuboni reaction. It was concluded that the barium chloride test is not suitable for pregnancy diagnosis either in donkeys, due to significant influence of season on the results, or in alpacas, because no relationship between results of the test and the reproductive status of alpaca females was found. In conclusion, the Cuboni reaction has potential to become a standard pregnancy diagnostic method in donkeys.

[Mumps outbreak in the Plzen Region in 2011]. / Epidemie príusnic v Plzenském kraji v roce 2011.

AIM: The mumps outbreak in the Plzen Region in 2011 was analysed retrospectively using the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data. Vaccine efficacy analysis was also conducted in various population groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The routine procedure and standard form were used by the epidemiologists to collect data on the age, sex, place of residence, presence in collectivities, date of disease onset, type of complications and date of their onset, hospital admission, vaccination, and results of laboratory analyses. Based on the records of general practitioners for children and adolescents, data on the vaccination of children born in the previous three years have been provided to the epidemic control departments every year by 30 June since 1989. To estimate the vaccination coverage rate, the numbers of single-dose or two-dose recipients are related to the number of children registered in a given year. The first year of vaccine recipients were children born in 1986 who were aged 25 in 2011. The data collected on the population of the Plzen Region were used for the primary analyses. To estimate the efficacy of the mumps vaccine, age and vaccine coverage cohort analysis was performed using the screening method. To analyse categories, the chi-square test with Yates correction was applied at a significance level of p = 0.05 % (EPIINFO version 6.04d). RESULTS: In 2011, 721 mumps cases were reported in the Plzen Region (incidence: 126.1 cases per 100 000 population). The average patient age was 19.4 years, with a median of 18 years (age range 1-77 years). Four hundred and seventeen (57.8%) patients were males. Biological specimens from 375 (52.0%) patients were investigated serologically in the virology laboratory and mumps were laboratory confirmed in 316 (43.8%) of them - in 222 patients, one blood specimen was analysed. The most afflicted area was the Klatovy district with the incidence of 449.3/100 000 population. The most affected age group were 15-19 year-olds with the incidence of 1008.2/100 000 population. Forty-two (5.8%) patients were diagnosed with complications and 68 (9.4%) patients were admitted to the hospital. No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of complications between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. The assessment of hospitalisation risk showed a statistically significant difference between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons in both the whole study cohort and subcohort of patients who received the mumps vaccine within the childhood immunization schedule (p = 0.000 and p = 0.004, respectively). The average age of the vaccinated patients was 16.1 years (median of 17) and that of the non-vaccinated patients was, 29.3 years (median of 27). At the six to ten-month interval, as laid down by the legislation, the second dose of the vaccine was only given to 83.6 % of the patients. The screening method showed a high efficacy of the vaccine in the age group 20-25 years (97.6% in two-dose recipients), declining to 29.6% in the most affected age group of 15-19 years. CONCLUSIONS: Mumps outbreak may has been a result of the accumulation of high numbers of susceptible individuals in the population. The most affected area was the Klatovy district where the last epidemic outbreak occurred 23 years ago. To make the favourable epidemiological situation with occasional local outbreaks continue, the high two-dose vaccine coverage rate needs to be maintained.

[Pulmonary mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus microsporus]. / Plicní mukormykóza vyvolaná Rhizopus microsporus.

We report a case of mycotic pneumonia in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Rhizopus microsporus was identified as an agent of mucormycosis and proven by microscopy and culture. The determination of the isolate was supported by molecular methods. Combined treatment with surgery (right-sided pneumonectomy) and systemic amphotericin B and posaconazole antifungal therapy was chosen. In this case, amphotericin B Neo-Sensitabs tablets gave false "resistant" results on Mueller-Hinton agar when using the disk diffusion test. There was a good correlation between the Etest (16 h) and the Sensititre YeastOne microplate (24 h) for amphotericin B.

Seroprevalence of hantavirus antibodies among chronic hemodialysis patients in the Czech Republic.

A total of 348 serum samples were collected from 301 hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure of four healthcare settings in Western Bohemia. The sera were screened for the presence of hantavirus antibodies using ELISA kits (PROGEN Biotechnik GmbH) with Hantaan and Puumala antigens. Specific anti-Puumala antibodies were detected in five patients (1.7%). Although hantaviruses are known to cause primarily acute renal damage (interstitial nephritis) in Eurasia, chronic effects of hantavirus infection and the detection of specific antibodies in hemodialysis patients have also been reported. Nonetheless, the detection of seropositivity is not proof of an etiological link between hantaviruses and chronic renal failure. The hantavirus seropositivity rate in hemodialysis patients was not significantly higher than that in the general population. Our findings are consistent with the literature data and do not contradict the contribution of hantaviruses to the pathogenesis of chronic renal damage in the Czech Republic.

Increasing the species diversity in the Aspergillus section Nidulantes: Six novel species mainly from the indoor environment.

Aspergillus section Nidulantes encompasses almost 80 homothallic and anamorphic species, mostly isolated from soil, plant material, or the indoor environment. Some species are clinically relevant or produce mycotoxins. This study reevaluated the species boundaries within several clades of section Nidulantes. Five data sets were assembled, each containing presumptive new species and their closest relatives, and phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses were performed. We tested the hypotheses that the newly isolated or reexamined strains constitute separate species (splitting approach) or should be treated as part of broadly defined species (lumping approach). Four DNA sequence loci were amplified, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions of the rDNA and partial sequences of the ß-tubulin (benA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. The latter three loci were used for the phylogenetic analysis and served as input for single-locus (GMYC, bGMYC, PTP, and bPTP) and multilocus (STACEY and BP&P) species delimitation analyses. The phenotypic analysis comprised macro- and micromorphology (including scanning electron microscopy) and comparison of cardinal growth temperatures. The phylogenetic analysis supported the splitting hypothesis in all cases, and based on the combined approach, we propose six new species, four that are homothallic and two anamorphic. Four new species were isolated from the indoor environment (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, USA), one originated from soil (Australia), and one from a kangaroo rat cheek pouch (USA).

Determination of lignans in flaxseed using liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A new method of flaxseed-derived lignan determination was developed using HPLC with high-resolution time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS), optimized, and compared to two existing methods (HPLC/MS/MS and GC/MS). The limits of detection (LODs) for HPLC/TOF-MS (0.002-0.043 pg) were comparable with those of the optimized and improved HPLC/MS/MS (0.001-0.015 pg), whereas the LODs for the optimized GC/MS were higher (0.02-3.0 pg, yet lower than reported before). Using the newly developed detection and separation methods, several key flaxseed sample preparation parameters (including extraction, hydrolysis, and sample purification) were evaluated resulting in the development of efficient protocol for lignan quantification from flaxseed hulls and embryos. The results confirmed the importance of quantification of both aglycones and unhydrolyzed glucosides in order to obtain the total lignan estimates.

Cryopreservation of filamentous micromycetes and yeasts using perlite.

The viability, growth and morphology of 48 strains of Ascomycota (including 17 yeasts) and 20 strains of Zygomycota were determined after a 2-d and then after 1-year storage in liquid nitrogen using a new cryopreservation method with perlite as a particulate solid carrier. In case of Ascomycota, 45 strains (94 %) out of 48 survived both 2-d and 1-year storage in liquid nitrogen, respectively. In case of Zygomycota, all 20 strains survived both storage. In addition, 3 strains of Basidiomycota counted among yeasts were tested and all survived the 1 year storage. In all surviving cultures no negative effects of cryopreservation by this method have been observed after 1-year of storage in liquid nitrogen. The results indicate that the perlite protocol can be successfully used for cryopreservation of taxonomically different groups of fungi and also for fungi which failed to survive other routinely used preservation procedures.

[Long-term experience with testing family and sexual contacts of HBsAg positive persons]. / Dlouhodobé zkusenosti s vysetrováním rodinných a sexuálních kontaktu HBsAg+ osob.

UNLABELLED: The study objectives were to identify HBsAg positive persons and to offer free vaccination against the infection to their family and sexual contacts found negative in screening for viral hepatitis B (VHB) postinfection markers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Any person testing HBsAg positive in the Plzen region was registered in cooperation with laboratories. The collected data included reason for testing, clinical diagnosis and ethnicity. Contacts were screened for postinfection markers and vaccinated. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2004, 939 HBsAg positive persons were registered by laboratories in the Plzen region. Their mean age was 42.2 (0-90) years. As many as 63.4 % of the infected persons appeared to be "healthy" carriers. Nevertheless, a significant upward trend in HBsAg positivity was recorded among immigrants (mainly those from Vietnam). Altogether 18.2 % of 829 family and sexual contacts tested positive for VHB postinfection markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc). The highest percentages of infected contacts were detected among siblings and parents of HBsAg positive persons (36.5 % and 27.3 %, respectively). Free vaccination has been requested by 82.2 % of susceptible contacts. CONCLUSION: Systematic vaccination of family and sexual contacts of HBsAg positive persons can contribute to more rapid VHB elimination in the Czech Republic. Currently, special attention in detecting infected persons is to be paid to immigrants from Asia.

Assessing the pathogenic effect of Fusarium, Geosmithia and Ophiostoma fungi from broad-leaved trees.

Phytopathogenic effect of Geosmithia pallida, G. langdonii, Ophiostoma grandicarpum, O. querci, two isolates of O. piceae, and two isolates of Fusarium solani was compared using plant growth test (stem and root length of garden cress plants seeded on mycelium-covered potato carrot agar); Ophiostoma spp. and F. solani were isolated from oak, Geosmithia spp. from galleries of Scolytus intricatus on beech. All fungi inhibited more the root elongation than that of stems. F. solani led to plant collapse after briefly stimulating the growth of stem and in one case also root. G. langdonii inhibited stem and root growth to 20% and led to plant collapse. G. pallida inhibited root growth to 25% whereas stem growth was almost unimpaired. Ophiostoma spp. reduced stem growth to approximately 60-80% and root growth to 25-60%. O. piceae and O. querci caused plant collapse after 15-20 d.

Comparison of subcritical water and organic solvents for extracting kava lactones from kava root.

Subcritical water extraction of lactones from a kava (Piper metlhysticum) root was compared to a Soxhlet extraction with water, to boiling in water, and to a sonication in acetone. For ground kava (250-500 microm), 2 h of subcritical water extraction were required for a complete extraction at 100 degrees C, while at 175 degrees C, 20 min were sufficient. For a complete extraction of the unground (shredded) kava, the time of extraction was extended to 40 min at 175 degrees C. Boiling for 2 h and extraction with Soxhlet apparatus for 6 h, both of which employed water at atmospheric pressure, produced yields 40-60% lower than those obtained with subcritical water. With unground kava, 40 min of subcritical water extraction yielded essentially the same recoveries of lactones as 18 h of sonication with acetone, methylene chloride, or methanol.

PCB congener selective biodegradation by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus in contaminated soil.

Six strains of white rot fungi were tested for their biodegradation ability of low chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) commercial mixture (Delor 103) in real soil system. Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor did not show any ability to degrade PCBs in soil. On the contrary, four strains of Pleurotus ostreatus were able to remove about 40% of Delor 103 in two months. All P. ostreatus strains decomposed PCBs selectively with the preference for congeners with chlorine atoms in ortho > meta > para position. Degradation efficiency decreased with increasing number of chlorination.

Physical factors negatively affecting evaluation of long-term biodegradation experiments of polychlorinated biphenyls.

Behaviour of PCB added in the form of a technical mixture (Delor 106) and [14C]PCB 77 into different aqueous model cultivation media in long-term experiments was studied. The work was focused on monitoring PCB recovery from liquid media in the absence of micro-organisms. GC-ECD and radioanalysis were utilised for determination of PCB in the examined systems. Strong relations between duration of experiments, composition of media, degree of chlorination of biphenyls, and recovery of PCB were found. The lowest yields of PCB were observed for the extracts from model solutions based on N-limited cultivation media without veratryl alcohol and Tween 80. The addition of these components, mainly of Tween 80, caused a significant increase of PCB recoveries.

Mites and fungi in heavily infested stores in the Czech Republic.

Toxigenic and allergen-producing fungi represent a serious hazard to human food and animal feed safety. Ninety-four fungal species were isolated from mite-infested samples of seeds taken from Czech seed stores. Fungi were isolated from the surface of four kinds of seeds (wheat, poppy, lettuce, and mustard) and from the gut and external surface of five species of mites (i.e., Acarus siro L., 1758, Caloglyphus rhizoglyphoides (Zachvatkin, 1973), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank, 1781), Tyrophagus putrescentnae (Schrank, 1781) and Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans 1903) separately. Multivariate analysis of fungi complex composition showed that the frequency of fungal was species significantly influenced by the kind of seed. Fungal frequencies differed between mites gut and exoskeleton surface and between the surfaces of mites and seeds. Three groups of fungal species were recognized: 1) mite surface-associated fungi: Penicillium brevicompactum, Alternaria alternata, and Aspergillus versicolor; 2) mite surface- and seed-associated fungi: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Aspergillus flavus; and 3) seed-associated fungi: Cladosporium herbarum, Mucor dimorphosporus f. dimorphosporus, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium griseofulvum, and Eurotium repens. Mite-carried species of microfungi are known to produce serious mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin B1, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin A, and nephrotoxic glycopeptides) as well as allergen producers (e.g., A. alternata and P. brevicompactum). Storage mites may play an important role in the spread of some medically hazardous micromycetes. In addition, these mite-fungi associations may heighten the risk of occurrence of mycotoxins in food and feed stuffs and cause mixed contamination by fungal and mite allergens.