Monoclonal antibodies to fungi of significance to the quality of foods and feeds

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against Penicillium aurantiogriseum var. melanoconidium. Cross‐reactivity studies were carried out against 12 ‘field’ and 27 ‘storage’ fungi. Two MAbs (MAbs 32 and 37) reacted with all of the fungi tested and a third (MAb 38) with 38 out of the 39 fungi (although weakly with some). Monoclonal antibodies 32 and 37, but not MAb 38, were found to react to a degree with ‘clean’ barley. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using MAb 38 and extracts of barley inoculated with the homologous antigen showed a clear relationship between absorbance and amount of fungal growth. It is suggested that these MAbs could be used in a broad‐spectrum assay to detect fungi of significance to the quality of foods and feeds.     

用核糖体RNA ITS区序列寡核苷酸探针鉴定临床常见真菌

目的：建立一种快速鉴定临床常见真菌菌种的方法。方法:选取真菌核糖体RNA的ITS区为靶基因，设计通用引物和种特异性探针，将3个属的6种临床常见真菌(白色念珠茵、热带念珠茵、光滑念珠茵、新型隐球菌、烟曲霉和黄曲霉)的种特异性探针加尾后固定于硝酸纤维素膜上；用标记生物素的真菌通用引物扩增11种医学真菌DNA，产物与固定在膜上的探针杂交。结果：通用引物可以扩增所试11种医学重要真菌的DNA，扩增片段长度约为560bp。6种真菌扩增产物只与其对应的探针杂交。结论：此方法快速、简便、特异，适合常规实验室开展。     

Autonomously replicating plasmids carrying theAMA1 region inPenicillium chrysogenum

Plasmid vectors containing theAMA1 sequence transformed with high efficiency and replicated autonomously inPenicillium chrysogenum. The efficiency of transformation ofP. chrysogenum was related to the length of theAMA1 fragment used for constructing the different autonomously replicating plasmids. One of the two palindromic inverted repeats ofAMA1 (the 2.2-kbSalI-HindIII fragment) is sufficient to confer autonomous replication and a high transformation efficiency. Deletion of the 0.6-kb central fragment located between the inverted repeats did not affect either the ability of the plasmids to replicate autonomously or the efficiency of transformation, but did alter the mitotic stability and the plasmid copy number. Deletion of any fragment of the 2.2-kb repeat caused the loss of the ability to replicate autonomously and reduced the transformation efficiency. Most of the transformants retained the original plasmid configuration, as multimers and without reorganization, after several rounds of autonomous replication. TheAMA1 region works as an origin of replication inP. chrysogenum andA. nidulans but not apparently inAcremonium chrysogenum.     

The molecular immunology of human susceptibility to fungal diseases: lessons from single gene defects of immunity

Introduction: Fungal diseases are a threat to human health. Therapies targeting the fungus continue to lead to disappointing results. Strategies targeting the host response represent unexplored opportunities for innovative treatments. To do so rationally requires the identification and neat delineation of critical mechanistic pathways that underpin human antifungal immunity. The study of humans with single-gene defects of the immune system, i.e. inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), provides a foundation for these paradigms.

Areas covered: A systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and abstracts of international congresses was performed to review the history of genetic resistance/susceptibility to fungi and identify IEIs associated with fungal diseases. Immunologic mechanisms from relevant IEIs were integrated with current definitions and understandings of mycoses to establish a framework to map out critical immunobiological pathways of human antifungal immunity.

Expert opinion: Specific immune responses non-redundantly govern susceptibility to their corresponding mycoses. Defining these molecular pathways will guide the development of host-directed immunotherapies that precisely target distinct fungal diseases. These findings will pave the way for novel strategies in the treatment of these devastating infections.     

Dustborne and airborne fungal propagules represent a different spectrum of fungi with differing relations to home characteristics

BACKGROUND: Exposure to fungi is often assessed by culturing floor dust or air samples. Our objective was to evaluate the relationships between dustborne and airborne fungi and to identify factors that modify these relationships. METHODS: From November 1994 to September 1996 sequential duplicate 45-l air samples were collected in bedrooms of 496 homes in the Boston area, using a Burkard culture plate sampler. After air sampling, bedroom floors were sampled with a vacuum cleaner that was modified to collect dust in a cellulose extraction thimble. Dust was sieved, and the fine dust was dilution-plated onto DG-18 media. RESULTS: Concentrations of total culturable fungi per gram of bedroom-floor dust were correlated weakly, but significantly, with those of indoor air (r = 0.13, P < 0.05). Concentrations of some individual taxa in the dust and indoor air were also weakly associated. Adjusting for the concentrations of fungi in outdoor air, dustborne fungal concentrations were positively associated with those in indoor air for the taxa Cladosporium and Penicillium, but not for total fungi. The indoor air fungal levels were often predicted by different covariates to those predicting fungal levels in dust. The type of housing (house or apartment) and the presence of carpeting were often predictive factors for dust fungi. In contrast, outdoor fungal levels were often predictive of the indoor air fungal levels. CONCLUSIONS: Because our data do not indicate a strong overall relationship between culturable fungi in dust and indoor air, the results from these two methods (dust and air sampling) likely represent different types of potential fungal exposures to residents. It may be essential to collect both air and dust samples, as well as information on housing characteristics, as indicators for fungal exposure.     

Confirmed Cases of Ophidiomycosis in Museum Specimens from as Early as 1945, United States

Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease’s reported emergence.     

广藿香内生真菌撕裂耙齿菌A878次级代谢产物研究

目的 研究药用植物广藿香Pogostemon cablin内生真菌撕裂耙齿菌Irpex laceratus A878的活性次级代谢产物。方法 运用硅胶、Sephadex LH-20、HPLC等多种柱色谱技术以及重结晶方法对发酵产物进行分离纯化,并利用¹H-和¹³C-NMR、UV等谱学方法鉴定化合物结构。采用SRB法和Griess法测定化合物的生物活性。结果 从广藿香内生真菌撕裂耙齿菌A878固体发酵产物中分离鉴定了2个新化合物和10个已知化合物。分别为撕裂耙齿菌内酯A(1)、撕裂耙齿菌内酯B(2)、细胞松弛素H(3)、细胞松弛素J(4)、18-甲氧基细胞松弛素J(5)、去乙酰基细胞松弛素H(6)、细胞松弛素J₃(7)、拟茎点霉(口山)酮A(8)、狄瑟酚A(9)、桔青霉三酚A(10)、(22E,24R)-麦角甾-5,7,22-三烯-3β-醇(11)和1S,2R,4S-三羟基-对-薄荷烷(12)。结论 化合物1、2为新的吡喃内酯类化合物。活性研究表明化合物4、5和9对人神经癌SF-268细胞、人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞、人肝癌H...     

Fusarium endocarditis involving aortic valve following coronary artery surgery

This article describes a case of infective aortic valve endocarditisdue to Fusarium oxysporum occurring 4 years after coronary arterybypass grafting. It is the first reported case of endocarditiscaused by Fusarium.