Aspergillus brasiliensis sp. nov., a biseriate black Aspergillus species with world-wide distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Varga, János; Kocsubé, Sándor; Tóth, Beáta

2007-01-01

to produce ochratoxin A, kotanins, funalenone or pyranonigrins. The novel species was most closely related to A. niger, and was isolated from soil from Brazil, Australia, USA and The Netherlands, and from grape berries from Portugal. The type strain of Aspergillus brasiliensis sp. nov. is CBS 101740(T) (=IM...

Aspergillus flavus: human pathogen, allergen and mycotoxin producer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedayati, M T; Pasqualotto, A C; Warn, P A; Bowyer, P; Denning, D W

2007-06-01

Aspergillus infections have grown in importance in the last years. However, most of the studies have focused on Aspergillus fumigatus, the most prevalent species in the genus. In certain locales and hospitals, Aspergillus flavus is more common in air than A. fumigatus, for unclear reasons. After A. fumigatus, A. flavus is the second leading cause of invasive aspergillosis and it is the most common cause of superficial infection. Experimental invasive infections in mice show A. flavus to be 100-fold more virulent than A. fumigatus in terms of inoculum required. Particularly common clinical syndromes associated with A. flavus include chronic granulomatous sinusitis, keratitis, cutaneous aspergillosis, wound infections and osteomyelitis following trauma and inoculation. Outbreaks associated with A. flavus appear to be associated with single or closely related strains, in contrast to those associated with A. fumigatus. In addition, A. flavus produces aflatoxins, the most toxic and potent hepatocarcinogenic natural compounds ever characterized. Accurate species identification within Aspergillus flavus complex remains difficult due to overlapping morphological and biochemical characteristics, and much taxonomic and population genetics work is necessary to better understand the species and related species. The flavus complex currently includes 23 species or varieties, including two sexual species, Petromyces alliaceus and P. albertensis. The genome of the highly related Aspergillus oryzae is completed and available; that of A. flavus in the final stages of annotation. Our understanding of A. flavus lags far behind that of A. fumigatus. Studies of the genomics, taxonomy, population genetics, pathogenicity, allergenicity and antifungal susceptibility of A. flavus are all required.

Potential aflatoxin and ochratoxin a production by Aspergillus species in poultry feed processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraga, M E; Curvello, F; Gatti, M J; Cavaglieri, L R; Dalcero, A M; da Rocha Rosa, C A

2007-04-01

Poultry feeds are prone to fungal growth and mycotoxin production during processing. The identification of biota with the ability to produce mycotoxins is essential. The aims of this study were (1) to monitor the mycobiota counts at different stages of poultry feed processing; (2) to determine the occurrence of Aspergillus species; (3) to evaluate the natural incidence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. The ability of Aspergillus spp. and its teleomorphs isolated here to produce these toxins was also investigated. Samples (144) were collected at random from a factory in Brazil. The occurrence of Aspergillus and Eurotium species was demonstrated on DRBC and DG18 media and the production of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A and their natural incidence were determined by TLC and HPLC methods. A. flavus and E. chevalieri were the most prevalent species isolated. Fungal contamination was not found after the pelleting process, though Aspergillus and Eurotium species were recovered from trough samples. High levels of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A producers were found at all stages of poultry feed processing. Also, high natural contamination with aflatoxins and ochratoxin A was found in the samples. Contact of feed with remainder poultry feed could lead to fungal contamination, so the risk of aflatoxin and/or ochratoxin A contamination of feed must be taken into account.

Aspergillus fumigatus and Related Species

Science.gov (United States)

Sugui, Janyce A.; Kwon-Chung, Kyung J.; Juvvadi, Praveen R.; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Steinbach, William J.

2015-01-01

The genus Aspergillus contains etiologic agents of aspergillosis. The clinical manifestations of the disease range from allergic reaction to invasive pulmonary infection. Among the pathogenic aspergilli, Aspergillus fumigatus is most ubiquitous in the environment and is the major cause of the disease, followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and several species in the section Fumigati that morphologically resemble A. fumigatus. Patients that are at risk for acquiring aspergillosis are those with an altered immune system. Early diagnosis, species identification, and adequate antifungal therapy are key elements for treatment of the disease, especially in cases of pulmonary invasive aspergillosis that often advance very rapidly. Incorporating knowledge of the basic biology of Aspergillus species to that of the diseases that they cause is fundamental for further progress in the field. PMID:25377144

Aspergillus korhogoensis, a Novel Aflatoxin Producing Species from the Côte d’Ivoire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaranta Carvajal-Campos

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Several strains of a new aflatoxigenic species of Aspergillus, A. korhogoensis, were isolated in the course of a screening study involving species from section Flavi found contaminating peanuts (Arachis hypogaea and peanut paste in the Côte d’Ivoire. Based on examination of four isolates, this new species is described using a polyphasic approach. A concatenated alignment comprised of nine genes (ITS, benA, cmdA, mcm7, amdS, rpb1, preB, ppgA, and preA was subjected to phylogenetic analysis, and resulted in all four strains being inferred as a distinct clade. Characterization of mating type for each strain revealed A. korhogoensis as a heterothallic species, since three isolates exhibited a singular MAT1-1 locus and one isolate exhibited a singular MAT1-2 locus. Morphological and physiological characterizations were also performed based on their growth on various types of media. Their respective extrolite profiles were characterized using LC/HRMS, and showed that this new species is capable of producing B- and G-aflatoxins, aspergillic acid, cyclopiazonic acid, aflavarins, and asparasones, as well as other metabolites. Altogether, our results confirm the monophyly of A. korhogoensis, and strengthen its position in the A. flavus clade, as the sister taxon of A. parvisclerotigenus.

Biodiversity of Aspergillus species in some important agricultural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrone, G; Susca, A; Cozzi, G; Ehrlich, K; Varga, J; Frisvad, J C; Meijer, M; Noonim, P; Mahakarnchanakul, W; Samson, R A

2007-01-01

The genus Aspergillus is one of the most important filamentous fungal genera. Aspergillus species are used in the fermentation industry, but they are also responsible of various plant and food secondary rot, with the consequence of possible accumulation of mycotoxins. The aflatoxin producing A. flavus and A. parasiticus, and ochratoxinogenic A. niger, A. ochraceus and A. carbonarius species are frequently encountered in agricultural products. Studies on the biodiversity of toxigenic Aspergillus species is useful to clarify molecular, ecological and biochemical characteristics of the different species in relation to their different adaptation to environmental and geographical conditions, and to their potential toxigenicity. Here we analyzed the biodiversity of ochratoxin producing species occurring on two important crops: grapes and coffee, and the genetic diversity of A. flavus populations occurring in agricultural fields. Altogether nine different black Aspergillus species can be found on grapes which are often difficult to identify with classical methods. The polyphasic approach used in our studies led to the identification of three new species occurring on grapes: A. brasiliensis, A. ibericus, and A. uvarum. Similar studies on the Aspergillus species occurring on coffee beans have evidenced in the last five years that A. carbonarius is an important source of ochratoxin A in coffee. Four new species within the black aspergilli were also identified in coffee beans: A. sclerotioniger, A. lacticoffeatus, A. sclerotiicarbonarius, and A. aculeatinus. The genetic diversity within A. flavus populations has been widely studied in relation to their potential aflatoxigenicity and morphological variants L- and S-strains. Within A. flavus and other Aspergillus species capable of aflatoxin production, considerable diversity is found. We summarise the main recent achievements in the diversity of the aflatoxin gene cluster in A. flavus populations, A. parasiticus and the non

Volatile compounds of Aspergillus strains with different abilities to produce ochratoxin A.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeleń, Henryk H; Grabarkiewicz-Szczesna, Jadwiga

2005-03-09

Volatile compounds emitted by Aspergillus strains having different abilities to produce ochratoxin A were investigated. Thirteen strains of Aspergillus ochraceus, three belonging to the A. ochraceus group, and eight other species of Aspergillus were examined for their abilities to produce volatile compounds and ochratoxin A on a wheat grain medium. The profiles of volatile compounds, analyzed using SPME, in all A. ochraceus strains, regardless of their toxeginicity, were similar and comprised mainly of 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octene, and limonene. The prevailing compound was always 1-octen-3-ol. Mellein, which forms part of the ochratoxin A molecule, was found in both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains. Volatile compounds produced by other Aspergillus strains were similar to those of A. ochraceus. Incubation temperatures (20, 24, and 27 degrees C) and water content in the medium (20, 30, and 40%) influenced both volatile compounds formation and ochratoxin A biosynthesis efficiency, although conditions providing the maximum amount of volatiles were different from those providing the maximum amount of ochratoxin A. The pattern of volatiles produced by toxigenic A. ochraceus strains does not facilitate their differentiation from nontoxigenic strains.

Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., a new black Aspergillus species isolated in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Annette; Lübeck, Peter S.; Lübeck, Mette

2011-01-01

A novel species, Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., belonging to the Aspergillus section Nigri group is described. This species was isolated in Denmark from treated hardwood. Its taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach including phenotypic (morphology and extrolite...... profiles) and molecular (β-tubulin, internal transcribed spacer and calmodulin gene sequences, and universally primed PCR fingerprinting) analysis. Phenotypic and molecular data enabled this novel species to be clearly distinguished from other black aspergilli. A. saccharolyticus is a uniseriate...

Pathogenicity of fumonisin-producing and nonproducing strains of Aspergillus species in section Nigri to maize ears and seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Species of Aspergillus section Nigri are commonly associated with maize kernels, and some strains can produce fumonisin mycotoxins. However, there is little information about the extent to which these fungi contribute to fumonisin contamination in grain, the damage they cause to maize ears, or their...

New species in Aspergillus section Terrei

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, R. A.; Peterson, S. W.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2011-01-01

. clade including the type isolate of A. niveus (CBS 115.27) constitutes a lineage closely related to A. carneus. Fennellia nivea, the hypothesized teleomorph is not related to this clade. Aspergillus allahabadii, A. niveus var. indicus, and two species originally placed in section Versicolores, A......Section Terrei of Aspergillus was studied using a polyphasic approach including sequence analysis of parts of the beta-tubulin and calmodulin genes and the ITS region, macro- and micromorphological analyses and examination of extrolite profiles to describe three new species in this section. Based....... floccosus, A. terreus var. africanus, A. terreus var. aureus, while Aspergillus hortai is recognised at species level. Aspergillus terreus NRRL 4017 is described as the new species A. pseudoterreus. Also included in section Terrei are some species formerly placed in sections Flavipedes and Versicolores. A...

Causative Agents of Aspergillosis Including Cryptic Aspergillus Species and A. fumigatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyotome, Takahito

2016-01-01

Aspergillosis is an important deep mycosis. The causative agents are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus, of which A. fumigatus is the most prevalent. Cryptic Aspergillus spp., which morphologically resemble representative species of each Aspergillus section, also cause aspergillosis. Most of the cryptic species reveal different susceptibility patterns and/or different secondary metabolite profiles, also called exometabolome in this manuscript, from those representative species. On the other hand, azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains in clinical specimens and in the environment have been reported. Therefore, it is imperative to precisely identify the species, including cryptic Aspergillus spp., and evaluate the susceptibility of isolates.In this manuscript, some of the causative cryptic Aspergillus spp. are briefly reviewed. In addition, the exometabolome of Aspergillus section Fumigati is described. Finally, azole resistance of A. fumigatus is also discussed, in reference to several studies from Japan.

Aspergillus mulundensis sp. nov., a new species for the fungus producing the antifungal echinocandin lipopeptides, mulundocandins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bills, Gerald F.; Yue, Qun; Chen, Li

2016-01-01

The invalidly published name Aspergillus sydowii var. mulundensis was proposed for a strain of Aspergillus that produced new echinocandin metabolites designated as the mulundocadins. Reinvestigation of this strain (Y-30462=DSMZ 5745) using phylogenetic, morphological, and metabolic data indicated...

Polyphasic taxonomy of Aspergillus fumigatus and related species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hong, S.B.; Go, S.J.; Shin, H.D.

2005-01-01

. A. lentulus produces the extrolites auranthine, cyclopiazonic acid, a dimeric indole of unknown structure, neosartorin, some pyripyropens, terrein and some tryptoquivalins and tryptoquivalons. Two pair of isolates (CBS 117194, 117186 and 117520, 117519) Clustered into separate groups from A....... fumigatus and the other Aspergillus section Fumigati species, including the teleomorph Neosartorya, are proposed as two new species. A. fumigatiaffinis spec. nov. produces the extrolites auranthine, cycloechinulin, helvolic acid, neosartorin, palitantin, pyripyropens, tryptoquivalins and tryptoquivalons......, and A. novofumigatus spec. nov. produces the extrolites cycloechinuline, helvolic acid, neosartorin, palitantin and terrein....

Aspergillus species as emerging causative agents of onychomycosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nouripour-Sisakht, S; Mirhendi, H; Shidfar, M R; Ahmadi, B; Rezaei-Matehkolaei, A; Geramishoar, M; Zarei, F; Jalalizand, N

2015-06-01

Onychomycosis is a common nail infection caused by dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte molds (NDM), and yeasts. Aspergillus species are emerging as increasing causes of toenail onychomycosis. The purpose of this study was species delineation of Aspergillus spp. isolated from patients with onychomycosis. During a period of one year (2012-2013), nail samples were collected from patients clinically suspected of onychomycosis and subjected to microscopic examination and culture. Species identification was performed based on macro- and micro-morphology of colonies. For precise species identification, PCR-amplification and sequencing of the beta-tubulin gene followed by BLAST queries were performed where required. A total of 463/2,292 (20.2%) tested nails were diagnosed with onychomycosis. Among the positive specimens, 154 cases (33.2%) were identified as saprophytic NDM onychomycosis, 135 (29.2%) of which were attributable to Aspergillus. Aspergillus species isolated from the infected nails included Aspergillus flavus (77.3%, n=119), Aspergillus niger (n=4), Aspergillus tubingensis (n=4), Aspergillus terreus (n=3), Aspergillus sydowii (n=2), Aspergillus spp. (n=2), and Aspergillus candidus (n=1). Among the patients diagnosed with onychomycosis due to Aspergillus (average patient age, 47.4 years), 40 had fingernail and 95 toenail involvement. The large toenails were most commonly affected. This study identified a markedly high occurrence of A. flavus, and this fungus appears to be an emerging cause of saprophytic onychomycosis in Iran. The study moreover highlights the necessity of differentiating between dermatophytic and non-dermatophytic nail infections for informed decisions on appropriate therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Aspergillus species associated with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

About 82 triphala powder samples were analyzed for the association of different fungi. Results reveal the predominance of Aspergillus as the major genera with six predominant species namely, A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, A. nidulans and A. amstelodami. Therefore, these six isolated Aspergillus species were ...

Antifungal activity of some essential oils against toxigenic Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Alizadeh, Alireza; Zamani, Elham; Sharaifi, Rohollah; Javan-Nikkhah, Mohammad; Nazari, Somayeh

2010-01-01

Increasing attentions have been paid on the application of essential oils and plant extracts for control of postharvest pathogens due to their natural origin and less appearance of resistance in fungi pathogens. Some Aspergillus species are toxigenic and responsible for many cases of food and feed contamination. Some Toxins that produce with some Aspergillus species are known to be potent hepatocarcinogens in animals and humans. The present work evaluated the parameters of antifungal activity of the essential oils of Zataria multiflora, Thymus migricus, Satureja hortensis, Foeniculum vulgare, Carum capticum and thiabendazol fungicide on survival and growth of different species of Aspergillus. Aerial part and seeds of plant species were collected then dried and its essential oils isolated by means of hydrodistillation. Antifungal activity was evaluated in vitro by poisonous medium technique with PDA medium at six concentrations. Results showed that all essential oils could inhibit the growth of Aspergillus species. The essential oil with the best effect and lowest EC50 and MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) was Z. multiflora (223 microl/l and 650 microl/l, respectively). The chemical composition of the Z. multiflora essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS.

Aflatoxin B1-producing Aspergillus in sun-dried medicinal plant materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chinaputi, A.

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Fifty sun-dried medicinal plants were obtained from fraditional drug stores in Songkhla Province, Thailand, and examined for Aspergillus and aflatoxin B1. 288 isolates of Aspergillus were obtaines by standard blotter plate and 25 species were identified. The most common species were A. niger with 99 isolates, A. Flavus 84 isolates, A. terreus 33 isolates, A. oryzae 25 isolates, A.nidulans (Emericella nidulans 10 isolates, A fumigatus 9 isolates and A. chevalieri (Eurotium chevalieri 8 isolates. The other species[A. alliaceus, A.auricomus, A. carbonarius, A. carneus, A. clavatus, A. fisheri(Sartorya fumigata, A. janus, A. melleus,A. ochraceus, A. phoencis, A. sparsus, A. terricola, A. thomii, A. versicolor, A. wentii and Aspergillus sp.1-3] each had 1-2 siolates. Ofthe 50 different plants examined,9 had no trace of Aspergillus, namely Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Illicium verum, Andrographis paniculate, Carthamus tinctorius, Eugenia caryophyllus, Elettaria cardomomum, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa and Cassia garrettiana. The highest number of species(9 of Aspergillus was found on Rauvolfia serpentina.The ability of Aspergillus to form aflatoxin was determined in coconut milk agar by observing the intensity of blue fluorescence in agar surrounding the colonies under ultraviolet light and the yellow pigment under the colonies. The results showed the production of aflatoxin was limited to the one species, A. flavus, from which 84 isolates produced aflatoxin in 57 isolates(67.8%.Aflatoxin B1. production was confirmed by culturing fluorescencing isolates of A. flavus in coconut nilk broth and detecting by ELISA technique. Aflatoxin B1. showed increasing production after 2 days, stabilizing at 3-4 days, and the decreasing after 5-6 days. Aflatoxin B1. could not be detected from nonfluorescencing isolates.The morphological characteristics of the aflatoxin B1. -producing and non-producing strains of A. flavus were similar under light microscope and

Allergens/Antigens, Toxins and Polyketides of Important Aspergillus Species

OpenAIRE

Bhetariya, Preetida J.; Madan, Taruna; Basir, Seemi Farhat; Varma, Anupam; Usha, Sarma P.

2011-01-01

The medical, agricultural and biotechnological importance of the primitive eukaryotic microorganisms, the Fungi was recognized way back in 1920. Among various groups of fungi, the Aspergillus species are studied in great detail using advances in genomics and proteomics to unravel biological and molecular mechanisms in these fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus terreus are some of the important specie...

Ohcratoxin producing Aspergillus spp. Isolated from tropical soils in Sarawak, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.S.S. Seelan

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus strains isolated from tropical soils were selected for additional characterization and for ochratoxin analysis, which was determined by ELISA method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC profiles. Because of its great morphological variability and mycotoxin production availability, 18 isolates of Aspergillus species were selected for this study. Only two isolates of these tropical soils, A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius, showed positive results for ohcratoxin (OA in lower concentration (0.05-0.10 µg/ml. Ochratoxin production by these species was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. HPLC analysis for ochratoxin producing A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius showed retention time, Rt value = 4.417 and Rt value = 4.081 respectively.

Aspergillus baeticus sp. nov. and Aspergillus thesauricus sp. nov., two species in section Usti from Spanish caves.

Science.gov (United States)

Nováková, Alena; Hubka, Vit; Saiz-Jimenez, Cesareo; Kolarik, Miroslav

2012-11-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus that are clearly distinct from all known species in section Usti were revealed during a study of microfungal communities in Spanish caves. The novel species identified in this study and additional species of Aspergillus section Usti are associated with places and substrates related to human activities in caves. Novel species are described using data from four loci (ITS, benA, caM and rpb2), morphology and basic chemical and physiological analyses. Members of the species Aspergillus thesauricus sp. nov. were isolated from various substrates, including decaying organic matter, cave air and cave sediment of the Cueva del Tesoro Cave (the Treasure cave); the species is represented by twelve isolates and is most closely related to the recently described Aspergillus germanicus. Members of the species Aspergillus baeticus sp. nov. were isolated from cave sediment in the Gruta de las Maravillas Cave (the Grotto of the Marvels); the species is represented by two isolates. An additional isolate was found in the Cueva del Tesoro Cave and in the Demänovská Peace Cave (Slovakia), suggesting a potentially wide distribution of this micro-organism. The species is related to Aspergillus ustus and Aspergillus pseudoustus. Both species were unable to grow at 37 °C, and a weakly positive, light greenish yellow Ehrlich reaction was observed in A. thesauricus. Unique morphological features alone are sufficient to distinguish both species from related taxa.

Suppression of Aflatoxin Production in Aspergillus Species by Selected Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Stilbenoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobolev, Victor; Arias, Renee; Goodman, Kerestin; Walk, Travis; Orner, Valerie; Faustinelli, Paola; Massa, Alicia

2018-01-10

Aspergillus flavus is a soil fungus that commonly invades peanut seeds and often produces carcinogenic aflatoxins. Under favorable conditions, the fungus-challenged peanut plant produces and accumulates resveratrol and its prenylated derivatives in response to such an invasion. These prenylated stilbenoids are considered peanut antifungal phytoalexins. However, the mechanism of peanut-fungus interaction has not been sufficiently studied. We used pure peanut stilbenoids arachidin-1, arachidin-3, and chiricanine A to study their effects on the viability of and metabolite production by several important toxigenic Aspergillus species. Significant reduction or virtually complete suppression of aflatoxin production was revealed in feeding experiments in A. flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Aspergillus nomius. Changes in morphology, spore germination, and growth rate were observed in A. flavus exposed to the selected peanut stilbenoids. Elucidation of the mechanism of aflatoxin suppression by peanut stilbenoids could provide strategies for preventing plant invasion by the fungi that produce aflatoxins.

Phenotypic differentiation of species from Aspergillus section Flavi on neutral red desiccated coconut agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Atanda, O. O.; Adetunji, M. C.; Ezekiel, C. N.

2014-01-01

In order to facilitate easy and rapid identification of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species, the phenotypic traits of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates were examined on neutral red desiccated coconut agar (NRDCA). Phenotype variations in colony morphology and the relationship between colour...

Comparison of species composition and fumonisin production in Aspergillus section Nigri populations in maize kernels from USA and Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Susca, Antonia; Moretti, Antonio; Stea, Gaetano; Villani, Alessandra; Haidukowski, Miriam; Logrieco, Antonio; Munkvold, Gary

2014-10-01

Fumonisin contamination of maize is considered a serious problem in most maize-growing regions of the world, due to the widespread occurrence of these mycotoxins and their association with toxicosis in livestock and humans. Fumonisins are produced primarily by species of Fusarium that are common in maize grain, but also by some species of Aspergillus sect. Nigri, which can also occur on maize kernels as opportunistic pathogens. Understanding the origin of fumonisin contamination in maize is a key component in developing effective management strategies. Although some fungi in Aspergillus sect. Nigri are known to produce fumonisins, little is known about the species which are common in maize and whether they make a measurable contribution to fumonisin contamination of maize grain. In this work, we evaluated populations of Aspergillus sect. Nigri isolated from maize in USA and Italy, focusing on analysis of housekeeping genes, the fum8 gene and in vitro capability of producing fumonisins. DNA sequencing was used to identify Aspergillus strains belonging to sect. Nigri, in order to compare species composition between the two populations, which might influence specific mycotoxicological risks. Combined beta-tubulin/calmodulin sequences were used to genetically characterize 300 strains (199 from Italy and 101 from USA) which grouped into 4 clades: Aspergillus welwitschiae (syn. Aspergillus awamori, 14.7%), Aspergillus tubingensis (37.0%) and Aspergillus niger group 1 (6.7%) and group 2 (41.3%). Only one strain was identified as Aspergillus carbonarius. Species composition differed between the two populations; A. niger predominated among the USA isolates (69%), but comprised a smaller percentage (38%) of Italian isolates. Conversely, A. tubingensis and A. welwitschiae occurred at higher frequencies in the Italian population (42% and 20%, respectively) than in the USA population (27% and 5%). The evaluation of FB2 production on CY20S agar revealed 118 FB2 producing and 84

Variability in Galactomannan detection by platelia Aspergillus EIA™ according to the Aspergillus species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Here we investigate the extent to which different Aspergillus species release galactomannan (GM in vitro. Marked variability was observed in GM reactivity between and within Aspergillus species, with A. terreus strains showing the highest GM indexes. The in vivo significance of these findings remains to be determined.

[Aspergillus species in hospital environments with pediatric patients in critical condition].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Mariana; Cattana, María; Rojas, Florencia; Sosa, María de Los Ángeles; Aguirre, Clarisa; Vergara, Marta; Giusiano, Gustavo

2014-01-01

Aspergillus is a group of opportunistic fungi that cause infections, with high morbimortality in immunosuppressed patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most frequent species in these infections, although the incidence of other species has increased in the last few years. To evaluate the air fungal load and the diversity of Aspergillus species in hospitals with pediatric patients in critical condition. The Intensive Care Unit and Burns Unit of a pediatric hospital were sampled every 15 days during the autumn and spring seasons. The air samples were collected with SAS Super 100(®) and the surface samples were collected by swab method. The UFC/m(3) counts found exceeded the acceptable levels. The UFC/m(3) and the diversity of Aspergillus species found in the Intensive Care Unit were higher than those found in the Burns Unit. The fungal load and the diversity of species within the units were higher than those in control environments. The use of both methods -SAS and swab- allowed the detection of a higher diversity of species, with 96 strains of Aspergillus being isolated and 12 species identified. The outstanding findings were Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus parasiticus, due to their high frequency. Aspergillus fumigatus, considered unacceptable in indoor environments, was isolated in both units. Aspergillus was present with high frequency in these units. Several species are of interest in public health for being potential pathogenic agents. Air control and monitoring are essential in the prevention of these infections. Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Field ecology, fungal sex and food contamination involving Aspergillus species

Science.gov (United States)

Several species within the genus Aspergillus are capable of producing a myriad of toxic secondary metabolites, with aflatoxin being of most concern. These fungi happen to colonize important agricultural commodities, thereby having the potential to contaminate our food with carcinogenic aflatoxins. P...

Aspergillus oerlinghausenensis, a new mould species closely related to A. fumigatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houbraken, Jos; Weig, Michael; Groß, Uwe; Meijer, Martin; Bader, Oliver

2015-01-01

Two isolates belonging to Aspergillus section Fumigati were recovered from German soil on itraconazole containing agar media. Phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic characterization of both isolates show that they represent a novel species named Aspergillus oerlinghausenensis (holotype CBS

Aspergillus species isolated from mangrove forests in Borneo Island, Sarawak, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.S.S. Seelan

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A study on the occurrence of Aspergillus spp. on selected mangrove forests in Sarawak was conducted to find out their diversity and distribution. Samples were obtained from mangrove soils and leaf litters at different locations, i.e. Sematan, Lundu, Kampung Bako, Bako in Sarawak. Soil and leaf litter samples were taken randomly at different locations with five replicates from each area. A total of 138 isolates of Aspergillus species were obtained from the soil and leaf litter samples by using direct plating and Warcup method. Based on both macroscopic and microscopic observations, using an identification key, individual isolates were classified within the genus Aspergillus, belonging to three subgenera, four sections and five species. The fungi isolates were identified as A. terreus, A. flavipes, A. carneus, A. fumigatus and A. clavatus. The most frequent isolated species was A. flavipes (63.04%, followed by A. fumigatus (16.7%, A. terreus (13.04%, A. carneus (5.8% and A. clavatus (1.44%. All of the isolated Aspergillus species grew well on MEA and CYA at 25°C. A. carneus produced reddish sclerotia on MEA after seven days and this could be used as an important characteristic in this species identification. A. clavatus from mangrove soil in Kampung Bako has shown long conidiophores (ranging from 3-5 cm with swollen hyphal structures, while A. clavatus from Sematan area has shorter conidiophores (ranging from 2.5-3.5 cm on MEA.

Standardization of a two-step real-time polymerase chain reaction based method for species-specific detection of medically important Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, P; Pandey, P; Harishankar, A; Chandy, M; Bhattacharya, S; Chakrabarti, A

2017-01-01

Standardization of Aspergillus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) poses two technical challenges (a) standardization of DNA extraction, (b) optimization of PCR against various medically important Aspergillus species. Many cases of aspergillosis go undiagnosed because of relative insensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods such as microscopy, culture or antigen detection. The present study is an attempt to standardize real-time PCR assay for rapid sensitive and specific detection of Aspergillus DNA in EDTA whole blood. Three nucleic acid extraction protocols were compared and a two-step real-time PCR assay was developed and validated following the recommendations of the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative in our setup. In the first PCR step (pan-Aspergillus PCR), the target was 28S rDNA gene, whereas in the second step, species specific PCR the targets were beta-tubulin (for Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus), gene and calmodulin gene (for Aspergillus niger). Species specific identification of four medically important Aspergillus species, namely, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. terreus were achieved by this PCR. Specificity of the PCR was tested against 34 different DNA source including bacteria, virus, yeast, other Aspergillus sp., other fungal species and for human DNA and had no false-positive reactions. The analytical sensitivity of the PCR was found to be 102 CFU/ml. The present protocol of two-step real-time PCR assays for genus- and species-specific identification for commonly isolated species in whole blood for diagnosis of invasive Aspergillus infections offers a rapid, sensitive and specific assay option and requires clinical validation at multiple centers.

Chronological aging in conidia of pathogenic Aspergillus: Comparison between species.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Manuela; Pereira, Clara; Bessa, Cláudia; Araujo, Ricardo; Saraiva, Lucília

2015-11-01

Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus niger are common airborne fungi, and the most frequent causative agents of human fungal infections. However, the resistance and lifetime persistence of these fungi in the atmosphere, and the mechanism of aging of Aspergillus conidia are unknown.With this work, we intended to study the processes underlying conidial aging of these four relevant and pathogenic Aspergillus species. Chronological aging was therefore evaluated in A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. terreus and A. niger conidia exposed to environmental and human body temperatures. The results showed that the aging process in Aspergillus conidia involves apoptosis,with metacaspase activation, DNA fragmentation, and reactive oxygen species production, associated with secondary necrosis. Distinct results were observed for the selected pathogenic species. At environmental conditions, A. niger was the species with the highest resistance to aging, indicating a higher adaption to environmental conditions, whereas A. flavus followed by A. terreus were the most sensitive species. At higher temperatures (37 °C), A. fumigatus presented the longest lifespan, in accordance with its good adaptation to the human body temperature. Altogether,with this work new insights regarding conidia aging are provided, which may be useful when designing treatments for aspergillosis.

Characterization of Aspergillus species based on fatty acid profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraga, Marcelo E; Santana, Djalva Maria N; Gatti, Mario Jorge; Direito, Gloria Maria; Cavaglieri, Lilia R; Rosa, Carlos Alberto R

2008-09-01

Cellular fatty acid (FA) composition was utilized as a taxonomic tool to discriminate between different Aspergillus species. Several of the tested species had the same FA composition and different relative FA concentrations. The most important FAs were palmitic acid (C16:0), estearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2), which represented 95% of Aspergillus FAs. Multivariate data analysis demonstrated that FA analysis is a useful tool for differentiating species belonging to genus Aspergillus. All the species analyzed showed significantly FA acid profiles (p < 0.001). Furthermore, it will be possible to distinguish among Aspergillus spp. in the Flavi Section. FA composition can serve as a useful tool for the identification of filamentous fungi.

Production of mycotoxins by Aspergillus lentulus and other medically important and closely related species in section Fumigati

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Smedsgaard, Jørn; Nielsen, Kristian Fog

2007-01-01

The production of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites have been studied by LC-DAD-MS from six species in Aspergillus section Fumigati. This includes the three new species Aspergillus lentulus, A. novofumigatus and A. fumigatiaffinis as well as A. fumigatus, Neosartoria fisheri and N. pseud...... by direct injection mass spectrometry and cluster analysis. Separate groupings were seen for all the six species even though only one isolate was included in this study for the two species A. novofumigatus and A. fumigatiaffinis.......The production of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites have been studied by LC-DAD-MS from six species in Aspergillus section Fumigati. This includes the three new species Aspergillus lentulus, A. novofumigatus and A. fumigatiaffinis as well as A. fumigatus, Neosartoria fisheri and N....... pseudofisheri. A major finding was detection of gliotoxin from N. pseudofisheri, a species not previously reported to produce this mycotoxin. Gliotoxin was also detected from A. fumigatus together with fumagillin, fumigaclavine C, fumitremorgin C, fumiquinazolines, trypacidin, methyl- sulochrin, TR-2...

Aspergillus: introduction

Science.gov (United States)

Species in the genus Aspergillus possess versatile metabolic activities that impact our daily life both positively and negatively. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae are closely related fungi. While the former is able to produce carcinogenic aflatoxins and is an etiological agent of aspergill...

Aspergillus atacamensis and A. salisburgensis: two new halophilic species from hypersaline/arid habitats with a phialosimplex-like morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinelli, Livia; Zalar, Polona; Gunde-Cimerman, Nina; Azua-Bustos, Armando; Sterflinger, Katja; Piñar, Guadalupe

2017-07-01

Halophilic fungal strains isolated from historical wooden staircase in a salt mine in Austria, and from wall biofilm and soil of a cave in the Coastal Range of the hyperarid Atacama Desert in Chile were characterised and described newly as Aspergillus salisburgensis and Aspergillus atacamensis. Morphological characters including solitary phialides producing solitary conidia and conidia in chains and/or heads suggested affinity to Aspergillus subgenus Polypaecilum. Strains required salt for growth, grew optimally on media with 10-25% NaCl and at 15-28 °C. These values are similar to those observed for Aspergillus salinarus comb. nov. (Phialosimplex salinarum), while the ex-type strains of Aspergillus sclerotialis, Aspergillus chlamydosporus and Aspergillus caninus (all belonging to Aspergillus subgen. Polypaecilum) grew optimally at 0-5% NaCl and showed fastest growth at 28-37 °C. Phylogenetic analyses on the basis of rDNA sequences, RAPD-PCR fingerprint patterns, and cellobiohydrolase gene (cbh-I) polymorphism clustered the strains into three groups and supported their taxonomic recognition as A. salinarus, A. atacamensis and A. salisburgensis. On the basis of phylogenetic inferences, also Sagenomella keratitidis is newly combined as Aspergillus keratitidis and inferred as a species of Aspergillus subgenus Polypaecilum.

Aspergillus Species and Their Associated Mycotoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Gallo, Antonia

2017-01-01

The genus Aspergillus is among the most abundant and widely distributed organism on earth, and at the moment comprises 339 known species. It is one of the most important economically fungal genus and the biotechnological use of Aspergillus species is related to production of soy sauce, of different hydrolytic enzymes (amylases, lipases) and organic acid (citric acid, gluconic acid), as well as biologically active metabolites such as lovastatin. Although they are not considered to be major cause of plant diseases, Aspergillus species are responsible for several disorders in various plants and plant products, especially as opportunistic storage moulds. The notable consequence of their presence is contamination of foods and feeds by mycotoxins, among which the most important are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and, at a less extent, fumonisins. Aflatoxins B 1 , B 2 , G 1 , G 2 are the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins, due to their extreme hepatocarcinogenicity; ochratoxin A is a potent nephrotoxin, it is also carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunotoxic in rats and possibly in humans; fumonisins are hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic with potential carcinogenic effects on rat and mice. In this chapter we summarize the main aspects of morphology, ecology, epidemiology, and toxigenicity of Aspergillus foodborne pathogens which belong to sections Flavi, Circumdati, and Nigri, occurring in several agricultural products and responsible of aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, and fumonisins contamination of food and feed.

Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam; Salazar, Margarita Pena; Schaap, Peter J.

2011-01-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme......-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15...

Variability of Germinative Potential among Pathogenic Species of Aspergillus

OpenAIRE

Araujo, Ricardo; Rodrigues, Acacio Gonçalves

2004-01-01

The objective of our study was to evaluate parameters influencing the germination of Aspergillus conidia. Inoculum concentration and age significantly influenced germination. Different incubation temperatures revealed significant differences among Aspergillus species. The internal human milieu provides the ideal conditions for the development of invasive disease by Aspergillus fumigatus but restricts invasion by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger.

Genetic diversity of Aspergillus species isolated from onychomycosis and Aspergillus hongkongensis sp. nov., with implications to antifungal susceptibility testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Chi-Ching; Hui, Teresa W S; Lee, Kim-Chung; Chen, Jonathan H K; Ngan, Antonio H Y; Tam, Emily W T; Chan, Jasper F W; Wu, Andrea L; Cheung, Mei; Tse, Brian P H; Wu, Alan K L; Lai, Christopher K C; Tsang, Dominic N C; Que, Tak-Lun; Lam, Ching-Wan; Yuen, Kwok-Yung; Lau, Susanna K P; Woo, Patrick C Y

2016-02-01

Thirteen Aspergillus isolates recovered from nails of 13 patients (fingernails, n=2; toenails, n=11) with onychomycosis were characterized. Twelve strains were identified by multilocus sequencing as Aspergillus spp. (Aspergillus sydowii [n=4], Aspergillus welwitschiae [n=3], Aspergillus terreus [n=2], Aspergillus flavus [n=1], Aspergillus tubingensis [n=1], and Aspergillus unguis [n=1]). Isolates of A. terreus, A. flavus, and A. unguis were also identifiable by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The 13th isolate (HKU49(T)) possessed unique morphological characteristics different from other Aspergillus spp. Molecular characterization also unambiguously showed that HKU49(T) was distinct from other Aspergillus spp. We propose the novel species Aspergillus hongkongensis to describe this previously unknown fungus. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed most Aspergillus isolates had low MICs against itraconazole and voriconazole, but all Aspergillus isolates had high MICs against fluconazole. A diverse spectrum of Aspergillus species is associated with onychomycosis. Itraconazole and voriconazole are probably better drug options for Aspergillus onychomycosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formation of Sclerotia and Production of Indoloterpenes by Aspergillus niger and Other Species in Section Nigri

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Petersen, Lene Maj; Lyhne, Ellen Kirstine

2014-01-01

Several species in Aspergillus section Nigri have been reported to produce sclerotia on well-known growth media, such as Czapek yeast autolysate (CYA) agar, with sclerotia considered to be an important prerequisite for sexual development. However Aspergillus niger sensu stricto has not been repor...

Identification of thermostable β-xylosidase activities produced by Aspergillus brasiliensis and Aspergillus niger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mads; Lauritzen, Henrik Klitgaard; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2007-01-01

Twenty Aspergillus strains were evaluated for production of extracellular cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities. Aspergillus brasiliensis, A. niger and A. japonicus produced the highest xylanase activities with the A. brasiliensis and A. niger strains producing thermostable beta......-xylosidases. The beta-xylosidase activities of the A. brasiliensis and A. niger strains had similar temperature and pH optima at 75 degrees C and pH 5 and retained 62% and 99%, respectively, of these activities over 1 h at 60 degrees C. At 75 degrees C, these values were 38 and 44%, respectively. Whereas A. niger...

Effects of sugar and amino acid supplementation on Aureobasidium pullulans NRRL 58536 antifungal activity against four Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasongsuk, Sehanat; Ployngam, Saowaluck; Wacharasindhu, Sumrit; Lotrakul, Pongtharin; Punnapayak, Hunsa

2013-09-01

Cultured cell extracts from ten tropical strains of Aureobasidium pullulans were screened for antifungal activity against four pathogenic Aspergillus species (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus terreus) using the well diffusion and conidial germination inhibition assays. The crude cell extract from A. pullulans NRRL 58536 resulted in the greatest fungicidal activity against all four Aspergillus species and so was selected for further investigation into enhancing the production of antifungal activity through optimization of the culture medium, carbon source (sucrose and glucose) and amino acid (phenylalanine, proline, and leucine) supplementation. Sucrose did not support the production of any detectable antifungal activity, while glucose did with the greatest antifungal activity against all four Aspergillus species being produced in cells grown in medium containing 2.5 % (w/v) glucose. With respect to the amino acid supplements, variable trends between the different Aspergillus species and amino acid combinations were observed, with the greatest antifungal activities being obtained when grown with phenylalanine plus leucine supplementation for activity against A. flavus, proline plus leucine for A. terreus, and phenylalanine plus proline and leucine for A. niger and A. fumigatus. Thin layer chromatography, spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analyses were all consistent with the main component of the A. pullulans NRRL 58536 extracts being aureobasidins.

What Does Genetic Diversity of Aspergillus flavus Tell Us About Aspergillus oryzae?

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae belong to Aspergillus section Flavi. They are closely related and are of significant economic importance. The former species has the ability to produce harmful aflatoxins while the latter is widely used in food fermentation and industrial enzyme production. ...

Aspergillus fumigatus-Related Species in Clinical Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamoth, Frédéric

2016-01-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is the main etiologic agent of invasive aspergillosis (IA). Other Aspergillus species belonging to the section Fumigati (A. fumigatus complex) may occasionally be the cause of IA. These strains are often misidentified, as they cannot be distinguished from A. fumigatus by conventional morphological analysis and sequencing methods. This lack of recognition may have important consequences as these A. fumigatus-related species often display some level of intrinsic resistance to azoles and other antifungal drugs. A. lentulus, A. udagawae, A. viridinutans, and A. thermomutatus (Neosartorya pseudofischeri) have been associated with refractory cases of IA. Microbiologists should be able to suspect the presence of these cryptic species behind a putative A. fumigatus isolate on the basis of some simple characteristics, such as defect in sporulation and/or unusual antifungal susceptibility profile. However, definitive species identification requires specific sequencing analyses of the beta-tubulin or calmodulin genes, which are not available in most laboratories. Multiplex PCR assays or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization - time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) gave promising results for rapid and accurate distinction between A. fumigatus and other Aspergillus spp. of the section Fumigati in clinical practice. Improved diagnostic procedures and antifungal susceptibility testing may be helpful for the early detection and management of these particular IA cases.

Polyphasic approach including maldi-tof mass spectrometry to characterise aflatoxigenic species of aspergillus section flavi

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, Paula; Santos, Cledir; Kozakiewicz, Zofia; Venâncio, Armando; Lima, Nelson

2009-01-01

Aflatoxins are toxic compounds which are produced as secondary metabolites by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius growing on a variety of food products and are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and immunosuppressive1,2. Aspergillus is a large genus, with a complex taxonomy. The genus is easily identified by its characteristic conidiophore, but species identification and differentiation is complex, mainly because it is traditionally based on a range of mor...

Aspergillus fumigatus-Related Species in Clinical Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederic eLamoth

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus fumigatus is the main etiologic agent of invasive aspergillosis (IA. Other Aspergillus species belonging to the section Fumigati (A. fumigatus complex may occasionally be the cause of IA. These strains are often misidentified, as they cannot be distinguished from A. fumigatus by conventional morphological analysis and sequencing methods. This lack of recognition may have important consequences as these A. fumigatus-related species often display some level of intrinsic resistance to azoles and other antifungal drugs. A. lentulus, A. udagawae, A. viridinutans and A. thermomutatus (Neosartorya pseudofischeri have been associated with refractory cases of IA. Microbiologists should be able to suspect the presence of these cryptic species behind a putative A. fumigatus isolate on the basis of some simple characteristics, such as defect in sporulation and/or unusual antifungal susceptibility profile. However, definitive species identification requires specific sequencing analyses of the beta-tubulin or calmodulin genes, which are not available in most laboratories. Multiplex PCR assays or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS gave promising results for rapid and accurate distinction between A. fumigatus and other Aspergillus spp. of the section Fumigati in clinical practice. Improved diagnostic procedures and antifungal susceptibility testing may be helpful for the early detection and management of these particular IA cases.

Differential impact of some Aspergillus species on Meloidogyne javanica biocontrol by Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqui, I A; Shaukat, S S; Khan, A

2004-01-01

The aim was to determine the influence of some Aspergillus species on the production of nematicidal agent(s) in vitro and biocontrol of Meloidogyne javanica in tomato by Pseudomonas fluorescens strains CHA0 and CHA0/pME3424. Six species of Aspergillus, isolated from the rhizosphere of certain crops, produced a variety of secondary metabolites in vitro. Culture filtrate (CF) obtained from Ps. fluorescens strain CHA0 and its2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol overproducing mutant CHA0/pME3424 grown in King's B liquid medium caused significant mortality of M. javanica juveniles in vitro. Bacterial growth medium amended with CF of A. niger enhanced nematicidal and beta-galactosidase activities of fluorescent pseudomonads while A. quadrilineatus repressed such activities. Methanol or ethyl acetate extracts of the CF of A. niger markedly optimized bacterial efficacy to cause nematode deaths while hexane extract of the fungus had no influence on the nematicidal activity of the bacterial strains. A. niger applied alone or in conjunction with the bacterial inoculants inhibited root-knot nematode galling in tomato. On the other hand, A. quadrilineatus used alone or together with CHA0 did not inhibit nematode galling but when used in combination with strain CHA0/pME3424 did reduce galling intensity. Aspergillus niger enhances the production of nematicidal compounds by Ps. fluorescensin vitro and improves biocontrol potential of the bacterial inoculants in tomato while A. quadrilineatus reduces bacterial performance to suppress root-knot nematodes. Rhizosphere harbours a variety of micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Aspergillus species are ubiquitous in most agricultural soils and generally produce a variety of secondary metabolites. Such metabolites synthesized by Aspergillus species may influence the production of nematicidal agents and subsequent biocontrol performance of the bacterial inoculants against plant-parasitic nematodes. This fact needs to be taken into

Aspergillus waksmanii sp. nov. and Aspergillus marvanovae sp. nov., two closely related species in section Fumigati

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hubka, Vit; Peterson, Stephen W.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2013-01-01

Two new and phylogenetically closely related species in Aspergillus section Fumigati are described and illustrated. Homothallic Aspergillus waksmanii sp. nov. was isolated from New Jersey soil (USA) and is represented by the ex-type isolate NRRL 179T (=CCF 4266T=Thom 4138.HS2T=IBT 31900T......). Aspergillus marvanovae sp. nov. was isolated from water with high boracic acid anions content in Dukovany nuclear power station (Czech Republic). The sexual stage of this species is unknown, but the MAT1-1 locus was successfully amplified suggesting that the species is probably heterothallic and teleomorphic...... but is represented by only the ex-type isolate CCM 8003T (=CCF 4037T=NRRL 62486T=IBT 31279T=IFM 60873T). Both species can be distinguished from all previously described species in section Fumigati based on morphology, maximum growth temperature, sequence data from five unlinked loci and unique secondary metabolites...

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noonim, Paramee; Mahakarnchanakul, Warapa; Varga, Janos

2008-01-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans are described as Aspergillus aculeatinus sp. nov. and Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius sp. nov. Their taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach with phenotypic (morphology and extrolite profiles...

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noonim, P.; Mahakarnchanakul, W.; Varga, J.; Frisvad, J.C.; Samson, R.A.

2008-01-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans are described as Aspergillus aculeatinus sp. nov. and Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius sp. nov. Their taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach with phenotypic (morphology and extrolite profiles) and

PCR-RFLP on β-tubulin gene for rapid identification of the most clinically important species of Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasri, Tuba; Hedayati, Mohammad Taghi; Abastabar, Mahdi; Pasqualotto, Alessandro C; Armaki, Mojtaba Taghizadeh; Hoseinnejad, Akbar; Nabili, Mojtaba

2015-10-01

Aspergillus species are important agents of life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. Proper speciation in the Aspergilli has been justified based on varied fungal virulence, clinical presentations, and antifungal resistance. Accurate identification of Aspergillus species usually relies on fungal DNA sequencing but this requires expensive equipment that is not available in most clinical laboratories. We developed and validated a discriminative low-cost PCR-based test to discriminate Aspergillus isolates at the species level. The Beta tubulin gene of various reference strains of Aspergillus species was amplified using the universal fungal primers Bt2a and Bt2b. The PCR products were subjected to digestion with a single restriction enzyme AlwI. All Aspergillus isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing for final species characterization. The PCR-RFLP test generated unique patterns for six clinically important Aspergillus species, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus clavatus and Aspergillus nidulans. The one-enzyme PCR-RFLP on Beta tubulin gene designed in this study is a low-cost tool for the reliable and rapid differentiation of the clinically important Aspergillus species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genome mining of the genetic diversity in the Aspergillus genus - from a collection of more than 30 Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jane Lind Nybo; Vesth, Tammi Camilla; Theobald, Sebastian

In the era of high-throughput sequencing, comparative genomics can be applied for evaluating species diversity. In this project we aim to compare the genomes of 300 species of filamentous fungi from the Aspergillus genus, a complex task. To be able to define species, clade, and core features......, this project uses BLAST on the amino acid level to discover orthologs. With a potential of 300 Aspergillus species each having ~12,000 annotated genes, traditional clustering will demand supercomputing. Instead, our approach reduces the search space by identifying isoenzymes within each genome creating...... intragenomic protein families (iPFs), and then connecting iPFs across all genomes. The initial findings in a set of 31 species show that ~48% of the annotated genes are core genes (genes shared between all species) and 2-24% of the genes are defining the individual species. The methods presented here...

Formation of sclerotia and production of indoloterpenes by Aspergillus niger and other species in section Nigri.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens C Frisvad

Full Text Available Several species in Aspergillus section Nigri have been reported to produce sclerotia on well-known growth media, such as Czapek yeast autolysate (CYA agar, with sclerotia considered to be an important prerequisite for sexual development. However Aspergillus niger sensu stricto has not been reported to produce sclerotia, and is thought to be a purely asexual organism. Here we report, for the first time, the production of sclerotia by certain strains of Aspergillus niger when grown on CYA agar with raisins, or on other fruits or on rice. Up to 11 apolar indoloterpenes of the aflavinine type were detected by liquid chromatography and diode array and mass spectrometric detection where sclerotia were formed, including 10,23-dihydro-24,25-dehydroaflavinine. Sclerotium induction can thus be a way of inducing the production of new secondary metabolites from previously silent gene clusters. Cultivation of other species of the black aspergilli showed that raisins induced sclerotium formation by A. brasiliensis, A. floridensis A. ibericus, A. luchuensis, A. neoniger, A. trinidadensis and A. saccharolyticus for the first time.

Formation of Sclerotia and Production of Indoloterpenes by Aspergillus niger and Other Species in Section Nigri

Science.gov (United States)

Frisvad, Jens C.; Petersen, Lene M.; Lyhne, E. Kirstine; Larsen, Thomas O.

2014-01-01

Several species in Aspergillus section Nigri have been reported to produce sclerotia on well-known growth media, such as Czapek yeast autolysate (CYA) agar, with sclerotia considered to be an important prerequisite for sexual development. However Aspergillus niger sensu stricto has not been reported to produce sclerotia, and is thought to be a purely asexual organism. Here we report, for the first time, the production of sclerotia by certain strains of Aspergillus niger when grown on CYA agar with raisins, or on other fruits or on rice. Up to 11 apolar indoloterpenes of the aflavinine type were detected by liquid chromatography and diode array and mass spectrometric detection where sclerotia were formed, including 10,23-dihydro-24,25-dehydroaflavinine. Sclerotium induction can thus be a way of inducing the production of new secondary metabolites from previously silent gene clusters. Cultivation of other species of the black aspergilli showed that raisins induced sclerotium formation by A. brasiliensis, A. floridensis A. ibericus, A. luchuensis, A. neoniger, A. trinidadensis and A. saccharolyticus for the first time. PMID:24736731

Molecular characterization of black Aspergillus species from onion and their potential for ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2 production.

Science.gov (United States)

Gherbawy, Youssuf; Elhariry, Hesham; Kocsubé, Sándor; Bahobial, Abdulaziz; Deeb, Bahig El; Altalhi, Abdulla; Varga, János; Vágvölgyi, Csaba

2015-05-01

Onion bulbs can become contaminated with various molds during the storage period, the most important causal agents being black aspergilli (Aspergillus section Nigri). Taxonomic studies have revealed that this group of Aspergillus contains many species that cannot be reliably identified using standard morphological methods. Therefore, it is necessary to define the fungus causing this problem in the onion exactly, especially since some species assigned to section Nigri are well known as ochratoxin and/or fumonisin producers. Sixty fungal isolates belonging to 10 fungal genera were isolated from 40 onion samples originated from the Taif region in Saudi Arabia. Black aspergilli were detected in 37 onion samples. Using primer pairs (awaspec and Cmd6) designed based on partial calmodulin gene sequence data, 37 isolates were identified as A. welwitschiae. The ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2 contents of the onion samples were examined. No ochratoxins were detected in the collected samples, while fumonisin B2 was detected in 37.5% of the onion samples. Eighteen of 37 isolates of Aspergillus welwitschiae were recognized as potential producers for fumonisin B2. Multiplex polymerase chain reactions designed to detect biosynthetic genes of fumonisins confirmed these results.

Biosynthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles by Aspergillus Species

Science.gov (United States)

Pourshahid, Seyedmohammad; Mehryar, Pouyan; Pakshir, Keyvan; Rahimi, Mohammad Javad; Arabi Monfared, Ali

2016-01-01

Currently, researchers turn to natural processes such as using biological microorganisms in order to develop reliable and ecofriendly methods for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. In this study, we have investigated extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using four Aspergillus species including A. fumigatus, A. clavatus, A. niger, and A. flavus. We have also analyzed nitrate reductase activity in the studied species in order to determine the probable role of this enzyme in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. The formation of silver nanoparticles in the cell filtrates was confirmed by the passage of laser light, change in the color of cell filtrates, absorption peak at 430 nm in UV-Vis spectra, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). There was a logical relationship between the efficiencies of studied Aspergillus species in the production of silver nanoparticles and their nitrate reductase activity. A. fumigatus as the most efficient species showed the highest nitrate reductase activity among the studied species while A. flavus exhibited the lowest capacity in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles which was in accord with its low nitrate reductase activity. The present study showed that Aspergillus species had potential for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles depending on their nitrate reductase activity. PMID:27652264

Plasma-Based Degradation of Mycotoxins Produced by Fusarium, Aspergillus and Alternaria Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars ten Bosch

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP with ambient air as working gas for the degradation of selected mycotoxins was studied. Deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, enniatins, fumonisin B1, and T2 toxin produced by Fusarium spp., sterigmatocystin produced by Aspergillus spp. and AAL toxin produced by Alternaria alternata were used. The kinetics of the decay of mycotoxins exposed to plasma discharge was monitored. All pure mycotoxins exposed to CAPP were degraded almost completely within 60 s. Degradation rates varied with mycotoxin structure: fumonisin B1 and structurally related AAL toxin were degraded most rapidly while sterigmatocystin exhibited the highest resistance to degradation. As compared to pure compounds, the degradation rates of mycotoxins embedded in extracts of fungal cultures on rice were reduced to a varying extent. Our results show that CAPP efficiently degrades pure mycotoxins, the degradation rates vary with mycotoxin structure, and the presence of matrix slows down yet does not prevent the degradation. CAPP appears promising for the decontamination of food commodities with mycotoxins confined to or enriched on surfaces such as cereal grains.

Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Specific Novel Tetrapeptide and Potential Anti-Inflammatory Metabolites in Pathogenic Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kim-Chung; Tam, Emily W T; Lo, Ka-Ching; Tsang, Alan K L; Lau, Candy C Y; To, Kelvin K W; Chan, Jasper F W; Lam, Ching-Wan; Yuen, Kwok-Yung; Lau, Susanna K P; Woo, Patrick C Y

2015-06-17

Infections related to Aspergillus species have emerged to become an important focus in infectious diseases, as a result of the increasing use of immunosuppressive agents and high fatality associated with invasive aspergillosis. However, laboratory diagnosis of Aspergillus infections remains difficult. In this study, by comparing the metabolomic profiles of the culture supernatants of 30 strains of six pathogenic Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. nomius and A. tamarii) and 31 strains of 10 non-Aspergillus fungi, eight compounds present in all strains of the six Aspergillus species but not in any strain of the non-Aspergillus fungi were observed. One of the eight compounds, Leu-Glu-Leu-Glu, is a novel tetrapeptide and represents the first linear tetrapeptide observed in Aspergillus species, which we propose to be named aspergitide. Two other closely related Aspergillus-specific compounds, hydroxy-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid and (sulfooxy)benzoic acid, may possess anti-inflammatory properties, as 2-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid possesses a structure similar to those of aspirin [2-(acetoxy)benzoic acid] and salicylic acid (2-hydroxybenzoic acid). Further studies to examine the potentials of these Aspergillus-specific compounds for laboratory diagnosis of aspergillosis are warranted and further experiments will reveal whether Leu-Glu-Leu-Glu, hydroxy-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid and (sulfooxy)benzoic acid are virulent factors of the pathogenic Aspergillus species.

Distribution and mycotoxigenic potential of Aspergillus section Nigri species in naturally-contaminated almonds

Science.gov (United States)

In a previous study, inedible almond pick-out samples were assayed for aflatoxin and aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species. These samples were observed to contain high populations of black-spored Aspergillus section Nigri species. To investigate whether these species may contribute to the total potent...

Thermostable crude endoglucanase produced by Aspergillus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cellulases are used in many industries worldwide and there is an ever increasing need to isolate, produce or develop thermostable cellulases. Manipulation of fermentation techniques in order to obtain desirable product(s) can be one line of action. In this study Aspergillus fumigatus was grown on chopped wheat straw in a ...

Biodiversity of Aspergillus section Nigri populations in Argentinian vineyards and ochratoxin A contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiotta, María L; Ponsone, María L; Sosa, Débora M; Combina, Mariana; Chulze, Sofía N

2013-12-01

Aspergillus section Nigri are described as the main source of ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in grapes and wine worldwide. The knowledge of the factors affecting grape contamination by species included in this section and OTA production is essential to be able to reduce their presence, not only to improve wine quality, but also to maintain their safety. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the incidence of Aspergillus section Nigri species harvested in different grape-growing regions from Argentina, their ability to produce OTA, to correlate with meteorological conditions and geographical coordinates with their prevalence and to evaluate the OTA natural occurrence in grapes and wines. The morphological identification showed that Aspergillus niger aggregate species were the most prevalent ones, followed by Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus uniseriate. These populations were confirmed through using AFLP markers and sequencing and, Aspergillus tubingensis was separated from A. niger aggregate. Climatic factors, altitude, longitude and latitude have influenced on the distribution of species included in the section. A. carbonarius and A. niger were OTA producers but differed in their OTA producing ability. Temperature was the factor which influenced the most over the highest incidence of A. carbonarius in La Rioja and San Juan regions. The trellis system in vineyards and drip irrigation also influenced the species isolation. The OTA levels detected in grapes and wines were low, but grape variety was more important in susceptibility to fungal infection and OTA levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular detection and species-specific identification of medically important Aspergillus species by real-time PCR in experimental invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Thomas J; Wissel, Mark C; Grantham, Kevin J; Petraitiene, Ruta; Petraitis, Vidmantas; Kasai, Miki; Francesconi, Andrea; Cotton, Margaret P; Hughes, Johanna E; Greene, Lora; Bacher, John D; Manna, Pradip; Salomoni, Martin; Kleiboeker, Steven B; Reddy, Sushruth K

2011-12-01

Diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains a major challenge to clinical microbiology laboratories. We developed rapid and sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays for genus- and species-specific identification of Aspergillus infections by use of TaqMan technology. In order to validate these assays and understand their potential diagnostic utility, we then performed a blinded study of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid specimens from well-characterized models of IPA with the four medically important species. A set of real-time qPCR primers and probes was developed by utilizing unique ITS1 regions for genus- and species-specific detection of the four most common medically important Aspergillus species (Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, and A. terreus). Pan-Aspergillus and species-specific qPCRs with BAL fluid were more sensitive than culture for detection of IPA caused by A. fumigatus in untreated (P < 0.0007) and treated (P ≤ 0.008) animals, respectively. For infections caused by A. terreus and A. niger, culture and PCR amplification from BAL fluid yielded similar sensitivities for untreated and treated animals. Pan-Aspergillus PCR was more sensitive than culture for detection of A. flavus in treated animals (P = 0.002). BAL fluid pan-Aspergillus and species-specific PCRs were comparable in sensitivity to BAL fluid galactomannan (GM) assay. The copy numbers from the qPCR assays correlated with quantitative cultures to determine the pulmonary residual fungal burdens in lung tissue. Pan-Aspergillus and species-specific qPCR assays may improve the rapid and accurate identification of IPA in immunocompromised patients.

Variability in Galactomannan detection by platelia Aspergillus EIA™ according to the Aspergillus species Variabilidade na detecção de galactomanana pelo Platelia Aspergillus EIA® de acordo com a espécie de Aspergillus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Here we investigate the extent to which different Aspergillus species release galactomannan (GM in vitro. Marked variability was observed in GM reactivity between and within Aspergillus species, with A. terreus strains showing the highest GM indexes. The in vivo significance of these findings remains to be determined.O estudo objetivou investigar a liberação in vitro de galactomanana (GM em distintas espécies patogênicas de fungos do gênero Aspergillus. Grande variabilidade foi detectada tanto intra quanto inter espécies, sendo as cepas da espécie A. terreus relacionadas aos maiores índices de GM detectados. O significado in vivo destes achados permanece em aberto, porém merece investigação.

Comments on "Screening and identification of novel ochratoxin A-producing fungi from grapes. Toxins 2016,8,833" - in reporting ochratoxin A production from strains of Aspergillus, Penicillium and talaromcyes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Logrieco, Antonio F.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2017-01-01

Recently a species in the genus Talaromyces, a uniseriate species of Aspergillus section Nigri and an isolate each of two widespread species, Penicillium rubens and P. commune, were reported to produce ochratoxin A. This claim was based on insufficient biological and chemical data. We propose a l...

Comparison of Aspergillus species-complexes detected in different environmental settings

OpenAIRE

Sabino, Raquel; Viegas, Carla; Veríssimo, Carla; Clemons, K. V.; Stevens, D. A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Samples from different environmental sources were screened for the presence of Aspergillus, and the distribution of the different species-complexes was determined in order to understand differences among that distribution in the several environmental sources and which of these species complexes are present in specific environmental settings. Methods: Four distinct environments (beaches, poultries, swineries and hospital) were studied and analyzed for which Aspergillus complexes were ...

Diversity of black Aspergilli isolated from raisins in Argentina: Polyphasic approach to species identification and development of SCAR markers for Aspergillus ibericus.

Science.gov (United States)

Giaj Merlera, G; Muñoz, S; Coelho, I; Cavaglieri, L R; Torres, A M; Reynoso, M M

2015-10-01

Aspergillus section Nigri is a heterogeneous fungal group including some ochratoxin A producer species that usually contaminate raisins. The section contains the Series Carbonaria which includes the toxigenic species Aspergillus carbonarius and nontoxigenic Aspergillus ibericus that are phenotypically undistinguishable. The aim of this study was to examine the diversity of black aspergilli isolated from raisins and to develop a specific genetic marker to distinguish A. ibericus from A. carbonarius. The species most frequently found in raisins in this study were Aspergillus tubingensis (35.4%) and A. carbonarius (32.3%), followed by Aspergillus luchuensis (10.7%), Aspergillus japonicus (7.7%), Aspergillus niger (6.2%), Aspergillus welwitschiae (4.6%) and A. ibericus (3.1%). Based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) fingerprinting profiles of major Aspergillus section Nigri members, a sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was identified. Primers were designed based on the conserved regions of the SCAR marker and were utilized in a PCR for simultaneous identification of A. carbonarius and A. ibericus. The detection level of the SCAR-PCR was found to be 0.01 ng of purified DNA. The present SCAR-PCR is rapid and less cumbersome than conventional identification techniques and could be a supplementary strategy and a reliable tool for high-throughput sample analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emericella venezuelensis, a new species with stellate ascospores producing sterigmatocystin and aflatoxin B-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, R.A.

2004-01-01

Emericella venezuelensis is a new species, differing from two other species with stellate ascospores, E. variecolor and E. pluriseminata, by triangular flaps on the convex sides of the ascospores, and further from E. variecolor by producing an Aspergillus anamorph only on unconventional growth......, variecoxanthone A, B, C, isoemericellin, kojic acid, varitriol, varioxiran, dihydroterrein, 7-hydroxyemodin, avariquinone and stromemycin. E. pluriseminata produces several unknown specific extrolites. E. venezuelensis is the first organism of marine origin reported to produce aflatoxin. Aflatoxin production by E....... venezuelensis makes this species an attractive model organism for the study of the regulation of this important type of carcinogenic mycotoxins in combination with the knowledge on sterigmatocystin production by E. nidulans, soon to be whole genome sequenced. The isolates were also analyzed cladistically using...

Combined molecular and biochemical approach identifies Aspergillus japonicus and Aspergillus aculeatus as two species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parenicova, L.; Skouboe, P.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2001-01-01

of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene could not be used to distinguish between A. japonicus and A. aculeatus but did show that these two taxa are more closely related to each other than to other species of black aspergilli. Aspergillus niger pyruvate kinase (pkiA) and pectin...... variation when they were probed with the pelA gene. The secondary-metabolite profiles supported division of the isolates into the two species and differed from those of other black aspergilli. The strains classified as A. japonicus produced indole alkaloids and a polar metabolite, while the A. aculeatus...... lyase A (pelA) and Agaricus bisporus 28S rRNA genes, which were used as probes in the RFLP analysis, revealed clear polymorphism between these two taxa. The A. niger pkiA and pelA probes placed six strains in an A. japonicus group and 12 isolates in an A. aculeatus group, which exhibited intraspecific...

Aspergillus ibericus : a new species of section nigri characterised by MALDI-TOF MS

OpenAIRE

Kallow, W.; Santos, Isabel; Erhard, M.; Serra, Rita; Venâncio, Armando; Lima, Nelson

2006-01-01

Strains from the new described species Aspergillus ibericus were characterised using MALDI-TOF MS and the results were compared with other related species of section Nigri. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

Extrolites of Aspergillus fumigatus and Other Pathogenic Species in Aspergillus Section Fumigati

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2016-01-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important opportunistic human pathogen known for its production of a large array of extrolites. Up to 63 species have been described in Aspergillus section Fumigati, some of which have also been reliably reported to be pathogenic, including A. felis, A. fischeri, A....... fumigatiaffinis, A. fumisynnematus, A. hiratsukae, A. laciniosus, A. lentulus, A. noyofumigatus, A. parafelis, A. pseudofelis, A. pseudoyiridinutans, A. spinosus, A. therrnornutatus, and A. udagawae. These species share the production of hydrophobins, melanins, and siderophores and ability to grow well at 37 °C...

Occurrence and biodiversity of Aspergillus section Nigri on 'Tannat' grapes in Uruguay.

Science.gov (United States)

Garmendia, Gabriela; Vero, Silvana

2016-01-04

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin which has been found worldwide as a contaminant in wines. It is produced on grapes mainly by molds from Aspergillus section Nigri. This study has demonstrated for the first time the occurrence of black aspergilli on Tannat grapes from Uruguay, in a two year survey. Aspergillus uvarum (uniseriate) and Aspergillus welwitschiae (from Aspergillusniger aggregate) were the prevalent species whereas Aspergillus carbonarius which is considered the main OTA producing species was not detected. OTA production in culture medium was evaluated for native isolates from A. niger aggregate and compared to levels produced by a type strain of A. carbonarius. This work also includes the development of quick and easy molecular methods to identify black aspergilli to species level, avoiding sequencing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

2015-01-01

Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds. PMID:26364643

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Greco

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60% were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%. These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs.

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

2015-09-02

Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

Prevalence of potential toxigenic Aspergillus species isolated from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADEYEYE

2015-12-17

Dec 17, 2015 ... Aspergillus species) in feeds used in poultry farms in Sokoto metropolis. During a ... potential exists for the production of mycotoxins that may be of both veterinary public health significance and ..... The effect of antioxidant and.

Aspergillus labruscus sp. nov., a new species of Aspergillus section Nigri discovered in Brazil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fungaro, Maria Helena P.; Ferranti, Larissa S.; Massi, Fernanda Pelisson

2017-01-01

A novel fungal species, Aspergillus labruscus sp. nov., has been found in Brazil during an investigation of the fungal species present on the surface of grape berries (Vitis labrusca L.) for use in the production of concentrated grape juice. It seems to be associated to V. labrusca, and has never...

Characterization of Aspergillus species on Brazil nut from the Brazilian Amazonian region and development of a PCR assay for identification at the genus level

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Brazil nut is a protein-rich extractivist tree crop in the Amazon region. Fungal contamination of shells and kernel material frequently includes the presence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species from the section Flavi. Aflatoxins are polyketide secondary metabolites, which are hepatotoxic carcinogens in mammals. The objectives of this study were to identify Aspergillus species occurring on Brazil nut grown in different states in the Brazilian Amazon region and develop a specific PCR method for collective identification of member species of the genus Aspergillus. Results Polyphasic identification of 137 Aspergillus strains isolated from Brazil nut shell material from cooperatives across the Brazilian Amazon states of Acre, Amapá and Amazonas revealed five species, with Aspergillus section Flavi species A. nomius and A. flavus the most abundant. PCR primers ASP_GEN_MTSSU_F1 and ASP_GEN_MTSSU_R1 were designed for the genus Aspergillus, targeting a portion of the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Primer specificity was validated through both electronic PCR against target gene sequences at Genbank and in PCR reactions against DNA from Aspergillus species and other fungal genera common on Brazil nut. Collective differentiation of the observed section Flavi species A. flavus, A. nomius and A. tamarii from other Aspergillus species was possible on the basis of RFLP polymorphism. Conclusions Given the abundance of Aspergillus section Flavi species A. nomius and A. flavus observed on Brazil nut, and associated risk of mycotoxin accumulation, simple identification methods for such mycotoxigenic species are of importance for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system implementation. The assay for the genus Aspergillus represents progress towards specific PCR identification and detection of mycotoxigenic species. PMID:24885088

A novel fungal fruiting structure formed by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius in grape berries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pisani, Cristina; Nguyen, Trang Thoaivan; Gubler, Walter Douglas

2015-09-01

Sour rot, is a pre-harvest disease that affects many grape varieties. Sour rot symptoms include initial berry cracking and breakdown of berry tissue. This is a disease complex with many filamentous fungi and bacteria involved, but is usually initiated by Aspergillus niger or Aspergillus carbonarius. Usually, by the time one sees the rot there are many other organisms involved and it is difficult to attribute the disease to one species. In this study two species of Aspergillus were shown to produce a previously unknown fruiting structure in infected berries. The nodulous morphology, bearing conidia, suggests them to be an 'everted polymorphic stroma'. This structure forms freely inside the berry pulp and assumes multiple shapes and sizes, sometimes sclerotium-like in form. It is composed of a mass of vegetative hyphae with or without tissue of the host containing spores or fruiting bodies bearing spores. Artificially inoculated berries placed in soil in winter showed the possible overwintering function of the fruiting body. Inoculated berry clusters on standing vines produced fruiting structures within 21 d post inoculation when wounds were made at veraison or after (July-September). Histological studies confirmed that the fruiting structure was indeed fungal tissue. Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection of tannase-producing Aspergillus niger strains

OpenAIRE

Pinto,Gustavo A.S.; Leite,Selma G.F.; Terzi,Selma C.; Couri,Sonia

2001-01-01

The aim of this work was to select strains of Aspergillus niger for tannase production. Growth of colonies in plates with tannic acid-containing medium indicated their ability to synthesize tannase. Tannase activity was also measured in solid-state fermentation. A. niger 11T25A5 was the best tannase producer (67.5 U.g-1/72 hours of fermentation).

Malic acid production from thin stillage by Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Thomas P

2011-12-01

The ability of Aspergillus strains to utilize thin stillage to produce malic acid was compared. The highest malic acid was produced by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142 at 17 g l(-1). Biomass production from thin stillage was similar with all strains but ATCC 10577 was the highest at 19 g l(-1). The highest malic acid yield (0.8 g g(-1)) was with A. niger ATCC 9142 and ATCC 10577 on the stillage. Thus, thin stillage has the potential to act as a substrate for the commercial production of food-grade malic acid by the A. niger strains. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

The Shewanella algae strain YM8 produces volatiles with strong inhibition activity against Aspergillus pathogens and aflatoxins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andong eGong

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus fungi and associated aflatoxins are ubiquitous in the production and storage of food/feed commodities. Controlling these pests is a challenge. In this study, the Shewanella algae strain YM8 was found to produce volatiles that have strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus pathogens. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiling revealed 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs emitted from YM8, of which dimethyl trisulfide was the most abundant. We obtained authentic reference standards for six of the VOCs; these all significantly reduced mycelial growth and conidial germination in Aspergillus; dimethyl trisulfide and 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl-phenol showed the strongest inhibitory activity. YM8 completely inhibited Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis in maize and peanut samples stored at different water activity levels, and scanning electron microscopy revealed severely damaged conidia and a complete lack of mycelium development and conidiogenesis. YM8 also completely inhibited the growth of eight other agronomically important species of phytopathogenic fungi: A. parasiticus, A. niger, Alternaria alternate, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum, Monilinia fructicola, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. This study demonstrates the susceptibility of Aspergillus and other fungi to VOCs from marine bacteria and indicates a new strategy for effectively controlling these pathogens and the associated mycotoxin production in the field and during storage.

Identification and toxigenic potential of the industrially important fungi, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae.

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Thomas R

2007-12-01

Mold strains belonging to the species Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional preparation of fermented foods, such as miso, sake, and shoyu, and as protein production hosts in modern industrial processes. A. oryzae and A. sojae are relatives of the wild molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. All four species are classified to the A. flavus group. Strains of the A. flavus group are characterized by a high degree of morphological similarity. Koji mold species are generally perceived of as being nontoxigenic, whereas wild molds are associated with the carcinogenic aflatoxins. Thus, reliable identification of individual strains is very important for application purposes. This review considers the pheno- and genotypic markers used in the classification of A. flavus group strains and specifically in the identification of A. oryzae and A. sojae strains. Separation of A. oryzae and A. sojae from A. flavus and A. parasiticus, respectively, is inconsistent, and both morphologic and molecular evidence support conspecificity. The high degree of identity is reflected by the divergent identification of reference cultures maintained in culture collections. As close relatives of aflatoxin-producing wild molds, koji molds possess an aflatoxin gene homolog cluster. Some strains identified as A. oryzae and A. sojae have been implicated in aflatoxin production. Identification of a strain as A. oryzae or A. sojae is no guarantee of its inability to produce aflatoxins or other toxic metabolites. Toxigenic potential must be determined specifically for individual strains. The species taxa, A. oryzae and A. sojae, are currently conserved by societal issues.

Phylogeny of xerophilic aspergilli (subgenus Aspergillus and taxonomic revision of section Restricti

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Sklenář

2017-09-01

The vast majority of species in sect. Restricti produce asperglaucide, asperphenamate or both in contrast to species in sect. Aspergillus. Mycophenolic acid was detected for the first time in at least six members of the section. The ascomata of A. halophilicus do not contain auroglaucin, epiheveadride or flavoglaucin which are common in sect. Aspergillus, but shares the echinulins with sect. Aspergillus.

Aflatoxin B1 producing potential of Aspergillus flavus strains isolated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-07-20

Jul 20, 2009 ... consumption of aflatoxin contaminated food and feed. (Reddy and ..... intervals by artificial inoculation of A. parasiticus on rice grains. ... additive for culture media for rapid identification of aflatoxin producing. Aspergillus strains ...

What can comparative genomics tell us about species concepts in the genus Aspergillus?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rokas, Antonis; payne, gary; Federova, Natalie D.; Baker, Scott E.; Machida, Masa; yu, Jiujiang; georgianna, D. R.; Dean, Ralph A.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, T. E.; Wortman, Jennifer R.; Maiti, R.; Joardar, V.; Amedeo, Paolo; Denning, David W.; Nierman, William C.

2007-12-15

Understanding the nature of species" boundaries is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. The availability of genomes from several species of the genus Aspergillus allows us for the first time to examine the demarcation of fungal species at the whole-genome level. Here, we examine four case studies, two of which involve intraspecific comparisons, whereas the other two deal with interspecific genomic comparisons between closely related species. These four comparisons reveal significant variation in the nature of species boundaries across Aspergillus. For example, comparisons between A. fumigatus and Neosartorya fischeri (the teleomorph of A. fischerianus) and between A. oryzae and A. flavus suggest that measures of sequence similarity and species-specific genes are significantly higher for the A. fumigatus - N. fischeri pair. Importantly, the values obtained from the comparison between A. oryzae and A. flavus are remarkably similar to those obtained from an intra-specific comparison of A. fumigatus strains, giving support to the proposal that A. oryzae represents a distinct ecotype of A. flavus and not a distinct species. We argue that genomic data can aid Aspergillus taxonomy by serving as a source of novel and unprecedented amounts of comparative data, as a resource for the development of additional diagnostic tools, and finally as a knowledge database about the biological differences between strains and species.

Linking secondary metabolites to gene clusters through genome sequencing of six diverse Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærbølling, Inge; Vesth, Tammi C.; Frisvad, Jens C.

2018-01-01

The fungal genus of Aspergillus is highly interesting, containing everything from industrial cell factories, model organisms, and human pathogens. In particular, this group has a prolific production of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs). In this work, four diverse Aspergillus species (A...

Antibiotic effective against Saccharomyces produced by Aspergillus oryzae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakata, H.; Sakai, T.; Takeda, M.; Tsukahara, T.

1980-01-01

Production of an antibiotic effective against Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated in 85 strains of Aspergillus oryzae, isolated from commercial koji molds. The antibiotic was produced by 50 strains. A. oryzae was cultivated at 30 degrees for 15-20 days in koji extract. The crude preparation was obtained by precipitation from the culture filtrate with EtOH, MeOH, or Me/sub 2/CO.

Aspergillus asper sp. nov. and Aspergillus collinsii sp. nov., from Aspergillus section Usti.

Science.gov (United States)

Jurjevic, Zeljko; Peterson, Stephen W

2016-07-01

In sampling fungi from the built environment, two isolates that could not confidently be placed in described species were encountered. Phenotypic analysis suggested that they belonged in Aspergillus sect. Usti. In order to verify the sectional placement and to assure that they were undescribed rather than phenotypically aberrant isolates, DNA was isolated and sequenced at the beta-tubulin, calmodulin, internal transcribed spacer and RNA polymerase II loci and sequences compared with those from other species in the genus Aspergillus. At each locus, each new isolate was distant from existing species. Phylogenetic trees calculated from these data and GenBank data for species of the section Usti excluded the placement of these isolates in existing species, with statistical support. Because they were excluded from existing taxa, the distinct species Aspergillus asper (type strain NRRL 35910 T ) and Aspergillus collinsii (type strain NRRL 66196 T ) in sect. Usti are proposed to accommodate these strains.

A reappraisal of Aspergillus section Nidulantes with descriptions of two new sterigmatocystin-producing species

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hubka, Vít; Nováková, Alena; Peterson, S.W.; Frisvad, J.C.; Sklenář, František; Matsuzawa, T.; Kubátová, Alena; Kolařík, Miroslav

2016-01-01

Roč. 302, č. 9 (2016), s. 1267-1299 ISSN 0378-2697 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA ČR(CZ) GAP506/12/ 1064 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Aspergillus nidulans * Codon usage * Emericella Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.239, year: 2016

Natamycin and Azithromycin are Synergistic in vitro against Ocular Pathogenic Aspergillus flavus species complex and Fusarium solani species complex Isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Haoyi; Zhou, Lutan; He, Yi; Gao, Chuanwen; Han, Lei; Xu, Yan

2018-05-07

The interaction of natamycin-azithromycin combination against 60 ocular fungal isolates was tested in vitro The combination produced 100% synergistic interactions when natamycin added azithromycin at 20, 40, 50 μg/ml against Aspergillus flavus species complex (AFSC) isolates and added azithromycin at 50 μg/ml against Fusarium solani species complex isolates. The combination with 50 μg/ml azithromycin enhanced natamycin's effect against AFSC isolates by reducing natamycin MICs from MIC 90 64μg/ml to MIC 90 0.031μg/ml. No antagonism was observed. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Geographically predominant genotypes of Aspergillus terreus species complex in Austria: s microsatellite typing study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lackner, M.; Coassin, S.; Haun, M.; Binder, U.; Kronenberg, F.; Haas, H. de; Jank, M.; Maurer, E.; Meis, J.F.; Hagen, F.; Lass-Florl, C.

2016-01-01

Aspergillus terreus species complex is recognized as a frequent agent of invasive aspergillosis in Tyrol. The reason for this specific epidemiological situation is unclear. Aspergillus terreus strains isolated from environmental and clinical sources were genotyped using a novel panel of short tandem

Characterization and differentiation of aflatoxigenic species of Aspergillus section Flavi by MALDI-TOF MS

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, P.; Kallow, W.; Erhard, M.; Welker, M.; Kozakiewicz, Z.; Lima, Nelson; Venâncio, Armando

2007-01-01

Aspergillus is a large genus, with a complex taxonomy. The genus is easily identifiedd by its characteristic conidiophore, but species identification and differentiation is complex, mainly because it is traditionally based on a range of morphological features. Aspergillus subgenus Circumdati section Flavi, also refered to as the A.dflavus group, has attracted worldwide attention for its industrial use and toxigenic potential. Sectiond Flavi is divided in two groups of species. One includes th...

Diversity of Aspergillus section Nigri on the surface of Vitis labrusca and its hybrid grapes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferranti, Larissa de Souza; Fungaro, Maria Helena P; Massi, Fernanda Pelisson

2018-01-01

This study investigated the presence of Aspergillus species belonging to Aspergillus section Nigri on Vitis labrusca and its hybrid grapes grown in Brazil. The ability of the fungi isolates to produce ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) as well as the presence of these mycotoxins in the gra......This study investigated the presence of Aspergillus species belonging to Aspergillus section Nigri on Vitis labrusca and its hybrid grapes grown in Brazil. The ability of the fungi isolates to produce ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) as well as the presence of these mycotoxins...

Elucidation of primary metabolic pathways in Aspergillus species: Orphaned research in characterizing orphan genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam

2014-01-01

metabolites and extracellular enzymes. In this review, all annotated genes from four Aspergillus species have been examined. In this process, it becomes evident that 80-96% of the genes (depending on the species) are still without verified function. A significant proportion of the genes with verified......, applications of this from the Aspergillus genes will be examined, and it is proposed that, where feasible, this should be a standard part of functional annotation of fungal genomes....

Characteristics of culture-positive invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with hematologic diseases: Comparison between Aspergillus fumigatus and non-fumigatus Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sung-Yeon; Lee, Dong-Gun; Choi, Jae-Ki; Lee, Hyo-Jin; Kim, Si-Hyun; Park, Sun Hee; Choi, Su-Mi; Choi, Jung-Hyun; Yoo, Jin-Hong; Park, Yeon-Joon; Lee, Jong-Wook

2017-12-01

While the epidemiology and clinical differences of various Candida spp. has been relatively well-identified, data regarding invasive aspergillosis (IA) caused by different Aspergillus spp. are insufficient.We aimed to determine the epidemiology of culture-positive invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and to compare the characteristics and outcomes of Aspergillus fumigatus IPA with those of non-fumigatus IPA in patients with hematologic diseases. All consecutive cases of IPA from 2011 to 2015 were reviewed retrospectively.There were 430 proven/probable IPA and 76 culture-positive proven/probable IPA. Excluding cases of multiple species of fungi or cases having difficulties in species-level identification, 41 A fumigatus and 22 non-fumigatus IPA (Aspergillus flavus [n = 11], Aspergillus niger [n = 6], and Aspergillus terreus [n = 5]) were compared. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups. However, disseminated IA was more common in non-fumigatus IPA (2.4% vs 18.2%; P = .046). Paranasal sinus (PNS) involvement was more common in non-fumigatus IPA. There was a trend towards higher peak serum galactomannan values in non-fumigatus IPA than in A fumigatus IPA group (median 1.33 [interquartile 0.98-3.29] vs 0.97 [0.66-1.97]; P = .084). Clinical response and mortality did not differ between groups.The culture-positive rate of proven/probable IPA was 17.7%, of which non-fumigatus Aspergillus accounted for about one-third. Disseminated IA, especially involving the PNS, was more frequent in non-fumigatus IPA than in A fumigatus IPA.

Azole-Resistance in Aspergillus terreus and Related Species: An Emerging Problem or a Rare Phenomenon?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamara Zoran

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Invasive mold infections associated with Aspergillus species are a significant cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients. The most frequently occurring aetiological pathogens are members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati followed by members of the section Terrei. The frequency of Aspergillus terreus and related (cryptic species in clinical specimens, as well as the percentage of azole-resistant strains remains to be studied.Methods: A global set (n = 498 of A. terreus and phenotypically related isolates was molecularly identified (beta-tubulin, tested for antifungal susceptibility against posaconazole, voriconazole, and itraconazole, and resistant phenotypes were correlated with point mutations in the cyp51A gene.Results: The majority of isolates was identified as A. terreus (86.8%, followed by A. citrinoterreus (8.4%, A. hortai (2.6%, A. alabamensis (1.6%, A. neoafricanus (0.2%, and A. floccosus (0.2%. One isolate failed to match a known Aspergillus sp., but was found most closely related to A. alabamensis. According to EUCAST clinical breakpoints azole resistance was detected in 5.4% of all tested isolates, 6.2% of A. terreus sensu stricto (s.s. were posaconazole-resistant. Posaconazole resistance differed geographically and ranged from 0% in the Czech Republic, Greece, and Turkey to 13.7% in Germany. In contrast, azole resistance among cryptic species was rare 2 out of 66 isolates and was observed only in one A. citrinoterreus and one A. alabamensis isolate. The most affected amino acid position of the Cyp51A gene correlating with the posaconazole resistant phenotype was M217, which was found in the variation M217T and M217V.Conclusions:Aspergillus terreus was most prevalent, followed by A. citrinoterreus. Posaconazole was the most potent drug against A. terreus, but 5.4% of A. terreus sensu stricto showed resistance against this azole. In Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom posaconazole-resistance in all A. terreus

In vivo confocal microscopy appearance of Fusarium and Aspergillus species in fungal keratitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chidambaram, Jaya Devi; Prajna, Namperumalsamy Venkatesh; Larke, Natasha; Macleod, David; Srikanthi, Palepu; Lanjewar, Shruti; Shah, Manisha; Lalitha, Prajna; Elakkiya, Shanmugam; Burton, Matthew J

2017-08-01

Clinical outcomes in fungal keratitis vary between Fusarium and Aspergillus spp, therefore distinguishing between species using morphological features such as filament branching angles, sporulation along filaments (adventitious sporulation) or dichotomous branching may be useful. In this study, we assessed these three features within Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3 in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) images from culture-positive Fusarium and Aspergillus spp keratitis participants. Prospective observational cohort study in Aravind Eye Hospital (February 2011-February 2012). Eligibility criteria: age ≥18 years, stromal infiltrate ≥3 mm diameter, Fusarium or Aspergillus spp culture-positive. previous/current herpetic keratitis, visual acuity 80% corneal thinning. IVCM was performed and images analysed for branch angle, presence/absence of adventitious sporulation or dichotomous branching by a grader masked to the microbiological diagnosis. 98 participants were included (106 eligible, 8 excluded as no measurable branch angles); 68 were positive for Fusarium spp, 30 for Aspergillus spp. Mean branch angle for Fusarium spp was 59.7° (95% CI 57.7° to 61.8°), and for Aspergillus spp was 63.3° (95% CI 60.8° to 65.8°), p=0.07. No adventitious sporulation was detected in Fusarium spp ulcers. Dichotomous branching was detected in 11 ulcers (7 Aspergillus spp, 4 Fusarium spp). There was very little difference in the branching angle of Fusarium and Aspergillus spp. Adventitious sporulation was not detected and dichotomous branching was infrequently seen. Although IVCM remains a valuable tool to detect fungal filaments in fungal keratitis, it cannot be used to distinguish Fusarium from Aspergillus spp and culture remains essential to determine fungal species. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Effect of competition on the production and activity of secondary metabolites in Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Losada, L.; Ajayi, O.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2009-01-01

and in the presence of other fungal species. However, it is not known whether secreted secondary metabolites provide a competitive advantage over other fungal species, or whether competition has any effect on the production of those metabolites. Here, we have performed co-cultivation competition assays among......Secondary metabolites are of intense interest to humans due to their pharmaceutical and/or toxic properties. Also, these metabolites are clinically relevant because of their importance in fungal pathogenesis. Aspergillus species secrete secondary metabolites when grown individually...... different species of Aspergillus to determine relative species fitness in culture, and to analyze the presence of possible antifungal activity of secondary metabolites in extracts. The results show that, for the most part, at 30C only one species is able to survive direct competition with a second species...

Prospecting for the incidence of genes involved in ochratoxin and fumonisin biosynthesis in Brazilian strains of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus welwitschiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Massi, Fernanda Pelisson; Sartori, Daniele; de Souza Ferranti, Larissa; Iamanaka, Beatriz Thie; Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi; Vieira, Maria Lucia Carneiro; Fungaro, Maria Helena Pelegrinelli

2016-03-16

Aspergillus niger "aggregate" is an informal taxonomic rank that represents a group of species from the section Nigri. Among A. niger "aggregate" species Aspergillus niger sensu stricto and its cryptic species Aspergillus welwitschiae (=Aspergillus awamori sensu Perrone) are proven as ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2 producing species. A. niger has been frequently found in tropical and subtropical foods. A. welwitschiae is a new species, which was recently dismembered from the A. niger taxon. These species are morphologically very similar and molecular data are indispensable for their identification. A total of 175 Brazilian isolates previously identified as A. niger collected from dried fruits, Brazil nuts, coffee beans, grapes, cocoa and onions were investigated in this study. Based on partial calmodulin gene sequences about one-half of our isolates were identified as A. welwitschiae. This new species was the predominant species in onions analyzed in Brazil. A. niger and A. welwitschiae differ in their ability to produce ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2. Among A. niger isolates, approximately 32% were OTA producers, but in contrast only 1% of the A. welwitschiae isolates revealed the ability to produce ochratoxin A. Regarding fumonisin B2 production, there was a higher frequency of FB2 producing isolates in A. niger (74%) compared to A. welwitschiae (34%). Because not all A. niger and A. welwitschiae strains produce ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2, in this study a multiplex PCR was developed for detecting the presence of essential genes involved in ochratoxin (polyketide synthase and radHflavin-dependent halogenase) and fumonisin (α-oxoamine synthase) biosynthesis in the genome of A. niger and A. welwitschiae isolates. The frequency of strains harboring the mycotoxin genes was markedly different between A. niger and A. welwitschiae. All OTA producing isolates of A. niger and A. welwitschiae showed in their genome the pks and radH genes, and 95.2% of the nonproducing

Arabidopsis thaliana defense response to the ochratoxin A-producing strain (Aspergillus ochraceus 3.4412).

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Junran; Wu, Weihong; Wang, Yan; Yang, Zhuojun; Liu, Yang; Lv, Yangjun; Zhai, Yanan; Yang, Jing; Liang, Zhihong; Huang, Kunlun; Xu, Wentao

2015-05-01

OTA-producing strain Aspergillus ochraceus induced necrotic lesions, ROS accumulation and defense responses in Arabidopsis . Primary metabolic and defense-related proteins changed in proteomics. Ascorbate-glutathione cycle and voltage-dependent anion-selective channel proteins fluctuated. Mycotoxigenic fungi, as widespread contaminants by synthesizing mycotoxins in pre-/post-harvest infected plants and even stored commercial cereals, could usually induce plant-fungi defense responses. Notably, ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, teratogenic, immunotoxic and phytotoxic mycotoxin. Herein, defense responses of model system Arabidopsis thaliana detached leaves to infection of Aspergillus ochraceus 3.4412, an OTA high-producing strain, were studied from physiological, proteomic and transcriptional perspectives. During the first 72 h after inoculation (hai), the newly formed hypersensitive responses-like lesions, decreased chlorophyll content, accumulated reactive oxygen species and upregulated defense genes expressions indicated the defense response was induced in the leaves with the possible earlier motivated jasmonic acid/ethylene signaling pathways and the later salicylic acid-related pathway. Moreover, proteomics using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis 72 hai showed 16 spots with significantly changed abundance and 13 spots corresponding to 12 unique proteins were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS. Of these, six proteins were involved in basic metabolism and four in defense-related processes, which included glutathione-S-transferase F7, voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 3 (VDAC-3), osmotin-like protein OSM34 and blue copper-binding protein. Verified from proteomic and/or transcriptional perspectives, it is concluded that the primary metabolic pathways were suppressed with the ascorbate-glutathione cycle fluctuated in response to A. ochraceus and the modulation of VDACs suggested the possibility of structural damage and

Molecular identification of Aspergillus spp. isolated from coffee beans Identificação molecular de Aspergillus spp. isolados de grãos de café

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marciane Magnani

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Some species belonging to the genus Aspergillus are potential producers of ochratoxin A (OA, a mycotoxin with nephrotoxic, immunosuppressive, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The aim of the present study was to identify the species of Aspergillus that contaminate the inside of coffee beans collected in the stage of maturation and drying, from 16 producing areas located in the northern region of the State of Paraná, in the South of Brazil. A total of 108 isolates of Aspergillus spp. was identified at the species level, by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 of ribosomal DNA (rDNA. The results revealed the presence of potentially ochratoxigenic species in 82% of the geographic regions studied, among which Aspergillus niger was the species most frequently detected, followed by A. ochraceus and A. carbonarius. The presence of A. carbonarius in immature coffee fruits harvested from trees is reported for the first time.Algumas espécies pertencentes ao gênero Aspergillus possuem potencial para produção de Ocratoxina A (OA, uma micotoxina de efeitos nefrotóxicos, imunossupressivos, teratogênicos e carcinogênicos. Com o objetivo de identificar as espécies de Aspergillus que contaminam o interior de grãos de café, foram coletadas amostras em diferentes estádios de maturação do produto, em 16 propriedades produtoras do norte do estado do Paraná. Um total de 108 isolados de Aspergillus spp. foram identificados ao nível de espécie, pelo sequenciamento dos espaços internos transcritos (ITS1-5,8S-ITS2 do DNA ribossomal (rDNA. Os resultados revelaram a presença de espécies potencialmente ocratoxigênicas em 82% das regiões analisadas, sendo dentre estas, Aspergillus niger a espécie mais freqüentemente detectada,seguida por A. ochraceus, e A. carbonarius. É relatada pela primeira vez a presença de A. carbonarius em frutos de café coletados na árvore.

Identifying and characterizing the most significant β-glucosidase of the novel species Aspergillus saccharolyticus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorensen, Anette; Ahring, Birgitte K.; Lubeck, Mette; Ubhayasekera, Wimal; Bruno, Kenneth S.; Culley, David E.; Lubeck, Peter S.

2012-08-20

A newly discovered fungal species, Aspergillus saccharolyticus, was found to produce a culture broth rich in beta-glucosidase activity. In this present work, the main beta-glucosidase of A. saccharolyticus responsible for the efficient hydrolytic activity was identified, isolated, and characterized. Ion exchange chromatography was used to fractionate the culture broth, yielding fractions with high beta-glucosidase activity and only one visible band on an SDS-PAGE gel. Mass spectrometry analysis of this band gave peptide matches to beta-glucosidases from aspergilli. Through a PCR approach using degenerate primers and genome walking, a 2919 base pair sequence encoding the 860 amino acid BGL1 polypeptide was determined. BGL1 of A. saccharolyticus has 91% and 82% identity with BGL1 from Aspergillus aculeatus and BGL1 from Aspergillus niger, respectively, both belonging to Glycoside hydrolase family 3. Homology modeling studies suggested beta-glucosidase activity with preserved retaining mechanism and a wider catalytic pocket compared to other beta-glucosidases. The bgl1 gene was heterologously expressed in Trichoderma reesei QM6a, purified, and characterized by enzyme kinetics studies. The enzyme can hydrolyze cellobiose, pNPG, and cellodextrins. The enzyme showed good thermostability, was stable at 50°C, and at 60°C it had a half-life of approximately 6 hours.

Production of α-amylase from some thermophilic Aspergillus species ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, thermostable amylase activities of some thermophilic Aspergillus species were evaluated. The suitable medium and microorganisms for α-amylase synthesis were selected. Subsequently, the α-amylase activity of the microorganism was researched. In the measurements made on the 7th day of production on ...

Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; van de Vondervoort, Peter J.I.; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet W.M.; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert J.J.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noël N.M.E.; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens; Baker, Scott E.

2011-01-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence, and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was used to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 Mb of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis supported up-regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases, and protein transporters in the protein producing CBS 513.88 strain. Our results and data sets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi. PMID:21543515

The Black Aspergillus Species of Maize and Peanuts and Their Potential for Mycotoxin Production

Science.gov (United States)

Palencia, Edwin R.; Hinton, Dorothy M.; Bacon, Charles W.

2010-01-01

The black spored fungi of the subgenera Circumdata, the section Nigri (=Aspergillus niger group) is reviewed relative to their production of mycotoxins and their effects on plants as pathogens. Molecular methods have revealed more than 18 cryptic species, of which several have been characterized as potential mycotoxin producers. Others are defined as benign relative to their ability to produce mycotoxins. However, these characterizations are based on in vitro culture and toxins production. Several can produce the ochratoxins that are toxic to livestock, poultry, and humans. The black aspergilli produce rots of grapes, maize, and numerous other fruits and grain and they are generally viewed as post-harvest pathogens. Data are review to suggest that black aspergilli, as so many others, are symptomless endophytes. These fungi and their mycotoxins contaminate several major grains, foodstuffs, and products made from them such as wine, and coffee. Evidence is presented that the black aspergilli are producers of other classes of mycotoxins such as the fumonisins, which are known carcinogenic and known prior investigations as being produced by the Fusarium species. Three species are identified in U.S. maize and peanuts as symptomless endophytes, which suggests the potential for concern as pathogens and as food safety hazards. PMID:22069592

Albumin Enhances Caspofungin Activity against Aspergillus Species by Facilitating Drug Delivery to Germinating Hyphae

Science.gov (United States)

Ioannou, Petros; Andrianaki, Aggeliki; Akoumianaki, Tonia; Kyrmizi, Irene; Albert, Nathaniel; Perlin, David; Samonis, George

2015-01-01

The modest in vitro activity of echinocandins against Aspergillus implies that host-related factors augment the action of these antifungal agents in vivo. We found that, in contrast to the other antifungal agents (voriconazole, amphotericin B) tested, caspofungin exhibited a profound increase in activity against various Aspergillus species under conditions of cell culture growth, as evidenced by a ≥4-fold decrease in minimum effective concentrations (MECs) (P = 0. 0005). Importantly, the enhanced activity of caspofungin against Aspergillus spp. under cell culture conditions was strictly dependent on serum albumin and was not observed with the other two echinocandins, micafungin and anidulafungin. Of interest, fluorescently labeled albumin bound preferentially on the surface of germinating Aspergillus hyphae, and this interaction was further enhanced upon treatment with caspofungin. In addition, supplementation of cell culture medium with albumin resulted in a significant, 5-fold increase in association of fluorescently labeled caspofungin with Aspergillus hyphae (P Aspergillus hyphae. PMID:26643329

Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita; Schaap, Peter; van de Vondervoort, Peter; Culley, David E.; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy; Braus, Gerhard; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; ATkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noel; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens B.; Baker, Scott E.

2011-06-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases and protein transporters.

Biodiversity and ITS-RFLP Characterisation of Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolates in Grapes from Four Traditional Grape-Producing Areas in Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Kizis, Dimosthenis; Natskoulis, Pantelis; Nychas, George-John E.; Panagou, Efstathios Z.

2014-01-01

A study on the occurrence of Aspergillus section Nigri species on grapes from four traditional grape-producing areas in Greece during the 2011/2012 vintage, and their capability to produce OTA was conducted. One hundred and twenty-eight black aspergilli isolates were characterised at the species level initially by the use of morphological criteria in accordance with appropriate keys, followed by molecular characterisation performed with Polymerase Chain Reaction–Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of the 5.8 ribosomal RNA gene Internal Transcribed Spacer region (5.8 rRNA ITS). Restriction enzyme digestion of the ITS amplicons using the HhaI, HinfI and RsaI, endonucleases distinguished eleven different patterns of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), four for each of the HhaI and RsaI digests and three for HinfI. From a total number of 128 individual isolates, 124 were classified into four Aspergillus species corresponding to A. carbonarius, A. tubingensis, A. japonicus and A. ibericus, and the remaining 4 were classified as members of the A. niger aggregate. A. carbonarius and A. tubingensis being the main representative species were equally counted, with higher geographical representation of the former in southern and the latter in northern regions, respectively. All isolates were tested for their ochratoxigenic potential by use of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA), resulting in significant interspecies differences in OTA production. PMID:24710283

Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger as the dominant black Aspergillus, use of simple PCR-RFLP for preliminary differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirhendi, H; Zarei, F; Motamedi, M; Nouripour-Sisakht, S

2016-03-01

This work aimed to identify the species distribution of common clinical and environmental isolates of black Aspergilli based on simple restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the β-tubulin gene. A total of 149 clinical and environmental strains of black Aspergilli were collected and subjected to preliminary morphological examination. Total genomic DNAs were extracted, and PCR was performed to amplify part of the β-tubulin gene. At first, 52 randomly selected samples were species-delineated by sequence analysis. In order to distinguish the most common species, PCR amplicons of 117 black Aspergillus strains were identified by simple PCR-RFLP analysis using the enzyme TasI. Among 52 sequenced isolates, 28 were Aspergillus tubingensis, 21 Aspergillus niger, and the three remaining isolates included Aspergillus uvarum, Aspergillus awamori, and Aspergillus acidus. All 100 environmental and 17 BAL samples subjected to TasI-RFLP analysis of the β-tubulin gene, fell into two groups, consisting of about 59% (n=69) A. tubingensis and 41% (n=48) A. niger. Therefore, the method successfully and rapidly distinguished A. tubingensis and A. niger as the most common species among the clinical and environmental isolates. Although tardy, the Ehrlich test was also able to differentiate A. tubingensis and A. niger according to the yellow color reaction specific to A. niger. A. tubingensis and A. niger are the most common black Aspergillus in both clinical and environmental isolates in Iran. PCR-RFLP using TasI digestion of β-tubulin DNA enables rapid screening for these common species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Letter to the Editor ‘‘Analyses of Black Aspergillus Species of Peanut and Maize for Ochratoxins and Fumonisins,’’ A Comment on: J. Food Prot. 77(5):805–813 (2014)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Logrieco, Antonio F.

2015-01-01

In a recent article in Journal of Food Protection, Palencia and co-workers (34) published a survey on black Aspergillus species isolated from maize and peanuts reporting the production of some mycotoxins. An important claim in the article is their strains of Aspergillus niger produce fumonisins B1...... and B3. However, for many reasons, we consider the production of these two fumonisin isomers unlikely....

Secondary metabolites from Eurotium species, Aspergillus calidoustus and A. insuetus common in Canadian homes with a review of their chemistry and biological activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Gregory J; Puniani, Eva; Frisvad, Jens C; Samson, Robert A; Miller, J David

2009-04-01

As part of studies of metabolites from fungi common in the built environment in Canadian homes, we investigated metabolites from strains of three Eurotium species, namely E. herbariorum, E. amstelodami, and E. rubrum as well as a number of isolates provisionally identified as Aspergillus ustus. The latter have been recently assigned as the new species A. insuetus and A. calidoustus. E. amstelodami produced neoechinulin A and neoechinulin B, epiheveadride, flavoglaucin, auroglaucin, and isotetrahydroauroglaucin as major metabolites. Minor metabolites included echinulin, preechinulin and neoechinulin E. E. rubrum produced all of these metabolites, but epiheveadride was detected as a minor metabolite. E. herbariorum produced cladosporin as a major metabolite, in addition to those found in E. amstelodami. This species also produced questin and neoechinulin E as minor metabolites. This is the first report of epiheveadride occurring as a natural product, and the first nonadride isolated from Eurotium species. Unlike strains from mainly infection-related samples, largely from Europe, neither ophiobolins G and H nor austins were detected in the Canadian strains of A. insuetus and A. calidoustus tested, all of which had been reported from the latter species. TMC-120 A, B, C and a sesquiterpene drimane are reported with certainty for the first time from indoor isolates, as well as two novel related methyl isoquinoline alkaloids.

Bioleaching of spent Zn-Mn or Ni-Cd batteries by Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Ji; Seo, Ja-Yeon; Choi, Yong-Seok; Kim, Gyu-Hyeok

2016-05-01

This research explores the recovery of metals from spent Zn-Mn or Ni-Cd batteries by a bioleaching using six Aspergillus species. Two different nutrients, malt extract and sucrose, were used to produce different types of organic acids. Oxalic acid and citric acid were shown to be the dominant organic acid in malt extract and sucrose media, respectively. In the bioleaching, the metal removal was higher in sucrose media than malt extract. All species, except A. niger KUC5254, showed more than 90% removal of metals from Zn-Mn battery. For Ni-Cd battery, more than 95% of metals was extracted by A. niger KUC5254 and A. tubingensis KUC5037. As a result, A. tubingensis KUC5037 which is a non-ochratoxigenic fungus was considered to have the greatest potential for improving the safety and efficiency of the bioleaching. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Producers and Important Dietary Sources of Ochratoxin A and Citrinin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Ruprich

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Ochratoxin A (OTA is a very important mycotoxin, and its research is focused right now on the new findings of OTA, like being a complete carcinogen, information about OTA producers and new exposure sources of OTA. Citrinin (CIT is another important mycotoxin, too, and its research turns towards nephrotoxicity. Both additive and synergistic effects have been described in combination with OTA. OTA is produced in foodstuffs by Aspergillus Section Circumdati (Aspergillus ochraceus, A. westerdijkiae, A. steynii and Aspergillus Section Nigri (Aspergillus carbonarius, A. foetidus, A. lacticoffeatus, A. niger, A. sclerotioniger, A. tubingensis, mostly in subtropical and tropical areas. OTA is produced in foodstuffs by Penicillium verrucosum and P. nordicum, notably in temperate and colder zones. CIT is produced in foodstuffs by Monascus species (Monascus purpureus, M. ruber and Penicillium species (Penicillium citrinum, P. expansum, P. radicicola, P. verrucosum. OTA was frequently found in foodstuffs of both plant origin (e.g., cereal products, coffee, vegetable, liquorice, raisins, wine and animal origin (e.g., pork/poultry. CIT was also found in foodstuffs of vegetable origin (e.g., cereals, pomaceous fruits, black olive, roasted nuts, spices, food supplements based on rice fermented with red microfungi Monascus purpureus and in foodstuffs of animal origin (e.g., cheese.

Identification of morphological and molecular Aspergillus species isolated from patients based on beta-tubulin gene sequencing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahnaz Kheirkhah

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Aspergillus species are opportunistic pathogens among immunocompromised patients. In terms of pathogenesis and mycotoxin production, they are in great value. The aim of the this study was to evaluate of beta-tubulin gene for identification of clinical Aspergillus species by PCR-sequencing method compared to morphological features of clinical isolates (such as conidial shape in direct microscopic examination, colony shape in culture, and physiological tests. Materials and Methods: In this study, 465 patients referred to the Shefa laboratory of Isfahan were evaluated. Morphological and molecular identification of clinical samples were performed using culture on sabouraud agar, malt extract agar, czapekdox agar, direct microscopy, and PCR-sequencing of beta tubulin gene, respectively. Sequences were analyzed in comparison with gene bank data. Results: Thirty nine out of 465 suspected cases (8.4% had aspergillosis. The most prevalent species were Aspergillus flavus (56.4%, A. oryzae (20.5%, and A. fumigatus (10.2%, respectively. Fifty nine percent of patients were females and 49% were males. Conclusion: In comparison with phenotypic tests, sequencing of beta-tubulin gene for identification of Aspergillus species is at great value. Replacement of molecular techniques with conventional tests is recommended for precise identification of microorganism for better management of infection.

Identification by Molecular Methods and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Clinically Significant Rare Aspergillus Species in a Referral Chest Hospital in Delhi, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Masih, Aradhana; Singh, Pradeep K; Kathuria, Shallu; Agarwal, Kshitij; Meis, Jacques F; Chowdhary, Anuradha

2016-09-01

Aspergillus species cause a wide spectrum of clinical infections. Although Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus remain the most commonly isolated species in aspergillosis, in the last decade, rare and cryptic Aspergillus species have emerged in diverse clinical settings. The present study analyzed the distribution and in vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles of rare Aspergillus species in clinical samples from patients with suspected aspergillosis in 8 medical centers in India. Further, a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry in-house database was developed to identify these clinically relevant Aspergillus species. β-Tubulin and calmodulin gene sequencing identified 45 rare Aspergillus isolates to the species level, except for a solitary isolate. They included 23 less common Aspergillus species belonging to 12 sections, mainly in Circumdati, Nidulantes, Flavi, Terrei, Versicolores, Aspergillus, and Nigri Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified only 8 (38%) of the 23 rare Aspergillus isolates to the species level. Following the creation of an in-house database with the remaining 14 species not available in the Bruker database, the MALDI-TOF MS identification rate increased to 95%. Overall, high MICs of ≥2 μg/ml were noted for amphotericin B in 29% of the rare Aspergillus species, followed by voriconazole in 20% and isavuconazole in 7%, whereas MICs of >0.5 μg/ml for posaconazole were observed in 15% of the isolates. Regarding the clinical diagnoses in 45 patients with positive rare Aspergillus species cultures, 19 (42%) were regarded to represent colonization. In the remaining 26 patients, rare Aspergillus species were the etiologic agent of invasive, chronic, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, keratitis, and mycetoma. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification by Molecular Methods and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Clinically Significant Rare Aspergillus Species in a Referral Chest Hospital in Delhi, India

Science.gov (United States)

Masih, Aradhana; Singh, Pradeep K.; Kathuria, Shallu; Agarwal, Kshitij

2016-01-01

Aspergillus species cause a wide spectrum of clinical infections. Although Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus remain the most commonly isolated species in aspergillosis, in the last decade, rare and cryptic Aspergillus species have emerged in diverse clinical settings. The present study analyzed the distribution and in vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles of rare Aspergillus species in clinical samples from patients with suspected aspergillosis in 8 medical centers in India. Further, a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry in-house database was developed to identify these clinically relevant Aspergillus species. β-Tubulin and calmodulin gene sequencing identified 45 rare Aspergillus isolates to the species level, except for a solitary isolate. They included 23 less common Aspergillus species belonging to 12 sections, mainly in Circumdati, Nidulantes, Flavi, Terrei, Versicolores, Aspergillus, and Nigri. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified only 8 (38%) of the 23 rare Aspergillus isolates to the species level. Following the creation of an in-house database with the remaining 14 species not available in the Bruker database, the MALDI-TOF MS identification rate increased to 95%. Overall, high MICs of ≥2 μg/ml were noted for amphotericin B in 29% of the rare Aspergillus species, followed by voriconazole in 20% and isavuconazole in 7%, whereas MICs of >0.5 μg/ml for posaconazole were observed in 15% of the isolates. Regarding the clinical diagnoses in 45 patients with positive rare Aspergillus species cultures, 19 (42%) were regarded to represent colonization. In the remaining 26 patients, rare Aspergillus species were the etiologic agent of invasive, chronic, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, keratitis, and mycetoma. PMID:27413188

Identification by Molecular Methods and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Clinically Significant Rare Aspergillus Species in a Referral Chest Hospital in Delhi, India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Masih, A.; Singh, P.K.; Kathuria, S.; Agarwal, K.; Meis, J.F.G.M.; Chowdhary, A.

2016-01-01

Aspergillus species cause a wide spectrum of clinical infections. Although Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus remain the most commonly isolated species in aspergillosis, in the last decade, rare and cryptic Aspergillus species have emerged in diverse clinical settings. The present study

Albumin Enhances Caspofungin Activity against Aspergillus Species by Facilitating Drug Delivery to Germinating Hyphae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ioannou, Petros; Andrianaki, Aggeliki; Akoumianaki, Tonia; Kyrmizi, Irene; Albert, Nathaniel; Perlin, David; Samonis, George; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P; Chamilos, Georgios

2015-12-07

The modest in vitro activity of echinocandins against Aspergillus implies that host-related factors augment the action of these antifungal agents in vivo. We found that, in contrast to the other antifungal agents (voriconazole, amphotericin B) tested, caspofungin exhibited a profound increase in activity against various Aspergillus species under conditions of cell culture growth, as evidenced by a ≥4-fold decrease in minimum effective concentrations (MECs) (P = 0. 0005). Importantly, the enhanced activity of caspofungin against Aspergillus spp. under cell culture conditions was strictly dependent on serum albumin and was not observed with the other two echinocandins, micafungin and anidulafungin. Of interest, fluorescently labeled albumin bound preferentially on the surface of germinating Aspergillus hyphae, and this interaction was further enhanced upon treatment with caspofungin. In addition, supplementation of cell culture medium with albumin resulted in a significant, 5-fold increase in association of fluorescently labeled caspofungin with Aspergillus hyphae (P hyphae. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A new black Aspergillus species, A. vadensis, is a promising host for homologous and heterologous protein production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Vries, R.P.; Burgers, K.; van de Vondervoort, P.J.I

2004-01-01

A new species of the group of black aspergilli, Aspergillus vadensis, was analyzed for its potential as a host for homologous and heterologous protein production. Unlike the other black aspergilli, this strain does not acidify the culture medium when nitrate is the nitrogen source and only produces...... very low levels of extracellular proteases, mainly serine metalloproteases. The stability of A. tubingensis feruloyl esterase A (FaeA) was compared upon production in wild-type A. vadensis, A. tubingensis, and an A. niger strain in which the three main protease-encoding genes were disrupted....... The production of FaeA in A. vadensis resulted in larger amounts of intact protein than production in A. tubingensis and was similar to production in an A. niger protease disruptant, confirming in vivo the low proteolytic activity of A. vadensis. The protoplast formation and transformation efficiencies of A...

Aspergillus--classification and antifungal susceptibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Buzina, Walter

2013-01-01

Aspergillus is one of the most important fungal genera for the man, for its industrial use, its ability to spoil food and not least its medical impact as cause of a variety of diseases. Currently hundreds of species of Aspergillus are known; nearly fifty of them are able to cause infections in humans and animals. Recently, the genus Aspergillus is subdivided into 8 subgenera and 22 sections. The spectrum of diseases caused by Aspergillus species varies from superficial cutaneous to invasive and systemic infections. All species of Aspergillus investigated so far are resistant against the antifungals fluconazole and 5-fluorocytosine, the range of susceptibilities to currently available antifungals is discussed in this paper.

A molecular analysis of L-arabinan degradation in Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus nidulans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flipphi, M.J.A.

1995-01-01

This thesis describes a molecular study of the genetics ofL-arabinan degradation in Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus nidulans. These saprophytic hyphal fungi produce an extracellular hydrolytic enzyme system to

[Significance of MUC5B antibody in differential diagnosis between Aspergillus species and Mucorales of fungal sinusitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Ying-shi; Liu, Hong-gang; Liu, Xian-jun

2008-04-01

To differentiate between Aspergillus species and Mucorales of fungal sinusitis by immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 66 cases of fungal sinusitis were retrieved from the archival files of Department of Pathology of Beijing Tongren Hospital during the period from 2001 to 2006. The samples included 29 cases of fungal balls, 12 cases of allergic fungal sinusitis, 24 cases of chronic invasive fungal sinusitis and 1 case of acute invasive fungal sinusitis. The types of fungi were 44 Aspergillus species (31 cases of A. fumigatus, 7 cases of A. flavus and 6 cases of A. terreus) and 22 Mucorales (14 cases of Mucor species and 8 cases of Rhizopus species). Immunohistochemistry was performed with MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B antibodies. The results were compared with histochemical study for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Grocott methenamine silver (GMS) stains. Immunohistochemical study for MUC5B showed that the positive rate of Aspergillus species was 90.9%, in contrast to 4.5% in Mucorales (P Mucorales in fungal sinusitis.

Elucidation of primary metabolic pathways in Aspergillus species: orphaned research in characterizing orphan genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam

2014-11-01

Primary metabolism affects all phenotypical traits of filamentous fungi. Particular examples include reacting to extracellular stimuli, producing precursor molecules required for cell division and morphological changes as well as providing monomer building blocks for production of secondary metabolites and extracellular enzymes. In this review, all annotated genes from four Aspergillus species have been examined. In this process, it becomes evident that 80-96% of the genes (depending on the species) are still without verified function. A significant proportion of the genes with verified metabolic functions are assigned to secondary or extracellular metabolism, leaving only 2-4% of the annotated genes within primary metabolism. It is clear that primary metabolism has not received the same attention in the post-genomic area as many other research areas--despite its role at the very centre of cellular function. However, several methods can be employed to use the metabolic networks in tandem with comparative genomics to accelerate functional assignment of genes in primary metabolism. In particular, gaps in metabolic pathways can be used to assign functions to orphan genes. In this review, applications of this from the Aspergillus genes will be examined, and it is proposed that, where feasible, this should be a standard part of functional annotation of fungal genomes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Ochratoxin A production by strains of Aspergillus niger var. niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Abarca, M L; Bragulat, M R; Castellá, G; Cabañes, F J

1994-01-01

In a survey of the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OA)-positive strains isolated from feedstuffs, two of the 19 isolates of Aspergillus niger var. niger that were studied produced OA in 2% yeast extract-15% sucrose broth and in corn cultures. This is the first report of production of OA by this species. PMID:8074536

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for fast and accurate identification of clinically relevant Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Alanio, A; Beretti, J-L; Dauphin, B; Mellado, E; Quesne, G; Lacroix, C; Amara, A; Berche, P; Nassif, X; Bougnoux, M-E

2011-05-01

New Aspergillus species have recently been described with the use of multilocus sequencing in refractory cases of invasive aspergillosis. The classical phenotypic identification methods routinely used in clinical laboratories failed to identify them adequately. Some of these Aspergillus species have specific patterns of susceptibility to antifungal agents, and misidentification may lead to inappropriate therapy. We developed a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS)-based strategy to adequately identify Aspergillus species to the species level. A database including the reference spectra of 28 clinically relevant species from seven Aspergillus sections (five common and 23 unusual species) was engineered. The profiles of young and mature colonies were analysed for each reference strain, and species-specific spectral fingerprints were identified. The performance of the database was then tested on 124 clinical and 16 environmental isolates previously characterized by partial sequencing of the β-tubulin and calmodulin genes. One hundred and thirty-eight isolates of 140 (98.6%) were correctly identified. Two atypical isolates could not be identified, but no isolate was misidentified (specificity: 100%). The database, including species-specific spectral fingerprints of young and mature colonies of the reference strains, allowed identification regardless of the maturity of the clinical isolate. These results indicate that MALDI-TOF MS is a powerful tool for rapid and accurate identification of both common and unusual species of Aspergillus. It can give better results than morphological identification in clinical laboratories. © 2010 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2010 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Typing clinical and animal environment Aspergillus fumigatus gliotoxin producer strains isolated from Brazil by PCR-RFLP markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Soleiro, C A; Pena, G A; Cavaglieri, L R; Coelho, I; Keller, L M; Dalcero, A M; Rosa, C A R

2013-12-01

Aspergillus fumigatus, a well-known human and animal pathogen causing aspergillosis, has been historically identified by morphological and microscopic features. However, recent studies have shown that species identification on the basis of morphology alone is problematic. The aim of this work was to confirm the taxonomic state at specie level of a set of clinical (human and animal) and animal environment A. fumigatus strains identified by morphological criteria applying a PCR-RFLP assay by an in silico and in situ analysis with three restriction enzymes. The A. fumigatus gliotoxin-producing ability was also determined. Previous to the in situ PCR-RFLP analysis, an in silico assay with BccI, MspI and Sau3AI restriction enzymes was carried out. After that, these enzymes were used for in situ assay. All A. fumigatus strains isolated from corn silage, human aspergillosis and bovine mastitis and high per cent of the strains isolated from cereals, animal feedstuff and sorghum silage were able to produce high gliotoxin levels. Also, all these strains identified by morphological criteria as A. fumigatus, regardless of its isolation source, had band patterns according to A. fumigatus sensu stricto by PCR-RFLP markers. Aspergillus fumigatus is a well-known human and animal pathogen causing aspergillosis. In this study, clinical (human and animal) and animal environment strains were able to produce high gliotoxin levels and had band profiles according to A. fumigatus sensu stricto by PCR-RFLP markers. The results obtained here suggest that strains involved in human and animal aspergillosis could come from the animal environment in which A. fumigatus is frequently found. Its presence in animal environments could affect animal health and productivity; in addition, there are risks of contamination for rural workers during handling and storage of animal feedstuffs. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Species identification of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Mucorales with direct surface analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

De Carolis, E; Posteraro, B; Lass-Flörl, C; Vella, A; Florio, A R; Torelli, R; Girmenia, C; Colozza, C; Tortorano, A M; Sanguinetti, M; Fadda, G

2012-05-01

Accurate species discrimination of filamentous fungi is essential, because some species have specific antifungal susceptibility patterns, and misidentification may result in inappropriate therapy. We evaluated matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for species identification through direct surface analysis of the fungal culture. By use of culture collection strains representing 55 species of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Mucorales, a reference database was established for MALDI-TOF MS-based species identification according to the manufacturer's recommendations for microflex measurements and MALDI BioTyper 2.0 software. The profiles of young and mature colonies were analysed for each of the reference strains, and species-specific spectral fingerprints were obtained. To evaluate the database, 103 blind-coded fungal isolates collected in the routine clinical microbiology laboratory were tested. As a reference method for species designation, multilocus sequencing was used. Eighty-five isolates were unequivocally identified to the species level (≥99% sequence similarity); 18 isolates producing ambiguous results at this threshold were initially rated as identified to the genus level only. Further molecular analysis definitively assigned these isolates to the species Aspergillus oryzae (17 isolates) and Aspergillus flavus (one isolate), concordant with the MALDI-TOF MS results. Excluding nine isolates that belong to the fungal species not included in our reference database, 91 (96.8%) of 94 isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF MS to the species level, in agreement with the results of the reference method; three isolates were identified to the genus level. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS is suitable for the routine identification of filamentous fungi in a medical microbiology laboratory. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Keratitis caused by the recently described new species Aspergillus brasiliensis: two case reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vágvölgyi Csaba

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Human infections caused by Aspergillus brasiliensis have not yet been reported. We describe the first two known cases of fungal keratitis caused by Aspergillus brasiliensis. Case presentations A 49-year-old Indian Tamil woman agricultural worker came with pain and defective vision in the right eye for one month. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old Indian Tamil woman presented with a history of a corneal ulcer involving the left eye for 15 days. The fungal strains isolated from these two cases were originally suspected to belong to Aspergillus section Nigri based on macro- and micromorphological characteristics. Molecular identification revealed that both isolates represent A. brasiliensis. Conclusion The two A. brasiliensis strains examined in this study were part of six keratitis isolates from Aspergillus section Nigri, suggesting that this recently described species may be responsible for a significant proportion of corneal infections caused by black Aspergilli. The presented cases also indicate that significant differences may occur between the severities of keratitis caused by individual isolates of A. brasiliensis.

Radiological abnormalities associated with Aspergillus colonization in a cystic fibrosis population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMahon, Michelle A.; Chotirmall, Sanjay Haresh; McCullagh, Brian; Branagan, Peter; McElvaney, N.G.; Logan, P.M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To determine if sputum colonization with Aspergillus species in patients with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) correlates with radiological abnormalities and/or a reduction in pulmonary function (FEV1). Methods: We prospectively evaluated 32 PWCF utilizing high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax and pulmonary function testing (PFT). The cohort was assessed as two groups: Aspergillus positive (n = 16) and Aspergillus negative (n = 16) based on sputum culture for Aspergillus species. A modified Bhalla scoring system was applied to each HRCT scan by two blinded radiologists. Results: Aspergillus positive patients had more severe and significant bronchiectasis compared to those Aspergillus negative (p < 0.05). This was most marked in the right upper and lower lobes (RUL, RLL). Total Bhalla score was clinically significant in both groups and approached statistical significance between groups (p = 0.063). No difference in pulmonary function between the groups was detected. Conclusion: PWCF colonized by Aspergillus species have greater radiological abnormalities undetectable by PFTs. Early radiological evaluation of Aspergillus colonized PWCF is therefore warranted.

A critical review of producers of small lactone mycotoxins: patulin, penicillic acid and moniliformin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, J.C.

2018-01-01

A very large number of filamentous fungi has been reported to produce the small lactone mycotoxins patulin, penicillic acid and moniliformin. Among the 167 reported fungal producers of patulin, only production by 29 species could be confirmed. Patulin is produced by 3 Aspergillus species, 3...

Purification and properties of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species.

Science.gov (United States)

Notermans, S; Wieten, G; Engel, H W; Rombouts, F M; Hoogerhout, P; van Boom, J H

1987-02-01

Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species were purified and partially characterized. Purification included (NH4)2SO4 treatment, Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography and Con A-sepharose chromatography. The EPS of Penicillium digitatum, Mucor racemosus and Cladosporium cladosporioides showed high antigenic capacities. Immunologically the EPS were partially genus-specific, but cross-reactivity was observed. The EPS antigens produced by species of Penicillium, Aspergillus repens and Geotrichum candidum lost their immunological activity upon heating (100 degrees C) at pH 1.8, while the EPS antigen of M. racemosus, Rhizopus oligosporus and C. cladosporioides were stable under the same conditions. The dominant monosaccharides present in the EPS antigen were mannose, galactose and glucose. The EPS obtained from cultures of M. racemosus and R. oligosporus also contained rhamnose. In the EPS produced by Penicillium spp. and A. repens the galactose residues were determined to be immunodominant.

Sequencing of mitochondrial genomes of nine Aspergillus and Penicillium species identifies mobile introns and accessory genes as main sources of genome size variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Joardar, Vinita; Abrams, Natalie F; Hostetler, Jessica; Paukstelis, Paul J; Pakala, Suchitra; Pakala, Suman B; Zafar, Nikhat; Abolude, Olukemi O; Payne, Gary; Andrianopoulos, Alex; Denning, David W; Nierman, William C

2012-12-12

The genera Aspergillus and Penicillium include some of the most beneficial as well as the most harmful fungal species such as the penicillin-producer Penicillium chrysogenum and the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, respectively. Their mitochondrial genomic sequences may hold vital clues into the mechanisms of their evolution, population genetics, and biology, yet only a handful of these genomes have been fully sequenced and annotated. Here we report the complete sequence and annotation of the mitochondrial genomes of six Aspergillus and three Penicillium species: A. fumigatus, A. clavatus, A. oryzae, A. flavus, Neosartorya fischeri (A. fischerianus), A. terreus, P. chrysogenum, P. marneffei, and Talaromyces stipitatus (P. stipitatum). The accompanying comparative analysis of these and related publicly available mitochondrial genomes reveals wide variation in size (25-36 Kb) among these closely related fungi. The sources of genome expansion include group I introns and accessory genes encoding putative homing endonucleases, DNA and RNA polymerases (presumed to be of plasmid origin) and hypothetical proteins. The two smallest sequenced genomes (A. terreus and P. chrysogenum) do not contain introns in protein-coding genes, whereas the largest genome (T. stipitatus), contains a total of eleven introns. All of the sequenced genomes have a group I intron in the large ribosomal subunit RNA gene, suggesting that this intron is fixed in these species. Subsequent analysis of several A. fumigatus strains showed low intraspecies variation. This study also includes a phylogenetic analysis based on 14 concatenated core mitochondrial proteins. The phylogenetic tree has a different topology from published multilocus trees, highlighting the challenges still facing the Aspergillus systematics. The study expands the genomic resources available to fungal biologists by providing mitochondrial genomes with consistent annotations for future genetic, evolutionary and population

Constitutive expression of fluorescent protein by Aspergillus var. niger and Aspergillus carbonarius to monitor fungal colonization in maize plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Palencia, Edwin Rene; Glenn, Anthony Elbie; Hinton, Dorothy Mae; Bacon, Charles Wilson

2013-09-01

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius are two species in the Aspergillus section Nigri (black-spored aspergilli) frequently associated with peanut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays), and other plants as pathogens. These infections are symptomless and as such are major concerns since some black aspergilli produce important mycotoxins, ochratoxins A, and the fumonisins. To facilitate the study of the black aspergilli-maize interactions with maize during the early stages of infections, we developed a method that used the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) and the monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP1) to transform A. niger and A. carbonarius, respectively. The results were constitutive expressions of the fluorescent genes that were stable in the cytoplasms of hyphae and conidia under natural environmental conditions. The hyphal in planta distribution in 21-day-old seedlings of maize were similar wild type and transformants of A. niger and A. carbonarius. The in planta studies indicated that both wild type and transformants internally colonized leaf, stem and root tissues of maize seedlings, without any visible disease symptoms. Yellow and red fluorescent strains were capable of invading epidermal cells of maize roots intercellularly within the first 3 days after inoculation, but intracellular hyphal growth was more evident after 7 days of inoculation. We also tested the capacity of fluorescent transformants to produce ochratoxin A and the results with A. carbonarius showed that this transgenic strain produced similar concentrations of this secondary metabolite. This is the first report on the in planta expression of fluorescent proteins that should be useful to study the internal plant colonization patterns of two ochratoxigenic species in the Aspergillus section Nigri. © 2013.

Identification and characterization of the polyketide synthase involved in ochratoxin A biosynthesis in Aspergillus carbonarius

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallo, Antonia; Knox, Benjamin P.; Bruno, Kenneth S.; Solfrizzo, Michele; Baker, Scott E.; Perrone, Giancarlo

2014-06-02

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species and is a common contaminant of a wide variety of food commodities, with Aspergillus carbonarius being the main producer of OTA contamination in grapes and wine. The molecular structure of OTA is composed of a dihydroisocoumarin ring linked to phenylalanine and, as shown in different producing fungal species, a polyketide synthase (PKS) is a component of the OTA biosynthetic pathway. Similar to observations in other filamentous ascomycetes, the genome sequence of A. carbonarius contains a large number of genes predicted to encode PKSs. In this work a pks gene identified within the putative OTA cluster of A. carbonarius, designated as AcOTApks, was inactivated and the resulting mutant strain was unable to produce OTA, confirming the role of AcOTApks in this biosynthetic pathway. AcOTApks protein is characteristic of the highly reduced (HR)-PKS family, and also contains a putative methyltransferase domain likely responsible for the addition of the methyl group to the OTA polyketide structure. AcOTApks is different from the ACpks protein that we previously described which showed an expression profile compatible with OTA production. We performed phylogenetic analyses of the β-ketosynthase and acyl-transferase domains of the OTA PKSs which had been identified and characterized in different OTA producing fungal species. The phylogenetic results were similar for both the two domains analyzed and showed that OTA PKS of A. carbonarius, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus ochraceus clustered in a monophyletic group with 100% bootstrap support suggesting a common origin, while the other OTA PKSs analyzed were phylogenetically distant. A qRT-PCR assay monitored AcOTApks expression during fungal growth and concomitant production of OTA by A. carbonarius in synthetic grape medium. A clear correlation between the expression profile of AcOTApks and kinetics of OTA production was observed with

Effect of temperature and water activity on the production of fumonisins by Aspergillus niger and different Fusarium species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard; Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Samson, Robert A.

2009-01-01

Background Fumonisins are economically important mycotoxins which until recently were considered to originate from only a few Fusarium species. However recently a putative fumonisin gene cluster was discovered in two different Aspergillus niger strains followed by detection of an actual fumonisin B......2 (FB2) production in four strains of this biotechnologically important workhorse. Results In the present study, a screening of 5 A. niger strains and 25 assumed fumonisin producing Fusarium strains from 6 species, showed that all 5 A. niger strains produced FB2 and 23 of 25 Fusarium produced...... fumonisin B1 and other isoforms (fumonisin B2 and B3). Five A. niger and five Fusarium spp. were incubated at six different temperatures from 15-42°C on Czapek Yeast Agar +5% salt or Potato Dextrose Agar. A. niger had the highest production of FB2 at 25-30°C whereas Fusarium spp. had the maximal production...

The chemical heritage of Aspergillus flavus in A. oryzae RIB 40

OpenAIRE

Rank, Christian; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Petersen, Lene Maj; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2011-01-01

Aspergillus oryzae is a very important species in biotechnology and has been used for centuries in traditional Asian fermentation. The RIB40 strain is particularly interesting as it was one of the first genome sequenced Aspergilli together with A. flavus, a prominent food and feed contaminant capable of producing aflatoxin. These species can be perceived as ecotypes. We have analyzed A. oryzae RIB40 and found that the chemical potential could be enhanced significantly under certain conditions...

Comparative Studies on Pectinases obtained from Aspergillus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Ogunji

Abstract. Pectinase was produced from Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, and A. niger) in a submerged fermentation system after 4 and 5 days of fermentation, respectively using pectin extracted from different agro-wastes (mango, orange and pineapple peels) as the carbon sources. The pectin was extracted from mango, ...

Selection of tannase-producing Aspergillus niger strains Seleção de linhagens de Aspergillus niger produtoras de tanase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo A.S. Pinto

2001-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to select strains of Aspergillus niger for tannase production. Growth of colonies in plates with tannic acid-containing medium indicated their ability to synthesize tannase. Tannase activity was also measured in solid-state fermentation. A. niger 11T25A5 was the best tannase producer (67.5 U.g-1/72 hours of fermentation.O objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar linhagens de Aspergillus niger para síntese de tanase. O crescimento das colônias em meio contendo ácido tânico indicou capacidade de produção de tanase. A atividade enzimática foi determinada em fermentação semi-sólida. A. niger 11T25A5 foi o melhor produtor (67.5 U.g-1/72 horas de fermentação.

Identification and toxigenic potential of the industrially important fungi, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Thomas R

2007-01-01

Mold strains belonging to the species Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional preparation of fermented foods, such as miso, sake, and shoyu, and as protein production hosts in modern industrial processes. A. oryzae and A. sojae are relatives...... of the wild molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. All four species are classified to the A. flavus group. Strains of the A. flavus group are characterized by a high degree of morphological similarity. Koji mold species are generally perceived of as being nontoxigenic, whereas wild molds...... are associated with the carcinogenic aflatoxins. Thus, reliable identification of individual strains is very important for application purposes. This review considers the pheno- and genotypic markers used in the classification of A. flavus group strains and specifically in the identification of A. oryzae and A...

Clinical characteristics of patients with Aspergillus species isolation from respiratory samples: Comparison of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis and colonization.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohara, Sayaka; Tazawa, Yoko; Tanai, Chiharu; Tanaka, Yoshiaki; Noda, Hiromichi; Horiuchi, Hajime; Usui, Kazuhiro

2016-03-01

With advancements in anti-fungal drugs, it has become more important to correctly diagnose chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA); however, it is not easy to distinguish CPA from colonization when Aspergillus species are isolated from respiratory samples. The aim of the study was to clarify the particular clinical characteristics of patients with CPA vs. those with colonization. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 110 patients with Aspergillus species isolation from respiratory samples, to analyze and compare the differences between CPA and colonization of the Aspergillus species. The median age of all analyzed was 71 years (range: 31-92 years); 64 were female (58%). The most frequently cultured Aspergillus species was Aspergillus fumigatus (48.3%), followed by A. niger (29.2%). Thirty patients (27.4%) were diagnosed with CPA, vs. 75 (68.2%) with colonization and 5 (4.5%) with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Compared with the colonization group, the CPA group included more males (CPA vs. colonization: 49.3% vs. 13.3%) and subjects with a low body mass index (18.45 kg/m2 vs. 21.09 kg/m2). As for the underlying pulmonary diseases, the patients with CPA showed a significantly higher prevalence of sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis (40% vs. 8%) and a history of thoracic surgery (43% vs. 13%) than those with colonization. Asthma was less frequent in the CPA group than in the colonization group (0% vs. 20%). We found no significantly important underlying extrapulmonary diseases. Patients with CPA display clinical characteristics distinct from those seen in subjects with colonization. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus bertholletius sp. nov. from Brazil nuts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta H Taniwaki

Full Text Available During a study on the mycobiota of brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa in Brazil, a new Aspergillus species, A. bertholletius, was found, and is described here. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data as well as partial β-tubulin, calmodulin and ITS sequences to characterize this taxon. A. bertholletius is represented by nineteen isolates from samples of brazil nuts at various stages of production and soil close to Bertholletia excelsa trees. The following extrolites were produced by this species: aflavinin, cyclopiazonic acid, kojic acid, tenuazonic acid and ustilaginoidin C. Phylogenetic analysis using partial β-tubulin and camodulin gene sequences showed that A. bertholletius represents a new phylogenetic clade in Aspergillus section Flavi. The type strain of A. bertholletius is CCT 7615 ( = ITAL 270/06 = IBT 29228.

Aspergillus bertholletius sp. nov. from Brazil Nuts

Science.gov (United States)

Taniwaki, Marta H.; Pitt, John I.; Iamanaka, Beatriz T.; Sartori, Daniele; Copetti, Marina V.; Balajee, Arun; Fungaro, Maria Helena P.; Frisvad, Jens C.

2012-01-01

During a study on the mycobiota of brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) in Brazil, a new Aspergillus species, A. bertholletius, was found, and is described here. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data as well as partial β-tubulin, calmodulin and ITS sequences to characterize this taxon. A. bertholletius is represented by nineteen isolates from samples of brazil nuts at various stages of production and soil close to Bertholletia excelsa trees. The following extrolites were produced by this species: aflavinin, cyclopiazonic acid, kojic acid, tenuazonic acid and ustilaginoidin C. Phylogenetic analysis using partial β-tubulin and camodulin gene sequences showed that A. bertholletius represents a new phylogenetic clade in Aspergillus section Flavi. The type strain of A. bertholletius is CCT 7615 ( = ITAL 270/06 = IBT 29228). PMID:22952594

Aspergillus europaeus sp. nov., a widely distributed soil-borne species related to A. wentii (section Cremei)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hubka, Vit; Nováková, Alena; Samson, Robert A.

2016-01-01

A new species belonging to Aspergillus section Cremei is described, A. europaeus sp. nov. This species is most closely related to A. wentii, A. dimorphicus, and A. chrysellus and can be distinguished by an unique phenotype (colour of sporulation, production of yellow soluble pigment on MEA, shape...

Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus

Science.gov (United States)

Samson, R.A.; Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.; Hong, S.-B.; Hubka, V.; Klaassen, C.H.W.; Perrone, G.; Seifert, K.A.; Susca, A.; Tanney, J.B.; Varga, J.; Kocsubé, S.; Szigeti, G.; Yaguchi, T.; Frisvad, J.C.

2014-01-01

Aspergillus comprises a diverse group of species based on morphological, physiological and phylogenetic characters, which significantly impact biotechnology, food production, indoor environments and human health. Aspergillus was traditionally associated with nine teleomorph genera, but phylogenetic data suggest that together with genera such as Polypaecilum, Phialosimplex, Dichotomomyces and Cristaspora, Aspergillus forms a monophyletic clade closely related to Penicillium. Changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants resulted in the move to one name per species, meaning that a decision had to be made whether to keep Aspergillus as one big genus or to split it into several smaller genera. The International Commission of Penicillium and Aspergillus decided to keep Aspergillus instead of using smaller genera. In this paper, we present the arguments for this decision. We introduce new combinations for accepted species presently lacking an Aspergillus name and provide an updated accepted species list for the genus, now containing 339 species. To add to the scientific value of the list, we include information about living ex-type culture collection numbers and GenBank accession numbers for available representative ITS, calmodulin, β-tubulin and RPB2 sequences. In addition, we recommend a standard working technique for Aspergillus and propose calmodulin as a secondary identification marker. PMID:25492982

Molecular epidemiology of Aspergillus collected from cystic fibrosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabino, Raquel; Ferreira, Jose A G; Moss, Richard B; Valente, Joana; Veríssimo, Cristina; Carolino, Elisabete; Clemons, Karl V; Everson, Cassie; Banaei, Niaz; Penner, John; Stevens, David A

2015-07-01

Aspergillus respiratory infection is a common complication in cystic fibrosis (CF) and is associated with loss of pulmonary function and allergic disease. Fifty-three Aspergillus isolates recovered from CF patients were identified to species by Internal Transcribed Spacer Region (ITS), β-tubulin, and calmodulin sequencing. Three species complexes (Terrei, Nigri, and Fumigati) were found. Identification to species level gave a single Aspergillus terreus sensu stricto, one Aspergillus niger sensu stricto and 51 Aspergillus fumigatus sensu stricto isolates. No cryptic species were found. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study of Aspergillus species in CF using molecular methods. The paucity of non-A. fumigatus and of cryptic species of A. fumigatus suggests a special association of A. fumigatus sensu stricto with CF airways, indicating it likely displays unique characteristics making it suitable for chronic residence in that milieu. These findings could refine an epidemiologic and therapeutic approach geared to this pathogen. Copyright © 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the safety of Aspergillus niger - a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schuster, E.; Dunn-Coleman, N.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2002-01-01

Aspergillus niger is one of the most important microorganisms used in biotechnology. It has been in use already for many decades to produce extracellular (food) enzymes and citric acid. In fact, citric acid and many A. niger enzymes are considered GRAS by the United States Food and Drug...... retrieval reasons and there is a taxonomical consensus based on molecular data that the only other common species closely related to A. niger in the Aspergillus series Nigri is A. tubingensis. A. niger, like other filamentous fungi, should be treated carefully to avoid the formation of spore dust. However...... Administration. In addition, A. niger is used for biotransformations and waste treatment. In the last two decades, A. niger has been developed as an important transformation host to over-express food enzymes. Being pre-dated by older names, the name A. niger has been conserved for economical and information...

Aspergillus Monitoring Project in a Large Educational Hospital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also molecular method, PCR-RFLP using single restriction enzyme as a rapid and available method was performed to investigate environmental sources of Aspergillus infections. Results: Total of 110 clinical fungal isolates included Candida and Aspergillus species and some other opportunistic fungi. Among the clinical

Aspergillus nidulans as a platform for discovery and characterization of complex biosynthetic pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anyaogu, Diana Chinyere

in industrial applications for the productionof these bioactive compounds and other chemicals as well as for enzyme production. Especially Aspergillusniger and Aspergillus oryzae are used as industrial workhorses for the production of various enzymes. Manyof the secreted proteins are glycosylated, indicating...... aspharmaceuticals. Access to this unexploited reservoir is hampered as many of the clusters are silent orbarely expressed under laboratory conditions. Methods for activating these pathways are thereforeessential for pathway discovery and elucidation.  Filamentous fungi and Aspergillus species in particular are used...... that glycosylation plays an important role in thesecretory pathway. Thus, understanding the role and process of glycosylation will enable directedglycoengineering in Aspergilli to improve protein production and expand the repertoire of proteins, whichcan be produced by these fungi. Aspergillus nidulans has been used...

Evaluation of the detection techniques of toxigenic Aspergillus isolates

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxins are difuranocoumarin derivatives produced by some Aspergillus species through a polyketide pathway. Mycotoxins are considered hazardous and there is a need for accurate detection of each toxin. Several screening methods for direct visual determination of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A (OTA) production have ...

A genomics based discovery of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borui Pi

Full Text Available Secondary metabolites (SMs produced by Aspergillus have been extensively studied for their crucial roles in human health, medicine and industrial production. However, the resulting information is almost exclusively derived from a few model organisms, including A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but little is known about rare pathogens. In this study, we performed a genomics based discovery of SM biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus, a rare human pathogen. A total of 52 gene clusters were identified in the draft genome of A. ustus 3.3904, such as the sterigmatocystin biosynthesis pathway that was commonly found in Aspergillus species. In addition, several SM biosynthetic gene clusters were firstly identified in Aspergillus that were possibly acquired by horizontal gene transfer, including the vrt cluster that is responsible for viridicatumtoxin production. Comparative genomics revealed that A. ustus shared the largest number of SM biosynthetic gene clusters with A. nidulans, but much fewer with other Aspergilli like A. niger and A. oryzae. These findings would help to understand the diversity and evolution of SM biosynthesis pathways in genus Aspergillus, and we hope they will also promote the development of fungal identification methodology in clinic.

A Genomics Based Discovery of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Aspergillus ustus

Science.gov (United States)

Pi, Borui; Yu, Dongliang; Dai, Fangwei; Song, Xiaoming; Zhu, Congyi; Li, Hongye; Yu, Yunsong

2015-01-01

Secondary metabolites (SMs) produced by Aspergillus have been extensively studied for their crucial roles in human health, medicine and industrial production. However, the resulting information is almost exclusively derived from a few model organisms, including A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but little is known about rare pathogens. In this study, we performed a genomics based discovery of SM biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus, a rare human pathogen. A total of 52 gene clusters were identified in the draft genome of A. ustus 3.3904, such as the sterigmatocystin biosynthesis pathway that was commonly found in Aspergillus species. In addition, several SM biosynthetic gene clusters were firstly identified in Aspergillus that were possibly acquired by horizontal gene transfer, including the vrt cluster that is responsible for viridicatumtoxin production. Comparative genomics revealed that A. ustus shared the largest number of SM biosynthetic gene clusters with A. nidulans, but much fewer with other Aspergilli like A. niger and A. oryzae. These findings would help to understand the diversity and evolution of SM biosynthesis pathways in genus Aspergillus, and we hope they will also promote the development of fungal identification methodology in clinic. PMID:25706180

Morphological characterization of recombinant strains of Aspergillus oryzae producing alpha-amylase during batch cultivations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spohr, Anders Bendsen; Carlsen, Morten; Nielsen, Jens Bredal

1997-01-01

Three alpha-amylase producing strains of Aspergillus oryzae used for recombinant protein production have been studied with respect to growth and protein production. By comparing the three strains with respect to morphology and protein production it is shown that a morphological mutant with a more...

Korean Ginseng Berry Fermented by Mycotoxin Non-producing Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae: Ginsenoside Analyses and Anti-proliferative Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhipeng; Ahn, Hyung Jin; Kim, Nam Yeon; Lee, Yu Na; Ji, Geun Eog

2016-01-01

To transform ginsenosides, Korean ginseng berry (KGB) was fermented by mycotoxin non-producing Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. Changes of ginsenoside profile and anti-proliferative activities were observed. Results showed that A. niger tended to efficiently transform protopanaxadiol (PPD) type ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rb2, Rd to compound K while A. oryzae tended to efficiently transform protopanaxatriol (PPT) type ginsenoside Re to Rh1 via Rg1. Butanol extracts of fermented KGB showed high cytotoxicity on human adenocarcinoma HT-29 cell line and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line while that of unfermented KGB showed little. The minimum effective concentration of niger-fermented KGB was less than 2.5 µg/mL while that of oryzae-fermented KGB was about 5 µg/mL. As A. niger is more inclined to transform PPD type ginsenosides, niger-fermented KGB showed stronger anti-proliferative activity than oryzae-fermented KGB.

Aspergillus westerdijkiae as a major ochratoxin A risk in dry-cured ham based-media.

Science.gov (United States)

Vipotnik, Ziva; Rodríguez, Alicia; Rodrigues, Paula

2017-01-16

Penicillium nordicum is well known for its ability to produce high amounts of ochratoxin A (OTA) in cured meat-derived products. On the other hand, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, one of the most relevant OTA-producing species of the genus Aspergillus, is usually considered a major risk in carbon-rich food matrices of plant origin. The objective of this work was to evaluate, for the first time, the ecophysiological conditions governing growth, OTA production and sporulation of A. westerdijkiae (the type-strain and one ham-native strain), in comparison with P. nordicum, in dry-cured ham based medium. For that purpose, the interaction between temperature (15, 20, 25 and 30°C) and water activity (a w ) (0.99, 0.97, 0.93, 0.90 and 0.85), achieved with a combination of ionic (NaCl) and non-ionic (glycerol) solutes, was studied by using dry-cured ham-based medium as a model system. Different OTA production profiles were found between the two genera, and also between the two strains of A. westerdijkiae, mostly in terms of amounts of OTA produced. The optimal OTA production conditions for A. westerdijkiae were at 0.94-0.97 a w and 20-25°C, and for P. nordicum at 0.95-0.97 a w between 18 and 22°C. Under these conditions, A. westerdijkiae produced 1934ng/g agar, while P. nordicum produced 712ng/g. None of the strains was able to produce detectable amounts of OTA at 0.85 a w , under all temperatures tested. Growth and sporulation were not good indicators of OTA production by A. westerdijkiae or P. nordicum. The results obtained show that A. westerdijkiae may represent a great potential risk of OTA contamination in dry-cured ham due to the high production under a wide range of conditions. Knowledge of the ecophysiology of important Aspergillus and Penicillium species and of their adaptability to the matrices can be determinant to adopt appropriate technological modifications during ham ripening process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The chemical heritage of Aspergillus flavus in A. oryzae RIB 40

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rank, Christian; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Petersen, Lene Maj

Aspergillus oryzae is a very important species in biotechnology and has been used for centuries in traditional Asian fermentation. The RIB40 strain is particularly interesting as it was one of the first genome sequenced Aspergilli together with A. flavus, a prominent food and feed contaminant...... capable of producing aflatoxin. These species can be perceived as ecotypes. We have analyzed A. oryzae RIB40 and found that the chemical potential could be enhanced significantly under certain conditions. Delicate analysis of their metabolic profiles allow for chemical insight on the transcription level...

Induction of mutation in Aspergillus niger for conversion of cellulose into glucose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helmi, S.; Khalil, A.E.; Tahoun, M.K.; Khairy, A.H. [Univ. of Alexandria Research Centre, Alexandria (Egypt)

1991-12-31

Plant wastes are very important part of biomass used and investigated for energy, chemical, and fuel production. Cellulose is the major renewable form of carbohydrate in the world, about 10{sup 11} tons of which is synthesized annually. For general use, it must be hydrolyzed first, either chemically or by cellulases derived from a few specialized microorganisms. Enzymes are acceptable environmentally but expensive to produce. Certainly, induction of mutations and selection of high cellulose microbial strains with significant adaptability to degrade cellulose to glucose is promising solutions. Induction of mutations in other fungi and Aspergillus sp. rather than Aspergillus niger was reported. Aspergillus ustus and Trichoderma harzianum were induced by gamma irradiation indicating mutants that excrete higher cellulose yields, particularly exocellobiohydrolase (Avicelase) than their respective wild types. Mutants from the celluiolytic fungus Penicillium pinophilum were induced by chemical and UV-irradiation. Enhancing the production of endo-1,4-{Beta}-D-glucanase (CMCase) and particularly {Beta}-glucosidase was obtained by gamma irradiation of Altemaria alternate. To overcome the lower activity of {beta}-glucosidase in certain fungi species rather than A. niger, mixed cultures of different species were tried. Thus, Aspergillus phonicis with Trichoderma reesei Rut 30, produced a cellulose complex that improved activity twofold over cellulose from Trichoderma alone.

Occurrence of mycotoxin producing fungi in bee pollen.

Science.gov (United States)

González, G; Hinojo, M J; Mateo, R; Medina, A; Jiménez, M

2005-11-15

The natural mycobiota occurring in bee pollen is studied in the present report with special attention to analyze the incidence of fungal species that are potential producers of mycotoxins. A total of 90 ready-to-eat bee pollen samples were analyzed. Eighty-seven samples were collected in stores placed in different Spanish areas and three were from Buenos Aires (Argentina). The statistical results (ANOVA) showed that yeasts and Penicillium spp. were the predominant fungi. With regard to the potential mycotoxin producing species, Penicillium verrucosum, Aspergillus niger aggregate, Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Alternaria spp. were found. The last genus was isolated very frequently. The potential ability for producing ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins B(1), B(2), G(1) and G(2) was studied by culturing in vitro the isolates followed by analysis of these mycotoxins in culture extracts by HPLC with fluorescent detection. It was found that 100%, 53.3%, 33.3% and 25% of the isolates of A. carbonarius, A. ochraceus, P. verrucosum and A. niger aggregate, respectively, produced OTA. Moreover, 28.6% of the isolates from the A. flavus plus A. parasiticus group were able to produce aflatoxin B(1). Aflatoxin B(2) was detected in only 10% of the cultures. Aflatoxins G(1) and G(2) were not detected in cultures under the assayed conditions. This is the first report carried out on the natural mycobiota occurring in bee pollen in general and on the toxigenic capability of these isolates in particular.

Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, R.A.; Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.

2014-01-01

, meaning that a decision had to be made whether to keep Aspergillus as one big genus or to split it into several smaller genera. The International Commission of Penicillium and Aspergillus decided to keep Aspergillus instead of using smaller genera. In this paper, we present the arguments for this decision...... data suggest that together with genera such as Polypaecilum, Phialosimplex, Dichotomomyces and Cristaspora, Aspergillus forms a monophyletic clade closely related to Penicillium. Changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants resulted in the move to one name per species....... We introduce new combinations for accepted species presently lacking an Aspergillus name and provide an updated accepted species list for the genus, now containing 339 species. To add to the scientific value of the list, we include information about living ex-type culture collection numbers and Gen...

Screening a strain of Aspergillus niger and optimization of fermentation conditions for degradation of aflatoxin B₁.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Xue, Beibei; Li, Mengmeng; Mu, Yang; Chen, Zhihui; Li, Jianping; Shan, Anshan

2014-11-13

Aflatoxin B₁, a type of highly toxic mycotoxin produced by some species belonging to the Aspergillus genus, such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is widely distributed in feed matrices. Here, coumarin was used as the sole carbon source to screen microorganism strains that were isolated from types of feed ingredients. Only one isolate (ND-1) was able to degrade aflatoxin B₁ after screening. ND-1 isolate, identified as a strain of Aspergillus niger using phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 18S rDNA, could remove 26.3% of aflatoxin B₁ after 48 h of fermentation in nutrient broth (NB). Optimization of fermentation conditions for aflatoxin B₁ degradation by selected Aspergillus niger was also performed. These results showed that 58.2% of aflatoxin B₁ was degraded after 24 h of culture under the optimal fermentation conditions. The aflatoxin B₁ degradation activity of Aspergillus niger supernatant was significantly stronger than cells and cell extracts. Furthermore, effects of temperature, heat treatment, pH, and metal ions on aflatoxin B₁ degradation by the supernatant were examined. Results indicated that aflatoxin B₁ degradation of Aspergillus niger is enzymatic and this process occurs in the extracellular environment.

Genomic Diversity in the Genus of Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jane Lind Nybo

, sections and genus of Aspergillus. The work uncovers a large genomic diversity across all studied groups of species. The genomic diversity was especially evident on the section level, where the proteins shared by all species only represents ⇠55% of the proteome. This number decreases even further, to 38......, sections Nigri, Usti and Cavericolus, clade Tubingensis, and species A. niger. It lastly uses these results to predict genetic traits that take part in fungal speciation. Within a few years the Aspergillus whole-genus sequencing project will have published all currently-accepted Aspergillus genomes......Aspergillus is a highly important genus of saprotrophic filamentous fungi. It is a very diverse genus that is inextricably intertwined with human a↵airs on a daily basis, holding species relevant to plant and human pathology, enzyme and bulk chemistry production, food and beverage biotechnology...

High sequence variations in the region containing genes encoding a cellular morphogenesis protein and the repressor of sexual development help to reveal origins of Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus flavus are closely related fungal species. The A. flavus population that produces numerous small sclerotia (S strain) and aflatoxin has a unique 1.5 kb deletion in the norB-cypA region of the aflatoxin gene cluster (the S genotype). Phylogenetic studies have indica...

Aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus nomius ASR3, a pathogen isolated from the leaf-cutter ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Afonso da Silva-Junior

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Aspergillus spp. cause economic impacts due to aflatoxins production. Although the toxicity of aflatoxins is already known, little information about their ecological roles is available. Here we investigated the compounds produced by Aspergillus nomius ASR3 directly from a dead leaf-cutter queen ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa and the fungal axenic culture. Chemical analyses were carried out by high-resolution mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry techniques. Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were detected in both the axenic culture and in the dead leaf-cutter queen ant. The presence of these mycotoxins in the dead leaf-cutter queen ant suggests that these compounds can be related to the insect pathogenicity of A. nomius against A. sexdens rubropilosa.

[Survival Strategies of Aspergillus in the Human Body].

Science.gov (United States)

Tashiro, Masato; Izumikawa, Koichi

2017-01-01

 The human body is a hostile environment for Aspergillus species, which originally live outside the human body. There are lots of elimination mechanisms against Aspergillus inhaled into the human body, such as high body temperature, soluble lung components, mucociliary clearance mechanism, or responses of phagocytes. Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the primary causative agent of human infections among the human pathogenic species of Aspergillus, defend itself from the hostile human body environment by various mechanisms, such as thermotolerance, mycotoxin production, and characteristic morphological features. Here we review mechanisms of defense in Aspergillus against elimination from the human body.

Toxigenic potentiality of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus strains isolated from black pepper assessed by an LC-MS/MS based multi-mycotoxin method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yogendrarajah, Pratheeba; Devlieghere, Frank; Njumbe Ediage, Emmanuel; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; De Meulenaer, Bruno; De Saeger, Sarah

2015-12-01

A liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to determine mycotoxins, produced by fungal isolates grown on malt extract agar (MEA). All twenty metabolites produced by different fungal species were extracted using acetonitrile/1% formic acid. The developed method was applied to assess the toxigenic potentiality of Aspergillus flavus (n = 11) and Aspergillus parasiticus (n = 6) strains isolated from black peppers (Piper nigrum L.) following their growth at 22, 30 and 37 °C. Highest mean radial colony growth rates were observed at 30 °C for A. flavus (5.21 ± 0.68 mm/day) and A. parasiticus (4.97 ± 0.33 mm/day). All of the A. flavus isolates produced aflatoxin B1 and O-methyl sterigmatocystin (OMST) while 91% produced aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) and 82% of them produced sterigmatocystin (STERIG) at 30 °C. Except one, all the A. parasiticus isolates produced all the four aflatoxins, STERIG and OMST at 30 °C. Remarkably high AFB1 was produced by some A. flavus isolates at 22 °C (max 16-40 mg/kg). Production of mycotoxins followed a different trend than that of growth rate of both species. Notable correlations were found between different secondary metabolites of both species; R(2) 0.87 between AFB1 and AFB2 production. Occurrence of OMST could be used as a predictor for AFB1 production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus contaminans

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus contaminans is described as a new species from the fingernail of a patient with an infected nail. Phylogenetic analysis of four loci (ITS, calmodulin, beta tubulin and RNA polymerase beta, second largest subunit) showed that this species is most closely related to A. carlsbadensis from A...

Chemodiversity in the genus Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2015-01-01

to be characterized. The genus Aspergillus is cladistically holophyletic but phenotypically polythetic and very diverse and is associated to quite different sexual states. Following the one fungus one name system, the genus Aspergillus is restricted to a holophyletic clade that include the morphologically different...... biosynthetic family isoextrolites. However, it appears that secondary metabolites from one Aspergillus section have analogous metabolites in other sections (here also called heteroisoextrolites). In this review, we give a genus-wide overview of secondary metabolite production in Aspergillus species. Extrolites...

Enzymic hydrolysis of xylans. I. A high xylanase and beta-xylosidase producing strain of Aspergillus niger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conrad, D.

1981-01-01

Aspergillus niger, strain 110.42 (CBS) was selected as a producer of high xylanolytic activities. The time course of xylanase and beta-xylosidase production as well as the effect of pH and temperature on the activity of these enzymes were studied. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the enzymic degradation of arabinoxylan showed a nearly complete conversion to pentose sugars. Aspects of using crude xylanase preparations for enzymic saccharification of xylans are discussed.

The effect of cocoa fermentation and weak organic acids on growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Copetti, Marina V.; Iamanaka, Beatriz T.; Mororó, Raimundo C.

2012-01-01

The acidic characteristics of cocoa beans have influence on flavor development in chocolate. Cocoa cotyledons are not naturally acidic, the acidity comes from organic acids produced by the fermentative microorganisms which grow during the processing of cocoa. Different concentrations of these met...... by Aspergillus carbonarius in cocoa, and the effect of weak organic acids such as acetic, lactic and citric at different pH values on growth and ochratoxin A production by A. carbonarius and Aspergillus niger in culture media. A statistical difference (ρ......The acidic characteristics of cocoa beans have influence on flavor development in chocolate. Cocoa cotyledons are not naturally acidic, the acidity comes from organic acids produced by the fermentative microorganisms which grow during the processing of cocoa. Different concentrations...... of these metabolites can be produced according to the fermentation practices adopted in the farms, which could affect the growth and ochratoxin A production by fungi. This work presents two independent experiments carried out to investigate the effect of some fermentation practices on ochratoxin A production...

Ribosomal subunit protein typing using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification and discrimination of Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Sayaka; Sato, Hiroaki; Tanaka, Reiko; Kusuya, Yoko; Takahashi, Hiroki; Yaguchi, Takashi

2017-04-26

Accurate identification of Aspergillus species is a very important subject. Mass spectral fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is generally employed for the rapid identification of fungal isolates. However, the results are based on simple mass spectral pattern-matching, with no peak assignment and no taxonomic input. We propose here a ribosomal subunit protein (RSP) typing technique using MALDI-TOF MS for the identification and discrimination of Aspergillus species. The results are concluded to be phylogenetic in that they reflect the molecular evolution of housekeeping RSPs. The amino acid sequences of RSPs of genome-sequenced strains of Aspergillus species were first verified and compared to compile a reliable biomarker list for the identification of Aspergillus species. In this process, we revealed that many amino acid sequences of RSPs (about 10-60%, depending on strain) registered in the public protein databases needed to be corrected or newly added. The verified RSPs were allocated to RSP types based on their mass. Peak assignments of RSPs of each sample strain as observed by MALDI-TOF MS were then performed to set RSP type profiles, which were then further processed by means of cluster analysis. The resulting dendrogram based on RSP types showed a relatively good concordance with the tree based on β-tubulin gene sequences. RSP typing was able to further discriminate the strains belonging to Aspergillus section Fumigati. The RSP typing method could be applied to identify Aspergillus species, even for species within section Fumigati. The discrimination power of RSP typing appears to be comparable to conventional β-tubulin gene analysis. This method would therefore be suitable for species identification and discrimination at the strain to species level. Because RSP typing can characterize the strains within section Fumigati, this method has potential as a powerful and reliable tool in

The black Aspergillus species of maize and peanuts and their potential for mycotoxin production

Science.gov (United States)

The black spored fungi of the subgenera Circumdata, the section Nigri (=Aspergillus niger group) is reviewed relative to their production of mycotoxins and their effects on plants as pathogens. Molecular methods have revealed more than 18 cryptic species, of which several have been characterized as...

[Gerog Fresenius and the species Aspergillus fumigatus].

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, A

1998-01-01

The species Aspergillus fumigatus was first extensively described by G. Fresenius. J. B. Georg W. Fresenius was born in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, in 1808 and also died there in 1866. He studied medicine and finished his doctorate thesis (MD) in 1829. Afterwards he started his career as a physician and surgeon in Frankfurt/Main in the same year. In 1831 Fresenius became a university lecturer for botany at the "Senckenbergisches medicinisches Institut"; this institute specialized in botany. In this year Fresenius also became the director of the botanical gardens of Frankfurt/Main. Apart from his collaboration in the institute for agriculture he actively participated in the microscopical association of Frankfurt as well as the "Senckenbergische medicinische Gesellschaft". Almost over the whole period, Fresenius also worked as a physician taking care of miserable people. The outstanding publications of Fresenius are "Die Flora von Frankfurt" (Flora of Frankfurt) and "Beiträge zur Mykologie" (Contributions to Mycology). The monograph "Beiträge zur Mykologie" was published by Fresenius as a dedication for the centennial celebrations of the Senckenberg foundation ("Senckenbergische Stiftung"). It contains 132 pages and 13 excellent lithographic figures (Camera lucida). The third part of this monograph also contains the description of the species A. fumigatus. Fresenius was an engaged physician as well as an outstanding researcher and expert in natural sciences who described numerous new fungal species some of which are still accepted nowadays in accordance with the "International Code of Botanical Nomenclature".

Unique antimicrobial spectrum of ophiobolin K produced by Aspergillus ustus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohsomboon, Natthapat; Kanzaki, Hiroshi; Nitoda, Teruhiko

2018-03-01

A co-cultivation study of two fungal strains showed that Aspergillus ustus could inhibit Aspergillus repens growth. The bioactive compound responsible for the observed activity was purified and identified as a sesterterpene, ophiobolin K. Ophiobolin K exhibited marked inhibition against both fungi and bacteria, especially A. repens, A. glaucus and gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus.

In vitro antifungal susceptibility of clinical species belonging to Aspergillus genus and Rhizopus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Kachuei, R; Khodavaisy, S; Rezaie, S; Sharifynia, S

2016-03-01

Among filamentous fungal pathogens, Aspergillus spp. and zygomycetes account for highest rates of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. Recently developed antifungal drugs offer the potential to improve management and therapeutic outcomes of fungal infections. The aim of this study was to analyse the in vitro activities of voriconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin against clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus oryzae. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility of 54 isolates belonging to different clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp. and R. oryzae was tested for four antifungal agents using a microdilution reference method (CLSI, M38-A2). All isolates were identified by typical colony and microscopic characteristics, and also characterized by molecular methods. Caspofungin (MEC range: 0.008-0.25 and MEC50: 0.0023μg/mL) was the most active drug in vitro against Aspergillus spp., followed by voriconazole (MIC range: 0.031-8 and MIC50: 0.5μg/mL), itraconazole (MIC range: 0.031-16 and MIC50: 0.25μg/mL), and amphotericin B (MIC range: 0.125-4 and MIC50: 0.5μg/mL), in order of decreasing activity. The caspofungin, voriconazole, and itraconazole demonstrated poor in vitro activity against R. oryzae isolates evaluated, followed by amphotericin B. This study demonstrates that caspofungin had good antifungal activity and azole agents had better activity than amphotericin B against Aspergillus species. Although, azole drugs are considered ineffective against R. oryzae. This result is just from a small scale in vitro susceptibility study and we did not take other factors into consideration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

NIGERLYSINTM, HEMOLYSIN PRODUCED BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER, CAUSES LETHALITY OF PRIMARY RAT CORTICAL NEURONAL CELLS IN VITRO

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus niger produced a proteinaceous hemolysin, nigerlysinTM when incubated on sheep's blood agar at both 23° C and 37°C. Nigerlysin was purified from tryptic soy broth culture filtrate. Purified nigerlysin has a molecular weight of approximately 72 kDa, with an...

RNA-seq analysis of an nsdC mutant in Aspergillus flavus

Science.gov (United States)

The C2H2-type transcription factor NsdC (Never in Sexual Development C) has been shown to play a role in asexual development and secondary metabolite production in Aspergillus flavus, an agriculturally relevant, aflatoxin-producing species. The nsdC knoackout mutant demonstrates perturbed morphologi...

Atypical Aspergillus parasiticus isolates from pistachio with aflR gene nucleotide insertion identical to Aspergillus sojae

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins are the most toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced primarily by the filamentous fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The toxins cause devastating economic losses because of strict regulations on distribution of contaminated products. Aspergillus sojae are...

Brazil nuts are subject to infection with B and G aflatoxin-producing fungus, Aspergillus pseudonomius

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Massi, Fernanda Pelisson; Cameiro Vieira, Maria Lucia; Sartori, Daniele

2014-01-01

The exploitation of the Brazil nut is one of the most important activities of the extractive communities of the Amazon rainforest. However, its commercialization can be affected by the presence of aflatoxins produced by fungi, namely Aspergillus section Flavi. In the present study, we investigated...

Aspergillus thyroiditis in a renal transplant recipient mimicking subacute thyroiditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Solak, Y; Atalay, H; Nar, A; Ozbek, O; Turkmen, K; Erekul, S; Turk, S

2011-04-01

Fungal pathogens are increasingly encountered after renal transplantation. Aspergillus causes significant morbidity and mortality in transplant patients. Fungal thyroiditis is a rare occurrence owing to unique features of the thyroid gland. Most cases are caused by Aspergillus species and have been described in immunocompromised patients. Presentation may be identical with that of subacute thyroiditis, in which hyperthyroidism features and painful thyroid are the prominent findings. Diagnosis can be ascertained by fine-needle aspiration of thyroid showing branching hyphae of Aspergillus. We describe a renal transplant patient who developed Aspergillus thyroiditis as part of a disseminated infection successfully treated with voriconazole. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grigoriev, Igor V.; Baker, Scott E.; Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; Vondervoot, Peter J.I. van de; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristen F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; Dijck, Piet W.M. van; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnusson, Jon K.; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; Ooyen, Albert J.J. van; Panther, Kathyrn S.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hen; Tsang, Adrian; Brink, Johannes M. van den; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; Peij, Noel N.M.E. van; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens

2011-04-28

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up-regulation of genes relevant to glucoamylase A production, such as tRNA-synthases and protein transporters. Our results and datasets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi.[Supplemental materials (10 figures, three text documents and 16 tables) have been made available

Fumonisin and Ochratoxin Production in Industrial Aspergillus niger Strains

Science.gov (United States)

Frisvad, Jens C.; Larsen, Thomas O.; Thrane, Ulf; Meijer, Martin; Varga, Janos; Samson, Robert A.; Nielsen, Kristian F.

2011-01-01

Aspergillus niger is perhaps the most important fungus used in biotechnology, and is also one of the most commonly encountered fungi contaminating foods and feedstuffs, and occurring in soil and indoor environments. Many of its industrial applications have been given GRAS status (generally regarded as safe). However, A. niger has the potential to produce two groups of potentially carcinogenic mycotoxins: fumonisins and ochratoxins. In this study all available industrial and many non-industrial strains of A. niger (180 strains) as well as 228 strains from 17 related black Aspergillus species were examined for mycotoxin production. None of the related 17 species of black Aspergilli produced fumonisins. Fumonisins (B2, B4, and B6) were detected in 81% of A. niger, and ochratoxin A in 17%, while 10% of the strains produced both mycotoxins. Among the industrial strains the same ratios were 83%, 33% and 26% respectively. Some of the most frequently used strains in industry NRRL 337, 3112 and 3122 produced both toxins and several strains used for citric acid production were among the best producers of fumonisins in pure agar culture. Most strains used for other biotechnological processes also produced fumonisins. Strains optimized through random mutagenesis usually maintained their mycotoxin production capability. Toxigenic strains were also able to produce the toxins on media suggested for citric acid production with most of the toxins found in the biomass, thereby questioning the use of the remaining biomass as animal feed. In conclusion it is recommended to use strains of A. niger with inactive or inactivated gene clusters for fumonisins and ochratoxins, or to choose isolates for biotechnological uses in related non-toxigenic species such as A. tubingensis, A. brasiliensis, A vadensis or A. acidus, which neither produce fumonisins nor ochratoxins. PMID:21853139

Discrimination of Aspergillus lentulus from Aspergillus fumigatus by Raman spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Verwer, P E B; van Leeuwen, W B; Girard, V; Monnin, V; van Belkum, A; Staab, J F; Verbrugh, H A; Bakker-Woudenberg, I A J M; van de Sande, W W J

2014-02-01

In 2005, a new sibling species of Aspergillus fumigatus was discovered: Aspergillus lentulus. Both species can cause invasive fungal disease in immune-compromised patients. The species are morphologically very similar. Current techniques for identification are PCR-based or morphology-based. These techniques are labour-intense and not sufficiently discriminatory. Since A. lentulus is less susceptible to several antifungal agents, it is important to correctly identify the causative infectious agent in order to optimize antifungal therapy. In this study we determined whether Raman spectroscopy and/or MALDI-TOF MS were able to differentiate between A. lentulus and A. fumigatus. For 16 isolates of A. lentulus and 16 isolates of A. fumigatus, Raman spectra and peptide profiles were obtained using the Spectracell and MALDI-TOF MS (VITEK MS RUO, bioMérieux) respectively. In order to obtain reliable Raman spectra for A. fumigatus and A. lentulus, the culture medium needed to be adjusted to obtain colourless conidia. Only Raman spectra obtained from colourless conidia were reproducible and correctly identified 25 out of 32 (78 %) of the Aspergillus strains. For VITEK MS RUO, no medium adjustments were necessary. Pigmented conidia resulted in reproducible peptide profiles as well in this case. VITEK MS RUO correctly identified 100 % of the Aspergillus isolates, within a timeframe of approximately 54 h including culture. Of the two techniques studied here, VITEK MS RUO was superior to Raman spectroscopy in the discrimination of A. lentulus from A. fumigatus. VITEK MS RUO seems to be a successful technique in the daily identification of Aspergillus spp. within a limited timeframe.

Simultaneous detection and identification of Aspergillus and mucorales species in tissues collected from patients with fungal rhinosinusitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zuotao; Li, Lili; Wan, Zhe; Chen, Wei; Liu, Honggang; Li, Ruoyu

2011-04-01

Rapid detection and differentiation of Aspergillus and Mucorales species in fungal rhinosinusitis diagnosis are desirable, since the clinical management and prognosis associated with the two taxa are fundamentally different. We describe an assay based on a combination of broad-range PCR amplification and reverse line blot hybridization (PCR/RLB) to detect and differentiate the pathogens causing fungal rhinosinusitis, which include five Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, and A. nidulans) and seven Mucorales species (Mucor heimalis, Mucor racemosus, Mucor cercinelloidea, Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Absidia corymbifera). The assay was validated with 98 well-characterized clinical isolates and 41 clinical tissue specimens. PCR/RLB showed high sensitivity and specificity, with 100% correct identifications of 98 clinical isolates and no cross-hybridization between the species-specific probes. Results for five control isolates, Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, Scedosporium apiospermum, Penicillium marneffei, and Exophiala verrucosa, were negative as judged by PCR/RLB. The analytical sensitivity of PCR/RLB was found to be 1.8 × 10(-3) ng/μl by 10-fold serial dilution of Aspergillus genomic DNA. The assay identified 35 of 41 (85.4%) clinical specimens, exhibiting a higher sensitivity than fungal culture (22 of 41; 53.7%) and direct sequencing (18 of 41; 43.9%). PCR/RLB similarly showed high specificity, with correct identification 16 of 18 specimens detected by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and 16 of 22 detected by fungal culture, but it also has the additional advantage of being able to detect mixed infection in a single clinical specimen. The PCR/RLB assay thus provides a rapid and reliable option for laboratory diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis.

Simultaneous Detection and Identification of Aspergillus and Mucorales Species in Tissues Collected from Patients with Fungal Rhinosinusitis▿

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zuotao; Li, Lili; Wan, Zhe; Chen, Wei; Liu, Honggang; Li, Ruoyu

2011-01-01

Rapid detection and differentiation of Aspergillus and Mucorales species in fungal rhinosinusitis diagnosis are desirable, since the clinical management and prognosis associated with the two taxa are fundamentally different. We describe an assay based on a combination of broad-range PCR amplification and reverse line blot hybridization (PCR/RLB) to detect and differentiate the pathogens causing fungal rhinosinusitis, which include five Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, and A. nidulans) and seven Mucorales species (Mucor heimalis, Mucor racemosus, Mucor cercinelloidea, Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Absidia corymbifera). The assay was validated with 98 well-characterized clinical isolates and 41 clinical tissue specimens. PCR/RLB showed high sensitivity and specificity, with 100% correct identifications of 98 clinical isolates and no cross-hybridization between the species-specific probes. Results for five control isolates, Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, Scedosporium apiospermum, Penicillium marneffei, and Exophiala verrucosa, were negative as judged by PCR/RLB. The analytical sensitivity of PCR/RLB was found to be 1.8 × 10−3 ng/μl by 10-fold serial dilution of Aspergillus genomic DNA. The assay identified 35 of 41 (85.4%) clinical specimens, exhibiting a higher sensitivity than fungal culture (22 of 41; 53.7%) and direct sequencing (18 of 41; 43.9%). PCR/RLB similarly showed high specificity, with correct identification 16 of 18 specimens detected by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and 16 of 22 detected by fungal culture, but it also has the additional advantage of being able to detect mixed infection in a single clinical specimen. The PCR/RLB assay thus provides a rapid and reliable option for laboratory diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis. PMID:21325541

Evaluation of the Bruker Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry System for Identification of Aspergillus Species Directly from Growth on Solid Agar Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Li

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the accuracy of the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS system at identifying clinical isolates of Aspergillus species that were grown on agar media. A total of 381 non-duplicate Aspergillus isolates representing 21 different Aspergillus species identified by molecular analysis were included in this study. The Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system was able to identify 30.2% (115/381 of the isolates to the species level (score values of ≥2.000 and 49.3% to the genus level (score values of 1.700–1.999. When the identification cutoff value was lowered from ≥2.000 to ≥1.700, the species-level identification rate increased to 79.5% with a slight rise of false identification from 2.6 to 5.0%. From another aspect, a correct species-level identification rate of 89% could be reached by the Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system regardless of the score values obtained. The Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system had a moderate performance in identification of Aspergillus directly inoculated on solid agar media. Continued expansion of the Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS database and adoption of alternative cutoff values for interpretation are required to improve the performance of the system for identifying highly diverse species of clinically encountered Aspergillus isolates.

Evaluation of the Bruker Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry System for Identification of Aspergillus Species Directly from Growth on Solid Agar Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying; Wang, He; Zhao, Yu-Pei; Xu, Ying-Chun; Hsueh, Po-Ren

2017-01-01

We evaluated the accuracy of the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system at identifying clinical isolates of Aspergillus species that were grown on agar media. A total of 381 non-duplicate Aspergillus isolates representing 21 different Aspergillus species identified by molecular analysis were included in this study. The Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system was able to identify 30.2% (115/381) of the isolates to the species level (score values of ≥2.000) and 49.3% to the genus level (score values of 1.700-1.999). When the identification cutoff value was lowered from ≥2.000 to ≥1.700, the species-level identification rate increased to 79.5% with a slight rise of false identification from 2.6 to 5.0%. From another aspect, a correct species-level identification rate of 89% could be reached by the Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system regardless of the score values obtained. The Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS system had a moderate performance in identification of Aspergillus directly inoculated on solid agar media. Continued expansion of the Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS database and adoption of alternative cutoff values for interpretation are required to improve the performance of the system for identifying highly diverse species of clinically encountered Aspergillus isolates.

Diversity of Aspergillus section Nigri on the surface of Vitis labrusca and its hybrid grapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferranti, Larissa de Souza; Fungaro, Maria Helena P; Massi, Fernanda Pelisson; Silva, Josué José da; Penha, Rafael Elias Silva; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi; Iamanaka, Beatriz Thie

2018-03-02

This study investigated the presence of Aspergillus species belonging to Aspergillus section Nigri on Vitis labrusca and its hybrid grapes grown in Brazil. The ability of the fungi isolates to produce ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B 2 (FB 2 ) as well as the presence of these mycotoxins in the grapes were also studied. Eighty-eight samples were collected from the main grape producing states in Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul (n=30), Pernambuco (n=21), São Paulo (n=21) and Paraná (n=16). The highest average contamination level by A. section Nigri occurred on the grapes from Pernambuco (66.3%). A total of 2042 A. section Nigri isolates was analyzed and clustered in three groups according to morphology characterization: A. section Nigri uniseriate (79.3%), A. niger "aggregate" (18.3%) and A. carbonarius (2.4%). In order to precisely identify the Aspergillus species, two hundred and forty-eight strains were subjected to DNA sequencing. Among the A. section Nigri uniseriate group, the following species were found: A. japonicus, A. uvarum, A. brunneoviolaceus, A. aculeatus and A. labruscus. Within the A. niger "aggregate", the following species were found: A.niger sensu stricto, A. welwitschiae and A. vadensis. Regarding mycotoxin-production capacity, 3.2% of the total A. section Nigri isolates (2042) were positive for OTA production and from A. niger "aggregate" (373) tested, 42.1% were FB 2 producers. However, none of the 88 grape samples were contaminated with these mycotoxins. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nonfunctionality of Aspergillus sojae aflR in a strain of Aspergillus parasiticus with a disrupted aflR gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Tadashi; Chang, Perng-Kuang; Matsushima, Kenichiro; Yu, Jiujiang; Abe, Keietsu; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E; Koyama, Yasuji

2002-08-01

Aspergillus sojae belongs to the Aspergillus section Flavi but does not produce aflatoxins. The functionality of the A. sojae aflR gene (aflRs) was examined by transforming it into an DeltaaflR strain of A. parasiticus, derived from a nitrate-nonutilizing, versicolorin A (VERA)-accumulating strain. The A. parasiticus aflR gene (aflRp) transformants produced VERA, but the aflRs transformants did not. Even when aflRs was placed under the control of the amylase gene (amyB) promoter of Aspergillus oryzae, the amy(p)::aflRs transformants did not produce VERA. A chimeric construct containing the aflRs promoter plus the aflRs N- and aflRp C-terminal coding regions could restore VERA production, but a construct containing the aflRp promoter plus the aflRp N- and aflRs C-terminal coding regions could not. These results show that the A. sojae aflR promoter is functional in A. parasiticus and that the HAHA motif does not affect the function of the resulting hybrid AflR. We conclude that the lack of aflatoxin production by A. sojae can be attributed, at least partially, to the premature termination defect in aflRs, which deletes the C-terminal transcription activation domain that is critical for the expression of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes.

Stimulation of germination of conidium Aspergillus niger, a citric acid producer, under the action of mutagenic factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubtsova, V.M.; Shcherbakova, E.Ya.; Smirnov, V.A.; Runkovskaya, L.Ya.

1976-01-01

The action of low doses of various mutagens, namely, 2% cyclophosphane solution (30 min), 1% thiophosphamide solution (30 min), 0.05% nitrosomethylurea solution (30 and 60 min), γ-rays (10 krads) and UV-rays (10000 erg/mm 2 ) stimulates germination of conidium Aspergillus niger, a citric acid producer. At the above-mentioned doses of mutagens, a minor quantity of morphological varieties are formed, and the variability value of acid production by Asp. niger is maintained at the spontaneous level

Biotransformation of two furanocoumarins by the fungi species Aspergillus sp. PTCC 5266 and Aspergillus niger PTCC 5010.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Saba; Habibi, Zohreh; Mohajeri, Maryam; Yousefi, Maryam

2018-02-22

The microbial transformations of peucedanin and oreoselon by the fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus sp. were investigated for the first time. Incubation of peucedanin with A. niger yielded a new hydroxylated metabolite with high yield (56%), which was characterized as 2-(1-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-methoxy-7H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-7-one. Oreoselon was converted to a new reduced metabolite methyl 3-(2,3-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-isopropyl-3-oxobenzofuran-5-yl)propanoate in biotransformation by Aspergillus sp. The structures of the metabolites were determined by spectroscopic methods including IR, EI-MS, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and elemental analysis.

Exact Molecular Typing of Aspergillus fumigatus. Methods and Applications.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valk-van Haren, J.A. de

2008-01-01

Aspergillus species are widely distributed fungi that release large amounts of airborne conidia that are dispersed in the environment. Aspergillus fumigatus is the species most frequently isolated from human infections. In this thesis a novel assay for fingerprinting A. fumigatus is described and

Aspergillus is monophyletic: Evidence from multiple gene phylogenies and extrolites profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Kocsubé

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus is one of the economically most important fungal genera. Recently, the ICN adopted the single name nomenclature which has forced mycologists to choose one name for fungi (e.g. Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, etc.. Previously two proposals for the single name nomenclature in Aspergillus were presented: one attributes the name “Aspergillus” to clades comprising seven different teleomorphic names, by supporting the monophyly of this genus; the other proposes that Aspergillus is a non-monophyletic genus, by preserving the Aspergillus name only to species belonging to subgenus Circumdati and maintaining the sexual names in the other clades. The aim of our study was to test the monophyly of Aspergilli by two independent phylogenetic analyses using a multilocus phylogenetic approach. One test was run on the publicly available coding regions of six genes (RPB1, RPB2, Tsr1, Cct8, BenA, CaM, using 96 species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and related taxa. Bayesian (MrBayes and Ultrafast Maximum Likelihood (IQ-Tree and Rapid Maximum Likelihood (RaxML analyses gave the same conclusion highly supporting the monophyly of Aspergillus. The other analyses were also performed by using publicly available data of the coding sequences of nine loci (18S rRNA, 5,8S rRNA, 28S rRNA (D1-D2, RPB1, RPB2, CaM, BenA, Tsr1, Cct8 of 204 different species. Both Bayesian (MrBayes and Maximum Likelihood (RAxML trees obtained by this second round of independent analyses strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Aspergillus. The stability test also confirmed the robustness of the results obtained. In conclusion, statistical analyses have rejected the hypothesis that the Aspergilli are non-monophyletic, and provided robust arguments that the genus is monophyletic and clearly separated from the monophyletic genus Penicillium. There is no phylogenetic evidence to split Aspergillus into several genera and the name Aspergillus can be used for all the species

Ochratoxin production and taxonomy of the yellow aspergilli (Aspergillus section Circumdati)

Science.gov (United States)

Visagie, C.M.; Varga, J.; Houbraken, J.; Meijer, M.; Kocsubé, S.; Yilmaz, N.; Fotedar, R.; Seifert, K.A.; Frisvad, J.C.; Samson, R.A.

2014-01-01

Aspergillus section Circumdati or the Aspergillus ochraceus group, includes species with rough walled stipes, biseriate conidial heads, yellow to ochre conidia and sclerotia that do not turn black. Several species are able to produce mycotoxins including ochratoxins, penicillic acids, and xanthomegnins. Some species also produce drug lead candidates such as the notoamides. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data and partial calmodulin, β-tubulin and ITS sequences to examine the evolutionary relationships within this section. Based on this approach the section Circumdati is revised and 27 species are accepted, introducing seven new species: A. occultus, A. pallidofulvus, A. pulvericola, A. salwaensis, A. sesamicola, A. subramanianii and A. westlandensis. In addition we correctly apply the name A. fresenii (≡ A. sulphureus (nom. illeg.)). A guide for the identification of these 27 species is provided. These new species can be distinguished from others based on morphological characters, sequence data and extrolite profiles. The previously described A. onikii and A. petrakii were found to be conspecific with A. ochraceus, whilst A. flocculosus is tentatively synonymised with A. ochraceopetaliformis, despite extrolite differences between the two species. Based on the extrolite data, 13 species of section Circumdati produce large amounts of ochratoxin A: A. affinis, A. cretensis, A. fresenii, A. muricatus, A. occultus, A. ochraceopetaliformis (A. flocculosus), A. ochraceus, A. pseudoelegans, A. pulvericola, A. roseoglobulosus, A. sclerotiorum, A. steynii and A. westerdijkiae. Seven additional species produce ochratoxin A inconsistently and/or in trace amounts: A. melleus, A. ostianus, A. persii, A. salwaensis, A. sesamicola, A. subramanianii and A. westlandensis. The most important species regarding potential ochratoxin A contamination in agricultural products are A. ochraceus, A

Survey of Aspergillus and Fusarium species and their mycotoxins in raw materials and poultry feeds from Córdoba, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Monge, María Del Pilar; Magnoli, Carina Elizabeth; Chiacchiera, Stella Maris

2012-05-01

The aims of the present work were: (1) to determine both mycobiota in raw materials and finisher poultry feed, as well as the ability to produce aflatoxin B1 by A. flavus strains, and (2) to evaluate the natural co-occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FBs), gliotoxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), HT-2 toxin, and T-2 toxin in poultry feed by LC-MS/MS. Nineteen percent of raw materials and 79% of finisher poultry feed samples exceeded the maximum allowed total fungal count (1 × 10(4) CFU g(-1)) to ensure hygienic quality. Aspergillus flavus was the only species belonging to section Flavi which was isolated while Fusarium verticilliodes was the prevalent species. Forty-seven percent of A. flavus strains were aflatoxin B1 producers and the highest frequency of aflatoxigenic strains was isolated from finisher poultry feeds. Principal component analysis showed that corn grains are closely related with total fungal and Fusarium counts. This positive relationship suggests that total fungal and Fusarium spp. counts in poultry feed might come mainly from corn grains. Regarding poultry feeds, in ground finisher type, Aspergillus spp. counts increased as water activity (aw) diminished. A positive relationship among aw, total fungal and Fusarium spp. counts was observed in both ground finisher and ground starter feed. Several mycotoxins were monitored in feeds by applying the LC MS/MS technique. One hundred percent of poultry samples were contaminated with FB1, and the highest levels were detected in pelleted finisher poultry. AFB1, gliotoxin, DAS, HT-2 toxin, and T-2 toxin were not detected in any poultry feed. The scarcity of available mycotoxicological studies from Argentinean poultry feed using a multitoxin analysis technique enhances the contribution of the findings of this report.

First Report of an Atypical New Aspergillus parasiticus Isolates with Nucleotides Insertion in aflR Gene Identical to Aspergillus sojae

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced primarily by the filamentous fungi Aspergillus favus and Aspergillus parasitic and cause toxin contamination in food chain worldwide. Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional prep...

[Morphological characteristics and physiological properties of aflatoxin B1 producing and non-producing Aspergillus flavus strains].

Science.gov (United States)

Kogbo, W; Lemarinier, S; Boutibonnes, P

1985-09-01

Comparison between about 80 strains of Aspergillus flavus, belonging to the series flavus and oryzae, obtained from international collections but also isolated from French or African substrates revealed the following observations: 1. Cultural and morphological characteristics of toxicogenic and atoxicogenic strains of A. flavus are similar. However, the former produce a diffusible yellow pigment in 83% of isolates. 2. The two groups of conidiospores have the same resistance to UV irradiation (254 nm, 5 and 10 min). All the strains are equally sensitive to 4 antifungal antibiotics: nystatine, ketoconazole, clotrimazole and amphotericine. 3. A difference was seen in the capacity to produce enzymes as alpha-galactosidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase, implicated in the glucid metabolism. The specific hydrolytic activity has been confirmed by the characterization of a large amount of beta-galactosidase and by a diauxic growth on glucose medium supplemented by lactose. Possible relationship between these characters and aflatoxin B1 production by A. flavus strains is discussed.

Secondary metabolites from Eurotium species, Aspergillus calidoustus and A. insuetus common in Canadian homes with a review of their chemistry and biological activities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slack, G. J.; Puniani, E.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2009-01-01

As part of studies of metabolites from fungi common in the built environment in Canadian homes, we investigated metabolites from strains of three Eurotium species, namely E. herbariorum, E. amstelodami, and E. rubrum as well as a number of isolates provisionally identified as Aspergillus ustus. T...

Secondary metabolites from Eurotium species, Aspergillus calidoustus and A. insuetus common in Canadian homes with a review of their chemistry and biological activities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slack, G.J.; Puniani, E.; Frisvad, J.C.; Samson, R.A.; Miller, J.D.

2009-01-01

As part of studies of metabolites from fungi common in the built environment in Canadian homes, we investigated metabolites from strains of three Eurotium species, namely E. herbariorum, E. amstelodami, and E. rubrum as well as a number of isolates provisionally identified as Aspergillus ustus. The

Genome-scale analysis of the high-efficient protein secretion system of Aspergillus oryzae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Lifang; Feizi, Amir; Osterlund, Tobias

2014-01-01

related fungal species such as Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger. To evaluate the defined component list, we performed transcriptome analysis on three a-amylase over-producing strains with varying levels of secretion capacities. Specifically, secretory components involved in the ER......Background: The koji mold, Aspergillus oryzae is widely used for the production of industrial enzymes due to its particularly high protein secretion capacity and ability to perform post-translational modifications. However, systemic analysis of its secretion system is lacking, generally due...... to the poorly annotated proteome. Results: Here we defined a functional protein secretory component list of A. oryzae using a previously reported secretory model of S. cerevisiae as scaffold. Additional secretory components were obtained by blast search with the functional components reported in other closely...

Diagnosis of filamentous fungi on tissue sections by immunohistochemistry using anti-aspergillus antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Challa, Sundaram; Uppin, Shantveer G; Uppin, Megha S; Pamidimukkala, Umabala; Vemu, Lakshmi

2015-06-01

Identification based on histology alone has limitations as Aspergillus species share morphology with other filamentous fungi. Differentiation of Aspergillus species from hyalohyphomycetes and dematiaceous fungi is important as the antifungal susceptibility varies among different species and genera. Given these problems, ancillary techniques are needed to increase specificity. Our aim was to study the utility of immunohistochemistry (IHC) with anti-Aspergillus antibody in the identification of Aspergillus species and to differentiate them from other filamentous fungi. Fifty formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections including 47 from cases of culture proven filamentous fungi, 3 from colonies of cultures of hyalohyphomycetes, and 11 smears from cultures were subjected to IHC studies using polyclonal rabbit anti-Aspergillus antibody (Abcam, UK) after antigen retrieval. The IHC on tissue sections was positive in 88% cases involving culture proven Aspergillus species. There was no cross reactivity with Mucorales species, Candida species, dematiaceous fungi and hyalohyphomycetes. Hence immunohistochemistry can be used as an ancillary technique for the diagnosis of Aspergillus species. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Identification of ochratoxin A producing Aspergillus carbonarius and A. niger clade isolated from grapes using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Storari, M; von Rohr, R; Pertot, I; Gessler, C; Broggini, G A L

2013-04-01

To develop two assays based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of DNA for the quick and specific identification of Aspergillus carbonarius and ochratoxigenic strains of the Aspergillus niger clade isolated from grapes. Two sets of primers were designed based on the polyketide synthase genes involved or putatively involved in ochratoxin A (OTA) biosynthesis in A. carbonarius and A. niger clade. Hydroxynaphthol blue was used as indirect method to indicate DNA amplification. The limit of detection of both assays was comparable to that of a PCR reaction. Specificities of the reactions were tested using DNA from different black aspergilli isolated from grapes. The two LAMP assays were then used to identify A. carbonarius and ochratoxigenic A. niger and A. awamori grown in pure cultures without a prior DNA extraction. The two LAMP assays permitted to quickly and specifically identify DNA from OTA-producing black aspergilli, as well as isolates grown in pure culture. Monitoring vineyards for the presence of OTA-producing strains is part of the measures to minimize the occurrence of OTA in grape products. The two LAMP assays developed here could be potentially used to speed the screening process of vineyards for the presence of OTA-producing black aspergilli. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Effect of temperature and water activity on the production of fumonisins by Aspergillus niger and different Fusarium species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mogensen, J.M.; Nielsen, K.F.; Samson, R.A.; Frisvad, J.C.; Thrane, U.

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Fumonisins are economically important mycotoxins which until recently were considered to originate from only a few Fusarium species. However recently a putative fumonisin gene cluster was discovered in two different Aspergillus niger strains followed by detection of an actual

Effect of temperature and water activity on the production of fumonisins by Aspergillus niger and different Fusarium species

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Background Fumonisins are economically important mycotoxins which until recently were considered to originate from only a few Fusarium species. However recently a putative fumonisin gene cluster was discovered in two different Aspergillus niger strains followed by detection of an actual fumonisin B2 (FB2) production in four strains of this biotechnologically important workhorse. Results In the present study, a screening of 5 A. niger strains and 25 assumed fumonisin producing Fusarium strains from 6 species, showed that all 5 A. niger strains produced FB2 and 23 of 25 Fusarium produced fumonisin B1 and other isoforms (fumonisin B2 and B3). Five A. niger and five Fusarium spp. were incubated at six different temperatures from 15-42°C on Czapek Yeast Agar +5% salt or Potato Dextrose Agar. A. niger had the highest production of FB2 at 25-30°C whereas Fusarium spp. had the maximal production of FB1 and FB2 at 20-25°C. Addition of 2.5-5% NaCl, or 10-20% sucrose increased the FB2 production of A. niger, whereas addition of glycerol reduced FB2 production. All three water activity lowering solutes reduced the fumonisin production of the Fusarium species. Conclusion The present study shows that the regulation of fumonisin production is very different in A. niger and Fusarium, and that food and feeds preserved by addition of sugar or salts may be good substrates for fumonisin B2 production by A. niger. PMID:20043849

Effect of temperature and water activity on the production of fumonisins by Aspergillus niger and different Fusarium species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frisvad Jens C

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fumonisins are economically important mycotoxins which until recently were considered to originate from only a few Fusarium species. However recently a putative fumonisin gene cluster was discovered in two different Aspergillus niger strains followed by detection of an actual fumonisin B2 (FB2 production in four strains of this biotechnologically important workhorse. Results In the present study, a screening of 5 A. niger strains and 25 assumed fumonisin producing Fusarium strains from 6 species, showed that all 5 A. niger strains produced FB2 and 23 of 25 Fusarium produced fumonisin B1 and other isoforms (fumonisin B2 and B3. Five A. niger and five Fusarium spp. were incubated at six different temperatures from 15-42°C on Czapek Yeast Agar +5% salt or Potato Dextrose Agar. A. niger had the highest production of FB2 at 25-30°C whereas Fusarium spp. had the maximal production of FB1 and FB2 at 20-25°C. Addition of 2.5-5% NaCl, or 10-20% sucrose increased the FB2 production of A. niger, whereas addition of glycerol reduced FB2 production. All three water activity lowering solutes reduced the fumonisin production of the Fusarium species. Conclusion The present study shows that the regulation of fumonisin production is very different in A. niger and Fusarium, and that food and feeds preserved by addition of sugar or salts may be good substrates for fumonisin B2 production by A. niger.

Proteome analysis of the fungus Aspergillus carbonarius under ochratoxin A producing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Crespo-Sempere, A; Gil, J V; Martínez-Culebras, P V

2011-06-30

Aspergillus carbonarius is an important ochratoxin A producing fungus that is responsible for mycotoxin contamination of grapes and wine. In this study, the proteomes of highly (W04-40) and weakly (W04-46) OTA-producing A. carbonarius strains were compared to identify proteins that may be involved in OTA biosynthesis. Protein samples were extracted from two biological replicates and subjected to two dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis and mass spectrometry. Expression profile comparison (PDQuest software), revealed 21 differential spots that were statistically significant and showed a two-fold change in expression, or greater. Among these, nine protein spots were identified by MALDI-MS/MS and MASCOT database and twelve remain unidentified. Of the identified proteins, seven showed a higher expression in strain W04-40 (high OTA producer) and two in strain W04-46 (low OTA producer). Some of the identified amino acid sequences shared homology with proteins involved in regulation, amino acid metabolism, oxidative stress and sporulation. It is worth noting the presence of a protein with 126.5 fold higher abundance in strain W04-40 showing homology with protein CipC, a protein with unknown function related with pathogenesis and mycotoxin production by some authors. Variations in protein expression were also further investigated at the mRNA level by real-time PCR analysis. The mRNA expression levels from three identified proteins including CipC showed correlation with protein expression levels. This study represents the first proteomic analysis for a comparison of two A. carbonarius strains with different OTA production and will contribute to a better understanding of the molecular events involved in OTA biosynthesis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cyclopiazonic Acid Biosynthesis of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is an indole-tetramic acid neurotoxin produced by some of the same strains of A. flavus that produce aflatoxins and by some Aspergillus oryzae strains. Despite its discovery 40 years ago, few reviews of its toxicity and biosynthesis have been reported. This review examines w...

Fumonisin and Ochratoxin Production in Industrial Aspergillus niger Strains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Thrane, Ulf

2011-01-01

as safe). However, A. niger has the potential to produce two groups of potentially carcinogenic mycotoxins: fumonisins and ochratoxins. In this study all available industrial and many non-industrial strains of A. niger (180 strains) as well as 228 strains from 17 related black Aspergillus species were...... examined for mycotoxin production. None of the related 17 species of black Aspergilli produced fumonisins. Fumonisins (B(2), B(4), and B(6)) were detected in 81% of A. niger, and ochratoxin A in 17%, while 10% of the strains produced both mycotoxins. Among the industrial strains the same ratios were 83......%, 33% and 26% respectively. Some of the most frequently used strains in industry NRRL 337, 3112 and 3122 produced both toxins and several strains used for citric acid production were among the best producers of fumonisins in pure agar culture. Most strains used for other biotechnological processes also...

Species identification of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates from Portuguese almonds using phenotypic, including MALDI-TOF ICMS, and molecular approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, P; Santos, C; Venâncio, A; Lima, N

2011-10-01

Section Flavi is one of the most significant sections in the genus Aspergillus. Taxonomy of this section currently depends on multivariate approaches, entailing phenotypic and molecular traits. This work aimed to identify isolates from section Flavi by combining various classic phenotypic and genotypic methods as well as the novel approach based on spectral analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF ICMS) and to evaluate the discriminatory power of the various approaches in species identification.   Aspergillus section Flavi isolates obtained from Portuguese almonds were characterized in terms of macro- and micromorphology, mycotoxin pattern, calmodulin gene sequence and MALDI-TOF protein fingerprint spectra. For each approach, dendrograms were created and results were compared. All data sets divided the isolates into three groups, corresponding to taxa closely related to Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus tamarii. In the A. flavus clade, molecular and spectral analyses were not able to resolve between aflatoxigenic and nonaflatoxigenic isolates. In the A. parasiticus cluster, two well-resolved clades corresponded to unidentified taxa, corresponding to those isolates with mycotoxin profile different from that expected for A. parasiticus. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus strains in Hungarian maize fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebők, Flóra; Dobolyi, Csaba; Zágoni, Dóra; Risa, Anita; Krifaton, Csilla; Hartman, Mátyás; Cserháti, Mátyás; Szoboszlay, Sándor; Kriszt, Balázs

2016-12-01

Due to the climate change, aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species and strains have appeared in several European countries, contaminating different agricultural commodities with aflatoxin. Our aim was to screen the presence of aflatoxigenic fungi in maize fields throughout the seven geographic regions of Hungary. Fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi were isolated in the ratio of 26.9% and 42.3% from soil and maize samples in 2013, and these ratios decreased to 16.1% and 34.7% in 2014. Based on morphological characteristics and the sequence analysis of the partial calmodulin gene, all isolates proved to be Aspergillus flavus, except four strains, which were identified as Aspergillus parasiticus. About half of the A. flavus strains and all the A. parasiticus strains were able to synthesize aflatoxins. Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains were isolated from all the seven regions of Hungary. A. parasiticus strains were found in the soil of the regions Southern Great Plain and Southern Transdanubia and in a maize sample of the region Western Transdanubia. In spite of the fact that aflatoxins have rarely been detected in feeds and foods in Hungary, aflatoxigenic A. flavus and A. parasiticus strains are present in the maize culture throughout Hungary posing a potential threat to food safety.

Discrimination of Aspergillus isolates at the species and strain level by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hettick, Justin M; Green, Brett J; Buskirk, Amanda D; Kashon, Michael L; Slaven, James E; Janotka, Erika; Blachere, Francoise M; Schmechel, Detlef; Beezhold, Donald H

2008-09-15

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used to generate highly reproducible mass spectral fingerprints for 12 species of fungi of the genus Aspergillus and 5 different strains of Aspergillus flavus. Prior to MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the fungi were subjected to three 1-min bead beating cycles in an acetonitrile/trifluoroacetic acid solvent. The mass spectra contain abundant peaks in the range of 5 to 20kDa and may be used to discriminate between species unambiguously. A discriminant analysis using all peaks from the MALDI-TOF MS data yielded error rates for classification of 0 and 18.75% for resubstitution and cross-validation methods, respectively. If a subset of 28 significant peaks is chosen, resubstitution and cross-validation error rates are 0%. Discriminant analysis of the MALDI-TOF MS data for 5 strains of A. flavus using all peaks yielded error rates for classification of 0 and 5% for resubstitution and cross-validation methods, respectively. These data indicate that MALDI-TOF MS data may be used for unambiguous identification of members of the genus Aspergillus at both the species and strain levels.

LAMP-based group specific detection of aflatoxin producers within Aspergillus section Flavi in food raw materials, spices, and dried fruit using neutral red for visible-light signal detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Niessen, Ludwig; Bechtner, Julia; Fodil, Sihem; Taniwaki, Marta H; Vogel, Rudi F

2018-02-02

Aflatoxins can be produced by 21 species within sections Flavi (16 species), Ochraceorosei (2), and Nidulantes (3) of the fungal genus Aspergillus. They pose risks to human and animal health due to high toxicity and carcinogenicity. Detecting aflatoxin producers can help to assess toxicological risks associated with contaminated commodities. Species specific molecular assays (PCR and LAMP) are available for detection of major producers, but fail to detect species of minor importance. To enable rapid and sensitive detection of several aflatoxin producing species in a single analysis, a nor1 gene-specific LAMP assay was developed. Specificity testing showed that among 128 fungal species from 28 genera, 15 aflatoxigenic species in section Flavi were detected, including synonyms of A. flavus and A. parasiticus. No cross reactions were found with other tested species. The detection limit of the assay was 9.03pg of A. parasiticus genomic DNA per reaction. Visual detection of positive LAMP reactions under daylight conditions was facilitated using neutral red to allow unambiguous distinction between positive and negative assay results. Application of the assay to the detection of A. parasiticus conidia revealed a detection limit of 211 conidia per reaction after minimal sample preparation. The usefulness of the assay was demonstrated in the analysis of aflatoxinogenic species in samples of rice, nuts, raisins, dried figs, as well as powdered spices. Comparison of LAMP results with presence/absence of aflatoxins and aflatoxin producing fungi in 50 rice samples showed good correlation between these parameters. Our study suggests that the developed LAMP assay is a rapid, sensitive and user-friendly tool for surveillance and quality control in our food industry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Significance and occurrence of fumonisins from Aspergillus niger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard

Fumonisins is a well-studied group of mycotoxins, mainly produced in maize by Fusarium species. However with the recent discovery of a fumonisin production by Aspergillus niger, other food commodities are at risk, since A. niger is a ubiquitous contaminant of many food and feed products....... The objective of this thesis was to determine the significance and occurrence of fumonisins from Aspergillus niger in food, the frequency of fumonisin production in A. niger isolates, as well as studies of the effect of physiological factors affecting fumonisin production. Major findings in this context have...... been the ocumentation of the production of fumonisins in raisins and peanuts, and occurrence of A. niger derived fumonisins in retail wine and raisins. Physiological investigations have demonstrated that fumonisin production in A. niger occurs at temperatures between 20-37 °C. Three water activity...

Scientific Advances with Aspergillus Species that Are Used for Food and Biotech Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Biesebeke, Rob Te; Record, Erik

2008-01-01

Yeast and filamentous fungi have been used for centuries in diverse biotechnological processes. Fungal fermentation technology is traditionally used in relation to food production, such as for bread, beer, cheese, sake and soy sauce. Last century, the industrial application of yeast and filamentous fungi expanded rapidly, with excellent examples such as purified enzymes and secondary metabolites (e.g. antibiotics), which are used in a wide range of food as well as non-food industries. Research on protein and/or metabolite secretion by fungal species has focused on identifying bottlenecks in (post-) transcriptional regulation of protein production, metabolic rerouting, morphology and the transit of proteins through the secretion pathway. In past years, genome sequencing of some fungi (e.g. Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger) has been completed. The available genome sequences have enabled identification of genes and functionally important regions of the genome. This has directed research to focus on a post-genomics era in which transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics methodologies will help to explore the scientific relevance and industrial application of fungal genome sequences.

Constitutive expression of fluorescent protein by Aspergillus var. niger and Aspergillus carbonarius to monitor fungal colonization in maize plants

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus niger and A. carbonarius are two species in the Aspergillus section Nigri (black-spored aspergilli) frequently associated with peanut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays), and other plants as pathogens. These infections are symptomless and as such are major concerns since some black aspe...

Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-fight mass spectrometry for identification of 345 clinical isolates of Aspergillus species from 11 Korean hospitals: comparison with molecular identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ju Heon; Shin, Jong Hee; Choi, Min Ji; Choi, Jin Un; Park, Yeon-Joon; Jang, Sook Jin; Won, Eun Jeong; Kim, Soo Hyun; Kee, Seung Jung; Shin, Myung Geun; Suh, Soon Pal

2017-01-01

We evaluated the ability of the Filamentous Fungi Library 1.0 of the MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper system to identify 345 clinical Aspergillus isolates from 11 Korean hospitals. Compared with results of the internal transcribed spacer region sequencing, the frequencies of correct identification at the species-complex level were 94.5% and 98.8% with cutoff values of 2.0 and 1.7, respectively. Compared with results of β-tubulin gene sequencing, the frequencies of correct identification at the species level were 96.0% (cutoff 2.0) and 100% (cutoff 1.7) for 303 Aspergillus isolates of five common, non-cryptic species, but only 4.8% (cutoff 1.7) and 0% (cutoff 2.0) for 42 Aspergillus isolates of six cryptic species (identifiable by β-tubulin or calmodulin sequencing). These results show that the MALDI Biotyper using the Filamentous Fungi Library version 1.0 enables reliable identification of the majority of common clinical Aspergillus isolates, although the database should be expanded to facilitate identification of cryptic species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heterologous expression of Gaeumannomyces graminis lipoxygenase in Aspergillus nidulans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heshof, R.; Schayck, van J.P.; Tamayo Ramos, J.A.; Graaff, de L.H.

2014-01-01

Aspergillus sp. contain ppo genes coding for Ppo enzymes that produce oxylipins from polyunsaturated fatty acids. These oxylipins function as signal molecules in sporulation and influence the asexual to sexual ratio of Aspergillus sp. Fungi like Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger contain

Antifungal susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species complex in the Clinical Laboratory: how to do it, when to do it, and how to interpret it

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Manso

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The emergence of drug resistance in fungal pathogens has a profound impact on human health given limited number of antifungal drugs. Antifungal resistance in Aspergillus spp. infection can be encountered in the antifungal drug-exposed patient due to selection of intrinsically resistant species or isolates with acquired resistance belonging to species that are normally susceptible. Resistance to triazoles is not common in Aspergillus spp., however, triazole resistance in A. fumigatus appears to be increasing in several European countries in recent years and can be clinically relevant. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing have developed breakpoints and epidemiological cutoff values that are now established for Aspergillus spp. Clinical microbiology laboratories will be employed commercial susceptibility assays, rather than reference broth microdilution methods and comparative studies are particularly important.

Comparison of the aflR gene sequences of strains in Aspergillus section Flavi.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chao-Zong; Liou, Guey-Yuh; Yuan, Gwo-Fang

2006-01-01

Aflatoxins are polyketide-derived secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus nomius and a few other species. The toxic effects of aflatoxins have adverse consequences for human health and agricultural economics. The aflR gene, a regulatory gene for aflatoxin biosynthesis, encodes a protein containing a zinc-finger DNA-binding motif. Although Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae, which are used in fermented foods and in ingredient manufacture, have no record of producing aflatoxin, they have been shown to possess an aflR gene. This study examined 34 strains of Aspergillus section Flavi. The aflR gene of 23 of these strains was successfully amplified and sequenced. No aflR PCR products were found in five A. sojae strains or six strains of A. oryzae. These PCR results suggested that the aflR gene is absent or significantly different in some A. sojae and A. oryzae strains. The sequenced aflR genes from the 23 positive strains had greater than 96.6 % similarity, which was particularly conserved in the zinc-finger DNA-binding domain. The aflR gene of A. sojae has two obvious characteristics: an extra CTCATG sequence fragment and a C to T transition that causes premature termination of AFLR protein synthesis. Differences between A. parasiticus/A. sojae and A. flavus/A. oryzae aflR genes were also identified. Some strains of A. flavus as well as A. flavus var. viridis, A. oryzae var. viridis and A. oryzae var. effuses have an A. oryzae-type aflR gene. For all strains with the A. oryzae-type aflR gene, there was no evidence of aflatoxin production. It is suggested that for safety reasons, the aflR gene could be examined to assess possible aflatoxin production by Aspergillus section Flavi strains.

Characteristics of Korean Alcoholic Beverages Produced by Using Rice Nuruks Containing Aspergillus oryzae N159-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hye Ryun; Lee, Ae Ran; Kim, Jae-Ho

2017-06-01

Herein, nuruks derived from non-glutinous and glutinous rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae N159-1 (having high alpha-amylase and beta-glucosidase activities) were used to produce Korean alcoholic beverages. The resultant beverages had enhanced fruity (ethyl caproate and isoamyl alcohol) and rose (2-phenethyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol) flavors and high taste scores.

Characteristics of Korean Alcoholic Beverages Produced by Using Rice Nuruks Containing Aspergillus oryzae N159-1

OpenAIRE

Kim, Hye Ryun; Lee, Ae Ran; Kim, Jae-Ho

2017-01-01

Herein, nuruks derived from non-glutinous and glutinous rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae N159-1 (having high alpha-amylase and beta-glucosidase activities) were used to produce Korean alcoholic beverages. The resultant beverages had enhanced fruity (ethyl caproate and isoamyl alcohol) and rose (2-phenethyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol) flavors and high taste scores.

Comparative chemistry of Aspergillus oryzae (RIB40) and A. flavus (NRRL 3357)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rank, Christian; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Petersen, Lene Maj

2012-01-01

Aspergillus oryzae and A. flavus are important species in industrial biotechnology and food safety and have been some of the first aspergilli to be fully genome sequenced. Bioinformatic analysis has revealed 99.5% gene homology between the two species pointing towards a large coherence in the sec...... alkaloids related to the A. flavus metabolites ditryptophenalines and miyakamides. Generally the secondary metabolite capability of A. oryzae presents several novel end products likely to result from the domestication process from A. flavus.......Aspergillus oryzae and A. flavus are important species in industrial biotechnology and food safety and have been some of the first aspergilli to be fully genome sequenced. Bioinformatic analysis has revealed 99.5% gene homology between the two species pointing towards a large coherence...

Proteomics of eukaryotic microorganisms: The medically and biotechnologically important fungal genus Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kniemeyer, Olaf

2011-08-01

Fungal species of the genus Aspergillus play significant roles as model organisms in basic research, as "cell factories" for the production of organic acids, pharmaceuticals or industrially important enzymes and as pathogens causing superficial and invasive infections in animals and humans. The release of the genome sequences of several Aspergillus sp. has paved the way for global analyses of protein expression in Aspergilli including the characterisation of proteins, which have not designated any function. With the application of proteomic methods, particularly 2-D gel and LC-MS/MS-based methods, first insights into the composition of the proteome of Aspergilli under different growth and stress conditions could be gained. Putative targets of global regulators led to the improvement of industrially relevant Aspergillus strains and so far not described Aspergillus antigens have already been discovered. Here, I review the recent proteome data generated for the species Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Toward systems metabolic engineering of Aspergillus and Pichia species for the production of chemicals and biofuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caspeta, Luis; Nielsen, Jens

2013-01-01

trends in systems biology of Aspergillus and Pichia species, highlighting the relevance of these developments for systems metabolic engineering of these organisms for the production of hydrolytic enzymes, biofuels and chemicals from biomass. Metabolic engineering is moving from traditional methods...... for the production of hydrolytic enzymes, biofuels and chemicals from biomass. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim....

Ecophysiological characterization of Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger isolated from grapes in Spanish vineyards.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Cela, E; Crespo-Sempere, A; Ramos, A J; Sanchis, V; Marin, S

2014-03-03

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity of black aspergilli isolated from berries from different agroclimatic regions of Spain. Growth characterization (in terms of temperature and water activity requirements) of Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger was carried out on synthetic grape medium. A. tubingensis and A. niger showed higher maximum temperatures for growth (>45 °C versus 40-42 °C), and lower minimum aw requirements (0.83 aw versus 0.87 aw) than A. carbonarius. No differences in growth boundaries due to their geographical origin were found within A. niger aggregate isolates. Conversely, A. carbonarius isolates from the hotter and drier region grew and produced OTA at lower aw than other isolates. However, little genetic diversity in A. carbonarius was observed for the microsatellites tested and the same sequence of β-tubulin gene was observed; therefore intraspecific variability did not correlate with the geographical origin of the isolates or with their ability to produce OTA. Climatic change prediction points to drier and hotter climatic scenarios where A. tubingensis and A. niger could be even more prevalent over A. carbonarius, since they are better adapted to extreme high temperature and drier conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus Associated with Meju, a Fermented Soybean Starting Material for Traditional Soy Sauce and Soybean Paste in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seung-Beom; Kim, Dae-Ho; Samson, Robert A

2015-09-01

Aspergillus is an important fungal genus used for the fermentation of Asian foods; this genus is referred to as koji mold in Japan and China. A. oryzae, A. sojae, and A. tamari are used in the production of miso and shoyu in Japan, but a comprehensive taxonomic study of Aspergillus isolated from Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for traditional soy sauce and soybean paste in Korea, has not been conducted. In this study, various Aspergillus species were isolated during a study of the mycobiota of Meju, and the aspergilli were identified based on phenotypic characteristics and sequencing of the β-tubulin gene. Most strains of Aspergillus were found to belong to the following sections: Aspergillus (n = 220), Flavi (n = 213), and Nigri (n = 54). The most commonly identified species were A. oryzae (n = 183), A. pseudoglaucus (Eurotium repens) (n = 81), A. chevalieri (E. chevalieri) (n = 62), A. montevidensis (E. amstelodami) (n = 34), A. niger (n = 21), A. tamari (n = 15), A. ruber (E. rubrum) (n = 15), A. proliferans (n = 14), and A. luchuensis (n = 14); 25 species were identified from 533 Aspergillus strains. Aspergillus strains were mainly found during the high temperature fermentation period in the later steps of Meju fermentation.

Ortholog prediction of the Aspergillus genus applicable for synthetic biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jane Lind Nybo; Vesth, Tammi Camilla; Theobald, Sebastian

of genotype-to-phenotype. To achieve this, we have developed orthologous protein prediction software that utilizes genus-wide genetic diversity. The approach is optimized for large data sets, based on BLASTp considering protein identity and alignment coverage, and clustering using single linkage of bi......The Aspergillus genus contains leading industrial microorganisms, excelling in producing bioactive compounds and enzymes. Using synthetic biology and bioinformatics, we aim to re-engineer these organisms for applications within human health, pharmaceuticals, environmental engineering, and food......-directional hits. The result is orthologous protein families describing the genomic and functional features of individual species, clades and the core/pan genome of Aspergillus; and applicable to genotype-to-phenotype analyses in other microbial genera....

VeA of Aspergillus niger increases spore dispersing capacity by impacting conidiophore architecture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Fengfeng; Dijksterhuis, Jan; Wyatt, Timon; Wösten, Han A B; Bleichrodt, Robert-Jan

Aspergillus species are highly abundant fungi worldwide. Their conidia are among the most dominant fungal spores in the air. Conidia are formed in chains on the vesicle of the asexual reproductive structure called the conidiophore. Here, it is shown that the velvet protein VeA of Aspergillus niger

Uranium leaching using mixed organic acids produced by Aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yong-dong Wang; Guang-yue Li; De-xin Ding; Zhi-xiang Zhou; Qin-wen Deng; Nan Hu; Yan Tan

2013-01-01

Both of culture temperature and pH value had impacts on the degree of uranium extraction through changing types and concentrations of mixed organic acids produced by Aspergillus niger, and significant interactions existed between them though pH value played a leading role. And with the change of pH value of mixed organic acids, the types and contents of mixed organic acids changed and impacted on the degree of uranium extraction, especially oxalic acid, citric acid and malic acid. The mean degree of uranium extraction rose to peak when the culture temperature was 25 deg C (76.14 %) and pH value of mixed organic acids was 2.3 (82.40 %) respectively. And the highest one was 83.09 %. The optimal culture temperature (25 deg C) of A. niger for uranium leaching was different from the most appropriate growing temperature (37 deg C). (author)

Coinfection by Aspergillus and Zygomycetes Species in a Case of Acute Rhinosinusitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhara Vaidya

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Invasive mycotic infections can be effectively treated if rapid identification of fungus is obtained. We reported a case of coinfection by Aspergillus and Rhizopus sp. involving nose, paranasal sinuses, orbit, and brain in a 68-year-old known hypertensive male. He was presented to ENT OPD with history of fever and intermittent headache since fifteen days along with history of right-sided nasal obstruction and proptosis since seven days. CT scan of brain and paranasal sinuses showed findings of pansinusitis with cellulitic changes in right orbit. MRI confirmed the same along with features of intracranial extension with focal meningitis in right frontotemporal region. Laboratory parameters did not conclude much except for leucocytosis and hyponatremia. Patient was taken for endoscopic debridement from nose and paranasal sinuses, and tissue was sent for microbiological and histopathological examination. Minced tissue was processed, and after 48 hrs of incubation two types of growth were identified, one was yellowish, granular, and powdery consistent with Aspergillus sp., and another was cottony and woolly consistent with Rhizopus sp. LCB mount confirmed presence of Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus arrhizus. Patient responded to therapy with IV amphotericin B and surgical debridement. On discharge patient's condition was good.

Antifungal Activity of Thapsia villosa Essential Oil against Candida, Cryptococcus, Malassezia, Aspergillus and Dermatophyte Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugénia Pinto

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The composition of the essential oil (EO of Thapsia villosa (Apiaceae, isolated by hydrodistillation from the plant’s aerial parts, was analysed by GC and GC-MS. Antifungal activity of the EO and its main components, limonene (57.5% and methyleugenol (35.9%, were evaluated against clinically relevant yeasts (Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Malassezia furfur and moulds (Aspergillus spp. and dermatophytes. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs were measured according to the broth macrodilution protocols by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI. The EO, limonene and methyleugenol displayed low MIC and MFC (minimum fungicidal concentration values against Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, dermatophytes, and Aspergillus spp. Regarding Candida species, an inhibition of yeast–mycelium transition was demonstrated at sub-inhibitory concentrations of the EO (MIC/128; 0.01 μL/mL and their major compounds in Candida albicans. Fluconazole does not show this activity, and the combination with low concentrations of EO could associate a supplementary target for the antifungal activity. The association of fluconazole with T. villosa oil does not show antagonism, but the combination limonene/fluconazole displays synergism. The fungistatic and fungicidal activities revealed by T. villosa EO and its main compounds, associated with their low haemolytic activity, confirm their potential antimicrobial interest against fungal species often associated with human mycoses.

Real-time PCR-based method for rapid detection of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus welwitschiae isolated from coffee.

Science.gov (United States)

von Hertwig, Aline Morgan; Sant'Ana, Anderson S; Sartori, Daniele; da Silva, Josué José; Nascimento, Maristela S; Iamanaka, Beatriz Thie; Pelegrinelli Fungaro, Maria Helena; Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi

2018-05-01

Some species from Aspergillus section Nigri are morphologically very similar and altogether have been called A. niger aggregate. Although the species included in this group are morphologically very similar, they differ in their ability to produce mycotoxins and other metabolites and their taxonomical status has evolved continuously. Among them, A. niger and A. welwitschiae are ochratoxin A and fumonisin B 2 producers and their detection and/or identification is of crucial importance for food safety. The aim of this study was the development of a real-time PCR-based method for simultaneous discrimination of A. niger and A. welwitschiae from other species of the A. niger aggregate isolated from coffee beans. One primer pair and a hybridization probe specific for detection of A. niger and A. welwitschiae strains were designed based on the BenA gene sequences, and used in a Real-time PCR assay for the rapid discrimination between both these species from all others of the A. niger aggregate. The Real-time PCR assay was shown to be 100% efficient in discriminating the 73 isolates of A. niger/A. welwitschiae from the other A. niger aggregate species analyzed as a negative control. This result testifies to the use of this technique as a good tool in the rapid detection of these important toxigenic species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential role of gpaB and sidA gene expressions in relation to virulence in Aspergillus species from patients with invasive aspergillosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghods, Nayereh; Falahati, Mehraban; Roudbary, Maryam; Farahyar, Shirin; Shamaei, Masoud; Pourabdollah, Mahin; Seif, Farhad

2018-02-03

The virulence genes in invasive aspergillosis (IA) have not been analyzed adequately. The present study was designed to evaluate the expression of gpaB and sidA genes, which are important virulence genes in Aspergillus spp. from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. Direct examination and culture on Czapek Agar and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar media were performed for 600 BAL specimens isolated from patients with possible aspergillosis. A Galactomannan ELISA assay was also carried out. The expression levels of the gpaB and sidA genes in isolates were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). We identified 2 species, including Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) in 25 positive samples for invasive aspergillosis as validated using GM-ELISA. A. flavus is the main pathogen threatening transplant recipients and cancer patients worldwide. In this study, A. flavus had low levels of the gpaB gene expression compared to A. fumigatus (p=0.006). The highest sidA expression was detected in transplant recipients (p=0.05). There was no significant correlation between sidA expression and underlying disease (p=0.15). The sidA and gpaB gene expression patterns may provide evidence that these virulence genes play important roles in the pathogenicity of Aspergillus isolates; however, there are several regulatory genes responsible for the unexpressed sidA and gpaB genes in the isolates. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus section Fumigati typing by PCR-restriction fragment polymorphism.

Science.gov (United States)

Staab, Janet F; Balajee, S Arunmozhi; Marr, Kieren A

2009-07-01

Recent studies have shown that there are multiple clinically important members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati that are difficult to distinguish on the basis of morphological features (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, A. lentulus, and Neosartorya udagawae). Identification of these organisms may be clinically important, as some species vary in their susceptibilities to antifungal agents. In a prior study, we utilized multilocus sequence typing to describe A. lentulus as a species distinct from A. fumigatus. The sequence data show that the gene encoding beta-tubulin, benA, has high interspecies variability at intronic regions but is conserved among isolates of the same species. These data were used to develop a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method that rapidly and accurately distinguishes A. fumigatus, A. lentulus, and N. udagawae, three major species within the section Fumigati that have previously been implicated in disease. Digestion of the benA amplicon with BccI generated unique banding patterns; the results were validated by screening a collection of clinical strains and by in silico analysis of the benA sequences of Aspergillus spp. deposited in the GenBank database. PCR-RFLP of benA is a simple method for the identification of clinically important, similar morphotypes of Aspergillus spp. within the section Fumigati.

Aspergillus Section Fumigati Typing by PCR-Restriction Fragment Polymorphism▿

Science.gov (United States)

Staab, Janet F.; Balajee, S. Arunmozhi; Marr, Kieren A.

2009-01-01

Recent studies have shown that there are multiple clinically important members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati that are difficult to distinguish on the basis of morphological features (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, A. lentulus, and Neosartorya udagawae). Identification of these organisms may be clinically important, as some species vary in their susceptibilities to antifungal agents. In a prior study, we utilized multilocus sequence typing to describe A. lentulus as a species distinct from A. fumigatus. The sequence data show that the gene encoding β-tubulin, benA, has high interspecies variability at intronic regions but is conserved among isolates of the same species. These data were used to develop a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method that rapidly and accurately distinguishes A. fumigatus, A. lentulus, and N. udagawae, three major species within the section Fumigati that have previously been implicated in disease. Digestion of the benA amplicon with BccI generated unique banding patterns; the results were validated by screening a collection of clinical strains and by in silico analysis of the benA sequences of Aspergillus spp. deposited in the GenBank database. PCR-RFLP of benA is a simple method for the identification of clinically important, similar morphotypes of Aspergillus spp. within the section Fumigati. PMID:19403766

Aspergillus korhogoensis, a novel aflatoxin producing species from the Côte d’Ivoire

Science.gov (United States)

Based on examination of four isolates, this new species is described using a polyphasic approach. A concatenated alignment comprised of nine genes (ITS, benA, cmdA, mcm7, amdS, rpb1, preB, ppgA, preA) was subjected to phylogenetic analysis, and resulted in all four strains being inferred as a distin...

Aflatoxin biosynthesis control produced by Aspergillus flavus in layer hens feed during storage period of six months.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, S M; Sultana, B; Iqbal, M

2017-06-01

Aflatoxins (AFTs) are a group of closely related toxins that are produced by different fungus species. Food and feed contamination with AFT is a worldwide health-related problem. As a result of fungal attack, the food and feed resulted in a principal socioeconomic loss and toxins produced in feed and food items harm the humans and animals in different ways. The anti-aflatoxigenic effect Psidium guajava, Ficus benghalensis, Gardenia radicans, Punica granatum and Ziziphus jujuba leaves were evaluated against aflatoxins (AFTs), produced by Aspergillus flavus in layer feed during storage. Among the investigated medicinal plant leaves, P. granatum showed highly promising anti-aflatoxigenic activity and completely inhibited the AFTs (B1 and B2) production over storage period without compromising the nutritive quality of feed (ash, protein, fat, fiber, Fe, Ca, P and K contents). Leaves of F. benghalensis and Z. jujuba were also effective however, higher concentration (15%) inhibited the AFTs production up to 99% and also maintained nutritive quality of feed. G. radicans was found least effective in controlling the AFTs production. Results revealed that all plant leaves were effective in controlling AFTs production in layer feed over the storage period of six months and these plants are potential candidate to replace the fungicides used to protect feed and other agricultural commodities from AFTs production during storage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Insights from the genome of a high alkaline cellulase producing Aspergillus fumigatus strain obtained from Peruvian Amazon rainforest.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Sujay; Zhang, Angel; Ludeña, Yvette; Villena, Gretty K; Yu, Fengan; Sherman, David H; Gutiérrez-Correa, Marcel

2017-06-10

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a high alkaline cellulase producing Aspergillus fumigatus strain LMB-35Aa isolated from soil of Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The genome is ∼27.5mb in size, comprises of 228 scaffolds with an average GC content of 50%, and is predicted to contain a total of 8660 protein-coding genes. Of which, 6156 are with known function; it codes for 607 putative CAZymes families potentially involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Several important cellulose degrading genes, such as endoglucanase A, endoglucanase B, endoglucanase D and beta-glucosidase, are also identified. The genome of A. fumigatus strain LMB-35Aa represents the first whole sequenced genome of non-clinical, high cellulase producing A. fumigatus strain isolated from forest soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.J. Chen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available 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 β-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

Variation in the fumonisin biosynthetic gene cluster in fumonisin-producing and nonproducing black aspergilli.

Science.gov (United States)

Susca, Antonia; Proctor, Robert H; Butchko, Robert A E; Haidukowski, Miriam; Stea, Gaetano; Logrieco, Antonio; Moretti, Antonio

2014-12-01

The ability to produce fumonisin mycotoxins varies among members of the black aspergilli. Previously, analyses of selected genes in the fumonisin biosynthetic gene (fum) cluster in black aspergilli from California grapes indicated that fumonisin-nonproducing isolates of Aspergillus welwitschiae lack six fum genes, but nonproducing isolates of Aspergillus niger do not. In the current study, analyses of black aspergilli from grapes from the Mediterranean Basin indicate that the genomic context of the fum cluster is the same in isolates of A. niger and A. welwitschiae regardless of fumonisin-production ability and that full-length clusters occur in producing isolates of both species and nonproducing isolates of A. niger. In contrast, the cluster has undergone an eight-gene deletion in fumonisin-nonproducing isolates of A. welwitschiae. Phylogenetic analyses suggest each species consists of a mixed population of fumonisin-producing and nonproducing individuals, and that existence of both production phenotypes may provide a selective advantage to these species. Differences in gene content of fum cluster homologues and phylogenetic relationships of fum genes suggest that the mutation(s) responsible for the nonproduction phenotype differs, and therefore arose independently, in the two species. Partial fum cluster homologues were also identified in genome sequences of four other black Aspergillus species. Gene content of these partial clusters and phylogenetic relationships of fum sequences indicate that non-random partial deletion of the cluster has occurred multiple times among the species. This in turn suggests that an intact cluster and fumonisin production were once more widespread among black aspergilli. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biodiversity of Aspergillus section Flavi in the United States: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Bruce W

2007-10-01

Fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi are of great economic importance in the United States due to their ability to produce toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins in agricultural commodities. Development of control strategies against A. flavus and A. parasiticus, the major aflatoxin-producing species, is dependent upon a basic understanding of their diversity in agricultural ecosystems. This review summarizes our current knowledge of species and population diversity in the United States in relation to morphology, mycotoxin production and genetic characters. The high genetic diversity in populations of aflatoxigenic fungi is a reflection of their versatile habits in nature, which include saprotrophic colonization of plant debris in soil and parasitism of seeds and grain. Genetic variation within populations may originate from a cryptic sexual state. The advent of intensive monoculture agriculture not only increases population size but also may introduce positive selective pressure for aflatoxin production due to its link with pathogenicity in crops. Important goals in population research are to determine how section Flavi diversity in agricultural ecosystems is changing and to measure the direction of this evolution.

Aspergillus Section Fumigati Typing by PCR-Restriction Fragment Polymorphism▿

OpenAIRE

Staab, Janet F.; Balajee, S. Arunmozhi; Marr, Kieren A.

2009-01-01

Recent studies have shown that there are multiple clinically important members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati that are difficult to distinguish on the basis of morphological features (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, A. lentulus, and Neosartorya udagawae). Identification of these organisms may be clinically important, as some species vary in their susceptibilities to antifungal agents. In a prior study, we utilized multilocus sequence typing to describe A. lentulus as a species distinct from...

Identification of ochratoxin A producing fungi associated with fresh and dry liquorice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Juan Chen

Full Text Available The presence of fungi on liquorice could contaminate the crop and result in elevated levels of mycotoxin. In this study, the mycobiota associated with fresh and dry liquorice was investigated in 3 producing regions of China. Potential toxigenic fungi were tested for ochratoxin A (OTA and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 production using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. Based on a polyphasic approach using morphological characters, β-tubulin and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit gene phylogeny, a total of 9 genera consisting of 22 fungal species were identified, including two new Penicillium species (Penicillium glycyrrhizacola sp. nov. and Penicillium xingjiangense sp. nov.. The similarity of fungal communities associated with fresh and dry liquorice was low. Nineteen species belonging to 8 genera were detected from fresh liquorice with populations affiliated with P. glycyrrhizacola, P. chrysogenum and Aspergillus insuetus comprising the majority (78.74%, 33.33% and 47.06% of total of the community from Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang samples, respectively. In contrast, ten species belonging to 4 genera were detected from dry liquorice with populations affiliated with P. chrysogenum, P. crustosum and Aspergillus terreus comprising the majority (64.00%, 52.38% and 90.91% of total of the community from Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang samples, respectively. Subsequent LC/MS/MS analysis indicated that 5 fungal species were able to synthesize OTA in vitro including P. chrysogenum, P. glycyrrhizacola, P. polonicum, Aspergillus ochraceus and A. westerdijkiae, the OTA concentration varied from 12.99 to 39.03 µg/kg. AFB1 was absent in all tested strains. These results demonstrate the presence of OTA producing fungi on fresh liquorice and suggest that these fungi could survive on dry liquorice after traditional sun drying. Penicillium chrysogenum derived from surrounding environments is likely to be a stable contributor to high OTA level in

Heterologous expression of Gaeumannomyces graminis lipoxygenase in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Heshof, Ruud; van Schayck, J Paul; Tamayo-Ramos, Juan Antonio; de Graaff, Leo H

2014-01-01

Aspergillus sp. contain ppo genes coding for Ppo enzymes that produce oxylipins from polyunsaturated fatty acids. These oxylipins function as signal molecules in sporulation and influence the asexual to sexual ratio of Aspergillus sp. Fungi like Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger contain just ppo genes where the human pathogenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus contain ppo genes as well as lipoxygenases. Lipoxygenases catalyze the synthesis of oxylipins and are hypothesized to be involved in quorum-sensing abilities and invading plant tissue. In this study we used A. nidulans WG505 as an expression host to heterologously express Gaeumannomyces graminis lipoxygenase. The presence of the recombinant LOX induced phenotypic changes in A. nidulans transformants. Also, a proteomic analysis of an A. nidulans LOX producing strain indicated that the heterologous protein was degraded before its glycosylation in the secretory pathway. We observed that the presence of LOX induced the specific production of aminopeptidase Y that possibly degrades the G. graminis lipoxygenase intercellularly. Also the presence of the protein thioredoxin reductase suggests that the G. graminis lipoxygenase is actively repressed in A. nidulans.

Biochemical characterisation of a glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger produced by solid-state fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiane Trevisan Slivinski

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, glucoamylase was produced by Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation. The enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. Its molecular mass was estimated as 118.17 kDa by electrophoresis. The partially purified enzyme had an optimum pH range of 4.5-5.0 and an optimum temperature of 60 °C, with average activity 152.85 U mL-1. Thermal and pH stability assays with the crude extract showed that more than 60 % of the activity remained at pH 4.6 and 60 °C, even after an exposition to these conditions longer than 24 h. Yet, after purification, the enzyme was stable at these for at least 4 h, which indicated that its purification for use in starch saccharification was inadvisable. K M and Vmax were 0.34 mg mL-1 and 160.22 U mL-1, respectively.

The Potent of Aspergillus parasiticus to Produce Aflatoxin B1 on the Maize Flour During Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agus Selamat Duniaji

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 contamination caused by Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergiluus Aspergillus flavus is a great concern in maize production worldwide. A. parasiticus infection and aflatoxin B1 contamination are usually found in maize and their processed during storage, distribution and processing. Aflatoxin B1 contamination in food and feed can cause the cancer diseases in animal and human. This research was aimed to determinate the potency of A. parasiticus to produce aflatoxin B1 in maize during storage 0, 5, 10 and 15 days. The research methods was using Completed Random Design (CRD with three replicated. The research was investigation of a number of colony A. parasiticus in Petato Dextro Agar (PDA and Aflatoxin B1 content by using Enzym Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA. Result of research showed that A.parasiticus were susceptible to grow in maize flour and produce aflatoxin B1 during storage. The population of A. parasiticus in maize flour were  9.5 x 105 d in primary storage (0 days that was the total colony were increasing  .7 x 106 (storage 5 days, 2.5 x 107 (storage 10 days and 1.5 x 108 cfu/g with storage 15 days A. parasiticus was a potent to produce aflatoxin B1 in myzena flour with total of aflatoxin B1 is  66.50 ppb of mayzena flour during storage 5 days , 46.40 ppb with 10 days storage, 57.00 ppb during storage 15 days and was not found in 0 days.

Polyphasic taxonomy of Aspergillus section Cervini

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, A.J.; Varga, J.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2016-01-01

Species belonging to Aspergillus section Cervini are characterised by radiate or short columnar, fawn coloured, uniseriate conidial heads. The morphology of the taxa in this section is very similar and isolates assigned to these species are frequently misidentified. In this study, a polyphasic...

Identification of the Gene Encoding Isoprimeverose-producing Oligoxyloglucan Hydrolase in Aspergillus oryzae*

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuzawa, Tomohiko; Mitsuishi, Yasushi; Kameyama, Akihiko

2016-01-01

Aspergillus oryzae produces a unique β-glucosidase, isoprimeverose-producing oligoxyloglucan hydrolase (IPase), that recognizes and releases isoprimeverose (α-d-xylopyranose-(1→6)-d-glucopyranose) units from the non-reducing ends of oligoxyloglucans. A gene encoding A. oryzae IPase, termed ipeA, was identified and expressed in Pichia pastoris. With the exception of cellobiose, IpeA hydrolyzes a variety of oligoxyloglucans and is a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 3. Xylopyranosyl branching at the non-reducing ends was vital for IPase activity, and galactosylation at a α-1,6-linked xylopyranosyl side chain completely abolished IpeA activity. Hepta-oligoxyloglucan saccharide (Xyl3Glc4) substrate was preferred over tri- (Xyl1Glc2) and tetra- (Xyl2Glc2) oligoxyloglucan saccharides substrates. IpeA transferred isoprimeverose units to other saccharides, indicating transglycosylation activity. The ipeA gene was expressed in xylose and xyloglucan media and was strongly induced in the presence of xyloglucan endo-xyloglucanase-hydrolyzed products. This is the first study to report the identification of a gene encoding IPase in eukaryotes. PMID:26755723

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the differential detection of trichothecene- and fumonisin-producing species of Fusarium in cornmeal.

Science.gov (United States)

Bluhm, B H; Flaherty, J E; Cousin, M A; Woloshuk, C P

2002-12-01

The genus Fusarium comprises a diverse group of fungi including several species that produce mycotoxins in food commodities. In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the group-specific detection of fumonisin-producing and trichothecene-producing species of Fusarium. Primers for genus-level recognition of Fusarium spp. were designed from the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) of rDNA. Primers for group-specific detection were designed from the TRI6 gene involved in trichothecene biosynthesis and the FUM5 gene involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. Primer specificity was determined by testing for cross-reactivity against purified genomic DNA from 43 fungal species representing 14 genera, including 9 Aspergillus spp., 9 Fusarium spp., and 10 Penicillium spp. With purified genomic DNA as a template, genus-specific recognition was observed at 10 pg per reaction; group-specific recognition occurred at 100 pg of template per reaction for the trichothecene producer Fusarium graminearum and at 1 ng of template per reaction for the fumonisin producer Fusarium verticillioides. For the application of the PCR assay, a protocol was developed to isolate fungal DNA from cornmeal. The detection of F. graminearum and its differentiation from F. verticillioides were accomplished prior to visible fungal growth at cornmeal. This level of detection is comparable to those of other methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the assay described here can be used in the food industry's effort to monitor quality and safety.

Periprosthetic hip joint infection with Aspergillus terreus: A clinical case and a review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel Bartash

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Fungal periprosthetic joint infections due to Aspergillus species are rare but are associated with significant cost and morbidity. We present a case of Asperigillus terreus prosthetic joint infection of the hip. The patient was successfully treated with a prolonged course of systemic antifungals along with surgical management. Keywords: Fungal prosthetic joint infection, Aspergillus terreus

New taxa in Aspergillus section Usti

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, R. A.; Varga, J.; Meijer, M.

2011-01-01

identical ITS sequences with A. insuetus CBS 119.27, but is clearly distinct from that species based on beta-tubulin and calmodulin sequence data. This species is unable to grow at 37 degrees C, similarly to A. keveii and A. insuetus. Aspergillus carlsbadensis sp. nov. was isolated from the Carlsbad Caverns...... National Park in New Mexico. This taxon is related to, but distinct from a dade including A. calidoustus, A. pseudodeflectus, A. insuetus and A. keveii on all trees. This species is also unable to grow at 37 degrees C, and acid production was not observed on CREA. Aspergillus californicus sp. nov....... Isolates from stored maize, South Africa, as a culture contaminant of Bipolaris sorokiniana from indoor air in Finland proved to be related to, but different from A. ustus and A. puniceus. The taxon is proposed as the new species A. pseudoustus. Although supported only by low bootstrap values, F monodii...

High-yields heterologous production of the novel Aspergillus fumigatus elastase inhibitor AFUEI in Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Nobuo; Komori, Yumiko; Okumura, Yoshiyuki; Uchiya, Kei-Ichi; Matsui, Takeshi; Nishimura, Akira; Ogawa, Kenji; Nikai, Toshiaki

2011-08-01

AFUEI, an elastase inhibitor produced by Aspergillus fumigatus strongly inhibits the elastolytic activity of A. fumigatus etc. To purify AFUEI, we constructed a strain that overproduces AFUEI by introducing the gene encoding AFUEI (Genbank accession no. AB546725) under control of the amyB promoter into the heterologous host Aspergillus oryzae. A. oryzae TF-4 displayed strong elastase inhibitory activity and produced considerably more AFUEI than that of A. fumigatus. Furthermore, AFUEI could be purified using culture broth and single ultrafiltration (UF) treatment, allowing for the effective production of AFUEI for use in clinical trials. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbiological Control of Flour-Manufacture: Dissemination of Mycotoxins Producing Fungi in Cereal Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.D. Doolotkeldieva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Wheat grain and its products are widely consumed as fodder and basic daily food stuffs in Kyrgyzstan. Mycobiota is known to produce hazardous effects to a consumer since it produces mycotoxins. Henceforth, mycobiota starting from the field stage to flour, grain and flour samples were selected for mycological analysis from eight sites of flour manufacture: grain stored in storehouses before milling, mechanically cleaned grain, washed grain, grain dried and prepared for mill, roughly-milled flour, first grade flour and high grade flour. The samples were analyzed using classical mycological and immunoassay methods in order to detect mycotoxins producing fungi species. We isolated overall 27 species belonging to 7 genera. Mycotoxins producing species like Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium cyclopium were detected in the stored grains and in mechanically-cleaned grains. The species of Penicillium, Alternaria and Fusarium genera dominated in roughly-milled flour samples, so this site of flour manufacture still has a risk and danger of contamination with mycotoxins producing fungus. Only the final product i.e. the high grade flour lacked any fungal contamination. We recommend to scrutinize flour samples at the last stages of processing, particularly in the mills like B1, C1 and C4.

Molecular Detection of Aflatoxin Producing Strains of Aspergillus Flavus from Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adeela Hussain

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are the potential carcinogens produced as secondary metabolites by Aspergillus flavus. They have the ability to contaminate large number of food which ultimately affect the human population. Malt extract agar was selected for the growth of control stains of fungus. The aim of the study was to develop a reliable and quick method for the detection of aflatoxin producing strains in peanuts by using molecular approaches. Total 80 samples of infected peanuts were collected from four different cities of Punjab and checked for their aflatoxin contamination. For aflatoxin detection, three target genes nor1, ver1 and aflR were selected which was involved in the aflatoxin biosynthesis. In all examined cases, 24 out of 80 (30% samples successfully amplified all three genes indicating aflatoxigenic activity. Discrimination between aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic strains were also determined on the basis of amplification of these three target DNA fragments. In this study, it was also demonstrated that only specific strains were able to produce the aflatoxin contamination in peanuts.

Identity of the xerophilic species Aspergillus penicillioides: Integrated analysis of the genotypic and phenotypic characters.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamura, Miki; Kawasaki, Hiroko; Sugiyama, Junta

1999-02-01

We examined the identity of Aspergillus penicillioides, the typical xerophilic and strictly anamorphic species, using an integrated analysis of the genotypic and phenotypic characters. Our experimental methods on two genotypic characters, i.e., DNA base composition using the HPLC method and DNA relatedness using the nitrocellulose filter hybridization technique between A. flavus, A. oryzae, and their close relations revealed a good agreement with the values by buoyant density (for DNA base composition) and spectrophotometric determination (for DNA relatedness) reported by Kurtzman et al. in 1986. On the basis of these comparisons, we examined DNA base composition and DNA relatedness of six selected strains of A. penicillioides, including IFO 8155 (originally described as A. vitricola), one strain of A. restrictus, and the respective strains from Eurotium amstelodami, E. repens, and E. rubrum. As a result, five strains within A. penicillioides, including the neotype strain NRRL 4548, had G+C contents of 46 to 49 mol%, whereas IFO 8155 had 50 mol%. A. restrictus had 52 mol%, and three Eurotium species ranged from 46 to 49 mol%. The DNA relatedness between A. penicillioides (five strains), except for IFO 8155, exhibited values greater than 70%, but the DNA complementarity between four strains and IFO 8155 in A. penicillioides revealed values of less than 40%. DNA relatedness values between three species of Eurotium were 65 to 72%. We determined 18S, 5.8S, and ITS rDNA sequences as other genotypic characters from A. penicillioides (six strains), A. restrictus, and related teleomorphic species of Eurotium. In three phylogenetic trees inferred from these sequences, five strains of A. penicillioides, including the neotype strain, were closely related to each other, whereas IFO 8155 was distantly related and grouped with other xerophilic species. Our results have suggested that A. penicillioides typified by NRRL 4548 and A. penicillioides IFO 8155 (ex holotype of A

Structural analysis of cerebrosides from Aspergillus fungi: the existence of galactosylceramide in A. oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Tani, Yasushi; Amaishi, Yasunori; Funatsu, Tori; Ito, Masahiro; Itonori, Saki; Hata, Yoji; Ashida, Hisashi; Yamamoto, Kenji

2014-12-01

Glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide were detected in three Aspergillus species: Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus. awamori, using borate-coated TLC. The cerebrosides from A. oryzae were further purified by ion exchange and iatrobeads column chromatographies with or without borate, and determined the composition of sugar, fatty acid and sphingoid base by GC/MS, MALDI-TOF/MS and (1)H-NMR. We identified them as β-glucosylceramide and β-galactosylceramide. The ceramide moiety of both cerebrosides consisted mainly of 2-hydroxystearic acid and either 9-methyl-octadeca-4, 8-sphingadienine or octadeca-4, 8-sphingadienine. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide evidence for the presence of β-galactosylceramide in A. oryzae.

Pectinases of Aspergillus niger : a molecular and biochemical characterisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parenicová, L.

2000-01-01

The major topics of this thesis are the microfilamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and the pectinases a group of extracellular enzymes. Many 'products' of this species hold the GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status and thus pectinases find a broad range of

Biocatalytic potential of laccase-like multicopper oxidases from Aspergillus niger

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamayo Ramos, J.A.; Berkel, van W.J.H.; Graaff, de L.H.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Laccase-like multicopper oxidases have been reported in several Aspergillus species but they remain uncharacterized. The biocatalytic potential of the Aspergillus niger fungal pigment multicopper oxidases McoA and McoB and ascomycete laccase McoG was investigated. RESULTS: The

Phylogeny of osmophillic aspergilli (subgenus Aspergillus) and taxonomic revision of section Restricti

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus section Restricti together with sister sect. Aspergillus (formerly Eurotium) comprises osmophilic species, that are able to grow on substrates with low water activity and in extreme environments. We addressed the monophyly of both sections within subgenus Aspergillus and applied multidis...

A Rare Cause of Headache: Aspergillus Sinusitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şehnaz Arıcı

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Fungal sinusitis are mostly seen in immunosuppressive individuals and somtimes which can be mortal. Most frequently species of Aspergillus were isolated from, clinical forms of mycotic sinonasal disease.Surgical debridement,sinus ventilation and medical therapy in treatment of fungal sinusitis, are recommended. In this article, a case of healthy immune patient with fungal sinusitis who peresent with headache was repoted.

Triazole Resistance in Aspergillus spp.: A Worldwide Problem?

Science.gov (United States)

Rivero-Menendez, Olga; Alastruey-Izquierdo, Ana; Mellado, Emilia; Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel

2016-01-01

Since the first description of an azole-resistant A. fumigatus strain in 1997, there has been an increasing number of papers describing the emergence of azole resistance. Firstly reported in the USA and soon after in Europe, it has now been described worldwide, challenging the management of human aspergillosis. The main mechanism of resistance is the modification of the azole target enzyme: 14-α sterol demethylase, encoded by the cyp51A gene; although recently, other resistance mechanisms have also been implicated. In addition, a shift in the epidemiology has been noted with other Aspergillus species (mostly azole resistant) increasingly being reported as causative agents of human disease. This paper reviews the current situation of Aspergillus azole resistance and its implications in the clinical setting. PMID:29376938

Fungal endophytes characterization from four species of Diplazium Swartz

Science.gov (United States)

Affina-Eliya, A. A.; Noraini, T.; Nazlina, I.; Ruzi, A. R.

2014-09-01

Four species on genus Diplazium namely Diplazium tomentosum, D. sorzogonense, D. asperum and D. accedens of Peninsular Malaysia were studied for presence of fungal endophyte. The objective of this study is to characterize fungal endophytes in the rhizome of four Diplazium species. The rhizome was surface sterilized and incubated to isolate fungal endophytes. Characterization of the colonies was performed by macroscopic morphological, microscopic identification, types of hyphae and mycelium, and spore structure. For isolation that produces spores, the structure of conidiophores and conidia were identified. From this study, four fungal have been isolated and determined as Aspergillus sp. (isolates AE 1), Aspergillus fumigatus (isolates AE 2), Aspergillus versicolor (isolates AE 3) and Verticillium sp. (isolates AE 4). The fungal isolates from this study were classified from the same family Moniliaceae.

Kinetics of exoglucanase and endoglucanase produced by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

enoh

2012-04-05

Apr 5, 2012 ... Zn2+, Ca2+, Mn2+ and Co2+ enhanced the crude activity of EXG and EG ... processes for producing fuels and chemicals from plant ... increasing the yield of the fruit juices, oil extraction and in ... Trichoderma, Humicola and Aspergillus species were .... observation that stability of the fungal cellulases is.

Isolation of an Antioxidative Substance Produced by Aspergillus repens.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagi, R; Doi, M

1999-01-01

The acidic fraction of an extract of the culture liquid of Aspergillus repens MA0197 showed strong antioxidative activity when tested by the ferric thiocyanate and TBA methods. Chromatographic purification of this acidic fraction gave an active substance identified as Neoechinulin A. This compound showed higher antioxidative activity than α-tocopherol and could be expected to act as an antioxidant in Katsuobushi.

Induction, purification and characterisation of arabinases produced by Aspergillus niger.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veen, van de P.; Flipphi, M.J.A.; Voragen, A.G.J.; Visser, J.

1991-01-01

The induction of arabinases in Aspergillus niger N400 was studied on different simple and complex carbon sources. Sugar beet pulp was found to be an inducer of three arabinan degrading enzymes (alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase A, alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase B and endoarabinase). These enzymes were

Overexpression of the NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (icdA) in citric acid-producing Aspergillus niger WU-2223L.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Keiichi; Hattori, Takasumi; Hayashi, Rie; Kirimura, Kohtaro

2014-01-01

In the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, NADP(+)-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)-ICDH) catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of isocitric acid to form α-ketoglutaric acid with NADP(+) as a cofactor. We constructed an NADP(+)-ICDH gene (icdA)-overexpressing strain (OPI-1) using Aspergillus niger WU-2223L as a host and examined the effects of increase in NADP(+)-ICDH activity on citric acid production. Under citric acid-producing conditions with glucose as the carbon source, the amounts of citric acid produced and glucose consumed by OPI-1 for the 12-d cultivation period decreased by 18.7 and 10.5%, respectively, compared with those by WU-2223L. These results indicate that the amount of citric acid produced by A. niger can be altered with the NADP(+)-ICDH activity. Therefore, NADP(+)-ICDH is an important regulator of citric acid production in the TCA cycle of A. niger. Thus, we propose that the icdA gene is a potentially valuable tool for modulating citric acid production by metabolic engineering.

Overexpression of Aspergillus tubingensis faeA in protease-deficient Aspergillus niger enables ferulic acid production from plant material.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwane, Eunice N; Rose, Shaunita H; van Zyl, Willem H; Rumbold, Karl; Viljoen-Bloom, Marinda

2014-06-01

The production of ferulic acid esterase involved in the release of ferulic acid side groups from xylan was investigated in strains of Aspergillus tubingensis, Aspergillus carneus, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae. The highest activity on triticale bran as sole carbon source was observed with the A. tubingensis T8.4 strain, which produced a type A ferulic acid esterase active against methyl p-coumarate, methyl ferulate and methyl sinapate. The activity of the A. tubingensis ferulic acid esterase (AtFAEA) was inhibited twofold by glucose and induced twofold in the presence of maize bran. An initial accumulation of endoglucanase was followed by the production of endoxylanase, suggesting a combined action with ferulic acid esterase on maize bran. A genomic copy of the A. tubingensis faeA gene was cloned and expressed in A. niger D15#26 under the control of the A. niger gpd promoter. The recombinant strain has reduced protease activity and does not acidify the media, therefore promoting high-level expression of recombinant enzymes. It produced 13.5 U/ml FAEA after 5 days on autoclaved maize bran as sole carbon source, which was threefold higher than for the A. tubingensis donor strain. The recombinant AtFAEA was able to extract 50 % of the available ferulic acid from non-pretreated maize bran, making this enzyme suitable for the biological production of ferulic acid from lignocellulosic plant material.

Refinement of the crystal structures of biomimetic weddellites produced by microscopic fungus Aspergillus niger

Science.gov (United States)

Rusakov, A. V.; Frank-Kamenetskaya, O. V.; Gurzhiy, V. V.; Zelenskaya, M. S.; Izatulina, A. R.; Sazanova, K. V.

2014-05-01

The single-crystal structures of four biomimetic weddellites CaC2O4 · (2 + x)H2O with different contents of zeolitic water ( x = 0.10-0.24 formula units) produced by the microscopic fungus Aspergillus niger were refined from X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.029-0.038). The effect of zeolitic water content on the structural stability of weddellite was analyzed. The parameter a was shown to increase with increasing x due to the increase in the distance between water molecules along this direction. The water content and structural parameters of the synthesized weddellites are similar to those of weddellites from biofilms and kidney stones.

Biomarkers of Aspergillus spores

Science.gov (United States)

Sulc, Miroslav; Peslova, Katerina; Zabka, Martin; Hajduch, Marian; Havlicek, Vladimir

2009-02-01

We applied both matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric and 1D sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (1D-PAGE) approaches for direct analysis of intact fungal spores of twenty four Aspergillus species. In parallel, we optimized various protocols for protein extraction from Aspergillus spores using acidic conditions, step organic gradient and variable sonication treatment. The MALDI-TOF mass spectra obtained from optimally prepared samples provided a reproducible fingerprint demonstrating the capability of the MALDI-TOF approach to type and characterize different fungal strains within the Aspergillus genus. Mass spectra of intact fungal spores provided signals mostly below 20 kDa. The minimum material amount represented 0.3 [mu]g (10,000 spores). Proteins with higher molecular weight were detected by 1D-PAGEE Eleven proteins were identified from three selected strains in the range 5-25 kDa by the proteomic approach. Hemolysin and hydrophobin have the highest relevance in host-pathogen interactions.

Expression of the Aspergillus terreus itaconic acid biosynthesis cluster in Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Straat, Laura; Vernooij, Marloes; Lammers, Marieke; van den Berg, Willy; Schonewille, Tom; Cordewener, Jan; van der Meer, Ingrid; Koops, Andries; de Graaff, Leo H

2014-01-17

Aspergillus terreus is a natural producer of itaconic acid and is currently used to produce itaconic acid on an industrial scale. The metabolic process for itaconic acid biosynthesis is very similar to the production of citric acid in Aspergillus niger. However, a key enzyme in A. niger, cis-aconitate decarboxylase, is missing. The introduction of the A. terreus cadA gene in A. niger exploits the high level of citric acid production (over 200 g per liter) and theoretically can lead to production levels of over 135 g per liter of itaconic acid in A. niger. Given the potential for higher production levels in A. niger, production of itaconic acid in this host was investigated. Expression of Aspergillus terreus cis-aconitate decarboxylase in Aspergillus niger resulted in the production of a low concentration (0.05 g/L) of itaconic acid. Overexpression of codon-optimized genes for cis-aconitate decarboxylase, a mitochondrial transporter and a plasma membrane transporter in an oxaloacetate hydrolase and glucose oxidase deficient A. niger strain led to highly increased yields and itaconic acid production titers. At these higher production titers, the effect of the mitochondrial and plasma membrane transporters was much more pronounced, with levels being 5-8 times higher than previously described. Itaconic acid can be produced in A. niger by the introduction of the A. terreus cis-aconitate decarboxylase encoding cadA gene. This results in a low itaconic acid production level, which can be increased by codon-optimization of the cadA gene for A. niger. A second crucial requirement for efficient production of itaconic acid is the expression of the A. terreus mttA gene, encoding a putative mitochondrial transporter. Expression of this transporter results in a twenty-fold increase in the secretion of itaconic acid. Expression of the A. terreus itaconic acid cluster consisting of the cadA gene, the mttA gene and the mfsA gene results in A. niger strains that produce over

Profiling of volatile organic compounds produced by clinical Aspergillus isolates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerritsen, M G; Brinkman, P; Escobar Salazar, Natalia; Bos, L D; de Heer, K; Meijer, M; Janssen, H-G; de Cock, H; Wösten, H A B; Visser, C.E.; van Oers, M H J; Sterk, P J

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath may identify the presence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. We aimed to detect VOC profiles emitted by in vitro cultured, clinical Aspergillus isolates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Three clinical Aspergillus isolates and a

Profiling of volatile organic compounds produced by clinical Aspergillus isolates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerritsen, M. G.; Brinkman, P.; Escobar, N.; Bos, L. D.; de Heer, K.; Meijer, M.; Janssen, H.-G.; de Cock, H.; Wösten, H. A. B.; Visser, C. E.; van Oers, M. H. J.; Sterk, P. J.

2018-01-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath may identify the presence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. We aimed to detect VOC profiles emitted by in vitro cultured, clinical Aspergillus isolates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Three clinical Aspergillus isolates and a

Aspergillus section Flavi community structure in Zambia influences aflatoxin contamination of maize and groundnut.

Science.gov (United States)

Kachapulula, Paul W; Akello, Juliet; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit; Cotty, Peter J

2017-11-16

Aflatoxins are cancer-causing, immuno-suppressive mycotoxins that frequently contaminate important staples in Zambia including maize and groundnut. Several species within Aspergillus section Flavi have been implicated as causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in Africa. However, Aspergillus populations associated with aflatoxin contamination in Zambia have not been adequately detailed. Most of Zambia's arable land is non-cultivated and Aspergillus communities in crops may originate in non-cultivated soil. However, relationships between Aspergillus populations on crops and those resident in non-cultivated soils have not been explored. Because characterization of similar fungal populations outside of Zambia have resulted in strategies to prevent aflatoxins, the current study sought to improve understanding of fungal communities in cultivated and non-cultivated soils and in crops. Crops (n=412) and soils from cultivated (n=160) and non-cultivated land (n=60) were assayed for Aspergillus section Flavi from 2012 to 2016. The L-strain morphotype of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus were dominant on maize and groundnut (60% and 42% of Aspergillus section Flavi, respectively). Incidences of A. flavus L-morphotype were negatively correlated with aflatoxin in groundnut (log y=2.4990935-0.09966x, R 2 =0.79, P=0.001) but not in maize. Incidences of A. parasiticus partially explained groundnut aflatoxin concentrations in all agroecologies and maize aflatoxin in agroecology III (log y=0.1956034+0.510379x, R 2 =0.57, Pagroecologies across Zambia gives support for modifying fungal community structure to reduce the aflatoxin-producing potential. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Immunoproteomics of Aspergillus for the development of biomarkers and immunotherapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kniemeyer, Olaf; Ebel, Frank; Krüger, Thomas; Bacher, Petra; Scheffold, Alexander; Luo, Ting; Strassburger, Maria; Brakhage, Axel A

2016-10-01

Filamentous fungi of the genus Aspergillus play significant roles as pathogens causing superficial and invasive infections as well as allergic reactions in humans. Particularly invasive mycoses caused by Aspergillus species are characterized by high mortality rates due to difficult diagnosis and insufficient antifungal therapy. The application of immunoproteomic approaches has a great potential to identify new targets for the diagnosis, therapy, and vaccine development of diseases caused by Aspergillus species. Serological proteome analyses (SERPA) that combine 2D electrophoresis with Western blotting are still one of the most popular techniques for the identification of antigenic proteins. However, recently a growing number of approaches have been developed to identify proteins, which either provoke an antibody response or which represent targets of T-cell immunity in patients with allergy or fungal infections. Here, we review advances in the studies of immune responses against pathogenic Aspergilli as well as the current status of diagnosis and immunotherapy of Aspergillus infections. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, A.J.; Hubka, Vit; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2017-01-01

, 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...... 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 morphologyw, growth rates at different temperatures are most useful characters for phenotypic species identification....

Identification of clinical isolates of Aspergillus, including cryptic species, by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal-Acuña, M Reyes; Ruiz-Pérez de Pipaón, Maite; Torres-Sánchez, María José; Aznar, Javier

2017-12-08

An expanded library of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been constructed using the spectra generated from 42 clinical isolates and 11 reference strains, including 23 different species from 8 sections (16 cryptic plus 7 noncryptic species). Out of a total of 379 strains of Aspergillus isolated from clinical samples, 179 strains were selected to be identified by sequencing of beta-tubulin or calmodulin genes. Protein spectra of 53 strains, cultured in liquid medium, were used to construct an in-house reference database in the MALDI-TOF MS. One hundred ninety strains (179 clinical isolates previously identified by sequencing and the 11 reference strains), cultured on solid medium, were blindy analyzed by the MALDI-TOF MS technology to validate the generated in-house reference database. A 100% correlation was obtained with both identification methods, gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS, and no discordant identification was obtained. The HUVR database provided species level (score of ≥2.0) identification in 165 isolates (86.84%) and for the remaining 25 (13.16%) a genus level identification (score between 1.7 and 2.0) was obtained. The routine MALDI-TOF MS analysis with the new database, was then challenged with 200 Aspergillus clinical isolates grown on solid medium in a prospective evaluation. A species identification was obtained in 191 strains (95.5%), and only nine strains (4.5%) could not be identified at the species level. Among the 200 strains, A. tubingensis was the only cryptic species identified. We demonstrated the feasibility and usefulness of the new HUVR database in MALDI-TOF MS by the use of a standardized procedure for the identification of Aspergillus clinical isolates, including cryptic species, grown either on solid or liquid media. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For

THE OCCURRENCE OF MICROMYCETES IN APPLES AND THEIR POTENTIAL ABILITY TO PRODUCE MYCOTOXINS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Tančinová

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determinate microscopic fungi involved in rot of apples in market and to test isolated potentially toxigenic species for ability to produce chosen mycotoxins in conditions in vitro. From 30 apples with rotting were isolated and identificated 8 genera (Penicillium, Monilinia, Botrytis, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Fusarium and Geotrichum of filamentous fungi. The most frequent (40% rot apples was Penicillium expansum, the most important producer of rotting during storage of apples. For the ability to produce mycotoxins in vitro were tested isolates, potential producers of mycotoxins. All tested isolates were determinated as producers of mycotoxins: Penicillium expansum (patulin and citrinin, 12 isolates, Penicillium citrinum (citrinin, 1 isolate, Penicillium roqueforti (roquefotin C, 1 isolate and Aspergillus versicolor (sterigmatocystin, 1 isolate.

Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of endoglucanase from a xylanase producing strain Aspergillus niger B03

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgi Todorov Dobrev

2012-03-01

Full Text Available An extracellular endoglucanase was isolated from the culture liquid of xylanase producing strain Aspergillus niger B03. The enzyme was purified to a homogenous form, using consecutive ultrafiltration, anion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. Endoglucanase was a monomer protein with a molecular weight of 26,900 Da determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and 28,800 Da determined by gel filtration. The optimal pH and temperature values for the enzyme action were 3.5 and 65ºC respectively. Endoglucanase was stable at 40ºC, pH 3.0 for 210 min. The substrate specificity of the enzyme was determined with carboxymethyl cellulose, filter paper, and different glycosides. Endoglucanase displayed maximum activity in the case of carboxymethyl cellulose, with a Km value of 21.01 mg/mL. The substrate specificity and the pattern of substrate degradation suggested that the enzyme is an endoglucanase. Endoglucanase showed a synergism with endoxylanase in corn cobs hydrolysis.

The global regulator LaeA controls production of citric acid and endoglucanases in Aspergillus carbonarius

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linde, Tore; Zoglowek, Marta; Lübeck, Mette

2016-01-01

The global regulatory protein LaeA is known for regulating the production of many kinds of secondary metabolites in Aspergillus species, as well as sexual and asexual reproduction, and morphology. In Aspergillus carbonarius, it has been shown that LaeA regulates production of ochratoxin. We have ...

QUANTITATIVE PCR OF SELECTED ASPERGILLUS, PENICILLIUM AND PAECILOMYCES SPECIES

Science.gov (United States)

A total of 65 quantitative PCR (QPCR) assays, incorporating fluorigenic 5' nuclease (TaqMan®) chemistry and directed at the nuclear ribosomal RNA operon, internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 or ITS2) was developed and tested for the detection of Aspergillus, Penicillium and ...

Aspergillus luchuensis, an industrially important black Aspergillus in East Asia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seung-Beom Hong

Full Text Available Aspergilli known as black- and white-koji molds which are used for awamori, shochu, makgeolli and other food and beverage fermentations, are reported in the literature as A. luchuensis, A. awamori, A. kawachii, or A. acidus. In order to elucidate the taxonomic position of these species, available ex-type cultures were compared based on morphology and molecular characters. A. luchuensis, A. kawachii and A. acidus showed the same banding patterns in RAPD, and the three species had the same rDNA-ITS, β-tubulin and calmodulin sequences and these differed from those of the closely related A. niger and A. tubingensis. Morphologically, the three species are not significantly different from each other or from A. niger and A. tubingensis. It is concluded that A. luchuensis, A. kawachii and A. acidus are the same species, and A. luchuensis is selected as the correct name based on priority. Strains of A. awamori which are stored in National Research Institute of Brewing in Japan, represent A. niger (n = 14 and A. luchuensis (n = 6. The neotype of A. awamori (CBS 557.65 =  NRRL 4948 does not originate from awamori fermentation and it is shown to be identical with the unknown taxon Aspergillus welwitschiae. Extrolite analysis of strains of A. luchuensis showed that they do not produce mycotoxins and therefore can be considered safe for food and beverage fermentations. A. luchuensis is also frequently isolated from meju and nuruk in Korea and Puerh tea in China and the species is probably common in the fermentation environment of East Asia. A re-description of A. luchuensis is provided because the incomplete data in the original literature.

Response to Pitt and Taylor 2016: Conservation of Aspergillus with A. niger as the conserved type is unnecessary and potentially disruptive

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Robert A.; Hubka, Vit; Varga, János

2017-01-01

Aspergillus is a diverse fungal genus containing many species of great agricultural, biotechnological and medical relevance. Because of the broad use of the genus name in diverse disciplines, and the importance of individual species names in these areas, the taxonomy and nomenclature of Aspergillus...... should remain stable. A formal proposal to change the generic type from A. glaucus to A. niger was recently published. Here we present arguments against this proposal. We assert that it should be rejected because it will not ensure nomenclatural stability for Aspergillus, and will put the names...... of several important species, such as A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. oryzae at risk of being classified in different genera and being lost....

Talaromyces atroroseus, a new species efficiently producing industrially relevant red pigments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens C Frisvad

Full Text Available Some species of Talaromyces secrete large amounts of red pigments. Literature has linked this character to species such as Talaromyces purpurogenus, T. albobiverticillius, T. marneffei, and T. minioluteus often under earlier Penicillium names. Isolates identified as T. purpurogenus have been reported to be interesting industrially and they can produce extracellular enzymes and red pigments, but they can also produce mycotoxins such as rubratoxin A and B and luteoskyrin. Production of mycotoxins limits the use of isolates of a particular species in biotechnology. Talaromyces atroroseus sp. nov., described in this study, produces the azaphilone biosynthetic families mitorubrins and Monascus pigments without any production of mycotoxins. Within the red pigment producing clade, T. atroroseus resolved in a distinct clade separate from all the other species in multigene phylogenies (ITS, β-tubulin and RPB1, which confirm its unique nature. Talaromyces atroroseus resembles T. purpurogenus and T. albobiverticillius in producing red diffusible pigments, but differs from the latter two species by the production of glauconic acid, purpuride and ZG-1494α and by the dull to dark green, thick walled ellipsoidal conidia produced. The type strain of Talaromyces atroroseus is CBS 133442.

[Primary Aspergillus endocarditis. Apropos of a case and review of the international literature].

Science.gov (United States)

Roux, J P; Koussa, A; Cajot, M A; Marquette, F; Goullard, L; Gosselin, B; Pol, A; Warembourg, H; Soots, G

1992-01-01

The authors report a case of primary aspergillus endocarditis with endophthalmitis and vertebral osteomyelitis. No underlying disease and no predisposing factors were found. Valve replacement plus combined antifungal chemotherapy proved to be effective as the patient is asymptomatic 18 months after the first symptoms. 48 cases of aspergillus endocarditis, without prior cardiac surgery have been reported in the literature. Aspergillus endocarditis was valvular or mural. Extracardiac dissemination was common but endophthalmitis and osteomyelitis were infrequent. In 11 cases, the diagnosis was made by histologic examination of embolectomy or ocular, skin biopsy tissue. All patients were febrile. Blood cultures showed no Aspergillus species. Clinical manifestations of endocarditis were described in less than fifty per cent of cases. Echocardiographic visualization of vegetations was obtained in 5 cases. Many patients experienced embolic phenomena. Mortality from Aspergillus endocarditis is extremely high (96%). Surgery is the main treatment, consisting of valve replacement. Antifungal chemotherapy should be combined. The proper duration and dosage and the combination of antifungal drugs have not been clearly defined.

Notable fibrolytic enzyme production by Aspergillus spp. isolates from the gastrointestinal tract of beef cattle fed in lignified pastures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávia Oliveira Abrão

Full Text Available Fungi have the ability to degrade vegetal cell wall carbohydrates, and their presence in the digestive tract of ruminants can minimize the effects of lignified forage on ruminal fermentation. Here, we evaluated enzyme production by Aspergillus spp. isolates from the digestive tracts of cattle grazed in tropical pastures during the dry season. Filamentous fungi were isolated from rumen and feces by culture in cellulose-based medium. Ninety fungal strains were isolated and identified by rDNA sequence analysis, microculture, or both. Aspergillus terreus was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Aspergillus fumigatus. The isolates were characterized with respect to their cellulolytic, xylanolytic, and lignolytic activity through qualitative evaluation in culture medium containing a specific corresponding carbon source. Carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase activity was quantified by the reducing sugar method. In the avicel and xilan degradation test, the enzyme activity (EA at 48 h was significantly higher other periods (P < 0.05. Intra- and inter-specific differences in EA were verified, and high levels of phenoloxidases, which are crucial for lignin degradation, were observed in 28.9% of the isolates. Aspergillus terreus showed significantly higher EA for avicelase (3.96 ±1.77 and xylanase (3.13 ±.091 than the other Aspergillus species at 48 h of incubation. Isolates AT13 and AF69 showed the highest CMCase specific activity (54.84 and 33.03 U mg-1 protein, respectively. Selected Aspergillus spp. isolates produced remarkable levels of enzymes involved in vegetal cell wall degradation, suggesting their potential as antimicrobial additives or probiotics in ruminant diets.

Determining the analytical specificity of PCR-based assays for the diagnosis of IA: What is Aspergillus?

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, C Oliver; White, P Lewis; Barnes, Rosemary A; Klingspor, Lena; Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel; Lagrou, Katrien; Bretagne, Stéphane; Melchers, Willem; Mengoli, Carlo; Caliendo, Angela M; Cogliati, Massimo; Debets-Ossenkopp, Yvette; Gorton, Rebecca; Hagen, Ferry; Halliday, Catriona; Hamal, Petr; Harvey-Wood, Kathleen; Jaton, Katia; Johnson, Gemma; Kidd, Sarah; Lengerova, Martina; Lass-Florl, Cornelia; Linton, Chris; Millon, Laurence; Morrissey, C Orla; Paholcsek, Melinda; Talento, Alida Fe; Ruhnke, Markus; Willinger, Birgit; Donnelly, J Peter; Loeffler, Juergen

2017-06-01

A wide array of PCR tests has been developed to aid the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA), providing technical diversity but limiting standardisation and acceptance. Methodological recommendations for testing blood samples using PCR exist, based on achieving optimal assay sensitivity to help exclude IA. Conversely, when testing more invasive samples (BAL, biopsy, CSF) emphasis is placed on confirming disease, so analytical specificity is paramount. This multicenter study examined the analytical specificity of PCR methods for detecting IA by blind testing a panel of DNA extracted from a various fungal species to explore the range of Aspergillus species that could be detected, but also potential cross reactivity with other fungal species. Positivity rates were calculated and regression analysis was performed to determine any associations between technical specifications and performance. The accuracy of Aspergillus genus specific assays was 71.8%, significantly greater (P Aspergillus species (47.2%). For genus specific assays the most often missed species were A. lentulus (25.0%), A. versicolor (24.1%), A. terreus (16.1%), A. flavus (15.2%), A. niger (13.4%), and A. fumigatus (6.2%). There was a significant positive association between accuracy and using an Aspergillus genus PCR assay targeting the rRNA genes (P = .0011). Conversely, there was a significant association between rRNA PCR targets and false positivity (P = .0032). To conclude current Aspergillus PCR assays are better suited for detecting A. fumigatus, with inferior detection of most other Aspergillus species. The use of an Aspergillus genus specific PCR assay targeting the rRNA genes is preferential. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A polyphasic approach for black Aspergillus identification using MALDI-TOF MS.

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, Paula; Soares, Célia; Santos, Cledir; Fraga, Marcelo; Venâncio, Armando; Lima, Nelson

2009-01-01

The Aspergillus section Nigri is among the best studied fungi, having different commercial applications, but also causing biodeterioration of commodities and food spoilage. Although being well studied, their identification is not straightforward, and, recently, new species have been described in this section1,2,3. These new species were not only separated from their relatives in the section by morphological distinction but also from molecular point of view. The concept of species is clearly a...

Proteomics as a Tool to Identify New Targets Against Aspergillus and Scedosporium in the Context of Cystic Fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez-Garcia, Andoni; Pellon, Aize; Buldain, Idoia; Antoran, Aitziber; Arbizu-Delgado, Aitana; Guruceaga, Xabier; Rementeria, Aitor; Hernando, Fernando L

2018-02-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that increases the risk of suffering microbial, including fungal, infections. In this paper, proteomics-based information was collated relating to secreted and cell wall proteins with potential medical applications from the most common filamentous fungi in CF, i.e., Aspergillus and Scedosporium/Lomentospora species. Among the Aspergillus fumigatus secreted allergens, β-1,3-endoglucanase, the alkaline protease 1 (Alp1/oryzin), Asp f 2, Asp f 13/15, chitinase, chitosanase, dipeptidyl-peptidase V (DppV), the metalloprotease Asp f 5, mitogillin/Asp f 1, and thioredoxin reductase receive a special mention. In addition, the antigens β-glucosidase 1, catalase, glucan endo-1,3-β-glucosidase EglC, β-1,3-glucanosyltransferases Gel1 and Gel2, and glutaminase A were also identified in secretomes of other Aspergillus species associated with CF: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans, and Aspergillus terreus. Regarding cell wall proteins, cytochrome P450 and eEF-3 were proposed as diagnostic targets, and alkaline protease 2 (Alp2), Asp f 3 (putative peroxiredoxin pmp20), probable glycosidases Asp f 9/Crf1 and Crf2, GPI-anchored protein Ecm33, β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gel4, conidial hydrophobin Hyp1/RodA, and secreted aspartyl protease Pep2 as protective vaccines in A. fumigatus. On the other hand, for Scedosporium/Lomentospora species, the heat shock protein Hsp70 stands out as a relevant secreted and cell wall antigen. Additionally, the secreted aspartyl proteinase and an ortholog of Asp f 13, as well as the cell wall endo-1,3-β-D-glucosidase and 1,3-β-glucanosyl transferase, were also found to be significant proteins. In conclusion, proteins mentioned in this review may be promising candidates for developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools for fungal infections in CF patients.

Talaromyces atroroseus, a new species efficiently producing industrially relevant red pigments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Yilmaz, Neriman; Thrane, Ulf

2013-01-01

., described in this study, produces the azaphilone biosynthetic families mitorubrins and Monascus pigments without any production of mycotoxins. Within the red pigment producing clade, T. atroroseus resolved in a distinct clade separate from all the other species in multigene phylogenies (ITS, β......Some species of Talaromyces secrete large amounts of red pigments. Literature has linked this character to species such as Talaromyces purpurogenus, T. albobiverticillius, T. marneffei, and T. minioluteus often under earlier Penicillium names. Isolates identified as T. purpurogenus have been...... reported to be interesting industrially and they can produce extracellular enzymes and red pigments, but they can also produce mycotoxins such as rubratoxin A and B and luteoskyrin. Production of mycotoxins limits the use of isolates of a particular species in biotechnology. Talaromyces atroroseus sp. nov...

Identification of Aspergillus (A. flavus and A. niger) Allergens and Heterogeneity of Allergic Patients' IgE Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermani, Maansi; Vijayan, Vannan Kandi; Agarwal, Mahendra Kumar

2015-08-01

Aspergillus species (A. flavus and A. niger) are important sources of inhalant allergens. Current diagnostic modalities employ crude Aspergillus extracts which only indicate the source to which the patient has been sensitized, without identifying the number and type of allergens in crude extracts. We report a study on the identification of major and minor allergens of the two common airborne Aspergillus species and heterogeneity of patients' IgE response to them. Skin prick tests were performed on 300 patients of bronchial asthma and/or allergic rhinitis and 20 healthy volunteers. Allergen specific IgE in patients' sera was estimated by enzyme allergosorbent test (EAST). Immunoblots were performed to identify major/minor allergens of Aspergillus extracts and to study heterogeneity of patients'IgE response to them. Positive cutaneous responses were observed in 17% and 14.7% of patients with A. flavus and A. niger extracts, respectively. Corresponding EAST positivity was 69.2% and 68.7%. In immunoblots, 5 allergenic proteins were identified in A. niger extract, major allergens being 49, 55.4 and 81.5 kDa. Twelve proteins bound patients' IgE in A. flavus extract, three being major allergens (13.3, 34 and 37 kDa). The position and slopes of EAST binding and inhibition curves obtained with individual sera varied from patient to patient. The number and molecular weight of IgE-binding proteins in both the Aspergillus extracts varied among patients. These results gave evidence of heterogeneity of patients' IgE response to major/minor Aspergillus allergens. This approach will be helpful to identify disease eliciting molecules in the individual patients (component resolved diagnosis) and may improve allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Efficient degradation of tannic acid by black Aspergillus species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diepeningen, van A.D.; Debets, A.J.M.; Varga, J.; Gaag, van der M.; Swart, K.; Hoekstra, R.F.

2004-01-01

A set of aspergillus strains from culture collections and wild-type black aspergilli isolated on non-selective media were used to validate the use of media with 20 % tannic acid for exclusive and complete selection of the black aspergilli. The 20% tannic acid medium proved useful for both

Efficient degradation of tannic acid by black Aspergillus species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Diepeningen, Anne D; Debets, Alfons J M; Varga, Janos; van der Gaag, Marijn; Swart, Klaas; Hoekstra, Rolf F

A set of aspergillus strains from culture collections and wild-type black aspergilli isolated on non-selective media were used to validate the use of media with 20% tannic acid for exclusive and complete selection of the black aspergilli. The 20% tannic acid medium proved useful for both

The use of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, a synthetic analogue of maltose, as inducer of amylase by Aspergillus sp in solid-state and submerged fermentations

OpenAIRE

Moreira, Fabiana G.; Lenartovicz, Veridiana; Souza, Cristina G.M. de; Ramos, Edivan P.; Peralta, Rosane M.

2001-01-01

The use of a methyl-D-glucoside (alphaMG), a synthetic analogue of maltose, as carbon source and inducer of amylase synthesis to several species of Aspergillus was studied in submerged and solid-state fermentations. Among a group of ten species, A. tamarii, A. fumigatus and A. flavus were able to produce biomass and high specific amylolytic activity in submerged cultures containing alphaMG as the only carbon source. In solid state fermentation, the enrichment of basal wheat bran or corn cob m...

Aspergillus in chronic lung disease: Modeling what goes on in the airways.

Science.gov (United States)

Takazono, Takahiro; Sheppard, Donald C

2017-01-01

Aspergillus species cause a range of respiratory diseases in humans. While immunocompromised patients are at risk for the development of invasive infection with these opportunistic molds, patients with underlying pulmonary disease can develop chronic airway infection with Aspergillus species. These conditions span a range of inflammatory and allergic diseases including Aspergillus bronchitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and severe asthma with fungal sensitization. Animal models are invaluable tools for the study of the molecular mechanism underlying the colonization of airways by Aspergillus and the host response to these non-invasive infections. In this review we summarize the state-of-the-art with respect to the available animal models of noninvasive and allergic Aspergillus airway disease; the key findings of host-pathogen interaction studies using these models; and the limitations and future directions that should guide the development and use of models for the study of these important pulmonary conditions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from a Thai Collection of Soil and Marine-Derived Fungi of the Genera Neosartorya and Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Zin, War War May; Prompanya, Chadaporn; Buttachon, Suradet; Kijjoa, Anake

2016-01-01

Fungi are microorganisms which can produce interesting secondary metabolites with structural diversity. Although terrestrial fungi have been extensively investigated for their bioactive secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, marine-derived fungi have only recently attracted attention of Natural Products chemists. Our group has been working on the secondary metabolites produced by the cultures of the fungi of the genera Neosartorya and Aspergillus, collected from soil and marine environments from the tropical region for the purpose of finding new leads for anticancer and antibacterial drugs. This review covers only the secondary metabolites of four soil and six marine-derived species of Neosarorya as well as a new species of marine-derived Aspergillus, investigated by our group. In total, we have isolated fifty three secondary metabolites which can be categorized as polyketides (two), isocoumarins (six), terpenoids (two), meroterpenes (fourteen), alkaloids (twenty eight) and cyclic peptide (one). The anticancer and antibacterial activities of these fungal metabolites are also discussed. Among fifty three secondary metabolites isolated, only the alkaloid eurochevalierine and the cadinene sesquiterpene, isolated from the soil fungus N. pseudofisheri, showed relevant in vitro cytostatic activity against glioblastoma (U373) and non-small cell lung cancer (A549) cell lines while the meroditerpene aszonapyrone A exhibited strong antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria and also strong antibiofilm activity in these isolates.

Purification and characterization of factors produced by Aspergillus fumigatus which affect human ciliated respiratory epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Amitani, R; Taylor, G; Elezis, E N; Llewellyn-Jones, C; Mitchell, J; Kuze, F; Cole, P J; Wilson, R

1995-09-01

The mechanisms by which Aspergillus fumigatus colonizes the respiratory mucosa are unknown. Culture filtrates of eight of nine clinical isolates of A. fumigatus slowed ciliary beat frequency and damaged human respiratory epithelium in vitro. These changes appeared to occur concurrently. Culture filtrates of two clinical isolates of Candida albicans had no effect on ciliated epithelium. We have purified and characterized cilioinhibitory factors of a clinical isolate of A. fumigatus. The cilioinhibitory activity was heat labile, reduced by dialysis, and partially extractable into chloroform. The activity was associated with both high- and low-molecular-weight factors, as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-50. A low-molecular-weight cilioinhibitory factor was further purified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and shown by mass spectrometry to be gliotoxin, a known metabolite of A. fumigatus. Gliotoxin significantly slowed ciliary beat frequency in association with epithelial damage at concentrations above 0.2 microgram/ml; other Aspergillus toxins, i.e., fumagillin and helvolic acid, were also cilioinhibitory but at much higher concentrations. High-molecular-weight (> or = 35,000 and 25,000) cilioinhibitory materials had neither elastolytic nor proteolytic activity and remain to be identified. Thus, A. fumigatus produces a number of biologically active substances which slow ciliary beating and damage epithelium and which may influence colonization of the airways.