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Neocosmospora pseudensiformis (formerly Fusarium pseudensiforme) is a hyaline mold in the Fusarium solani species complex that has been changed to the genus Neocosmospora. Invasive fusariosis is a rare fungal infection in solid organ transplantation. The most commonly reported manifestation of invasive fusariosis in this setting is localized cutaneous fusariosis. Here, we present the first case report of isolated N pseudensiformis pulmonary infection in a patient with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. A 67-year-old Thai woman developed acute graft rejection, dyspnea, and pulmonary consolidation 6 months after liver transplantation. N pseudensiformis was isolated from her sputum, and her clinical symptoms were improved with voriconazole treatment. However, she succumbed to Acinetobacter baumannii hospital-acquired pneumonia and acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock after 10 days of treatment., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Brassica oleracea var. acephala (kale) is a cruciferous vegetable widely cultivated for its leaves and flower buds in Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean area, being a food of great interest as a "superfood" today. Little has been studied about the diversity of endophytic fungi in the Brassica genus, and there are no studies regarding kale. In this study, we made a survey of the diversity of endophytic fungi present in the roots of six different Galician kale local populations. In addition, we investigated whether the presence of endophytes in the roots was beneficial to the plants in terms of growth, cold tolerance, or resistance to bacteria and insects. The fungal isolates obtained belonged to 33 different taxa. Among those, a Fusarium sp. and Pleosporales sp. A between Setophoma and Edenia (called as Setophoma/Edenia) were present in many plants of all five local populations, being possible components of a core kale microbiome. For the first time, several interactions between endophytic fungus and Brassica plants are described and is proved how different interactions are beneficial for the plant. Fusarium sp. and Pleosporales sp. B close to Pyrenophora (called as Pyrenophora) promoted plant growth and increased cold tolerance. On the other hand, isolates of Trichoderma sp., Pleosporales sp. C close to Phialocephala (called as Phialocephala), Fusarium sp., Curvularia sp., Setophoma/Edenia and Acrocalymma sp. were able to activate plant systemic resistance against the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. We also observed that Fusarium sp., Curvularia sp. and Setophoma/Edenia confered resistance against Mamestra brassicae larvae.

N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most common post-transcriptional modification of RNA in eukaryotes that regulates the post-transcriptional expression level of genes without changing the base sequence. The role of m 6 A in fungal keratitis has not yet been elucidated. Here, we aimed to identify m 6 A modification changes and their potential roles in fungal keratitis. The murine model of fungal keratitis was established by inoculating mice with Fusarium solani (F. solani). The overall m 6 A level was detected via an m 6 A RNA methylation assay kit. The expression levels of key m 6 A modification-related genes were estimated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expression and localization of METTL (methyltransferase like)3, the key component of the m 6 A methyltransferase complex, was determined by immunostaining and Western blotting (WB). Immunoprecipitation methylation microarray was used to describe the changes in m 6 A modification in F. solani-infected corneal tissue. The overall m 6 A level in corneal tissue on the 5th day in the F. solani-treated group was upregulated compared with that in the control group. The demethylase levels were unaltered, but the level of the methylase METTL3 was increased significantly after fungal infection. Additionally, differences were found in m 6 A modifications in 1137 mRNAs, of which 780 were hypermethylated and 357 were hypomethylated. To the best of our knowledge, the present work is the first investigation on the m 6 A modification profiles in experimental fungal keratitis, and it may provide a potential therapeutic target., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate a strain of Fusarium verticillioides ITV03 isolated from wood residues in the Veracruz region of Mexico. Endoglucanase and β-glucosidase production by submerged fermentation was optimized using a Box-Behnken design, where the independent variables were urea, ammonium sulfate and yeast extract., Results: After optimization, an endoglucanase activity of 0.27 U/mL was achieved; subsequently, three carbon sources were evaluated (carboxymethyl cellulose, sweet sorghum bagasse cellulose and delignified sweet sorghum bagasse (DSSB). The results showed that DSSB yielded the greatest endoglucanase (0.28 U/mL) and β-glucosidase (0.12 U/mL) activities. Both enzymatic activities were characterized for the effect of pH, temperature and thermostability. The optimal parameters of β-glucosidase and endoglucanase activity were pH 5 and 4 respectively, the optimum temperature 60 °C. These enzymes were stable at 50 °C for 150.68 h and 8.54 h, with an activation energy (E a (day)) of 265.55 kJ/mol and 44.40 kJ/mol respectively, for β-glucosidase and endoglucanase., Conclusion: The present work shows that a native strain like F. verticillioides ITV03 using DSSB supplemented with nitrogen has a great potential as a producer of cellulase for lignocellulosic residue hydrolysis.

The intestinal epithelium is the first barrier against food contaminants and is highly sensitive to Fusarium toxins, especially deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA). Here, we explored the effects of low doses of DON and/or ZEA in naturally moldy diets on intestinal functions in piglets, including inflammatory responses, epithelial barrier, and microbial composition. Piglets were treated with a control diet (CON), DON diet (1000.6 μg/kg), ZEA diet (269.1 μg/kg), and DON + ZEA diet (1007.5 + 265.4 μg/kg), respectively, for 3 weeks and then switched to the same CON diet for another 2 weeks. In the first period, even the selected low doses of DON or ZEA in the diet resulted in intestinal inflammation, diminish protein expression (claudin-4) and altered gut microbiota populations. Whereas upon switching to the CON diet for another 2 weeks, the deleterious effect of ZEA and DON on IL-1β and Bifidobacterium population could not be recovered. Additionally, combined DON and ZEA negatively affected body weight gain and feed consumption of piglets, as well as shown synergistic effects on evoking pro-inflammatory cytokines contents (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and perturbing the cecum microbiota profile (E. coli, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium). Collectively, chronic consumption of DON and ZEA contaminated feed or food, even at low doses, can induce intestinal damage and may have consequences for animal and human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors reported no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) species are commonly encountered infecting rice, but knowledge of the diversity and toxigenic potential of the species is lacking in Brazil, the largest rice-producing country outside Asia. One hundred FFSC isolates obtained from national rice were identified using morphology and phylogeny of TEF, CAL and TUB genes. Eight previously known and one novel Fusarium species were identified. Three species accounted for around 60% of the strains: F. fujikuroi (n = 23), F. proliferatum (n = 22) and F. verticillioides (n = 16). The less frequent species were F. volatile (n = 8), F. anthophilum (n = 6), F. pseudocircinatum (n = 4), F. sterilihyphosum (n = 2) and F. begoniae (n = 1). The novel Fusarium species was represented by 18 isolates. All species produced at least one of the analyzed mycotoxins [beauvericin (BEA), fumonisins (FBs), moniliformin (MON) and enniatins (ENNs)]. BEA was produced by all species but F. verticillioides. The FBs (mainly FB1) were produced mostly by F. fujikuroi, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides. F. begoniae and F. verticillioides did not produce ENNs and F. sterilihyphosum and F. begoniae did not produce MON, while the other species produced MON and ENNs. Our results add new knowledge of the diversity, geographical distribution and host range of FFSC species., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in immunocompromised individuals has changed over the last few decades, partially due to the increased use of antifungal agents to prevent IFIs. Although this strategy has resulted in an overall reduction in IFIs, a subset of patients develop breakthrough IFIs with substantial morbidity and mortality in this population. Here, we review the most significant risk factors for breakthrough IFIs in haematology patients, solid organ transplant recipients, and patients in the intensive care unit, focusing particularly on host factors, and highlight areas that require future investigation., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The influence of biofilm on the complexity of fungal diseases has been reported in recent years, especially in non-invasive mycoses such as keratitis and onychomycosis. The difficulty in treating cases of fusariosis in the human medical clinic exemplifies this situation, because when Fusarium spp. are present in the form of biofilm, the permeation of antifungal agents is compromised., Objectives: This study proposes an association of clioquinol, an inhibitor of fungal cells with antifungal drugs prescribed to combat fusariosis in humans., Methods: Susceptibility was assessed by microdilution in broth. Formation of biofilm by staining with violet crystal. Inhibition and removal of biofilm using the MTT colorimetric reagent. Time-kill combination, hypoallergenicity test, cytotoxicity test and toxicity prediction by computer analysis were also performed., Results: Clioquinol associated with voriconazole and ciclopirox inhibited biofilm formation. Possibly, clioquinol acts in the germination and elongation of hyphae, while voriconazole prevents cell adhesion and ciclopirox the formation of the extracellular polymeric matrix. The CLIO-VRC association reduced the biofilm formation by more than 90%, while the CLIO-CPX association prevented over 95%. None of the association was irritating, and over 90% of the leucocytes remained viable. Computational analysis does not reveal toxicity relevant to CLIO, whereas VRC and CPX showed some risks for systemic use, but suitable for topical formulations., Conclusions: The combination of CLIO-VRC or CLIO-CPX proved to be a promising association strategy in the medical clinic, both in combating fungal keratitis and onychomycosis, since they prevent the initial process of establishing an infection, the formation of biofilm., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Luliconazole is a new antifungal that was primarily used for the treatment of dermatophytosis. However, some studies have shown that it has excellent efficacy against Aspergillus and Candida species in vitro. The present study aimed to evaluate of luliconazole activity against some Fusarium species complex isolates. In this study, 47 isolates of Fusarium were tested against several antifungals including luliconazole. All species were identified using morphology features, and PCR sequencing and antifungal susceptibility were performed according to CLSIM38 A3 guideline. Our results revealed that luliconazole has a very low minimum inhibitory concentration value (0.0078-1 µg/ml) in comparison with other tested antifungals. Amphotericin B had a poor effect with a high MIC 90 (64 µg/ml), followed by terbinafine (32 µg/ml), posaconazole (16 µg/ml), caspofungin (16 µg/ml), voriconazole (4 µg/ml), and itraconazole (4 µg/ml). Overall, our findings indicated that luliconazole has great activity against environmental and clinical Fusarium species complexes in comparison to tested antifungals.

The hospital environment requires special attention to air quality, since it needs to be healthy for the protection of patients and health professionals in order to prevent them against hospital infections. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify and evaluate the susceptibility profile of isolated fungi from two hospitals. For air sampling the impaction (Spin Air, IUL®) and passive sedimentation methods were used. For the isolation of fungi from surfaces, contact plates (RODAC®) were used. The identification of the fungi was performed by observing the macroscopic and microscopic aspects of the colonies, whereas for better visualization of fruiting structures, the microculture technique was performed on slides. To evaluate the susceptibility profile, the broth microdilution test recommended by CLSI was performed. Thirty-five isolates were identified: Aspergillus flavus (12), Aspergillus fumigatus (11), Aspergillus niger (1), Aspergillus terreus (2), Penicillium spp. (7), and Fusarium spp. (2) in the hospitals evaluated. All isolates had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) more than 128 μg/ml for fluconazole; 0.5 to 4.0 μg/ml for amphotericin B (hospital 1), and all isolates from haospital 2 had MIC ≥2.0 μg/ml. In hospital 1, MIC for posaconazole ranged from 0.25 μg/ml to ≥32 μg/ml, and hospital 2 ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 μg/ml. The monitoring and evaluation of air quality and surfaces are essential measures for prevention and control of hospital infections, as these microorganisms are becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial agents, thus making treatment difficult, especially in immunocompromised individuals., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.)

To examine the genetic basis for the variable susceptibility of Striga hermonthica from differing zones of sub-Saharan Africa to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. strigae (Fos) isolates Foxy-2 and FK3, 10 S. hermonthica populations from Eastern and Western Africa were phenotyped for their susceptibility response to Foxy-2 and FK3, and then genotyped with 22 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. There is low genetic differentiation between East African and West African S. hermonthica populations (i.e. the proportion of the total genetic variance contained in the subpopulation relative to the total genetic variance, F ST  = 0.012, P < 0.05), but intermediate genetic differentiation (F ST  = 0.143, P < 0.01) underlies the S. hermonthica groups that are differentiated by their phenotypic responses to Fos isolates. An expressed sequence tag SSR (EST-SSR) marker Y53 (P < 0.01) and a genomic SSR marker E1009 (P < 0.05) were associated with the S. hermonthica class susceptible to Foxy-2 and FK3 (group A). A divergent S. hermonthica class, consisting of groups with intermediate susceptibility to Foxy-2 (group B) and susceptibility to either FK3 (group C) or Foxy-2 (group D), showed no marker-trait association, instead demonstrated linkage disequilibrium decay. Owing to point substitutions and insertion-deletion mutations, the unique, protein-coding nucleotide sequence at the E1009 locus in group A was partly dissimilar to group B, but was totally distinct from groups C and D. These findings implied that the inconsistent effectiveness of a Fos isolate is better explained by genomic variation in S. hermonthica, rather than by S. hermonthica sampling zones., (© 2020 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Exotic ambrosia beetles are increasing in Europe due to global trade and global warming. Among these xylomycetophagous insects, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a serious threat for several Mediterranean host plants. Carob trees growing in Sicily (Italy) have been extensively attacked by beetles leading to rapid tree decline. Although X. compactus has been found in Europe for several years, most aspects of its ecology are still unknown. We thus studied the population structure and dynamics of X. compactus, together with its twig size preference during a sampling of infested carob trees in south east Sicily. In addition, fungi associated with insects or galleries were isolated and characterized. The results showed that, in this newly-colonized environment and host plant, adult X. compactus overwinters inside twigs and starts to fly and reproduce in mid spring, completing five generations before overwintering in late fall. The mean diameter of carob twigs infested by the beetle varied significantly over the seasons, with the insect tending to infest larger twigs as season progresses. The mean number of adults/gallery was 19.21, ranging from 6 to 28. The minimum temperature significantly affected the overwintering adult mortality. Ambrosiella xylebori and Fusarium solani were the main symbionts associated with the pest in this study. Acremonium sp. was instead recorded for the first time in Europe inside X. compactus galleries. Several other fungi species were also found for the first time in association with X. compactus. Our findings provide useful insights into the sustainable management of this noxious pest., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Infection of wheat by Fusarium species can lead to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and mycotoxin contamination, thereby reducing food quality and food safety, and leading to economic losses. Agronomic management through the implementation of various pre-harvest measures can reduce the probability of Fusarium spp. infection in the wheat field. To design interventions that could stimulate wheat farmers to (further) improve their agronomic management to reduce FHB, it is key to understand farmers' behaviour towards adapting their management. The aim of this paper was to understand the intention, underlying behavioural constructs, and beliefs of Dutch wheat farmers to adapt their agronomic management to reduce FHB and mycotoxin contamination in wheat, applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Data were collected from 100 Dutch wheat farmers via a questionnaire. The standard TPB analysis was extended with an assessment of the robustness of the belief results to account for the statistical validity of the analysis on TPB beliefs (i.e. to address the so-called expectancy-value muddle). Forty-six percent of the farmers had a positive intention to change their management in the next 5 years. The two behavioural constructs significantly related to this intention were attitude and social norm, whereas association with the perceived behavioural control construct was insignificant indicating that farmers did not perceive any barriers to change their behaviour. Relevant attitudinal beliefs indicated specific attributes of wheat, namely yield, quality and safety (lower mycotoxin contamination). This indicates that strengthening these beliefs-by demonstrating that a change in management will result in a higher yield and quality and lower mycotoxin levels-will result in a stronger attitude and, subsequently, a higher intention to change management. Interventions to strengthen these beliefs should preferably go by the most important referents for social norms, which were the buyers and the farmer cooperatives in this study., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Fusarium species are the fungal pathogens most commonly responsible for the mycotic keratitis, which are resistant to the majority of currently available antifungal agents. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy of a combination of low doses chlorhexidine with two other commonly used drugs (voriconazole and natamycin) to treat Fusarium infections., Results: We utilized combinations of chlorhexidine and natamycin or voriconazole against 20 clinical Fusarium strains in vitro using a checkerboard-based microdilution strategy. In order to more fully understand the synergistic interactions between voriconazole and chlorhexidine, we utilized a Galleria mellonella model to confirm the combined antifungal efficacy of chlorhexidine and voriconazole in vivo. We found that for voriconazole, natamycin, and chlorhexidine as single agents, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges were 2-8, 4-16, and > 16 μg/ml, respectively. In contrast, the MIC values for voriconazole and chlorhexidine were reduced to 0.25-1 and 1-2 μg/ml, respectively, when these agents were administered in combination, with synergy being observed for 90% of tested Fusarium strains. Combined chlorhexidine and natamycin treatment, in contrast, exhibited synergistic activity for only 10% of tested Fusarium strains. We observed no evidence of antagonism. Our in vivo model results further confirmed the synergistic antifungal activity of chlorhexidine and voriconazole., Conclusions: Our results offer novel evidence that voriconazole and chlorhexidine exhibit synergistic activity when used to suppress the growth of Fusarium spp., and these agents may thus offer value as a combination topical antifungal treatment strategy.

Iris is one of the most popular and best-selling ornamental plants around the globe. Fusarium root rot disease, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. gladioli (FOG) is one of the most serious disease of Iridaceae and Iris plants. In this study, three resistant and three susceptible Iris genotypes were inoculated with FOG isolates to evaluate expression of related genes promoting defense to disease at intervals times at two, four and six weeks post inoculation. Total RNA was extracted using an AccuZol™ reagent, and the first-strand Cdna was synthesized accordingly. Expression level of WRKY transcription factors (WRKY), lectin receptor kinase (LecRK), pathogenesis-related protein (PR3), lipoxygenase (LOX1) and ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIP) genes was investigated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The transcriptional level of five defense-related genes were up-regulated in FOG-infected samples. The genes expression in resistant Iris genotypes NIOP3, NIOP15 and NIOP16 was much higher than susceptible NIOP1, NIOP12 and NIOP20 genotypes. The highest level of expression was observed in all the genes and genotypes at 6 weeks post inoculation. The phenotypic symptoms of genotypes and changes in the expression of genes confirmed resistance in Iris genotypes NIOP3, NIOP15 and NIOP16 in comparison to susceptible genotypes NIOP1, NIOP12 and NIOP20, and un-inoculated control Iris plants. Identifying disease-resistant genotypes can contribute to the development of new ornamental cultivars that can be deployed to ensure high quality and lasting Iris plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fusarium pseudocircinatum is the main causal agent of big-leaf mahogany malformation disease (BLMMD) of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in Mexico. Although, BLMMD is the most important disease for this high-value timber species, there is a lack of information on the genetic variation present in geographically diverse isolates of F. pseudocircinatum. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of populations of F. pseudocircinatum causing BLMMD in the central western region of Mexico. A total of 611 big-leaf mahogany trees were inspected at eight sites in four states (Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco and Michoacán); of these, 42.7% showed malformation symptoms similar to those of BLMMD. Of 374 Fusarium isolates that were recovered, 277 were identified as F. pseudocircinatum, 56 were F. mexicanum, and 41 were Fusarium spp. An ISSR analysis of the F. pseudocircinatum isolates generated 51 bands of which 38 were polymorphic (76.8%) with a mean of 17 bands per primer. A total of 87 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were identified. Nei's genetic diversity analysis showed that the isolates had a high genetic diversity average (0.147), with values ranging from 0.070 to 0.365 depending of the geographical location. An analysis of molecular variance revealed that the variation within the populations was low (27.36%), while the variation within MLGs was significant (72.64%), indicating genetic flow. Overall, the genetic variability of F. pseudocircinatum populations was high and the MLGs from Colima (Colima) and Gabriel Zamora (Michoacán) were placed centrally, which possibly is evidence of ancestry and indicates its dispersion routes in the central western region of Mexico.

Background: Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) has become increasingly attractive due to its health benefits. It is grown as food for human consumption and fodder for livestock in Africa and Asia. This study focused on five pearl millet populations from different agro-ecological zones from Tunisia, and on characterization by morphological traits, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and occurrence of Fusarium., Results: Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences between populations for the quantitative traits. The highest grain weights occurred in the pearl millet cultivated in Zaafrana and Gergis of Tunisia. Early flowering and early maturing populations cultivated in the center (Zaafrana, Rejiche) and south (Gergis) of Tunisia tended to have a higher grain yield. The Zaafrana population showed the highest value of green fodder potentiel (number and weight of leaves/cultivar and the weight of tillers and total plant/cultivar) followed by Gergis and Rejiche. The Kelibia population showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. Rejiche exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity. Trans-cinnamic, protocatechuic, and hydroxybenzoic acids were the major phenolic compounds in all the extracts. Three Fusarium species were identified in Tunisian pearl millet populations based on morphologic and molecular characterization. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum occurred most frequently. The average incidence of the three Fusarium species was relatively low (<5%) in all populations. The lowest infection rate (0.1%) was recorded in the samples from Zaafrana., Conclusion: Chemometric analysis confirmed the usefulness of the above traits for discrimination of pearl millet populations, where a considerable variation according to geographical origin and bioclimatic conditions was observed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The purpose was to investigate the effect of daylight-intensity blue light on F. solani isolated from the cornea of patients with fungal keratitis. Spore suspensions of 5 F. solani strains (one standard strain and 4 clinical corneal isolates) were prepared in 6-well plates. Blue light groups were irradiated by a light-emitting diode (LED) device with a peak wavelength of 454 nm at 0.5 mW/cm 2 for 0 to 48 h, while the controls were maintained in darkness. Hyphal morphology in the 6-well plates was recorded at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48 h. One hundred microliters of spore suspensions of each strain at these five time points was transferred to SGA plates and cultured for 36 h at 29 °C; the number of colonies formed was counted as a measure of conidia quality and viability. Blue light has dual effects on F. solani. The hyphal length of F. solani exposed to blue light was significantly shorter than that of the control (P < 0.01), indicating that fungal growth was inhibited. Meanwhile, instead of reducing the viability of spores, blue light significantly enhanced the conidia quality and viability after at least 24 h irradiation. Daylight-intensity blue light exposure will inhibit the hyphal growth of F. solani but promote conidiation, which would be more harmful to fungal keratitis. Eliminating the influence of blue light for these patients should be taken into account.

Background: Invasive mould infections (IMIs) are very rare in patients with lymphoid malignancies. However, IMIs, mostly due to Aspergillus species, have been increasingly reported in such patients receiving ibrutinib (IBR). There is paucity of information regarding non-Aspergillus invasive mould infections (NAIMIs) in this setting, OBJECTIVES: To review our recent experience and the published literature on the topic., Patients/methods: We present a case of invasive sinusitis caused by Fusarium in a patient with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who was treated with IBR and review the 12 published cases of NAIMIs during IBR., Results: Nearly all cases of NAIMIs in the setting of IBR use were encountered in patients with CLL. Mixed fungal infections, brain involvement and late-onset infections were common., Conclusions: Although rare, NAIMIs should be considered in patients who receive IBR., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Straw return is an effective strategy to alleviate soil-borne diseases. Though watermelon Fusarium wilt is a severe soil-borne disease, the effect of wheat straw on the disease remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the effects of wheat straw on soil bacterial and fungal communities by adding wheat straw to consecutive watermelon soil in the greenhouse condition. The microbiome changes were further investigated using network analysis based on 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer deep sequencing. Wheat straw addition increased the fungal community diversity, whereas the bacterial diversity was not affected. Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of some bacteria, including Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Saccharibacteria, was increased with wheat straw addition. For fungi, the relative abundance of Fusarium was decreased with wheat straw addition. Microbial network analysis demonstrated that the fungal community has a more complex connection than the bacterial community. In addition, redundancy analysis indicated that the Fusarium genera were significantly related to the disease index. Taken together, the addition of wheat straw might affect the microbial community through increasing the relative abundance of phylum Actinobacteria, decreasing the relative abundance of Fusarium, and increasing the fungal network complexity to enhance the defense of watermelon against Fusarium wilt disease.

Banana is an important food crop and source of income in Africa. Sustainable production of banana, however, is at risk because of pests and diseases such as Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). Foc can be disseminated from infested to disease-free fields in plant material, water and soil. Early detection of Foc using DNA technologies is thus required to accurately identify the fungus and prevent its further dissemination with plants, soil and water. In this study, quantitative (q)PCR assays were developed for the detection of Foc Lineage VI strains found in central and eastern Africa (Foc races 1 and 2), Foc TR4 (vegetative compatibility groups (VCG) 01213/16) that is present in Mozambique, and Foc STR4 (VCG 0120/15) that occurs in South Africa. A collection of 127 fungal isolates were selected for specificity testing, including endophytic Fusarium isolates from banana pseudostems, non-pathogenic F. oxysporum strains and Foc isolates representing the 24 VCGs in Foc. Primer sets that proved to be specific to Foc Lineage VI, Foc TR4 and Foc STR4 were used to produce standard curves for absolute quantification, and the qPCR assays were evaluated based on the quality of standard curves, repeatability and reproducibility, and limits of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD). The qPCR assays for Foc Lineage VI, TR4 and STR4 were repeatable and reproducible, with LOQ values of 10-3-10-4 ng/μL and a LOD of 10-4-10-5 ng/μL. The quantitative detection of Foc strains in Africa could reduce the time and improve the accuracy for identifying the Fusarium wilt pathogen from plants, water and soil on the continent., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

We hereby report a successfully salvaged eye due to mycotic keratitis by Cylindrocarpon lichenicola in a 60-year-old female from Kasaragod (Kerala). The patient came with a history of pain, photophobia and decreased vision of the right eye. The microbiological investigations of the corneal scraping revealed C. lichenicola. C. lichenicola is a soil saprophyte. Since the ulcer worsened paracentesis followed by therapeutic keratoplasty and adjunct therapy with natamycin drops, voriconazole drops and oral ketoconazole was given. We stress that evidence-based timely medical and surgical intervention helped in the restoration of the vision in an infected eye., Competing Interests: None

Fusarium guttiforme and Fusarium ananatum are the etiological agents of fusariosis and fruitlet core rot in pineapple, respectively, producing mycotoxins that are harmful to the health of consumers. These two fungi are morphologically similar and difficulty in obtaining macroconidia of the species limits their identification. Different types of media are available for the culture of these pathogens, but not all of them favor F. ananatum and F. guttiforme macroconidia production. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a simple culture medium to improve rapid macro- and microconidia formation in both F. guttiforme and F. ananatum to facilitate taxonomic, pathogenicity and mycotoxin studies. In vitro analysis showed that basal medium with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was better than other media tested with the highest macroconidia production at 7 days of incubation. The highest production of microconidia was with synthetic nutrient medium (SN) at 7 days. F. ananatum produced a relatively high number of microconidia with one septum in comparison to F. guttiforme when cultured in CMC, which suggests an additional character useful for Fusarium taxonomy. CMC medium may serve as an improved alternative to culture media currently used in Fusarium research and contribute to further knowledge of the taxonomy and mycotoxins of Fusarium species., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Melons are perishable fruit of high food safety risk, grown in contact with soil and soil-borne organisms. To assess whether food safety risk could be augmented by the presence of soil-borne fungi, this study investigated the relationship between Fusarium spp. that were isolated from the surface of melon and the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica . In four repeated trials, rind discs from cultivars, Arava, Athena, Dulce Nectar, Jaune de Canaries, and Sivan fruit, grown in the field and in high tunnels in Maryland were inoculated separately with Fusarium isolates, F . oxysporum , F . fujikuroi , F . armeniacum , and F. proliferatum , with no Fusarium inoculation serving as a control and incubated at 25°C. Salmonella Newport was inoculated onto melon discs 4 d post -Fusarium inoculation and recovered 24 h later. Melon cultivar impacted the retrieval of Salmonella Newport. In all four replicated experiments, one or more of the netted varieties, Arava, Athena, and Sivan, yielded higher Salmonella Newport counts than one or both smooth-rind melons, Jaune de Canaries and Dulce Nectar ( p  < 0.05). Fusarium inoculation did not have a marked impact on Salmonella retrieval. The average Salmonella count recovered was 5.0 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL for both Fusarium -inoculated and uninoculated melons. However, in one trial, Salmonella Newport counts recovered from F. fujikuroi- inoculated melons were higher than all other treatments (8.6 log CFU/mL; p  < 0.001), due to high levels of Salmonella recovered from Jaune de Canaries compared with other experiments. The food safety risk of melon did not appear to be enhanced by postharvest colonization with saprophytic Fusarium spp. However, melons with netted rinds appeared to favor Salmonella colonization compared with smooth melons. Choice of melon cultivar may be an important consideration in reducing Salmonella colonization risk in areas where Salmonella may be endemic in the environment.

Non-native Acacia plantations in Indonesia were first reported to be infested by a native ambrosia beetle species, identified as Euwallacea fornicatus in 1993. Recently the level of infestation in these plantations by ambrosia beetles has steadily increased. The recent redefinition of the taxonomic parameters of the Euwallacea fornicatus species complex has resulted in the identity of the ambrosia beetle species in these plantations becoming unclear. This is also true for their obligate fungal associates. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the ambrosia beetle species, as well as its corresponding fungal associate/s, infesting Acacia crassicarpa plantations in Riau, Indonesia. Morphological identification and phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) gene, revealed that the beetles are E. perbrevis, previously a synonym of E. fornicatus and commonly referred to as the Tea Shot Hole Borer A (TSHBa). Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of the fungal associate of E. perbrevis revealed a Fusarium sp. that is among members of the Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC), but that is genetically distinct from other previously identified Fusarium symbionts of Euwallacea species. This novel fungal species is described here as Fusarium rekanum sp. nov.

The isolation, identification and characterization of a novel huperzine A (HupA)-producing fungal strain Rsp5.2 isolated from Huperzia serrata (Thunb. ex Murray) Trev. in Vietnam. The fifty-eight endophytic fungi were recovered from roots of natural H. serrata in Lao Cai province of northern Vietnam and screened for HupA-producing by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The only one of the 58 strains, Rsp5.2, could produce HupA. The amount of HupA produced by Rsp5.2 was quantified to be 19.45 µg g -1 dried mycelium by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Acetylcholine esterase (AchE) inhibition (IC 50 ) of the crude HupA extract from Rsp5.2 fermentation broth was 2.849 ± 0.0026 µg mL -1 . The fungus was identified as Fusarium sp. Rsp5.2 by morphological characteristics and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences. This is the first report of Fusarium sp. as a HupA-producing endophyte isolated from H. serrata.

Biodeterioration caused by filamentous fungi is often a threat to the architectural heritage (i.e. tombs and historic sites). To specifically understand the deterioration phenomena caused by microorganisms in tombs and how these are shaped due to various environmental factors, the fungal communities in the coffin chamber of the Chinese emperor Yang (BC 569-618) were investigated at different heights using denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting. The associated environmental conditions, such as humidity, temperature, height and illumination, were also assessed. The results showed that a great diversity of fungal species (Cordyceps, Fusarium, Harpochytrium, Emericellopsis, Volutella, Cladosporium, Stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Cochlonema and two unknown fungal species) was present in emperor Yang's coffin chamber. The predominant species were Stachybotrys, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Cochlonema. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that humidity, temperature, height and illumination were the most significantly related factors shaping the fungal communities. Humidity showed the highest degree of variance description (19.2%) than all other environmental factors, followed by illumination (18.3%) and height (12.8%). Furthermore, fungal richness and diversity indices showed a positive correlation with humidity (p < 0.05). These results help in understanding the fungal community in tombs, promoting the mitigation of deterioration phenomena of such building heritage for the present and future.

The identity of the fungi responsible for fruitlet core rot (FCR) disease in pineapple has been the subject of investigation for some time. This study describes the diversity and toxigenic potential of fungal species causing FCR in La Reunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. One-hundred-and-fifty fungal isolates were obtained from infected and healthy fruitlets on Reunion Island and exclusively correspond to two genera of fungi: Fusarium and Talaromyces. The genus Fusarium made up 79% of the isolates, including 108 F. ananatum , 10 F. oxysporum , and one F. proliferatum . The genus Talaromyces accounted for 21% of the isolated fungi, which were all Talaromyces stollii . As the isolated fungal strains are potentially mycotoxigenic, identification and quantification of mycotoxins were carried out on naturally or artificially infected diseased fruits and under in vitro cultures of potential toxigenic isolates. Fumonisins B 1 and B 2 (FB 1 -FB 2 ) and beauvericin (BEA) were found in infected fruitlets of pineapple and in the culture media of Fusarium species. Regarding the induction of mycotoxin in vitro, F. proliferatum produced 182 mg kg⁻ 1 of FB 1 and F. oxysporum produced 192 mg kg⁻ 1 of BEA. These results provide a better understanding of the causal agents of FCR and their potential risk to pineapple consumers.

Background: The aim was to determine the influence of harvesting time and meteorological conditions on the occurrence of Fusarium spp. and mycotoxins in the grain of spring cereals. A field experiment was performed in 2016-2018 with spring oat (Avena sativa L.) and spring triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.) plots. Grain samples of oat and triticale were analysed for Fusarium infection and co-contamination with mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin (T-2)., Results: Results from the three-year study showed that the occurrence of Fusarium spp. fungi and mycotoxins produced by them in spring oat and triticale grain was most influenced by the meteorological conditions at harvesting time and crop species., Conclusions: It was found that in all experimental years, F. poae, F. tricinctum and F. sporotrichioides predominated in oat grains and F. graminearum, F. sporotrichioides and F. avenaceum predominated in spring triticale; as a result, oat grains were more contaminated with T-2 and triticale grains with DON and ZEA. Due to the rainy harvesting period in 2017, the contamination level of Fusarium fungi of grain of both crop species was 100%, and the concentrations of DON and ZEA in the samples of spring triticale were several times higher than those set forth in the EU regulation. Co-occurrence of all three mycotoxins analysed (DON, ZEA and T-2) was identified in these samples. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Barley is one of the most sown crops in the world, with multiple uses such as human consumption, animal feed and for the malting industry. This crop is affected by different diseases, such as Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), that causes losses in yield and quality. In the last years F. graminearum and F. poae were two of the most frequently isolated species in barley grains, so the aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between these Fusarium species and the effects on disease parameters, grain quality and mycotoxin contamination on five barley genotypes under field conditions., Results: Statistical differences between Fusarium treatments for some parameters depending mainly on the year/genotype were found. The results showed that the germination process was affected by both Fusarium species. As to grain quality and the different hordein fractions, it was observed that F. graminearum affects preferentially D and C-hordeins. Different concentrations of nivalenol, deoxynivalenol and their acetylated derivatives (3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON)) were detected., Conclusions: In the present work, no evidence of synergism between F. graminearum and F. poae were found regarding disease parameters and mycotoxin contamination. However, at least in the years with favorable climatic conditions to FHB development and depending on the barley genotype, a continuous monitoring is deemed necessary to prevent the negative impact on protein composition and germinative parameters © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Endophytes have been shown to play a crucial role in determining the fitness of host plant during their association, yet the cross-functional effect of endophytes of one plant on another plant remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we attempt to analyze the effect of native endophytes of Coleus forskohlii (Phialemoniopsis cornearis (SF1), Macrophomina pseudophaseolina (SF2), and Fusarium redolens (RF1), isolated from stem and root parts) on plant growth and secondary metabolite enhancement in medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata, and aromatic plants Pelargonium graveolens and Artemisia pallens. Here, we report, endophytic treatments with SF2 (21%) and RF1 (9%) in A. paniculata resulted in significant enhancement of andrographolide along with plant primary productivity. Correspondingly, application of fungal endophytes RF1, SF1, and SF2 significantly improved the plant growth (11 to 40%), shoot weight (28 to 34%), oil content (44 to 58%), and oil yield (72 to 122%) in P. graveolens. Interestingly, treatment of A. pallens with three fungal endophytes resulted in significant enhancement of plant productivity and oil content (12 to 80%) and oil yield (32 to 139%). Subsequently, the endophyte treatments RF1 and SF1 enhanced davanone (13 to 22%) and ethyl cinnamate (11 to 22%) content. However, SF2 endophyte-treated plants did not show any improvement in ethyl cinnamate content but enhanced the content of davanone (10%), a signature component of davana essential oil. Overall, results depict cross-functional role of native endophytes of C. forskohlii and repurposing of functional endophytes for sustainable cultivation of economically important medicinal and aromatic crops.

Pitina is a fermented sausage-like produced in the mountainous area of the North-East Italy by artisanal plants without the use of both selected starters and casing (Slow Food Presidium). Originally, Pitina has been a way of preserving meat and it is manifactured by meat from ungulates mixed with pork lard, smoked, dryed and ripened. In this study, microbial ecology, physic-chemical parameters, and volatile aromatic compounds of Pitina SR and LR, which differ by the duration of ripening processes, were investigated. Results showed the good hygienic quality. Staphylococcus xylosus and Lactobacillus sakei were responsible for the ripening. Other Coagulase-negative Catalase-positive Cocci (CNCPC) and LAB species were identified: S. equorum, S. warneri, S. succinus and Carnobacterium divergens, Streptococcus equinus, Kocuria rhizophila. Giberella moniliformis and Penicillium turbatum were the only mould species isolated. Strain characterization demonstrated a high genetic variability. Raw meat, environment and ripening conditions seemed to affect strains distribution, which had an impact on the aromatic profile of the product., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cereal grains and their processed food products are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins produced by the Fusarium genus. Enniatins (ENNs), which belong to the so-called "emerging mycotoxins" family, are among the most frequently found in small grain cereals. Health hazards induced by a chronic exposure to ENNs or an association of ENNs with other major mycotoxins is a risk that cannot be excluded given the current toxicological data. Thus, efforts must be pursued to define efficient control strategies to mitigate their presence in cereal grains. A key condition for achieving this aim is to gain deep and comprehensive knowledge of the factors promoting the appearance of ENNs in crop harvests. After an update of ENN occurrence data, this review surveys the scientific literature on the Fusarium species responsible for ENN contamination and covers the recent advances concerning the abiotic determinants and the genetic regulation of ENN biosynthesis.

Objective: To discuss clinical features and treatments of fungal keratitis, and to provide statistical data for clinical therapy and increase the therapeutic effects. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. An analysis was performed by collecting patients' demography features, risk factors, onset time, lab results, clinical features and treatment from 1 414 cases of fungal keratitis from January 2006 to October 2016 in Qingdao Eye Hospital, Shandong Eye Institute. Results: In the 1 414 cases (1 414 patients), 1 174 patients (83.0%) came from different areas in Shandong Province, and the rest mainly from provinces on the north of Yangtze River. The age was 40 to 60 years in 874 cases (61.4%). The onset time was often in autumn and winter. The average duration between the onset and treatment was 1 to 74 days; 942 patients (67.1%) visited our hospital in 8-30 days after the appearance of the symptoms. Corneal trauma was the most common risk factor, especially injury by plants (367 cases, 26.4%). The positive rate of direct microscopic examination of potassium hydroxide wet mounts was 96.4%. The positive rate of confocal microscopy was 89.8%. Fungi were detected in corneal ulcer scrapings and (or) diseased corneal tissues obtained during surgery from 973 patients (68.8%). Most of the fungi were Fusarium (595 cases, 61.1%), followed by Alternaria (184 cases, 18.9%) and Aspergillus (119 cases, 12.2%). There were 603 cases (42.7%) of superficial and middle stromal infiltration, 614 cases (43.4%) of deep stromal infiltration and 197 cases (13.9%) of full-thickness corneal infiltration. Diameters of the corneal ulcer lesion were mostly between 4 and 6 mm (725 cases, 51.6%), followed by<3 mm (372 cases, 26.4%) and>6 mm (302 cases, 22.0%). Hypopyon was combined in 498 cases (35.2%), corneal perforation in 34 cases (2.4%), and endophthalmitis in 58 cases (4.1%). Surgery was performed in 1 198 cases (84.8%), including penetrating keratoplasty in 416 cases (29.4%), lamellar keratoplasty in 199 cases (14.1%), and corneal ulcer debridement in 532 cases (37.6%), with an effective rate of 98.1% (408 cases), 97.0% (193 cases) and 92.8% (494 cases), respectively. Two hundred and fifteen cases (15.2%) were treated with medical therapy alone, of which 147 cases (68.4%) were cured. Fifty-six patients (3.9%) finally lost their eye balls, including 54 cases of evisceration and 2 cases of ophthalmectomy. Conclusions: Fusarium is the main causative agent of fungal keratitis in Shandong Province. Direct microscopic examination of potassium hydroxide wet mounts is a simple, rapid and effective test method. Early diagnosis can be made if the result of corneal ulcer scraping examination is positive. Antifungal drug treatments can be done in early onset time. If the drug efficacy is poor or the patient's condition gets worse, immediate surgery is the key to controlling fungal keratitis. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56:286-293) .

This study examined the effect of interacting conditions of water activity (a W , 0.995, 0.98 and 0.95) and temperature (15, 25 and 30 °C) on growth rate of two Fusarium thapsinum and one F. andiyazi strains isolated from sorghum in Argentina. In addition, the effect of interacting conditions (a W  × temperature × incubation time (7, 14, 21 and 28 days)) on mycotoxin production (moniliformin (MON), fusaric acid (FA) and fusarin C (FUS C)) on a sorghum grain substrate was evaluated. Statistical analysis showed that a W and temperature significantly affected growth of both species, mainly the a W . Incubation time significantly influenced mycotoxin production by both species as well, mostly for FA. Maximum growth rates of the F. thapsinum strains were obtained at the highest a W (0.995) and 25 °C and growth rate decreased as a W and temperature were reduced. The same growth profile was observed for F. andiyazi RCFA09 (maximum growth rates at 0.995-25 °C). Mycotoxin production by both species was detected at the highest a W levels whereas at 0.95 a W only low amounts of MON were produced by F. thapsinum. Maximum MON and FUS C production by both F. thapsinum strains was observed at 0.995 a W and 25-30 °C after 28 days of incubation. Also, F. thapsinum strains showed maximum FA production at the highest a W and temperature but after 14 days; after this incubation time toxin levels significantly decreased. The responses to a W and temperature of F. andiyazi were similar to that of F. thapsinum strains in relation to FA and FUS C production. Maximum levels of FA were detected at the highest a W after 14 days of incubation at 25-30 °C. Fusarin C was produced at all assayed temperatures but maximum levels were detected at 30 °C and 0.995 a W after 28 days of incubation. Two-dimensional profiles on the interactions of a W by temperature were developed from these data to identify conditions that indicate a significant risk from MON, FA and FUS C accumulation on sorghum grains. The results of this study suggest that sorghum grains could be colonized by these species and toxin production can occur, especially during development stages under field conditions at high water activity of grains or during grain storage if the drying process is slow or deficient. To our knowledge, this study described for the first time FUS C production by F. thapsinum and F. andiyazi under interacting conditions of a W , temperature and incubation time on sorghum grains., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with hematological malignancies and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients carry a high risk of rare (non-Aspergillus molds and non-Candida yeasts) invasive fungal infections (IFI)., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated and described the patient profile, clinical manifestations, isolated species, treatment and outcome of patients with hematological malignancies diagnosed with these rare IFIs during 15 years in a large single hemato-oncology center., Results: Eighty-seven patients with hematological malignancies treated in our center had at least one positive culture or molecular identification of a rare fungus. Ninety-three isolates were considered the etiological agents of the infection. The most common underlying hematological malignancy was acute myeloid leukemia, 36 patients (41.4%). Eighty patients (91%) received chemotherapy less than 30 days prior to IFI diagnosis. The most frequent site of infection was the respiratory tract: 34 patients (39%) had pulmonary and 19 patients (22%) had a sinusal or nasopharyngeal infections. Disseminated infection, defined as positive blood cultures or parallel infection in multiple organ systems, was documented in 20 patients (23%). The most common fungal species were Fusarium (35%) and Zygomycetes (25%). Coinfection with more than one fungus was noted in 20 patients (23%). Forty-seven of 87 patients (54%) in this study died within 90 days of IFI diagnosis., Conclusions: Rare IFIs in patients with hematological malignancy become increasingly frequent. Early identification with traditional and molecular methods is important in management of these patients.

Background: Fungal keratitis (FK) has been shown to be a climate-sensitive disease. The differentiation between FK from bacterial keratitis (BK) was difficult. The purpose of this study was to compare the bacteriology and mycology between tropical and subtropical Taiwan and to investigate the independent risk factors for identification of fungi from bacteria., Methods: Two hundred ninety-seven patients with clinical suspected microbial keratitis were prospectively enrolled. A fungal to bacteria rate (FBR), the number of fungi divided by bacteria identified, was determined to estimate the prevalence of fungi and bacteria. Clinical presentation, profiles of microorganisms, and predisposing risk factors were determined. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the independent risk factors., Results: A total of 82 fungi and 143 bacteria were laboratory confirmed. The identification rate of fungus was higher in tropical Taiwan (p = 0.010). Among the fungi and bacteria confirmed, the FBR was 0.29 (22.4% vs. 77.6%) in subtropical Taiwan, and 0.70 (41.3% vs. 58.7%) in tropical Taiwan. Samples obtained in tropical area (p = 0.019), ocular trauma (p = 0.019), and plant exposure (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for identification of fungus from bacteria. The predominant fungus isolated from corneal scraping were Fusarium solani (25%) and Trichosporon faecale (25%) in subtropical Taiwan; in tropical Taiwan was Fusarium spp. (50%)., Conclusions: The identification rate of fungus was higher in tropical Taiwan than subtropical Taiwan. Awareness of the local epidemiology is crucial for early diagnosis of fungal keratitis in tropical area.

Background: The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) is a ubiquitous group of fungal species readily isolated from agroecosystem and natural ecosystem soils which includes important plant and human pathogens. Genetic relatedness within the complex has been studied by sequencing either the genes or the barcoding gene regions within those genes. Phylogenetic analyses have demonstrated a great deal of diversity which is reflected in the differing number of clades identified: three, five and eight. Genetic limitation within the species in the complex has been studied through Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition (GCPSR) analyses with varying number of phylogenetic 'species' identified ranging from two to 21. Such differing views have continued to confuse users of these taxonomies., Results: The phylogenetic relationships between Australian F. oxysporum isolates from both natural and agricultural ecosystems were determined using three datasets: whole genome, nuclear genes, and mitochondrial genome sequences. The phylogenies were concordant except for three isolates. There were three concordant clades from all the phylogenies suggesting similar evolutionary history for mitochondrial genome and nuclear genes for the isolates in these three clades. Applying a multispecies coalescent (MSC) model on the eight single copy nuclear protein coding genes from the nuclear gene dataset concluded that the three concordant clades correspond to three phylogenetic species within the FOSC. There was 100% posterior probability support for the formation of three species within the FOSC. This is the first report of using the MSC model to estimate species within the F. oxysporum species complex. The findings from this study were compared with previously published phylogenetics and species delimitation studies., Conclusion: Phylogenetic analyses using three different gene datasets from Australian F. oxysporum isolates have all supported the formation of three major clades which delineated into three species. Species 2 (Clade 3) may be called F. oxysporum as it contains the neotype for F. oxysporum.

Banana (Musa sp.) is cultivated worldwide and is one of the most popular fruits. The soil-borne fungal disease Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), commonly known as Panama disease, is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) and is a highly lethal vascular fungal disease in banana plants. Raman spectroscopy, an emerging laser-based technology based on Raman scattering, has been used for the qualitative characterization of biological tissues such as foodborne pathogens, cancer cells, and melamine. In this study, we describe a Raman spectroscopic technique that could potentially be used as a method for diagnosing FWB. To that end, the Raman fingerprints of Foc (including mycelia and conidia) and Foc-infected banana pseudostems with varying levels of symptoms were determined. Our results showed that eight, eleven, and eleven characteristic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy peaks were observed in the mycelia, microconidia, and macroconidia of Foc, respectively. In addition, we constructed the Raman spectroscopic fingerprints of banana pseudostem samples with varying levels of symptoms in order to be able to differentiate Foc-infected bananas from healthy bananas. The rate at which FWB was detected in asymptomatic Foc-infected samples by using the spectral method was 76.2%, which was comparable to the rates previously reported for other FWB detection methods based on real-time PCR assays, suggesting that the spectral method described herein could potentially serve as an alternative tool for detecting FWB in fields. As such, we hope that the developed spectral method will open up new possibilities for the on-site diagnosis of FWB., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This work presents a fusion scheme to combine visible/near infrared spectroscopy and computer vision for on-line detection of Aspergillus spp. and Fusarium spp. contamination in stored maize. Spectroscopy and image information of 270 groups of maize kernels were collected at speed of 0.15 m/s. Principal component analysis indicated fungi growth on maize could be monitored by both techniques. Spectroscopy method was found sensitive for infection level identification, while computer vision was more effective for fungal strain recognition. Linear discriminant analysis based on fusion of spectral and image features provided 100% accuracy for discrimination of samples infected by different strains after stored for 12 d, which is at least 5.6% higher than single-type features. Classification rate of samples with different infection levels achieved 92.2%, also 5.5% and 10.0% higher than single technique. Moreover, data fusion improved colony counts prediction in samples by partial least squares regression, with root mean-square error of prediction value being reduced by 25.0% and 17.4%, respectively. This study demonstrated the superiority of data fusion for fungal detection in grain during on-line processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Root rot disease is vital disease of Coptis chinensis, it has bursted in most producing area in recent years, and has caused severe damage. To identify the pathogenic fungi, Fusarium spp. fungi were isolated from rot root, of which the pathogenic fungi were screened with inoculation on C. chinensis root and plant, and identified with molecular and morphological method. The 20 Fusarium spp. fungi were obtained, of which 5 displayed high pathogenicity. It was deduced that F. oxysporum, F. solani and F. tricinctum were the pathogen, possibly pioneer pathogen of C. chinensis root rot disease. Among which F. oxysporum was dominant and deserved to pay more attention. High temperature and high humidity can increase pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. So the global climate warming may lead to temperature rising of C. chinensis producing area and favor the pathogen fungi, which may be one of the main factors leading to bursting of C. chinensis root rot disease. To control the root rot, beside developing and using pesticide, producing base should be moved to a high altitude area.

Zoonotic Fusarium oxysporum infection was identified in captive-reared fingerlings of golden mahseer, Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) from the central Himalayan regions, India. Initially, fingerlings of T. putitora (mean length 10.8 ± 0.002 and weight 18.58 ± 0.054 g) were observed with cottony mass like growth completely covering the dorsal and caudal fins. The infected fingerlings were showing clinical signs such as sluggish, erratic movement, gasping, flared operculum and settling at one corner of the rearing tanks. The microscopic observation of 8-day old culture of cottony mass like growth showed the presence of septate macroconidia, randomly spread microconidia and chlamydospores in short-chain. From sequence analysis of ITS amplified fragment, the isolate was identified as Fusarium oxysporum, TPFCF 214 (MH464266.1) and clustered with F. oxysporum, strain NRRL 43504 (EF453107.1) and F. oxysporum, strain 20736 (JX 270150.1) isolated from the human in phylogenetic tree. An experimental infection of healthy golden mahseer fingerlings with 20 µl of F. oxysporum spore suspension (2.5 × 10 9 spore ml -1 ) showed the development of lesion 6-dpi at the site of injection. Experimental trial on EPC-2 cell culture recorded detachment in the monolayer, clumping and shrinking of the cell line 6-8 dpi with a spore suspension of F. oxysporum, TPFCF 214 (5.68 × 10 2 cell/ml). From the severity of its infection, there is a chance that F. oxysporum may emerge as pathogenically and pose a significant health risk on captive-reared golden mahseer in other Asian countries and world. As Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum are known to cause invasive fusariosis in human especially in immunocompromised patients, localized infection in immunocompetent individuals as well as osteomyelitis, arthritis, otitis, sinusitis and brain abscess, the global fish farmers, handlers and aquaculturist need to be aware of possible health hazards caused by Fusarium spp. and should adopt proper fish health management and animal husbandry practice to control the infection of Fusarium in culture environment., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Fusarium basal rot is a worldwide disease problem in onions, and causes substantial losses in onion production, both during the growing season and in the storage. To minimize the post-harvest losses, a protocol for screening of latent infections with pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum strains from harvested onions was developed. This protocol is based on a dual PCR test with primers specific for the fungal species and new SIX3 primers specific for the onion-pathogenic F. oxysporum strains. A pooled sample containing pieces from 50 harvested symptomless onions was prepared for the dual PCR using microwave disruption of the filamentous Fusarium fungi and Whatman FTA TM filter paper matrix technology, or as a reference protocol, by extracting DNA with a commercial kit. The two sample preparation protocols gave consistent results with the tested onion samples. Detection limit of the dual PCR protocol was 100 pg of F. oxysporum DNA, in a mixture with onion DNA, when the FTA card was applied. The new protocol reported here is simple and sensitive enough for routine testing, enabling the detection of latent infections in harvest lots even at the infection levels under 10%. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Fusarium basal rot causes serious problems in onion production. To minimize post-harvest losses, a simple protocol based on FTA TM technology and a dual PCR test with Fusarium oxysporum species-specific and pathogenicity-specific primers was developed. By testing pooled onion samples using this method, latent infections with F. oxysporum can be screened from a representative sample of the harvest. This screening method could be a useful tool to manage the post-harvest losses caused by latent infections with F. oxysporum and, with modification of the PCR protocol, with other Fusarium species pathogenic to onion., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

A wide range of pet food types are available on the market; the dominant type is dry food formulated in croquets. One of the most common ingredients of dry food are cereals-vectors of harmful mycotoxins posing the risk to pet health. In this study, 38 cat and dog dry food samples available on the Polish market were investigated. Morphological and molecular methods were applied to identify fungal genera present in pet food. Quantification of ergosterol and Fusarium mycotoxins: Fumonisin B 1 , deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and zearalenone were performed using high performance liquid chromatography. Obtained results indicated five genera of mycotoxigenic fungi: Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp., including Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum. Ergosterol and mycotoxins of interest were detected in both cat and dog food samples in the amounts ranging from 0.31 to 4.05 µg/g for ergosterol and 0.3-30.3, 1.2-618.4, 29.6-299.0, and 12.3-53.0 ng/g for zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and fumonisin B 1 , respectively. The conclusion is the presence of mycotoxins in levels much lower than recommended by EU regulations does not eliminate the risk and caution is advised concerning that long-term daily intake of even small doses of mycotoxins can slowly damage pet's health., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.