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Fungal diversity and composition differed among sites and species for wild woodrats. (A) The number of observed ASV differed among sites. Pairwise comparisons of estimated marginal means were calculated with emmeans v1.5.0 (Lenth 2020), and sites that do not significantly differ are displayed using letters a, b and c (B) Animals with more similar diets, evolutionary history (phylogeny) and geographic origins (site) had more similar mycobiomes, with site explaining substantially more variance than other factors
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Fungi are often overlooked in microbiome research and, as a result, little is known about the mammalian mycobiome. Although frequently detected in vertebrate guts and known to contribute to digestion in some herbivores, whether these eukaryotes are a persistent part of the mammalian gut microbiome remains contentious. To address this question, we s...
Citations
... Also, yeast passes the gastrointestinal tract and can be isolated from feces, like in a survey of 325 droppings of parrots in Italy, where 49.2% from those were positive to 27 different species of yeasts, the majority from the genus Candida but also from the genera Debaryomyces, Geotrichum, Pichia and Rhodotorula [43]. Another example is the research on the mycobiome of wild herbivorous mammals (genus Neotoma) in 25 populations in the Southwestern United States, in which fungal assemblages were dominated by plant pathogens and molds, but their compositions varied by the animals' habitats and significantly decreased in captivity [44]. Therefore, in the cases where the significant isolation of yeasts was detected in this study, it could be attributed to the stress of captivity and antibiotic therapy to which animals are exposed. ...
Yeast infections are challenging human and animal medicine due to low rates of detection and the emergence of unknown ecology isolates. The aim of this study was to verify the biochemical identification of yeasts and yeast-like microorganisms obtained from animals comparing the results with chromogenic media and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF MS). Between January and August 2023, yeast and yeast-like isolates from samples of animals with suspicion of mycosis were identified using Vitek ® 2 Compact, Brilliance ® Candida Agar and MALDI Biotyper ® MSP. A total of 39 cases were included, and 45 isolations were obtained. Cryptococcus neoformans (15.5%, 7/45), Meyerozyma guilliermondii (13.3%, 6/45), Candida parapsilosis (11.1%, 5/45), Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis (8.9%, each one 4/45) were the most identified organisms. There was full agreement with the three identification methods in 71.1% (32/45) of the isolates, disagreement on species in 17.8% (8/45), disagreement on genus and species in 6.7% (3/45) and, in 4.4% (2/45), there was no matched pattern in MALDI-TOF to compare the results. Biochemical methods are a good option in laboratories where proteomics are not available, and chromogenic media enhances diagnostics by detecting mixed infections. Surveillance must be implemented to improve the detection of agents shared between humans and animals.
Fruit body-forming fungi are hyperdiverse and of central importance for the functioning of ecosystems worldwide. They provide habitat and resources for other organisms and perform critical roles in carbon and nutrient cycling. Like in animals and plants, fungal coloration is expected to play a fundamental role in response to biotic and abiotic environments, thus providing invaluable information to predict fungal and associated diversity in the Anthropocene. Despite centuries of plant and animal coloration research, the role of fruit body colors in fungal ecology remains mostly obscure. Essential questions are unresolved, such as: How do fruit body colors function to cope with abiotic stress? Do fruit body colors function to attract dispersal vectors or prevent predation via camouflage or aposematism? What is the significance of fruit body colors for fungal fitness? What are the implications of climate change-induced fruit body color change on fungal and associated biodiversity? Here, I review existing knowledge and outline several research trajectories to better understand the ecological role of fruit body colors. Revealing climate-driven adaptations and interactions with other organisms will improve forecasts under climate change for fungal diversity and interrelated biodiversity and inform cross-taxonomic conservation strategies.
