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S. chlamydospora IMI 387422. (A) Chlamydospores and phialidic conidiogenous cells with conidia in cohering chains on a hyphal strand. (B) Phialidic conidiogenous cells on a vegetative hypha. (C) Conidia with connectives in cohering chains. (D) Chlamydospores arising on short stalks from a vegetative hypha.
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A filamentous fungus that caused a fatal systemic infection in a dog has been identified as the new species Sagenomella chlamydospora. When the case was initially reported, the fungus was identified as Paecilomyces sp. This study emphasizes how difficult can be the identification of the causative agent of an infection when an uncommon
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DNA fingerprinting methods have evolved as major tools in fungal epidemiology. However, no single method has emerged as the method of choice, and some methods perform better than others at different levels of resolution. In this review, requirements for an effective DNA fingerprinting method are proposed and procedures are described for testing the...
Citations
... Morphologically, A. guanovespertilionum and A. chlamydosporus have low sporulation capacity and produce chlamydospores. The chlamydospores of A. guanovespertilionum are larger than those of A. chlamydosporus (10.5-21 vs 5-8 × 4-7 μm), and A. guanovespertilionum has smooth conidia, while A. chlamydosporus has smooth to rough conidia (Gené et al. 2003). Aspergillus guanovespertilionum differs in slower growth rates on OA at 25 °C (8-9 vs 11-13 mm) compared to A. chlamydosporus. ...
The study of the Brazilian cave mycobiota has revealed a rich but highly diverse assemblage of fungi, with Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces being the most frequently reported genera. The present study investigated the airborne fungi and fungi obtained from the bodies of bats, guano, and the soil/sediment from the caves Urubu (in the Atlantic Forest) and Furna Feia (in the Caatinga dryland forest) in the Northeast region of Brazil. Fungal strains were identified based on morphological features and multilocus phylogenetic analyses of ITS, beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) sequences. A total of 86 isolates were obtained, representing Aspergillus (34), Penicillium (20), Talaromyces (2), and 30 isolates belonging to other genera that will be reported on elsewhere. These isolates were identified as 18 Aspergillus, nine Penicillium, and one Talaromyces species. Eight of the species identified are reported for the first time from a cave environment. Four species showed unique morphological features and phylogenetic relationships, and are newly described. These include two new species of Aspergillus (A. alvaroi sp. nov. and A. guanovespertilionum sp. nov.), one of Penicillium (P. cecavii sp. nov.), and one of Talaromyces (T. potiguarorum sp. nov.). Our study increases the awareness and known richness of the Brazilian and global fungal diversity found in caves.
... Some genera found can act as animals' pathogens, such as the genus Geomyces (Warnecke et al., 2012). The genus Sagenomella is widely known to cause systemic illness in animals (Gené et al., 2003), whereas the genus Scytalidium includes the causal agent of scytalidiosis and onychomycosis, human skin diseases (Elewski, 1996;Machouart et al., 2013). Interestingly, the genus Coleophoma, also absent from declining samples, has been widely described as a forest pathogen (Pehl and Wulf, 2003;FIGURE 5 Volcano plot of differentially abundant genera detected by ZicoSeq analysis. ...
Introduction
Forests in the Mediterranean basin are currently in decline. Their resilience has been eroded as a result of climate change and anthropogenic impacts, making them vulnerable to increasingly frequent episodes of drought, fire and the spread of pests and diseases. The impact of these natural and anthropogenic events on soil biodiversity is of particular concern, as the soil fungal community plays a key role in ecosystem homeostasis.
Objectives and methods
In order to analyse the relationship between soil health status and fungal diversity, soil samples were collected from declining Mediterranean forests of Castanea sativa (chestnut), Quercus ilex (holm oak), Quercus suber (cork oak) and Quercus pyrenaica (Pyrenean oak). A metabarcoding study was carried out by sequencing the ITS genomic region.
Results
A total of 674 fungal genera were found. It has not been possible to explain the differences in health status from the fungal genera found exclusively on declining forest soils, as none of them have been described as pathogenic. Healthy chestnut soils were characterized by a high alpha diversity and a higher abundance of the genus Metarhizium . No differentially abundant genera were found in any of the other forest species tested. Declining chestnut soils harbored more abundance of ectomycorrhizae and soil saprotrophs than healthy samples. Ectomycorrhizae were the dominant lifestyle in all oak species regardless of health status, whereas arbuscular mycorrhizae were preferentially found in declining cork oak soils.
Discussion
This work highlights the resilience of fungal communities of soil against decline and highlights the need to further investigate its relationship with the forest’s ability to cope with the challenges of climate change.
... Pathogenic organisms were also found in the soil samples tested (Supplementary Table OTU), and not just for plants. A filamentous fungus that caused a fatal systemic infection in a dog was identified as a new species Sagenomella chlamydospora [80]. When the case was originally reported, the fungus was identified as Paecilomyces sp. ...
... The fungus was isolated on postmortem examination from lesions in numerous organs, such as the kidneys, mitral valve, abdominal aorta, and intervertebral discs. The diagnosis was difficult because clinical symptoms were very nonspecific [80]. Thus, the presence of these fungi confirms the agricultural origin of the soils and the great potential of the NGS method to detect and identify them. ...
A 20-year study of a pine stand on post-agricultural land showed that woody debris in the form of organic matter can be successfully used to restore symbiotic mycorrhizal communities, as is the case with forest soils. Woody substrates restored organic matter in soils altered by long agricultural use and had a positive effect on the composition of mycobiota antagonistic to pathogens, especially to Heterobasidion annosum, the causal agent of the dangerous disease root and stump rot of many forest tree species, including stands of Pinus sylvestris (L.). In a study that started in 2001 in the forest district of Czarne Człuchowskie (northern Poland), the following organic materials were used: wood residues (W), sawdust (S), bark compost (B), and compost applied to the root zone during planting (G). The organic materials were spread in the form of mulch over the entire area during planting. After twenty years, it was found that the substrates used provided suitable growth conditions for mycobiome useful for pines. The addition of organic matter did not change the alpha biodiversity of the soil, but in the long term led to significant changes in the composition of mycobiota (beta biodiversity). The changes in the soil after the addition of organic material naturally accelerated the formation of the forest habitat. A number of fungi evolved that degraded added lignin and cellulose while being antagonists of H. annosum and other pine pathogens. In particular, the well-known hyperpathogens of the genus Trichoderma played an important role by promoting resistance of the soil environment to pathogens. Soil enrichment by bark compost and wood residues increased the relative abundance of Trichoderma more than fourfold.Mycorrhizal fungi became dominant in soil enriched with organic matter. After enriching the soil with bark compost, the relative abundance of Amphinema and Inocybe increased to 5%. The relative abundance of Russula in soil enriched with wood residues and sawdust increased to 9% and 5%, respectively. Mycorrhizal fungi, e.g., of the genus Amanita, Rusula, which formed root mycorrhizae, not only increased the root receiving area many times over, but also protected the roots (mechanically and chemically from pathogens). Altogether, the observed positive changes increase the chances that the first generation of pines will survive on the ground.
... Cattle also favored the presence of the Sagenomella genus. Species of this genus can develop chlamydospores that survive under unfavorable conditions (Gené et al., 2003), like drier and hotter summers in the DP soils, as they are devoid of forest canopy cover. There is also abundant evidence of fire on the DP soils, which could explain the presence of the Calyptrozyma genus (Pérez-Izquierdo et al., 2021). ...
Soil microbial communities regulate a myriad of critical biogeochemical functions in forest ecosystems. Anthropogenic disturbances in natural forests could drive major shifts in plant and microbial communities resulting in substantial biogeochemical alterations. We evaluated the effect of anthropogenic disturbances in the soils of Andean temperate forests with different levels of degradation: i) mature forest (MF), ii) secondary forest (SF), iii) degraded forest (DF), and iv) deforested site converted into a prairie (DP). We quantified total soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous (TC, TN, and TP), and available nutrient stocks. The soil microbial community structure (i.e., composition, diversity, and abundance) was assessed under each condition from amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) obtained via NGS-Illumina sequencing and subsequent microbiome analysis. There were no significant differences in TC, TN, and TP across the forested states (MF, SF, DF). The deforested site condition presented significantly higher soil TC, TN, and TP and the lowest C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios. The DP soil microbiome was significantly more diverse in bacteria (D′ = 0.47 ± 0.04); and fungi (H′ = 5.11 ± 0.33). The bacterial microbiome was dominated by Proteobacteria (45.35 ± 0.89 %), Acidobacteria (20.73 ± 1.48 %), Actinobacteria (12.59 ± 0.34 %), and Bacteroidetes (7.32 ± 0.36 %) phyla in all sites. The soil fungal community was dominated by the phyla Ascomycota (42.11 ± 0.95 %), Mortierellomycota (28.74 ± 2.25 %), Basidiomycota (24.61 ± 0.52), and Mucoromycota (2.06 ± 0.43 %). Yet, there were significant differences at the genus level across conditions. Forest to prairie conversion facilitated the introduction of exotic bacterial and fungal taxa associated with agricultural activities and livestock grazing (~50 % of DP core microbiome composed of unique ASVs). For example, the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria community emerged as a dominant group in the DP soils, along with a reduction in the ectomycorrhizal fungi community. The surface soil microbial community was surprisingly resistant to forest degradation and did not show a clear succession along the degradation gradient, but it was strongly altered after deforestation.
... Cattle also favored the presence of the Sagenomella genus. Species of this genus can develop chlamydospores that survive under unfavorable conditions (Gené et al., 2003), like drier and hotter summers in the DP soils, as they are devoid of forest canopy cover. There is also abundant evidence of fire on the DP soils, which could explain the presence of the Calyptrozyma genus (Pérez-Izquierdo et al., 2021). ...
... Notes:-Aspergillus telluris is similar to A. caninus and A. chlamycosporus. Morphologically A. telluris grows more restrictedly, reaches 4-9 mm on MEA in 7 days at 37 °C than A. caninus (27-28 mm) and A. chlamycosporus (10-13 mm) under same cultural conditions (Gené et al. 2003, Sigler et al. 2010. Like A. chlamycosporus, A. telluris produces conidia as well as globose to subglobose chlamydospores too, but the chlamydospores in A. chlamycosporus are more abundant than conidia, and larger (5-8 × 4-7 μm) (Gené et al. 2003). ...
... Morphologically A. telluris grows more restrictedly, reaches 4-9 mm on MEA in 7 days at 37 °C than A. caninus (27-28 mm) and A. chlamycosporus (10-13 mm) under same cultural conditions (Gené et al. 2003, Sigler et al. 2010. Like A. chlamycosporus, A. telluris produces conidia as well as globose to subglobose chlamydospores too, but the chlamydospores in A. chlamycosporus are more abundant than conidia, and larger (5-8 × 4-7 μm) (Gené et al. 2003). ...
... Similarly, most species in subgenus Polypaecilum are xerophilic or halophilic, and the species diversity of this subgenus was underestimated previously due to common use of high a w media (Tanney et al. 2017). Unlike most Aspergillus species, subgenus Polypaecilum members produce reduced phialides, and were placed in genera Basipetospora, Phialosimplex, Polypaecilum and Sagenomella previously (Smith 1961, Pitt & Hocking 1985, Gené et al. 2003, Sigler et al. 2010. 164 190, 311 31, 63, 176, 288, 324, 330 126, 132, 147, 252, 270, 360, 426, 501, 543, 591, 651, 672, 714, 721 A instead of C 93 21 A instead of T 162, 422, 488, 546 138, 139 89 C instead of T 9, 98, 172, 294, 298, 378, 424, 425, 493 19, 27, 136, 140, 192, 194, 286, 314, 433, 445 12, 22, 46, 129, 146, 251, 322, 340, 404 45, 153, 324, 474, 546, 582 C instead of A 62 C instead of G 52 21, 136, 294, 316 84, 171, 498 T instead of C 10, 40, 163, 361, 404, 486, 490 50, 124, 214, 217, 241, 244, 269, 283, 292, 293, 307, 310, 319 2, 11, 23, 99, 118, 135, 149, 180, 201, 224, 254, 266, 299, 325, 371, 440, 446 6, 18, 39, 99, 172, 201, 249, 300, 306, 330, 357, 378, 432, 553, 570, 642, 690 117, 160, 186, 440, 476, 487 55, 83, 99, 118, 129, 221, 224, 248, 251, 276, 278, 299, 303, 389 2, 12, 102, 124, 125, 134, 151, 158, 227, 302, 303, 347, 372, 447 153, 166, 189, 204, 258, 315, 336, 429, 438, 525, 627, 639, 726 Growth rates on media amended with high salt or sugar and the ability of growing at 37 °C are important characteristics for distinguishing subgenus Polypaecilum species. ...
Aspergillus subgenus Polypaecilum contains species with solitary phialides instead of aspergilli and conidia occurring in chains, heads, or singly. Most species in this subgenus are xerotolerant or halotolerant and are widely distributed in house dust and saline environments. Some subgenus Polypaecilum members like Aspergillus caninus and A. chlamydosporus grow well at 37 °C and were associated with mycoses in canines. In the present study, three strains isolated from farmland soil were assigned in subgenus Polypaecilum based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses but showed low sequence similarity with existing species. They were named as a new species, Aspergillus telluris sp. nov.. Aspergillus telluris falls into the A. caninus and A. chlamydosporus clade. Morphologically it is similar to A. chlamydosporus by production of subglobose, pyriform, ellipsoidal conidia and globose to subglobose chlamydospores. This is also the first report of Aspergillus subgenus Polypaecilum species in China.
... Seventy-seven publications describing 90 cases of disseminated mold infections in dogs were identified (Jang et al., 1971;Patnaik et al., 1972;Hay et al., 1978;Wood et al., 1978;Newsholme and Tyrer, 1980;Marks, 1983;Mullaney et al., 1983;Patterson et al., 1983;Charles, 1989;Jang et al., 1986;Lomax et al., 1986;Littman and Goldschmidt 1987;Baszler et al., 1988;Neer, 1988;Kahler et al., 1990;Wigney et al., 1990;Gelatt et al., 1991;Dallman et al., 1992;Salkin et al., 1992;Waurzyniak et al., 1992;Wilson and Odeon, 1992;Simpson et al., 1993;Kaufman et al., 1994;Schroeder et al., 1994;Kelly et al., 1995;Berry and Leisewitz, 1996;Pérez et al., 1996;March et al., 1996;Nakagawa et al., 1996;Thoma et al., 1999;Welsh and Ely, 1999;Robinson et al., 2000;Smith et al., 2000;Añor et al., 2001;Booth et al., 2001;Kano et al., 2002;Gene et al., 2003;Mackie et al., 2004;Bruchim et al., 2006;Singh et al., 2006;Zanatta et al., 2006;Erne et al., 2007;Elad et al., 2008Elad et al., , 2010Holahan et al., 2008;Brockus et al., 2009;Grant et al., 2009;Poutahidis et al., 2009;Perry et al., 2010;Giri et al., 2011;Krockenberger et al., 2011;Tomlinson et al., 2011;Burrough et al., 2012;Haynes et al., 2012;Armstrong et al., 2012;Miller et al., 2012;Walker et al., 2012;Zhang et al., 2012;Armentano et al., 2013;Barrs et al., 2013;Sheppard et al., 2013;Sigler et al., 2013;Troy et al., 2013;Rizzo et al., 2014;Taylor et al., 2014;Cook et al., 2015;Dunlap et al., 2015;Kawalilak et al., 2015;Ribas et al., 2015;Taylor et al., 2015;Acierno et al., 2016;Ballhausen et al., 2016;Erles et al., 2018;Rothenburg et al., 2017;Bennett et al., 2018;Magstadt et al., 2018;Spano et al., 2018). ...
... a Reclassified as Phialosimplex chlamydosporus(Sigler et al., 2010). b Reclassified as Sagenomella chlamydospora(Gene et al., 2003) followed by Phialosimplex chlamydosporus(Sigler et al., 2010). c Formerly Scedosporium prolificans. ...
Disseminated canine mold infections are reviewed. Case inclusion criteria were dogs as hosts, two or more non-adjacent organs affected and identification of the etiological agent at least to the genus level. Of the 157 cases identified, 59.3% were caused by Aspergillus spp. of which 36.3% belonged to the section Terrei. German Shepherd breed dogs constituted 67.8% of the cases, 89.7% of which were caused by fungi of the section Terrei. Female dogs constituted 72.7% of the cases. The average age was 4.3 years (range 1–13 years). Pathogenesis, especially virulence factors facilitating the hematogenous dissemination, are discussed. Clinical signs reported most frequently included weight loss, lethargy, discospondylitis, osteomyelitis, urinary tract infections, ophthalmitis, head tilt and gait difficulties. Of 50 dogs with data on temperature, 25 had a fever of 40 °C (104 °F) or above. The most common hematologic and biochemical test result aberrations included increased neutrophil counts and serum protein concentration, azotemia and decreased urine specific gravity. The diagnostic value of fungal antigen detection, antibody titers and imaging are discussed. An attempt to treat was made in 59 (37.6%). Failure and relapses (sometimes after years) were common, but there was some success observed in eight cases. Identification of the gene/s predisposing dogs to disseminated mycoses, increased awareness, improved diagnostic methods and less expensive drugs should contribute to the reduction of disseminated mold infections in dogs in the future.
... Subsequently identified as Sagenomella chlamydospora[59] and later reclassified as Phialosimplex chlamydosporus[48].AmB: amphotericin B, KCZ: ketoconazole, ICZ: itraconazole, FCZ: fluconazole, VCZ: voriconazole, PCZ: posaconazole, CFG: caspofungin, TBF: terbinafine, AmBLC: amphotericin B lipid complex, LipAmB: liposomal amphotericin B, d: day, w: week, m: month, y: year, Eut: euthanasia, ?: unknown. Red font: successful treatment. ...
This review focuses on aspects of antimycotic therapy specific to veterinary medicine. In the first part, drug availability, limited mostly by economic consideration but also by clinical applicability and specific adverse effects, is described for polyenes, 5 fluorocytosine, azoles, echinocandins and terbinafine. In the second part, current knowledge and experience in the treatment of selected fungal infections are overviewed. These mycoses include disseminated mold infections in small animals (dogs and cats) and avian species, upper respiratory tract infections of small animals (sino-nasal and sino-orbital aspergillosis) and horses (guttural pouch mycosis), eumycetoma, infections caused by dimorphic fungi, (blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and sporothrichosis) and by yeasts and yeast-like microorganism (Cryptococcus spp. and Malassezia pachydermatis).
... Pathogenic infections with Sagenomella have been described in the literature, including a fatal systemic fungal infection in a dog with a history of listlessness, extreme weight loss, joint issues, and multiorgan involvement, as identified in the autopsy report [13]. The girl's dog in this case report had also displayed similar symptoms before sudden death, and transmission of an infection appears plausible as the sick dog's blood came in contact with the girl's eyes according to her mother. ...
... Previously, the systemic fungal infection Sagenomella chlamydospora had been responsible for a fatal infection in a dog, which had a history of depression, weight loss, anorexia, listlessness, and slight spasticity in the walk [13]. Postmortem examination from lesions in numerous organs, including kidneys, mitral heart valve, abdominal aorta, and vertebral discs, revealed systemic fungal infection with Sagenomella species, closely related to Aspergillus species [13]. ...
... Previously, the systemic fungal infection Sagenomella chlamydospora had been responsible for a fatal infection in a dog, which had a history of depression, weight loss, anorexia, listlessness, and slight spasticity in the walk [13]. Postmortem examination from lesions in numerous organs, including kidneys, mitral heart valve, abdominal aorta, and vertebral discs, revealed systemic fungal infection with Sagenomella species, closely related to Aspergillus species [13]. The genus Sagenomella has been described pathogenic in animals and also in humans, albeit in very rare cases [17]. ...
Juvenile arthritis with unknown disease etiology is also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Symptoms include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, and standard treatment involves immunosuppressant medication.
Here we present a case of juvenile idiopathic arthritis with severe malnutrition and worsening of symptoms, which restrained a nine-year-old girl to a wheelchair with minimal movement capacity and low energy during standard immunosuppressant therapies over the course of three years.
Our innovative Pathogen Blood Test combining cytology-based microscopy and genetic analysis using a pan-fungal primer assay and sequencing identified a systemic fungal infection with Sagenomella species, closely related to Aspergillus, and a soil-dwelling highly pathogenic fungus, which had previously been linked to a fatal veterinary case of arthritis and malnutrition.
Our test results encouraged a radical change of the patient’s treatment plan, including cessation of the regular immunosuppressants, including steroids, over six months. The patient made a progressive recovery, including complete reversion of the previously swollen and painful joints, development of a good appetite, and return to liveliness. Within the year of change from immunosuppressants to immune-supportive integrative nutritional therapies, including regular intravenous vitamin C, and oral vitamin D, as well as gentle aqua- and physiotherapy, the patient started to gain weight including muscle mass and regained strength and movement in the hands, arms, and legs. She was able to walk again within 18 months. Her mood and energy levels continued to improve and she was able to return to school full-time.
... Another example illustrating the relation- ship between the fungal community and the source is the detection of Sagenomella in animal composting samples. This fungus is associated with systemic animal illnesses ( Gené et al., 2003) supporting the postu- lation of the presence of fungal animal parasites in animal composting environments and the bioaerosols emitted from them. It should also be noted that, the allergen activity and/or the infectiousness of some of the fungi detected in this study have not been shown to pose any human health risks. ...
Composting is used all over the world to transform different types of organic matter through the actions of complex microbial communities. Moving and handling composting material may lead to the emission of high concentrations of bioaerosols. High exposure levels are associated with adverse health effects among compost industry workers. Fungal spores are suspected to play a role in many respiratory illnesses. There is a paucity of information related to the detailed fungal diversity in compost as well as in the aerosols emitted through composting activities. The aim of this study was to analyze the fungal diversity of both organic matter and aerosols present in facilities that process domestic compost and facilities that process pig carcasses. This was accomplished using a next generation sequencing approach that targets the ITS1 genomic region. Multivariate analyses revealed differences in the fungal community present in samples coming from compost treating both raw materials. Furthermore, results show that the compost type affects the fungal diversity of aerosols emitted. Although 8 classes were evenly distributed in all samples, Eurotiomycetes were more dominant in carcass compost while Sordariomycetes were dominant in domestic compost. A large diversity profile was observed in bioaerosols from both compost types showing the presence of a number of pathogenic fungi newly identified in bioaerosols emitted from composting plants. Members of the family Herpotrichiellaceae and Gymnoascaceae which have been shown to cause human diseases were detected in compost and air samples. Moreover, some fungi were identified in higher proportion in air compared to compost. This is the first study to identify a high level of fungal diversity in bioaerosols present in composting plants suggesting a potential exposure risk for workers. This study suggests the need for creating guidelines that address human exposure to bioaerosols. The implementation of technical and organizational measure should be a top priority. However, skin and respiratory protection for compost workers could be used to reduce the exposure as a second resort.
