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Trematosphaeria grisea (a-c. CBS 332.50, d-g. CBS 120271). Colonies after 2 wk of incubation on: a. MEA; b. OA c. ABTS media; d, e. pycnidia; f. conidia; g. conidiophores.-Scale bars = 10 µm.
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Eumycetoma is a chronic fungal infection characterised by large subcutaneous masses and the presence of sinuses discharging coloured grains. The causative agents of black-grain eumycetoma mostly belong to the orders Sordariales and Pleosporales. The aim of the present
study was to clarify the phylogeny and taxonomy of pleosporalean agents, viz. Mad...
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... to cycloheximide and ability to use XYL, unlike Pseudochaetosphaeronema larense, which did not assimilate XYL. Based on these physiological properties, an identification scheme was developed, which is presented in Fig. 4. It ap- peared that all species were able to produce laccase indicated by a green halo around the colony on ABTS medium (Fig. 8), except for one strain of L. tompkinsii. All species were found to be osmotolerant and were able to survive in concentrations of salt up to 20 %. Colonies on MEA restricted, grey, velvety, becoming dark grey to black with age. Colonies on OA felty, greyish green to oliva- ceous. Description taken from de Gruyter et al. (2013): "Pyc ...
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... temperatures -Min. below 10 °C, opt. 30−33 °C, max. 40 °C (Fig. 3). Table 1. (Fig. 3). Colonies on MEA restricted, felty to floccose, greenish grey at the centre, becoming faint towards the margin; reverse dark brown to black. Colonies on OA flat, olivaceous to black (Fig. 8). Environmental isolates of T. grisea rapidly growing, with expanding, grey colonies. Hyphae branched, septate, hyaline or brown, thick-walled, verruculose. Pycnidia observed in envi- ronmental strains after 8 wk incubation as small black dots with white droplets on top, 128-190 × 96-115 µm, black, solitary or aggregated, subspherical ...
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... and Falciformispora. These genera mainly comprise fungi inhabiting marine environments, e.g. mangrove wood ( Suetrong et al. 2011). Madurella grisea was found closely related to Trematosphaeria pertusa, the type species of the genus Trematosphaeria. Both species produce a coelomycetous asexual morph forming well-characterised conidiomata (Fig. 8, 9), but T. pertusa, described from its natural habitat, produces a sexual morph with ascomata and ascospores ( Zhang et al. 2008). In our study, we analysed two strains of T. pertusa, including the ex-type strain (CBS 122368). Both strains only displayed asexual sporulation, which was not described before (Fig. 9). Zhang et al. (2008) ...
Citations
... This genus is considered as Chaetomiun-like fungi, phylogenetically close to Madurella (both belonging to Sordariales) and which have also been associated with other opportunistic superficial infections [42]. Another species reported here is Macroventuria anamochaeta, which has never been associated with subcutaneous pathology in mammals but belongs to the family Didymellaceae of the order Pleosporales, as well as the genus Medicopsis and others described as responsible for mycetoma cases [43]. ...
Mycetoma is one of the six Neglected Tropical Diseases that are prevalent in Turkana County (northwest Kenya). The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of mycetoma in the county, as well as to describe the main causative agents involved in the disease using methods affordable locally. Based on the data collected by the team of cooperative medicine Cirugia en Turkana (Surgery in Turkana), a specific study for mycetoma was started during the 16 th humanitarian medicine campaign in February 2019. Patients with suspected mycetoma were studied at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital (LCRH). After informing the patient and getting their consent, the lesions were examined and sampled (mainly by biopsy) and clinical data were recorded. Samples were washed in sterile saline solution and cut in fragments. Some of these were inoculated on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, Malt Extract Agar, and diluted Nutrient Agar plates. One fragment of each sample was used for DNA extraction. The DNA and the rest of the fragments of samples were kept at -20°C. All cultures were incubated at room temperature at the LCRH laboratory. The DNA obtained from clinical samples was submitted to PCR amplification of the ITS-5.8S and the V4-V5 16S rRNA gene region, for the detection and identification of fungi and bacteria respectively.
From February 2019 till February 2022, 60 patients were studied. Most of them were men (43, 74,1%) between 13 and 78 y.o. (mean age 37). Half of the patients were herdsmen but, among women 40% (6) were housewives and 26.7% (4) charcoal burners. Lesions were mainly located at the feet (87.9%) and most of the patients (54; 93.1%) reported discharge of grains in the exudate, being 27 (46.6%) yellow or pale colored and 19 (32.8%) of them dark grains.
Culture of clinical samples yielded 35 fungal and bacterial putative causative agents. Culture and molecular methods allowed the identification of a total of 21 causative agents of mycetoma (39.6% of cases studied). Most of them (17) corresponded to fungi causing eumycetoma (80.9%) being the most prevalent the genus Madurella (7; 41.2%), with two species involved ( M . mycetomatis and M . fahalii ), followed by Aspergillus (2; 11.8%). Other minority genera detected were Cladosporium , Fusarium , Acremonium , Penicillium , and Trichophyton (5.9% each of them). Actinobacteria were detected in 19.1% of samples, but only Streptomyces somaliensis was identified as a known agent of mycetoma, the rest being actinobacteria not previously described as causative agents of the disease, such as Cellulosimicrobium cellulans detected in two of the patients.
Although Kenya is geographically located in the mycetoma belt, to our knowledge this is the first report on mycetoma in this country from 1973, and the first one for Turkana County.
... The genus Nigrograna was initially described by de Gruyter et al. (2012), including a single species, N. mackinnonii (Borelli) Gruyter, Verkley et Crous, well-recognised as a human pathogen and the causative agent of eumycetoma in Latin America (Ahmed et al. 2018). However, Ahmed et al. (2014) reclassified the genus Nigrograna as Biatriospora due to its sequence similarity to the type species B. marina K.D. Hyde et Borse. Later, Jaklitsch and Voglmayr (2016) reported three new species exhibiting more phylogenetic relationship with N. mackinnonii and also forming different ascospores than Biatriospora marina. ...
The Northern Himalayas are an exceptionally unique and diverse mountain range with respect to flora, fauna and funga. However, most of the region has been poorly explored. During a mycological survey, a rare endophyte was isolated from healthy leaves of Elaeagnus angustifolia. The species was identified as Nigrograna hydei based on cultural, micro-morphological, and molecular characters. The specimen was recovered as a sterile mycelium and despite trying various sporulation-inducing methods, the isolate failed to sporulate. Therefore, molecular characterisation based on the sequences of both the ITS and LSU region of nuclear ribosomal DNA followed by phylogenetic analysis confirmed the identity of the taxon. So far, this species has only been reported from Thailand and China. This finding adds another record to the world distribution of the species and is the first report from the Indian subcontinent. It also expands our knowledge on its ecology through its association as an endophyte with a new host, Elaeagnus, inhabiting a cold desert in Ladakh. Severní Himálaj je jedinečné horstvo s rozmanitou flórou, faunou i fungou, která ovšem byla a stále je nedostatečně prozkoumaná. Během mykologického průzkumu zde byl ze zdravých listů Elaeagnus angustifolia izolován vzácný endofyt, na základě charakteristiky kultur, mikromorfolo-gických znaků a molekulárních dat určený jako Nigrograna hydei. Navzdory různým pokusům vyvolat sporulaci zůstal izolát v podobě sterilního mycelia a bezpečné potvrzení jeho identity poskytly až sekvence ITS a LSU úseku nrDNA s následnou fylogenetickou analýzou. Záznamy o výskytu tohoto druhu dosud pocházejí jen z Thajska a Číny, a tak nový nález přispívá k rozšíření jeho známého areálu ve světě a představuje první záznam z indického subkontinentu. Rozšiřuje i poznání ekologie druhu, rostoucího zde endofyticky v hlošině coby novém hostiteli, a to v prostředí chladné pouště v Ladakhu.
... M. romeroi was reported to cause an increasing number of cases of subcutaneous PHM in the last decades, while it had been reported previously to cause black grain eumycetoma [46] (Tables 1 and 2). PMH is characterized by the presence in tissue samples of septate dark hyphae, pseudohyphae, and yeast-like structures. ...
Medicopsis romeroi phaeohyphomycosis is increasingly reported in immunocompromised patients living in or originating from tropical and subtropical areas. We report a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by M. romeroi in a 56-year-old Malian woman residing in France for 20 years. She developed a small nodule on her dominant hand’s ring finger 15 months after starting immunosuppressive medications for paraneoplastic dermatomyositis. A first surgical debridement was followed by a local recurrence. Despite a second surgical excision combined with posaconazole treatment, the infection recurred one year after antifungal therapy discontinuation. A wide excision was performed again, and antifungal therapy was resumed and maintained for six months, resulting in the absence of relapse during the 18 months following the surgery. This case highlighted the high risk of relapse in immunocompromised patients, suggesting the need for long-term follow-up and prolonged antifungal treatment following surgical excision in cases with sustained immunosuppression. The literature review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines and included 51 scientific publications. A noteworthy predominance of the subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis presentation was found in immunocompromised patients, whereas eumycetoma had been reported in apparently healthy individuals. A combination of complete excision with antifungal treatment seemed to confer the best outcome.
... Later, Nigrograna was used as a synonym of Biatriospora K.D. Hyde & Borse, as N. mackinnonii is phylogenetically closely related to the type species of Biatriospora (B. marina K.D. Hyde & Borse) (Ahmed et al. 2014), while Hongsanan et al. (2020a) treated Biatriospora and Nigrograna as two separate genera. In 2022, Nigrograna represents 20 epithets listed in Index Fungorum (2022), and the members have been reported as saprobic, human pathogenic, and endophytic worldwide (Kolařík 2018;Zhao et al. 2018), showing a wide range of hosts (marine and terrestrial habitats) Tibpromma et al. 2017;Dayarathne et al. 2020). ...
Coffee is one of the most important cash crops in Yunnan Province, China. Yunnan is ranked as the biggest producer of high-quality coffee in China. During surveys of microfungi from coffee plantations in Yunnan, six fungal strains that resemble Nigrogranaceae were collected. Multi-gene analyses of a combined SSU-LSU-ITS-rpb2-tef1-α sequence data matrix were used to infer the phylogenetic position of the new species in Nigrograna while morphological characteristics were used to deduce the taxonomic position of the new species. Six fungal strains isolated from decaying branches of Coffea arabica represent three new saprobic species in Nigrograna. The three new species, N. asexualis, N. coffeae, and N. puerensis, are described with full (macro and micro characteristics) descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree that shows the phylogenetic position of new taxa.
... Moreover, Pyrenochaeta species may be involved in infections of humans. Pyrenochaeta keratinophila and P. unguishominis cause skin and nails infection (Verkley et al. 2010;Toh et al. 2016) and P. romeroi is one of the agents of blackgrain eumycetoma (Ahmed et al. 2014). ...
Pyrenochaeta fraxinina was first described in 1913 from the state of New York (USA) on petioles of Fraxinus sp. Since then, the species has not been reported from North America and reports from the other regions of the world are very sparse. The results of this study on P . fraxinina are based on the material collected in various regions of Poland from 2012 to 2019. The material comprised 2700 previous year’s leaf petioles of Fraxinus excelsior and 1970 petioles or leaf residues of eight other deciduous tree species. As a result, the occurrence of pycnidial conidiomata of P . fraxinina was confirmed on F . excelsior (3.4% of petioles), F . mandshurica (1.5%), F . pennsylvanica (3.2%), and Acer pseudoplatanus (2.0%). The morphology of the microstructures was described based on the fresh material and compared with the holotype of P . fraxinina . The optimal temperature for the growth of the fungus in vitro was estimated as 20 °C. The analyses based on ITS-LSU rDNA sequences and a protein coding sequence of TUB2 and RPB2 genes showed that P . fraxinina isolates form a well-supported clade in the phylogenetic trees. The species proved to be closely related to Nematostoma parasiticum (asexual morph Pyrenochaeta parasitica ), a species occurring on Abies alba in connection with needle browning disease. Interactions between P . fraxinina and the ash dieback pathogen, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus , were analyzed in vivo on ash petioles and in vitro in dual cultures. Among 93 petioles of F . excelsior , for which P . fraxinina conidiomata were detected, 26 were also colonized by H . fraxineus . Mostly, these two fungi occurred separately, colonizing different sections of a petiole. For all dual cultures, both fungi, P . fraxinina and H . fraxineus , showed growth inhibition toward the counterpartner. The role of P . fraxinina as a saprotrophic competitor toward H . fraxineus in ash petioles is discussed.
... Other fungi associated with BG eumycetoma are commonly from the order Pleosporales, including Falciformispora senegalensis (F. senegalensis), Falciformispora tompkinsii and Medicopsis romeroi [10]. In contrast, pale grain eumycetoma species are typically from the order Hypocreales, including Acremonium spp, Cylindrocarpon spp, and Fusarium spp or the orders Eurotiales or Microascales including Aspergillus spp and Microascus gracilis respectively [11]. ...
Eumycetoma is a chronic debilitating fungal disease endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, with Sudan featuring the highest eumycetoma incidence. Among the 50 species of fungi most commonly associated with eumycetoma Madurella mycetomatis ( M . mycetomatis ) is often referenced as the most common pathogen. However, there is an enormous knowledge gap related to this neglected disease and its pathogenesis, epidemiological features, and host-specific factors that could contribute to either the host susceptibility and resistance. In this study, we were able to utilize a metagenomic approach and samples collected from clinical black grains (BG) and familiar household environments aimed to assay both the habitat of eumycetoma-associated fungi and its possible connection with eumycetoma patients living in two different eumycetoma endemic villages within the White Nile State of Sudan. DNA sequencing targeting the fungal ITS2 domain was performed on soil, animal dung, housing walls and roofs, and Acacia -species thorn samples and compared with culture-dependent methods of fungal isolation. Additionally, we compared the soil samples obtained in the endemic zone with that from non-endemic zones, including Wagga village in Kassala State and Port Sudan suburb in Port Sudan State. Overall, a total of 392 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) were detected by ITS2 metagenomics Eumycetoma causative organisms accounted for 10% of total ASVs which included 11 genera : Exserohilum (2%), Aspergillus (1 . 7%) , Curvularia (1%), Alternaria (0.9%), Madurella (0.5%), Fusarium (0.4%), Cladosporium (0.2%) Exophiala (0.15%), and , in a lesser extent , Microascus (0.05%) Bipolaris and Acremonium (0.01%) for each. Only five genera were identified by culture method, which included Fusarium (29%), Aspergillus (28%), Alternaria (2.5%), Bipolaris (1.6%), and Chaetomium (0.8%). M . mycetomatis was detected within all the studied patients’ houses, accounting for 0.7% of total sequences. It was the first common eumycetoma-associated agent detected in soil samples and the third common in the dung and wall samples. In contrast, it was not detected in the roof or thorn samples nor in the soils from non-endemic regions. Exserohilum rostratum , Aspergillus spp and Cladosporium spp were detected in all samples. M . mycetomatis and other eumycetoma-associated fungal identified in the patients’ black grains (BG) samples by metagenomics were identified in the environmental samples. Only Acremonium alternatum and Falciformispora senegalensis , responsible for eumycetoma in two patients were not detected, suggesting the infections in these patients happened outside these endemic areas. The soil, animal dung, and houses built from the same soil and dung are the main risk factors for M . mycetomatis infection in these endemic villages. Furthermore, the poor hygienic and environmental conditions, walking barefooted, and the presence of animals within the houses increase the risk of M . mycetomatis and other fungi causing eumycetoma.
... Stubble retained led to an increase in the following bacterial members (Fig. 2): Bradyrhizobiaceaenoted for biological nitrogen fixation in symbiosis with legumes (Lindström and Mousavi, 2020); Streptomyces -renowned for production of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics and recognized plants, fungi, and animal symbionts (Seipke et al., 2012); Micromonosporaceaefamily containing species recognized for efficient solubilization of rock phosphate and production of secondary metabolites (Hamdali et al., 2008). Stubble retained also increased fungal phyla Trematosphaeriaceae (Fig. 2) which include saprotrophic and pathogenic species (Suetrong et al., 2011;Ahmed et al., 2014), and Botryosphaeriales and Ceratobasidiaceae ( Fig. 2) with diverse ecological roles as saprotrophs, endophytes, ectomycorrhizal symbionts, or plant pathogens (Veldre et al., 2013;Yang et al., 2017). ...
Occasional one-time tillage (strategic tillage, ST) is an effective tool for managing weeds and crop diseases in no-till and conversative farming systems. However, there is limited understanding of the impacts of ST on soil microbiome and their associated soil processes, particularly in dryland agriculture. This study aims to quantify the effect of one-off ST - after three years - on soil microbiomes and functions in a long-term no-till farming system under crop stubble and fertilizer management practices. The results showed that ST had marginal effects on microbial richness and diversity, enzyme activities, and catabolic function, but significantly affected the abundance of some microbial taxa (Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) that are relevant to carbon (C) degradation. Stubble retention, regardless of tillage and fertilizer management, mainly increased the abundance of copiotrophs such as Proteobacteria (e.g., Rhizobiales) and Actinobacteria (e.g., Streptomyces and Micromonosporaceae), and affected Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Among the management practices, stubble retention was the main factor that contributed to increased richness and diversity of the soil bacterial and fungal community. Supplementary fertilizer application, regardless of tillage and stubble management had minimal impact on bacterial and fungal richness and diversity, enzyme activity and catabolic function. The variation in bacterial community structure was influenced mainly by soil pH (c.a. 10%), while only a small but significant effect (< 7%; P = 0.001) was attributed to tillage and stubble management. Wheat grain yields ranged between 5 and 5.3 t ha⁻¹ and were not affected by tillage, stubble, nor fertilizer management practices. Similarly, these management practices did not influence total soil C or nitrogen concentrations. Our findings show that strategic tillage, when used to address specific constraints in no-till systems in dryland agriculture, does not have a significant effect on total soil C, microbial ecology nor catabolic function.
... All fungi known to cause eumycetoma belong to the phylum Ascomycota. Amongst the order Pleosporales, based on multi-gene phylogeny, Leptosphaeria senegalensis and Leptosphaeria tompkinsii were found to cluster with the Trematosphaeriaceae-with Falciformispora lignatilis the closest relative-and have thus been designated Falciformispora senegalensis and Falciformispora tompkinsii, respectively [8]. F. lignatilis has thus far only been recovered from mangrove wood, terrestrial oil palm and fresh water decorticated woody debris in North America and Thailand [8,9], and, to the best of our knowledge, has not hitherto resulted in human infection. ...
... Amongst the order Pleosporales, based on multi-gene phylogeny, Leptosphaeria senegalensis and Leptosphaeria tompkinsii were found to cluster with the Trematosphaeriaceae-with Falciformispora lignatilis the closest relative-and have thus been designated Falciformispora senegalensis and Falciformispora tompkinsii, respectively [8]. F. lignatilis has thus far only been recovered from mangrove wood, terrestrial oil palm and fresh water decorticated woody debris in North America and Thailand [8,9], and, to the best of our knowledge, has not hitherto resulted in human infection. ...
Mycetoma is a chronic, granulomatous, subcutaneous infection caused by several species of fungi and soil-inhabiting bacteria, and is divided into eumycetoma and actinomycetoma, respectively. Endemicity is described with worldwide distribution within the "mycetoma belt"; however, the global burden is ill-defined. Mycetoma is rare in Australia, with only a few published case reports. Over time, the breadth of eumycetoma pathogens has expanded with local epidemiology accounting for variations in regional prevalence. Direct inoculation of pathogens typically heralds the triad of subcutaneous mass, sinus formation and discharging grains. We describe a case of eumycetoma in a 48-year-old male Filipino renal transplant recipient who presented with a painless slow-growing elbow lesion. Ultrasonography revealed two ovoid masses and surgical excision ensued. Histopathology revealed necrotising granulomata with numerous chestnut-brown thick-walled cells, septate hyphae, and occasional grains. On suspicion of localised chromoblastomycosis, the isolate was sent to a reference laboratory which identified the fungus as Falciformispora lignatilis, an organism not hitherto associated with human infection. Amongst the solid organ transplant cohort, similar atypical presentations have been described. Clinicians need to consider eumycetoma where an epidemiological link with the tropics exists, especially in atypical presentations in transplant recipients, including absent preceding trauma.
... The leg and foot are most often affected, likely due to inoculation via thorn pricks. While eumycetoma can be caused by various fungi of the orders Sordariales and Pleosporales [3], the majority of cases in Sudan are due to Madurella mycetomatis [2]. Eumycetoma is a debilitating, disfiguring, and stigmatizing disease. ...
Redox-active drugs are the mainstay of parasite chemotherapy. To assess their repurposing potential for eumycetoma, we have tested a set of nitroheterocycles and peroxides in vitro against two isolates of Madurella mycetomatis, the main causative agent of eumycetoma in Sudan. All the tested compounds were inactive except for niclosamide, which had minimal inhibitory concentrations of around 1 µg/mL. Further tests with niclosamide and niclosamide ethanolamine demonstrated in vitro activity not only against M. mycetomatis but also against Actinomadura spp., causative agents of actinomycetoma, with minimal inhibitory concentrations below 1 µg/mL. The experimental compound MMV665807, a related salicylanilide without a nitro group, was as active as niclosamide, indicating that the antimycetomal action of niclosamide is independent of its redox chemistry (which is in agreement with the complete lack of activity in all other nitroheterocyclic drugs tested). Based on these results, we propose to further evaluate the salicylanilides, niclosamidein particular, as drug repurposing candidates for mycetoma.
... This genus is characterized by globose to subglobose, partly or entirely immersed ascomata with short papillate ostioles and trabeculate pseudoparaphyses, clavate to cylindrical, bitunicate, 8spored asci and brown, ellipsoidal to fusiform, smooth to verruculose and one to more septate ascospores (Zhang et al. 2008;Suetrong et al. 2011). Ahmed et al. (2014) described a coelomycetous asexual morph for T. pertusa that is characterized by ovoidal, ostiolate, black pycnidia covered by dark brown setae. Conidiophores are short, hyaline, obpyriform and conidia hyaline to pale brown, unicellular and ellipsoidal (Ahmed et al. 2014). ...
... Ahmed et al. (2014) described a coelomycetous asexual morph for T. pertusa that is characterized by ovoidal, ostiolate, black pycnidia covered by dark brown setae. Conidiophores are short, hyaline, obpyriform and conidia hyaline to pale brown, unicellular and ellipsoidal (Ahmed et al. 2014). Marcella grisea, producing a coelomycetous anamorph, was found closely related to T. pertusa and combined into Trematosphaeria as T. grisea (J.E. ...
... Abd. Ahmed, Sande, Fahal & de Hoog (Ahmed et al. 2014). Tanaka et al. (2005) (Tanaka et al. 2005). ...
Botryotrichum iranicum (Chaetomiaceae) and Trematosphaeria magenta (Trematosphaeriaceae) are newly described from soils of Hyrcanian forests in the Mazandaran Province, Iran. Both species were distinguished from their closest known species based on multi-locus phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics. Botryotrichum iranicum is characterized by sympodially proliferating conidiophores, cylindrical and hyaline conidiogenous cells, hyaline, roughened, solitary conidia with distinctly visible hila and not forming asexual stage and sterile setae. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS, LSU sequences, and sequences part of the beta-tubulin gene support the recognition of this fungus as a new species. Trematosphaeria magenta is characterized by ostiolate pycnidia that are larger than those of closely related other Trematosphaeria species. This species also differs from other species in having longer conidiophores and hyaline and variably shaped, elliptical, ovoid ellipsoidal to allantoid conidia. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from combined ITS, SSU, LSU, and RPB2 sequences indicated that T. magenta is the phylogenetic sister to T. pertusa, type species of Trematosphaeria. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of both new species are provided.
