Journal of Fungi最新文献

{"title":"Development of a Monoclonal Antibody and a Sandwich ELISA for the Detection of Mucormycosis in Humans.","authors":"Christopher R Thornton, Genna E Davies","doi":"10.3390/jof12100775","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100775","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive and often fatal invasive fungal infection caused by moulds in the order, <i>Mucorales</i>. Early diagnosis is essential for effective clinical management; however, conventional diagnostic approaches such as culture and histopathology are slow, insensitive, and require specialist mycological expertise. Although molecular methods are available for disease detection, they are not widely accessible. At present, no enzyme immunoassay (EIA) exists for the detection of mucormycosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), FH12, was generated against extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) produced by <i>Mucorales</i> pathogens during active growth. The antibody was characterised for specificity, epitope stability, and antigen localisation using ELISA, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence techniques. The mAb was incorporated into a sandwich ELISA and evaluated using culture filtrates, purified EPSs spiked into human serum, and tissue homogenates from a patient with cutaneous mucormycosis caused by <i>Lichtheimia ramosa</i>.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>mAb FH12 demonstrated pan-<i>Mucorales</i> specificity and no cross-reactivity with other clinically relevant yeasts and moulds. The epitope recognised by FH12 is periodate-insensitive and moderately heat-stable. The sandwich ELISA detected EPS antigens in human serum with limits of detection ranging from pg/mL to low ng/mL levels, and successfully identified the EPS biomarker in patient tissue homogenates.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The FH12-based sandwich ELISA shows high sensitivity and specificity, and has the potential to be used as a laboratory-based adjunct diagnostic test for the detection of mucormycosis in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13706613/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Vitro Azole Susceptibility of <i>Malassezia globosa</i> Isolates from Healthy Controls, Atopic Dermatitis, and Pityriasis Versicolor Across Anatomical Sites.","authors":"Yu Yu, Xiaochun Liu, Yuan Zhou, Huan Mei, Weida Liu, Xiaodong She, Xu Yao","doi":"10.3390/jof12100773","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100773","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Malassezia globosa</i> is a major member of the human skin mycobiota and is associated with several cutaneous disorders, yet it remains unclear whether its in vitro azole susceptibility varies with disease status or anatomical site. We evaluated 55 <i>M. globosa</i> isolates obtained from five healthy controls, five patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and five patients with pityriasis versicolor (PV). Isolates were collected from the forehead, posterior neck, and antecubital fossa in all participants, with additional lesional isolates from AD and PV. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, and isavuconazole. Fluconazole showed the broadest MIC range (0.5-64 μg/mL), whereas posaconazole and voriconazole showed lower ranges (0.00375-0.5 μg/mL). Mixed-effects analyses of the three shared non-lesional sites detected no significant disease-group, site, or disease-by-site effects for any drug (all <i>p</i> > 0.05). Repeated-measures analyses within AD and PV likewise found no significant overall site effect when lesional skin was included. These exploratory data indicate substantial inter-isolate heterogeneity but no consistent association between <i>M. globosa</i> azole susceptibility and clinical group, anatomical site, or lesional status. Larger standardized and strain-resolved studies are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13705733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overcoming Barriers to Heterologous Gene Expression Uncovers Regulatory Constraints in the Mucoralean Pathogen <i>Rhizopus delemar</i>.","authors":"Andrew Joseph Terrebonne, Muxing Liu, Ryan Rumsey, Tuo Wang, Ashok Aiyar, Zhengguang Zhang, Chen Ding, Ping Wang","doi":"10.3390/jof12100771","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100771","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Rhizopus</i> species are a leading cause of mucormycosis, an aggressive and life-threatening invasive fungal disease that affects immunocompromised individuals. Despite their clinical importance, mucoralean pathogens, especially <i>R. delemar</i>, are difficult to manipulate genetically because of coenocytic growth, multinucleate hyphae, difficulty with transformation, and limited selectable markers. These obstacles hinder the study of innate stress resistance and disease mechanisms. Previous efforts to express heterologous genes or implement gene-editing systems with vectors designed for model fungi have been largely unsuccessful or inefficient in <i>R. delemar</i>, suggesting unique requirements for gene expression in this organism. In this study, we tested nuclear-targeted fluorescent protein expression and identified differences in proline and arginine codon usage between heterologous and endogenous coding sequences. We then evaluated gene expression efficiency using various combinations of heterologous and endogenous regulatory elements and coding sequences, including six promoters, two terminators, three histone fusion proteins, and two fluorescent reporters, with or without an exogenous nuclear localization signal (NLS). Endogenous promoters orthologous to those with high transcriptional activity produced robust fluorescence, in contrast to weak fluorescence from constructs with heterologous sequences. Notably, fluorescence was also observed in a construct lacking an experimentally provided terminator, and the H2B-GFP fusion protein did not require an exogenous NLS for nuclear localization. These results show that efficient heterologous gene expression in <i>R. delemar</i> requires optimization at several levels, including promoter selection, coding sequence compatibility, and expression-cassette design. Although the direct impact of codon usage on expression efficiency remains to be tested, the expression systems developed here provide a platform for molecular analysis of <i>R. delemar</i> biology and pathogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13706632/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virulence Variability of <i>Puccinia triticina</i> in the Western Region of the High-Latitude Asian Spring Wheat Belt.","authors":"Elena Gultyaeva, Evsey Kosman, Ekaterina Shaydayuk, Ekaterina Shreyder, Vladimir Shamanin, Alexey Morgounov, Igor Kushnirenko, Anastasiya Kazak, Elena Filippova, Anastasiya Chernook","doi":"10.3390/jof12100774","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100774","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A comprehensive virulence survey of <i>Puccinia triticina</i> collections was conducted in 2025 across four regions of Asian Russia and northern Kazakhstan to analyze the extent of differentiation among the regional pathogen populations. Leaves with uredinia were collected on a standardized set of spring wheat genotypes from the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network (KASIB-26). A total of 195 single-pustule isolates (34 from Chelyabinsk, 24 from Kurgan, 52 from Tyumen, 43 from Omsk, and 42 from northern Kazakhstan) were tested for the infection type on the standard set of twenty Thatcher near-isogenic wheat lines. None of the 20 <i>Lr</i>-genes represented in the differential lines proved to be highly effective. New virulences to <i>Lr24</i> and to the gene combination <i>Lr9</i> + <i>Lr26</i> were first revealed in the studied area. In total, 22 races were identified. Two races were identified across all five regions, one in three regions, and four in two regions. Alongside traditional races in the northwesternmost wheat-growing territories in Asia, new races with previously absent virulences were detected in 2025. Distinct pathogen groups were identified within the Omsk and Tyumen regions, and a highly unique race was found in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, the overall population structure remained stable during the last decade, with a predominant combination of highly virulent races persisting across the whole territory.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13706111/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mind the Gap: A Nationwide Survey on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Capacity for Invasive Fungal Infections in Chile.","authors":"Cinthia Carleo, Christian Conde-Abeliuk, Cecilia Tapia, Andrés Soto, Natalia Díaz, Mariella Raijmakers","doi":"10.3390/jof12100772","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100772","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Invasive fungal infections can cause morbidity and mortality, particularly among immunocompromised and critically ill patients, making them an important global public health problem. Outcomes depend on timely diagnosis, laboratory capacity, and access to effective antifungal therapy. As national data describing these resources in Chile remain limited, we aimed to characterize national gaps in mycological diagnostic and therapeutic access. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a nationwide survey of physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory professionals representing Chilean hospitals. Multiple responses from the same institution were consolidated. A 15-item diagnostic and therapeutic access score was developed to assess differences between hospitals. <b>Results:</b> Thirty-five hospitals participated in the survey. Diagnostic infrastructure varied substantially across institutions; all hospitals reported access to direct mycological examination, among which 65.7% had access to MALDI-TOF MS and 51.4% used molecular identification methods. The access score differed significantly according to hospital size, with median scores of 53.3% (20.0-80.0), 66.7% (46.7-86.7), and 73.3% (60.0-86.7) in hospitals with 0-300, 301-499, and ≥500 beds, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.003). <b>Conclusions:</b> This nationwide assessment identified size-dependent inequities in mycological capacity in Chile, with larger hospitals having greater diagnostic and therapeutic access. These findings support targeted national strategies to strengthen smaller institutions and ensure equitable care.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13705827/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation Promotes Growth and Alleviates <i>Fusarium tricinctum</i>-Induced Growth Inhibition in <i>Quercus variabilis</i> Seedlings.","authors":"Heyu Wang, Yuying Che, Huixin Liu, Xiaohang Yu, Baoxuan Liu, Fengyue Shu, Jing Zhou, Mengmeng Wu","doi":"10.3390/jof12100776","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100776","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Quercus variabilis</i> is a key species for reforestation in East Asia, yet the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence seedling growth and responses to soil-borne fungal challenge remain incompletely understood. This study combined physiological and metagenomic approaches to address this gap. Among seven rhizosphere fungal isolates, <i>Fusarium tricinctum</i> (F15) exerted the strongest growth-inhibitory effect on <i>Q. variabilis</i> seedlings and was therefore selected for subsequent experiments. Inoculation with the AMF <i>Rhizophagus intraradices</i> significantly promoted seedling growth (<i>p</i> < 0.05), increasing root length by 4.94% relative to the uninoculated control and increasing ground diameter and aboveground fresh weight by 28.57% and 117.07%, respectively, relative to F15-treated seedlings. AMF inoculation also significantly altered substrate nutrient status (<i>p</i> < 0.05), particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase and catalase (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Metagenomic analysis revealed that AMF significantly reshaped rhizosphere microbial community composition and bacterial α-diversity (<i>p</i> < 0.05), enriching beneficial taxa such as <i>Mesorhizobium</i>. Functional profiling showed differences in predicted microbial functional profiles between AMF-inoculated and F15-treated groups. Together, these results indicate that AMF enhances seedling growth and mitigates the negative effects associated with F15 challenge, potentially through altered substrate nutrient dynamics, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and modulation of the rhizosphere microbial community.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13705781/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invasive Fungal Disease in High-Acuity Hospitals in Latin America: Practical Pathways from Suspicion to Early Targeted Therapy.","authors":"Juan David Plata Puyana, Daniela Rico, Alejandro Iregui, Fredy Guevara","doi":"10.3390/jof12100770","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) have become a routine diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in high-acuity hospitals worldwide, and Latin America presents a distinctive scenario in which opportunistic mycoses of tertiary care coexist with endemic dimorphic fungi, heterogeneous diagnostic capacity, and uneven antifungal access. This narrative review organizes a practical, clinically usable pathway for Latin American high-acuity hospitals, from the construction of a \"window of suspicion\" based on host risk factors, through the diagnostic work-up available in the region (non-culture biomarkers, molecular platforms, imaging, and histopathology), to syndrome-specific clinical pathways for candidemia, invasive aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and cryptococcal meningitis, including antifungal selection, dosing, and stewardship. We highlight where regional diagnostic and therapeutic constraints depart from guidance developed in high-resource settings and where structured clinical suspicion must substitute for advanced biomarkers. We conclude that early, syndrome-directed pathways adapted to local resource availability, rather than uncritical adoption of international algorithms, offer the most realistic route to earlier antifungal therapy and improved outcomes in Latin American high-acuity hospitals.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13705753/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Vitro Susceptibility and Molecular Docking of Echinocandins Against Clinical Dermatophyte Isolates: Implications for Resistant Dermatophytosis.","authors":"Iman Haghani, Iman Nikjan, Zahra Yahyazadeh, Milad Lagzian, Reza Valadan, Javad Javidnia, Tahereh Shokohi, Mohammad Taghi Hedayati, Jamshid Yazdani, Mohsen Nosratabadi, Narges Vaseghi, Mahdi Abastabar, Hamid Badali","doi":"10.3390/jof12100769","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100769","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drug-resistant dermatophytosis has emerged as a global therapeutic challenge, underscoring the need for alternative antifungal strategies. Echinocandins, inhibitors of β-(1,3)-D-glucan synthase, demonstrate potent activity against <i>Candida</i> and <i>Aspergillus</i> but remain insufficiently characterized against dermatophytes. This study evaluated the in vitro activity of anidulafungin and caspofungin in a diverse clinical collection and examined their predicted interactions with β-(1,3)-D-glucan synthase. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on 105 clinical isolates, including <i>T. indotineae</i>, <i>T. mentagrophytes</i>, <i>T. rubrum</i>, <i>T. tonsurans</i>, <i>M. canis</i>, <i>N. gypsea</i>, and <i>T. violaceum</i>, using CLSI M38-A3 broth microdilution. Minimum effective concentrations (MECs) for echinocandins and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for comparator agents were determined. Molecular docking simulations were conducted to characterize echinocandin interactions with β-(1,3)-D-glucan synthase. Statistical analyses used Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests. Both echinocandins showed significantly lower MEC/MIC distributions than all comparator antifungals after adjustment for multiple comparisons (all adjusted <i>p</i> < 0.001). Anidulafungin was more potent than caspofungin (GM MECs: 0.011 vs. 0.022 µg/mL; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Against terbinafine-resistant <i>T. indotineae</i>, MEC₅₀ values were 0.008 µg/mL (anidulafungin) and 0.016 µg/mL (caspofungin), markedly outperforming terbinafine (MIC₅₀ = 4 µg/mL). Docking analyses demonstrated species- and ligand-dependent predicted interaction patterns with β-(1,3)-D-glucan synthase, providing complementary structural context for the observed in vitro susceptibility profiles. This study extends prior in vitro observations by profiling two echinocandins against diverse clinical dermatophytes, including terbinafine-resistant <i>T. indotineae</i>. Docking analysis provides structural context but does not establish target engagement. Further preclinical studies are needed to confirm therapeutic relevance.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13706621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Atranorin Fluorescence: A Possible Photoprotective Role in Lichen Defense Against UV and Blue-Violet Radiation.","authors":"Ilya A Prokopiev, Gregory A Pozhvanov, Alexandra N Ivanova, Zhanna O Zholobova, Daria A Frolova, Alexey L Shavarda","doi":"10.3390/jof12100768","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100768","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epiphytic lichens are naturally subjected to highly fluctuating light and must protect their algal symbionts from harmful short wavelengths while facilitating efficient photosynthesis. Confocal microscopy confirmed that the upper cortices of <i>Hypogymnia physodes</i> and <i>H. bitteri</i> thalli contained colorless secondary metabolites atranorin and chloroatranorin, which were able to protect lichens against excessive UV and blue-violet radiation in two ways. The first way screens algae through visible light reflection; the second way is realized through the absorption of UV-A and blue-violet radiation and fluorescence emission in the yellow-green spectrum. Acetone rinsing removed atranorin and chloroatranorin crystals from the cortical surface, thus reducing the reflectance of both <i>H. physodes</i> and <i>H. bitteri</i>. Nevertheless, fluorescence in <i>H. physodes</i> remained largely unaffected due to the deep-layer localization of atranorin within the upper cortex. However, melanized <i>H. bitteri</i> exhibited weak fluorescence either before or after acetone rinsing, despite containing atranorin and chloroatranorin at levels comparable to <i>H. physodes</i>. Within the heavily melanized lower cortical layer of <i>H. bitteri</i>, young areas contained significant amounts of atranorin and chloroatranorin. A reduction in their content resulted in a compensatory enhancement of non-photochemical quenching in algae. This phenomenon suggests that atranorin and chloroatranorin contribute to the photoprotection of lichens in yet another way through light reflectance and through fluorescence in a photosynthetically safe manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13705759/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disseminated <i>Mucor indicus</i> Infection in a Heart Transplant Recipient: Complementary Conventional and Sequencing-Based Diagnostic Approaches.","authors":"Konstantin Tanida, Nicole Degel-Broßmann, Alexis Robitaille, Denise Heim, Markus Glatzel, Patrick Blümke, Martin Aepfelbacher, Marc Lütgehetmann, Martin Christner, Adam Grundhoff, Nicole Fischer","doi":"10.3390/jof12100767","DOIUrl":"10.3390/jof12100767","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive and often fatal invasive fungal infection in immunocompromised patients. Diagnosis remains challenging because microscopy and culture have limited sensitivity, while targeted molecular assays may fail to detect uncommon <i>Mucorales</i> species. <b>Case Presentation:</b> We report a fatal case of disseminated <i>Mucor indicus</i> infection with pulmonary and cerebral involvement in a heart transplant recipient receiving immunosuppressive therapy and posaconazole prophylaxis. Initial microscopy of bronchial secretions demonstrated broad pauciseptate hyphae consistent with <i>Mucorales</i>, whereas targeted PCR assays remained negative. Species identification was subsequently achieved by culture, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Following neurological deterioration, brain biopsy confirmed cerebral involvement histopathologically, and ITS sequencing detected <i>M. indicus</i>. Comparative DNA- and RNA-based metagenomic sequencing identified <i>Mucorales</i> sequences, although read abundance remained unexpectedly low despite extensive histopathological fungal burden. Nevertheless, independent mapping of metagenomic reads against databases comprising all genomic viral and fungal reference sequences readily identified <i>Mucor indicus</i> as the sole pathogen receiving significant scores. <b>Conclusions:</b> This case illustrates that targeted Mucorales PCR may fail to detect an uncommon species despite evidence of invasive fungal infection. Microscopy, culture, histopathology, ITS sequencing, and comprehensive metagenomic analyses provided complementary evidence for disseminated <i>Mucor indicus</i> infection. Integrated diagnostics combining histopathology, culture, and complementary molecular methods remain essential for accurate diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15878,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fungi","volume":"12 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13706590/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149268770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}