Frontiers in fungal biology最新文献

{"title":"Case report: Fatal hematogenous gastrosplenic mucormycosis in an immunocompetent adult following sigmoid perforation, septic shock, and short-term stress glucocorticoids.","authors":"Jiewei Liu, Wei Zhang, Hua Chen","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1940494","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1940494","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mucormycosis is an aggressive angioinvasive fungal infection that predominantly affects chronically immunosuppressed individuals. Hematogenous dissemination of <i>Mucorales</i> causing synchronous gastric full-thickness perforation and total splenic infarction is exceptionally rare, particularly in immunocompetent hosts without chronic comorbidities. To our knowledge, this presentation has not been reported in a patient with only three days of stress-dose glucocorticoid therapy following sigmoid perforation and septic shock.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We report a fatal case of synchronous gastric perforation and total splenic infarction secondary to hematogenous <i>Mucorales</i> dissemination in a previously healthy adult who developed septic shock from spontaneous sigmoid perforation. The patient received only three days of guideline-recommended stress-dose hydrocortisone and had no pre-existing diabetes, malignancy, or organ transplantation. Routine serum 1,3-β-D-glucan testing and peritoneal fungal cultures were both negative. Empirical micafungin, an echinocandin, was administered for eight days before liposomal amphotericin B was initiated, during which time progressive fungal angioinvasion led to irreversible multi-organ failure and death. Histopathology confirmed broad, aseptate, right-angle branching hyphae invading gastric and splenic vessels, whereas no fungal elements were detected at the primary sigmoid lesion, supporting a predominantly hematogenous dissemination pathway without primary intestinal fungal colonization - an unprecedented finding that fundamentally distinguishes this case from classic primary gastrointestinal mucormycosis. These histopathological findings are biologically consistent with the CotH3 (CotH family protein 3) - GRP78 (glucose- regulated protein 78 kDa) host-fungal virulence axis, which represents a plausible mechanistic explanation for multi-organ angioinvasion observed in this patient.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This case delivers three critical clinical takeaways. First, even brief stress-dose glucocorticoids may induce sufficient transient immune paralysis to permit life-threatening hematogenous mucormycosis in patients without chronic underlying immunosuppression, acting as one potential contributing factor alongside sepsis-related critical-illness immune dysfunction. Second, empirical carbapenem plus echinocandin regimens, commonly used in ICUs, lack activity against <i>Mucorales</i>; prolonged reliance on this combination can result in irreversible fatal visceral injury. Third, negative peritoneal fungal cultures and serum 1,3-β-D-glucan do not exclude intra-abdominal mucormycosis; early re-laparotomy for histopathological biopsy is essential in refractory cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1940494"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658173/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149186470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unearthing a fungal giant: <i>Dianjunaceae</i> fam. nov., a novel Paleocene lineage of <i>Xylariales</i> harboring <i>Dianjunus rex</i> gen. et sp. nov.","authors":"Jing Song, Zhuyue Yan, Jesús Pérez-Moreno, Fengming Zhang, Shimei Yang, Tao Xie, Luofeng Su, Jianwei Liu, Yanliang Wang, Dong Liu, Zhenyan Yang, Chengmo Yang, Wei Liu, Xiaofei Shi, Shanping Wan, Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon, Dongqin Dai, Indunil C Senanayake, Fuqiang Yu","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1940464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1940464","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During mycological surveys in Yunnan Province, China, specimens of a fungus producing massive, upright stromata up to 50 cm high and individually 2.2 kg in weight were sampled. Through an integrative taxonomic approach combining detailed morphology, multilocus phylogeny [internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (<i>RPB2)</i>, and beta-tubulin (<i>TUB2)</i>], and phylogenomic analyses, this fungus is proposed as the new species <i>Dianjunus rex</i> gen. et sp. nov., the type of the new family <i>Dianjunaceae</i> (<i>Xylariales</i>). Phylogenetic analyses robustly place <i>Dianjunaceae</i> as a distinct sister clade to <i>Graphostromataceae</i>. Divergence time estimation dates the origin of this family to the early Paleocene (~65 million years ago), coinciding with the period following the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction, when an estimated 75% of all plant and animal species went extinct, and a significant ecological reorganization of life on Earth happened. The stromata of <i>D. rex</i> represent the largest fructifications documented within the <i>Ascomycota</i>, significantly expanding the known morphological range of the <i>Xylariales</i>. The study provides a comprehensive description, including a nodulisporium-like anamorph with periconiella-like branching patterns, and discusses the taxon's phylogenetic placement and distinctive morphology. This discovery highlights the unexplored fungal diversity in East Asian forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1940464"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657967/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149186457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Trichoderma</i> controls bacterial blight caused by <i>Xanthomonas axonopodis</i> pv. <i>passiflorae</i> in <i>Passiflora edulis</i>.","authors":"Natália Deniz Brito, Quelmo Silva de Novaes, Rosa Hermosa, M Belén Rubio","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1920680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1920680","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Several <i>Trichoderma</i> species are recognized as biocontrol agents that can enhance plant defenses against a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. However, few studies have investigated <i>Trichoderma</i> activity against bacterial pathogens, and the <i>Xanthomonas axonopodis</i> pv. <i>passiflorae (Xap)-Passiflora edulis</i> pathosystem remains largely unexplored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed the effects of cell-free filtrates from <i>Trichoderma</i> cultures on the growth of <i>Xap</i>. We also investigated the potential of <i>T. asperellum</i> T25 and <i>T. harzianum</i> T146, when applied to the plant growth substrate, to control bacterial blight caused by <i>Xap</i> in <i>P. edulis</i>, as well as the mechanisms underlying systemic defense responses in the host plant. Fifty-day-old plants grown in substrate treated or untreated with a <i>Trichoderma</i> strain were inoculated or not with <i>Xap</i>, and changes in the expression of marker genes representative of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis (<i>LOX2</i>), salicylic acid (SA)-dependent (<i>PR1</i>), and ethylene (ET)-dependent (<i>PDF1.2</i>) defense pathways were analyzed at 48 h post-inoculation (hpi) and 14 days post-inoculation (dpi). At 14 dpi, H₂O₂ content and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes -superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase- were also evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results and discussion: </strong><i>Trichoderma</i> filtrates showed antimicrobial activity against <i>Xap</i>. In the absence of the pathogen, strain T25 promoted the growth of <i>P. edulis</i> plants. Both <i>Trichoderma</i> strains controlled disease symptoms with similar efficacy. However, at the early stage of the <i>P. edulis-Xap</i> interaction, differential expression of SA- and JA-related genes was detected between T25-pretreated and T146-pretreated plants. Furthermore, at the later stage of the interaction (14 dpi), pretreatment with strain T146 increased ROS levels (measured as H₂O₂ content) in response to <i>Xap</i>, whereas the lowest oxidative levels were observed in plants inoculated with the pathogen alone. Our results demonstrate that <i>T. asperellum</i> and <i>T. harzianum</i> effectively control bacterial blight caused by a virulent <i>Xap</i> strain in <i>P. edulis</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1920680"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13630755/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149119145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fungal contamination, mycotoxins, histamine, and allergen-related immunoreactivity in edible insects and insect-fortified complementary foods.","authors":"Maryam Imbumi, Sheila Okoth, Kris Audenaert, Hans De Steur, Xavier Gellynck, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga, Sarah De Saeger, Judith Kimiywe, Katleen Raes","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1798430","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1798430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Edible insects are consumed by over 3,000 ethnic groups, with 2,205 species documented as food in 128 countries, yet evidence on fungal contamination, mycotoxins and allergen-related risks remains limited. This study assessed these hazards in edible insects and insect-fortified complementary foods for infant and young child nutrition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fungal contamination in 11 edible-insect products, seven food ingredients, seven insect-enriched formulations and five commercial complementary flours was assessed by culture and internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Fungal isolation comprised 1,080 inoculated culture observations across three independent batches per material type, from which 798 fungal isolates were recovered. Endpoint PCR assessed aflatoxin- and fumonisin-biosynthesis markers in <i><i>Aspergillus</i> flavus</i>-like and Fusarium-like morphotypes. Mycotoxins in five complementary-food formulations were quantified by LC-MS/MS over three months, while histamine concentrations and lysozyme- and crustacean-reactive signals were measured in edible-insect preparations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong><i>Aspergillus</i> accounted for 70.7% of isolates from insect products. <i>Penicillium</i> and Fusarium were detected in all 11 and eight insect products, respectively. Among 44 A<i>. flavus</i>-like morphotypes, <i>aflD</i> and <i>aflQ</i> were detected in 32 and 23, respectively; among 22 Fusarium-like morphotypes, <i>VERTF</i> and <i>FUM1</i> were detected in 10 and 19, respectively. Marker detection did not establish gene expression or mycotoxin production. Six of 23 mycotoxins were detected: 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, aflatoxin G1, sterigmatocystin, and fumonisins B1, B2 and B3. Only aflatoxin G1 and fumonisin B1 were quantified, at 4.20 µg/kg and 20.31-86.88 µg/kg, respectively; all other confirmed detections were below quantification limits. Quantifiable fumonisin B1 occurred at later storage points and peaked after three months, although patterns were not uniformly monotonic across formulations. The aflatoxin G1 point estimate was below the Kenyan total-aflatoxin maximum, and the European Union maize-based infant-food fumonisin value was used only for context; neither comparison established compliance or safety. Quantifiable histamine concentrations ranged from 3,108 to 30,232 µg/kg; three preparations were < 2,500 µg/kg and one was > 40,000 µg/kg. Lysozyme-reactive signals were < 25 µg/kg in all 17 preparations. Crustacean-reactive signals were > 400 µg/kg in 16 preparations, while the remaining result was 382 µg/kg.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings support fungal-contamination prevention, controlled storage and assessment of potential allergen cross-reactivity in edible insects.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1798430"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617097/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biogenic synthesis and characterization of lanthanum oxide nanoparticles using citrus sinensis peel waste for antifungal applications in crop protection.","authors":"Shakthika Ramesh, Appireddy Khyathi, Hema Sree Mandapati, Vikram S, Varshini Kumar, Theivasigamani Parthasarathi","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1925291","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1925291","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles using agricultural waste offers a sustainable approach to developing alternative antifungal agents. This study investigated the potential of lanthanum oxide (La₂O₃) nanoparticles synthesized using <i>Citrus sinensis</i> peel extract as an eco-friendly antifungal agent against important phytopathogens.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>La₂O₃ nanoparticles were synthesized using <i>C. sinensis</i> peel extract and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Their antifungal activity was evaluated against <i>Alternaria solani</i> and <i>Colletotrichum capsici</i> at different concentrations and compared with the commercial fungicide SAAF.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The synthesized La₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited a crystalline cubic structure with characteristic physicochemical properties. FESEM analysis revealed irregular, flake-like to quasi-spherical particles, while EDX confirmed the presence of lanthanum, oxygen, and carbon. The nanoparticles demonstrated concentration-dependent antifungal activity against both pathogens. <i>A. solani</i> was more susceptible, with complete growth inhibition at 5 mg/mL, whereas inhibition of C. capsici reached 86.8% at 15 mg/mL. Complete suppression of sporulation was observed in La₂O₃-treated cultures. Against <i>A. solani</i>, La₂O₃ nanoparticles at 15 mg/mL, earlier than the commercial fungicide at 5 mg/mL.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings demonstrate that C. sinensis peel-derived La2O3 nanoparticles possess substantial antifungal activity, particularly against <i>A. solani</i>. The combined physicochemical characterization and antifungal results support their potential as an eco-friendly biocontrol agent while highlighting the need for further optimization and evaluation against comparatively more resistant pathogens such as <i>C. capsici</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1925291"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13612435/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149066482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CFEM proteins: unique to fungi with essential roles in plant host interactions.","authors":"Edgar David Carrillo-Hernández, Nohemi Carreras-Villaseñor, Javier Plasencia, Eric Edmundo Hernández-Dominguez, Diana Sánchez-Rangel","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1866984","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1866984","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal diseases pose a serious threat to agriculture, forestry, and human health sectors and are major contributors to global economic losses. Plant-pathogenic fungi rely on a wide array of molecules that contribute to pathogenicity and virulence; thus, it is critical to understand their roles in plant-fungal interactions to propose control strategies. Among these, CFEM domain-containing proteins, which are unique to fungi primarily within the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, have diverse functions in the interaction with the host plant. The CFEM domain is characterized by the presence of eight highly conserved cysteine residues, although the proteins show remarkable structural diversity, leading to three functional groups: I) Secretion proteins, II) GPI-anchored proteins, and III) Pth11-like membrane proteins. Current studies have focused on phytopathogenic species, where these proteins not only act as effectors that disrupt the plant immune response but also play roles in maintaining cell wall integrity, heme acquisition, and infection structure formation. However, the diversity among these proteins, as well as their subcellular localization, suggest novel mechanisms remain to be discovered. Herein, we review the phylogenetic distribution of CFEM domain-containing proteins in various species, the relevance of the cysteine residues, and their classification and functional diversity, aiming to provide an integrated approach for a better understanding of their role in fungal cell physiology as well as in the interaction with the host.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1866984"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13586796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149009399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fungal detection, diagnostic approaches, and antifungal susceptibility in diabetic foot ulcers: a systematic review of recent evidence.","authors":"Salma M Alsayed, Aiah M Khateb, Muhammad Yasir, Bayan Bogary, Ahmed M Aljabri, Ahmad Al Atrouni, Rnda Baabdullah, Ahmed Afandi, Safaa A Turkistani, Wesam A Abduljabbar, Mohammed Salleh M Ardawi, Esam I Azhar","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1915109","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1915109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fungal infections are an emerging but underrecognized concern in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU); and may contribute to delaying healing and complicate clinical outcomes. This study reviewed available evidence to identify the neglected contribution of fungi to DFUs and to explore their antifungal susceptibility patterns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for articles published from 2021 to 2025. Eligible articles were screened, extracted, and reported according to PRISMA guidance, and methodological quality was assessed using JBI tools.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 1,030 publications identified, 26 studies comprising 3,851 patients met the inclusion criteria, all reporting fungal involvement in DFUs. <i>Candida</i> spp. were the most commonly isolated organisms, with fluconazole resistance reaching up to 23%. Filamentous fungi accounted for 21.2% of reported cases, predominantly <i>Aspergillus niger</i> and <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>; <i>Rhodotorula mucilaginosa</i> and <i>Cutaneotrichosporon debeurmannianum</i> were also identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest a potentially important role of fungi in DFUs; however, evidence on antifungal susceptibility remains limited. Therefore, greater attention to fungal involvement is warranted to reduce infection burden, minimize complications, and improve health outcomes and quality of life in patients with diabetes.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261404556, identifier CRD420261404556.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1915109"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585981/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149009434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comprehensive whole genome hybrid assembly unravels genes and secretome of <i>Albugo candida</i> (Indian isolate), causing white rust disease in <i>Brassica juncea</i>.","authors":"Samridhi Mehta, Laxmi Awasthi, Rakhi Tomar, Yashwant Kumar Yadava, Mahesh Rao, Yuvaraj Iyyappan, Bishnu Maya Bashyal, Jameel Akhtar, Ram Charan Bhattacharya, Pramod Kumar Rai, Ashish Kumar Gupta","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1756853","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1756853","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>White rust disease elicited by the biotrophic pathogen <i>Albugo candida</i> is a leading cause of yield losses in oilseed <i>Brassica</i> crops, especially in the widely cultivated <i>Brassica juncea</i>. In the present investigation, the high-quality draft genome of a virulent Ac2V race of <i>A. candida</i> infecting <i>B. juncea</i> was sequenced using Illumina and Nanopore technologies. The raw data were assembled into a genome of 36.88 Mb with 415 scaffolds and N50 = 301.91 kb. The variant analysis showed 124,974 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with an average density of 3.3 SNP per kb genome against the Ac2VPB reference assembly. Approximately 24.29% of the genome was constituted of repetitive elements, including 1,039 SSRs. A total number of 13,715 coding genes were revealed in the genome with an average distribution of 359.03 genes per Mb. Out of these predicted genes, 11,556 were annotated based on sequence homology and 355 were predicted as effectors with no transmembrane domain and N-terminal signal peptide. The annotation of 355 effectors revealed that 141 of them had homologs, while the remaining 214 were novel. Depending on the conserved motifs, these effectors were characterized, and their role in pathogenesis was established through qPCR in <i>B. juncea</i>. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis through average nucleotide identity revealed a similarity of 99.6% between the Canadian and Indian Ac2V isolate. Furthermore, 62 new contigs were identified in the Indian isolate that showed no sequence similarity to the Canadian isolate, suggesting variation within the race. Altogether, the present work provides genomic resources and framework for the dissection of this pathogen, which will refine our understanding of the <i>Albugo</i>-<i>Brassica</i> interaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1756853"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149003102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conserved storage-carbohydrate metabolic modules are rewired during germination of <i>Trichoderma asperelloides</i> and other Sordariomycetes.","authors":"Bar Tenennbaum, Elizabeta Yakubovich, Yen-Wen Wang, Guoliang Meng, Soumya Moonjely, Frances Trail, Julius Ben Ari, Zheng Wang, Caihong Dong, Jeffrey Peter Townsend, Oded Yarden","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1930613","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1930613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conidial germination requires rapid mobilization and reorganization of storage carbohydrates, yet the network architecture underlying this process remains poorly defined in filamentous fungi. Using quantitative GC-MS/MS profiling, we provide the first quantitative identification of major soluble sugar species across four germination stages of <i>Trichoderma asperelloides</i> T203 and compared them with four representative models in the Sordariomycetes (<i>Metarhizium anisopliae</i>, <i>Cordyceps militaris</i>, <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>, and <i>Neurospora crassa</i>). In <i>T. asperelloides</i>, mannitol was the most prevalent measured sugar in dormant conidia, declined sharply at polarity establishment, and partially recovered at later stages, while trehalose displayed a reciprocal increase and other sugars remained comparatively stable. Comparative analyses revealed distinct species-specific carbon storage strategies: Dormant conidia of <i>T. asperelloides</i>, <i>M. anisoplia</i>e, and <i>C. militaris</i> were mannitol-enriched, whereas in <i>N. crassa</i> and <i>F. graminearum</i> glucose was the most abundant; after germination onset, most species shifted toward glucose accumulation, but <i>T. asperelloides</i> uniquely transitioned from mannitol to trehalose dominance before partial re-accumulation of mannitol. Integration of sugar profiles with time-resolved RNA-seq and Bayesian network inference revealed conserved core interactions but also lineage-specific divergences in mannitol/trehalose-associated central-carbon modules that correspond to distinct nutrient and lifestyle strategies during early colonization. A focused analysis in <i>T. asperelloides</i> uncovered extensive stage-dependent transcriptional remodeling of metabolic-process genes and a mannitol-centered module involving <i>mpd1</i> and <i>mtd1</i> (encoding mannitol-1-phosphate 5-dehydrogenase and mannitol dehydrogenase, respectively). Antisense-based knockdown of <i>mpd1</i> strongly reduced its transcript levels and led to stage-dependent upregulation of <i>mtd1</i>. However, these changes left mannitol content, soluble-sugar profiles, germination dynamics, and growth on mannitol essentially unchanged. Together, our comparative metabolic-network analysis shows that conidial mannitol and trehalose metabolism in <i>T. asperelloides</i> is embedded in a flexible, partially redundant central-carbon framework, and establishes this species as a tractable model for systems-level dissection of sugar metabolic regulation during early fungal development and colonization.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1930613"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13553963/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of TR34/L98H pan-azole-resistant <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> in poultry farm environments.","authors":"Bianca Gomes, Marta Dias, Renata Cervantes, Lídia Gonçalves, Elisabete Carolino, Miguel J N Ramos, Mónica Nunes, Ricardo Dias, Carla Viegas","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1858050","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1858050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Poultry farms have been recognized as environments prone to fungal contamination. However, the occurrence of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus and its cytotoxic potential remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to characterize the occurrence, cytotoxic potential, and azole-resistance profile ofAspergillus section Fumigati in poultry farms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 420 samples, including air (n = 47), electrostatic dust cloths (n = 87), bedding (n = 87), feed (n = 95), swabs (n = 87), workers' masks (n = 2), and broiler breast (n = 15), were obtained. Fungal characterization was performed through culture-based methods (27 °C and 37 °C), followed by azole resistance screening according to EUCAST guidelines. Resistant isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and a targeted analysis of cyp51A mutations. The cytotoxicity potential of fungal isolates and environmental samples was evaluated using selected cell lines representing respiratory organs (human alveolar [A549]) and detoxification organs (swinekidney [SK]/hepatocellular carcinoma [HepG2]).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven putative Aspergillus fumigatus isolates exhibited pan-azole resistance (MICs: ≥ 2 mg/L ITR/VOR; ≥ 1mg/L for POS). Four isolates carried the TR34/L98H mutation and were recovered from bedding (n = 3) and air (n = 1), suggesting the presence of resistant A. fumigatus in poultry farm matrices. Although 12% of isolates induced toxicity on both cell lines (17/145), no significant association was observed between isolate cytotoxicity and environmental sample toxicity, suggesting that additional biological and chemical components may contribute to the overall toxicological profile of farm environments.</p><p><strong>Discusion: </strong>The study highlights the occurrence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus in poultry farms and support integrated surveillance approaches addressing antifungal resistance and environmental exposure risks in poultry production.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1858050"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13534077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}