Frontiers in fungal biology最新文献

{"title":"Essential oil from <i>Artemisia gmelinii</i> extenuates cellular integrity of <i>Sporothrix globosa</i> and its biofilms by steering intracellular ROS and basal ergosterol levels.","authors":"Acharya Balkrishna, Manisha Kabdwal, Monali Joshi, Yash Varshney, Meenu Tomer, Pardeep Nain, Savita Lochab, Anurag Varshney","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1842749","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1842749","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Sporotrichosis is a fungal zoonotic infection caused by the pathogenic clade of the <i>Sporothrix</i> species complex. Considered a neglected tropical disease, sporotrichosis now has a cosmopolitan distribution through species like <i>Sporothrix globosa</i>. Moreover, multi-drug-resistant <i>S. globosa</i> strains are refractory to conventional antifungal therapy. The present study explores the anti-sporotrichotic effects of the essential oil of <i>Artemisia gmelinii</i> leaves (AgLEO) against a multi-drug-resistant strain of <i>S. globosa</i>.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was performed for chemical profiling of AgLEO. Broth microdilution assay determined the inhibitory concentration of AgLEO against <i>S. globosa</i>. Oxidative stress in yeast was evaluated using the H2-DCFDA assay. Calcofluor white staining highlighted morphological changes in <i>S. globosa</i> under a fluorescent microscope. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) determined total ergosterol levels in <i>S. globosa</i>. Biofilm formation was assessed by lactophenol cotton blue staining followed by brightfield microscopy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>GC-MS/MS analysis revealed that AgLEO is rich in oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, monoterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. <i>S. globosa</i> yeast cells exhibited a dose-dependent susceptibility to AgLEO, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀) of 0.3% (v/v) and 0.4% (v/v), respectively. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that AgLEO induces intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within 4 h of treatment, indicating oxidative stress-mediated cellular damages in <i>S. globosa</i>. Calcofluor white staining highlighted distorted and attenuated hyphal structures in <i>S. globosa</i> with AgLEO. Subsequently, UHPLC analysis also revealed a significant reduction of total ergosterol content in <i>S. globosa</i> with AgLEO. Together, these findings suggest that AgLEO-induced loss of structural integrity in <i>S. globosa</i> impaired the biofilm formation in <i>S. globosa</i> yeast cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides the first mechanistic evidence of AgLEO as an effective herbal agent against drug-resistant <i>S. globosa</i>. AgLEO exhibit multi-faceted anti-sporotrichotic effects by ROS induction, structural destabilization, ergosterol depletion, and biofilm inhibition. The outcome of the current study provides a promising botanical approach for sporotrichosis management and paves the way for developing plant-driven anti-sporotrichotic therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1842749"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13333735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148439048","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>Pelargonium graveolens</i> essential oil against clinical <i>Candida</i> and reference isolates: insights into virulence inhibition and therapeutic perspectives.","authors":"Chahrazed Benzaid, Manel Lina Djendi, Sarra Touaibia, Lina Raghed Klaiaia, Ahlam Kihal, Lazhari Tichati, Amel Soussa, Mahmoud Rouabhia","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868001","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The rising incidence of <i>Candida</i>-associated infections and persistent antifungal resistance, driven by biofilm formation, highlight the need for alternative therapies. Essential oils offer promise as multi-targeted natural antifungals. This study evaluates the antifungal activity of <i>Pelargonium graveolens</i> essential oil (PGEO), obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts from the Edough region (Annaba, Algeria), against various <i>Candida</i> species and its effects on human cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PGEO (yield: 0.23 ± 0.04% w/w) was characterized by GC-MS. Its antifungal activity was tested against five clinical <i>Candida</i> isolates (<i>C. albicans</i>, <i>C. kefyr</i>, <i>C. krusei (syn. Pichia kudriavzevii)</i>, <i>C. lusitaniae</i>, <i>C. tropicalis</i>) and reference strain <i>C. albicans</i> ATCC 10231. Effects on virulence enzymes (secreted aspartyl protease, phospholipase, esterase, hemolysin) were assessed via Pz/Hz indices on solid media. Anti-biofilm activity was assessed using crystal violet staining and metabolic viability assays. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PGEO comprised mainly citronellol (28.68%), geraniol (5.35%), isomenthone (5.44%), and linalool (3.15%). It showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity (minimum inhibitory concentrations: 0.312-2.5 mg/mL; minimum fungicidal concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration ratios: 2), including against fluconazole-resistant <i>C. krusei</i>. At sub-inhibitory concentrations (minimum inhibitory concentration/4 to minimum inhibitory concentration/2); PGEO inhibited enzyme secretion by 21.30 to 65.00% depending on enzyme class and species ranging from 21.30% (esterase, <i>C. krusei</i>) to 65.00% (hemolysin, <i>C. albicans</i> ATCC 10231), reducing <i>Candida</i> adhesion and invasion. PGEO inhibited biofilm formation (48.7-97.8%) and metabolic activity (43.2-82.1% reduction at minimum inhibitory concentration). Cytotoxicity in HEK-293 cells yielded a CC₅₀ of 3.99 ± 0.12 mg/mL, with selectivity indices of 1.59-12.79 (SI = CC₅₀/MIC).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The essential oil of <i>Pelargonium graveolens</i> exhibits potent fungicidal, antibiofilm, and multi-target antivirulence activities against clinically relevant <i>Candida</i> species, including fluconazole-resistant <i>C. krusei</i>, while maintaining acceptable cytotoxicity toward normal mammalian cells (CC₅₀ = 3.99 ± 0.12 mg/mL; SI: 1.59-12.79). Its simultaneous inhibition of growth, key virulence enzymes, and biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations positions PGEO as a promising natural candidate for topical or adjunctive treatment of biofilm-associated candidiasis, pending <i>in vivo</i> validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1868001"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13294198/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148347569","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":"Interplay between CARD9 genetic variants and fungal colonization patterns among patients with diabetes.","authors":"Aiah M Khateb, Rahaf Ghazi Alharbi, Lujain Alsweed, Mohammed Doud, Khlood F Almuzaini, Abdulwahab Alzahrani, Sultan Fallatah, Muhammad Yasir, Esam I Azhar","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1825667","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1825667","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diabetes mellitus significantly increases susceptibility to opportunistic fungal colonization; however, the genetic architecture underlying this vulnerability in Middle Eastern populations remains underexplored. Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) is a fundamental adaptor in fungal sensing. While CARD9 deficiency is traditionally viewed as a rare pediatric immunodeficiency, we hypothesize that common CARD9 variants serve as significant predisposing factors for fungal burden in the adult diabetic population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort of 107 diabetic participants (49.5% overweight/obese) was screened for fungal colonization across multiple anatomical sites. Targeted sequencing of the <i>CARD9</i> gene was performed, using a bioinformatics pipeline for heterozygous peak calling (IUPAC ambiguity codes) and Ensembl VEP for variant annotation. Functional impacts were predicted using SIFT, PolyPhen-2, and PyMOL structural modeling.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fungal colonization was prevalent, with <i>Aspergillus niger</i> complex (27.9%) being the most frequently identified organism. Genomic analysis identified the N-terminal CARD domain as a mutational \"hotspot.\" We identified a high prevalence of homozygous damaging variants (52.7%), including p.Arg47His and p.Gly49Asp, which disrupt CARD domain stability. An additional 24.8% of the cohort displayed significant IUPAC-mixed heterozygous signals. Despite these genetic findings, a \"paradox of stability\" emerged: individuals with the highest microbial scores (4-5) often carried the reference sequence, while multivariate analysis identified obesity (OR: 1.85, p < 0.05) as the primary independent predictor of fungal burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings demonstrate that the diabetic population harbors a widespread, previously unrecognized deficiency in the Dectin-1/CARD9 signaling pathway. This shifts the clinical narrative of <i>CARD9</i> from a \"rare pediatric disease\" to a common genetic predisposition in adult patients with diabetes. While metabolic dysregulation may override genetic factors, the high frequency of CARD domain \"hotspot\" mutations supports a precision medicine approach integrating <i>CARD9</i> genotyping with metabolic profiling to risk-stratify patients for early antifungal prophylaxis.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1825667"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13284155/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148310633","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":"First draft genome and genomic analysis of <i>Neofusicoccum parvum</i> isolated from mango (<i>Mangifera indica</i> L.) in Paraguay.","authors":"Micaela Méndez, Adolfo Mateo Acuña, Mónica Morel Escobar, Mauricio Ismael González, Andrea Arrúa Alvarenga, Gilberto Benítez Rodas, Federico Da Silva, Silverio Andrés Quintana","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1813584","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1813584","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1813584"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13279578/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148297271","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":"Butenolides and triterpenoids from the fungus <i>Pallidohirschioporus biformis</i> (syn. <i>Trichaptum biforme</i>): isolation, structure determination and bioactivity profile.","authors":"Suratno Suratno, Csenge Anna Felegyi-Tóth, Elżbieta Studzińska-Sroka, Viktor Papp, Imre Boldizsár, Annamária Kincses, Tamás Gáti, Przemysław Zalewski, Szabolcs Béni, Attila Ványolós","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1737900","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1737900","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Pallidohirschioporus biformis</i> is a common annual polypore distributed in subtropical to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Extensive mycochemical analysis of the methanol extract of <i>P. biformis</i> resulted in the isolation of eight secondary metabolites (1-8). The structure determination of the fungal metabolites was carried out by one- and two-dimensional NMR and MS analysis. Among them biformolide (1) is a new natural product, while compound 2 (9-(2-methoxy-3, 4-dimethyl-5-oxofuran-2-yl)nonanoic acid) is reported from natural sources for the first time. Besides compounds 1-2, two other butenolides, namely hydroxydihydrobovolide (3) and schumannione (4), 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenoic acid (5), betulin (6), and two ergostane-type derivative, ergosterol peroxide (7) and ergosterol peroxide glucoside (8) have been identified. The isolates as well as the chloroform, n-hexane, and methanol extracts of <i>P. biformis</i> were evaluated for their potential bioactivities in several <i>in vitro</i> assays, including hyaluronidase, acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE and BuChE), alpha-glucosidase, antibacterial, tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant tests. The bioassay results for the three fungal extracts suggest that hyaluronidase could be a potential enzymatic target of <i>P. biformis</i> extracts. Of the secondary metabolites tested, compound 8 showed the highest hyaluronidase inhibitory activity (91%), whereas compound 6 exhibited moderate inhibition (32%), and the remaining compounds demonstrated little to no activity. The anticholinesterase assays revealed a notable difference between the inhibitory effects of <i>P. biformis</i> on AChE and BuChE. Although the chloroform and methanol extracts exhibited significant BuChE inhibition, they showed no inhibitory activity against AChE. Our findings identify hydroxydihydrobovolide (3) as the primary bioactive compound responsible for the observed inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase activity. This study is the first comprehensive report on the chemical composition of wild-growing <i>P. biformis</i> sporocarps, providing an in-depth investigation into the isolation and structural characterization of the species' most distinctive biologically active compounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1737900"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13292771/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148335130","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":"Understanding multi-azole resistance in <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>: the impact of non-<i>cyp51A</i> mutation and efflux pump overexpression.","authors":"Pooja Sen, Lokesh Kumar, Jata Shankar, Pooja Vijayaraghavan","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1830942","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1830942","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Azole resistance in <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> is an emerging global concern, significantly limiting treatment options for aspergillosis. The present study aimed to investigate azole resistance mechanisms, focusing on non-<i>cyp51A</i> mutations and efflux pump genes overexpression in environmental isolates of <i>A. fumigatus</i>.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 156 soil samples collected from 13 states across India were screened for azole-resistant <i>A. fumigatus</i> isolates. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed against itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole. Molecular characterization included sequencing of the <i>cyp51A</i> and <i>hmg1</i> genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was conducted to evaluate the expression levels of <i>cyp51A</i>, <i>hmg1</i>, and efflux pump genes (<i>mdr1, mdr4, mfsC,</i> and <i>cdr1B</i>).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nine azole-resistant <i>A. fumigatus</i> isolates were identified. Most resistant isolates exhibited cross-resistance to ITC, VRC, and POS. The <i>cyp51A</i> gene sequencing revealed known mutations, TR46/T289A, alongside novel mutations, including L77W, L477I, A189P, and W223G. Additionally, 18 non-synonymous mutations were discovered in the <i>hmg1</i> gene, of which 14 were located outside the sterol-sensing domain of Hmg1. In contrast, four mutations (F399V, T410P, G385D, and F362Y) were detected within the SSD region, suggesting its potential role in azole resistance. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis revealed upregulation of the <i>cyp51A</i> gene in all resistant isolates, with selective upregulation of efflux pump genes (<i>mdr1, mdr4, mfsC</i>, and <i>cdr1B</i>) in various isolates, indicating their probable contribution to resistance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings highlight the complexity of azole resistance mechanisms, suggesting that non-<i>cyp51A</i> mutations and efflux pump overexpression are potentially associated with resistance phenotypes. This study emphasizes the need for further functional validation of these resistance mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies against azole-resistant <i>A. fumigatus</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1830942"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13253250/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148254725","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":"Comparative genomics of Eastern-Indian <i>Ustilaginoidea virens</i> strain NRRI-FSM-1 at whole-genome level unravels genome evolution and genetic plasticity.","authors":"Basavantraya Navadagi Devanna, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Himanshu Dubey, Sanghamitra Samantaray, C Parameswaran, Lambodar Behera, Manas Kumar Bag","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1828327","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1828327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rice false smut (RFS), caused by <i>Ustilaginoidea virens</i> (teleomorph: <i>Villosiclava virens</i>), has emerged as a major global threat to rice production, causing reductions in yield, grain quality, and market value. Although first reported in India in the 1870s, genomic resources for this pathogen remain limited, constraining efforts toward understanding pathogen diversity and developing effective disease management strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the present study, a high-quality whole-genome sequence of the Eastern Indian <i>U. virens</i> isolate NRRI-FSM-1 was generated and analyzed. Comparative whole-genome sequence (WGS) analysis was further performed using six <i>U. virens</i> strains to investigate genomic diversity, structural variation, and candidate pathogenicity-related features.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The assembled NRRI-FSM-1 genome was 36.3 Mb in size, comprising 985 scaffolds with an N50 of 5,781,932 bp. A total of 328,782 variants were identified, including 302,430 SNPs, 13,224 insertions, and 13,128 deletions. Additionally, 5,977 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 9,257 protein-coding genes were identified, representing the highest number of predicted genes reported so far among false smut genomes. Comparative genomics revealed substantial genomic diversity among the six strains, including variation in candidate effector repertoires, gene content, and population structure at both global and intra-Indian levels. Notably, significant diversity was observed among Indian strains, indicating considerable genomic variation across geographical regions.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings expand the pathogenomic resource base for <i>U. virens</i> in India and globally, and provide insights into genome evolution and genetic plasticity in this important rice pathogen. The generated genomic resource establishes a foundation for future studies on pathogen surveillance, virulence mechanisms, and molecular breeding strategies for rice false smut management.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1828327"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13233505/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148201223","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":"Editorial: New advances in <i>Candida</i> infections: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment.","authors":"Bruna Gonçalves, Sónia Silva","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1869034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1869034","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1869034"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13233483/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148201280","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":"Genotype distribution of <i>Pneumocystis jirovecii</i> in immunocompromised patients: a single-center molecular epidemiology study.","authors":"Cecília Salete Alencar, Marcello Mihailenko Chaves Magri, Helio Hehl Caiaffa Filho, Ester Cerdeira Sabino","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1841693","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1841693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Pneumocystis jirovecii</i> pneumonia (PCP) remains a major opportunistic infection affecting both HIV-infected and non-HIV immunocompromised individuals. Key aspects of its transmission dynamics in complex healthcare environments remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a descriptive molecular epidemiology study to characterize the genetic diversity of <i>P. jirovecii</i> in a large tertiary-care hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Respiratory samples collected from hospitalized and outpatient individuals undergoing molecular investigation for PCP between 2014 and 2015 were analyzed. PCR-positive specimens were genotyped by sequencing the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA (mtLSUrRNA) locus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 80 patients tested, 58 samples were successfully sequenced, including individuals living with HIV/AIDS (39.7%), solid organ transplant recipients (32.8%), and patients with other immunosuppressive conditions (27.6%). Three genotypes were identified. Genotype 3 predominated across all clinical groups (69%), whereas genotypes 2 and 1 accounted for 12% and 7%, respectively. Mixed infections were detected in 12% of cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this descriptive molecular epidemiology study, genotype 3 predominated across diverse immunocompromised populations within a large tertiary-care hospital. These findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and may reflect underlying genotype distribution or shared environmental exposure. Further studies incorporating higher-resolution typing methods and clinical correlation are needed to better define transmission pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1841693"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13230194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148165904","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":"Utilizing mitochondrial genome sequences to understand population diversity among <i>Trichoderma</i> species.","authors":"Christopher M Wallis, Jianchi Chen, Nalong Mekdara","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1810157","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1810157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biopesticides, including those containing various <i>Trichoderma</i> species, may provide improved control of fungal diseases of woody perennials including grapevines. Thus, <i>Trichoderma</i> isolates were obtained from grapevines in California, U.S.A., with eight strains demonstrated to provide biological control against fungal pathogens. These were determined via phylogenetic analyses to be one of six different species: <i>Trichoderma asperellum</i>, <i>Trichoderma capillare</i>, <i>Trichoderma harzianum</i>, <i>Trichoderma saturnisporopsis</i>, and two novel <i>Trichoderma species</i> (<i>Trichoderma</i> sp. DL1-3 and <i>Trichoderma</i> sp. PAR10). However, little is known about strain genetic diversity. Therefore, efforts were undertaken to characterize and compare obtained mitochondrial genomes with those previously published from related <i>Trichoderma</i> species. For this effort, the mitochondrial genomes of <i>T. asperellum</i> strain TLI, <i>T. capillare</i> strains KC2-2 and SLO1-1, and <i>T. saturnisporopsis</i> strain RSI were obtained and annotated, and compared to the other Californian strains and 23 other <i>Trichoderma</i> species genomes. All analyzed species had the same major protein coding genes, rRNA regions, and tRNA coding sequences. Further, specific introns were observed to be associated with distinct clades within the <i>Trichoderma</i> genus, and these could be used to develop markers to quickly assign an unknown <i>Trichoderma</i> into a specific clade. Knowledge of <i>Trichoderma</i> mitochondrial genomes should improve understanding about this fungal species.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1810157"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13219335/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139927","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}