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Determining the Pathogenic Potential of Non-sporulating Molds Isolated from Cutaneous Specimens

Jeyaprakasam NK, Razak MF, Ahmad NA, Santhanam J

Mycopathologia, 2016 Jun;181(5-6):397-403.
PMID: 26847667 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-016-9984-8

Although non-sporulating molds (NSM) are frequently isolated from patients and have been recognized as agents of pulmonary disease, their clinical significance in cutaneous specimens is relatively unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to identify NSM and to determine the keratinolytic activity of isolates from cutaneous sites. NSM isolates from clinical specimens such as skin, nail, and body fluids were identified based on their ribosomal DNA sequences. Of 17 NSM isolates (7 Ascomycota, 10 Basidiomycota), eleven were identified to species level while five were identified to the genus level. These include Schizophyllum commune, a known human pathogen, Phoma multirostrata, a plant pathogen, and Perenniporia tephropora, a saprophyte. To determine fungal pathogenicity, keratinolytic activity, a major virulence factor, was evaluated ex vivo using human nail samples by measuring dye release from keratin azure, for NSM along with pathogens (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis and Fusarium spp.) and nonpathogenic (endophyte) fungi for comparison. This study showed that pathogenic fungi had the highest keratinolytic activity (7.13 ± 0.552 keratinase units) while the nonpathogenic endophytes had the lowest activity (2.37 ± 0.262 keratinase units). Keratinolytic activity of two Ascomycota NSM (Guignardia mangiferae and Hypoxylon sp.) and one Basidiomycota NSM (Fomitopsis cf. meliae) was equivalent to that of pathogenic fungi, while Xylaria feejeensis showed significantly higher activity (p

Matched MeSH terms: Dermatomycoses/microbiology*
Fulltext Genome Anatomy of Pyrenochaeta unguis-hominis UM 256, a Multidrug Resistant Strain Isolated from Skin Scraping

Toh YF, Yew SM, Chan CL, Na SL, Lee KW, Hoh CC, et al.

PLoS One, 2016;11(9):e0162095.
PMID: 27626635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162095

Pyrenochaeta unguis-hominis is a rare human pathogen that causes infection in human skin and nail. P. unguis-hominis has received little attention, and thus, the basic biology and pathogenicity of this fungus is not fully understood. In this study, we performed in-depth analysis of the P. unguis-hominis UM 256 genome that was isolated from the skin scraping of a dermatitis patient. The isolate was identified to species level using a comprehensive multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the genus Pyrenochaeta. The assembled UM 256 genome has a size of 35.5 Mb and encodes 12,545 putative genes, and 0.34% of the assembled genome is predicted transposable elements. Its genomic features propose that the fungus is a heterothallic fungus that encodes a wide array of plant cell wall degrading enzymes, peptidases, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic enzymes. Antifungal drug resistance genes including MDR, CDR, and ERG11/CYP51 were identified in P. unguis-hominis UM 256, which may confer resistance to this fungus. The genome analysis of P. unguis-hominis provides an insight into molecular and genetic basis of the fungal lifestyles, understanding the unrevealed biology of antifungal resistance in this fungus.

Matched MeSH terms: Dermatomycoses/microbiology*
Efficacy of modified Leeming-Notman media in a resazurin microtiter assay in the evaluation of in-vitro activity of fluconazole against Malassezia furfur ATCC 14521

Far FE, Al-Obaidi MMJ, Desa MNM

J Mycol Med, 2018 Sep;28(3):486-491.
PMID: 29753721 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2018.04.007

BACKGROUND: Malassezia furfur is lipodependent yeast like fungus that causes superficial mycoses such as pityriasis versicolor and dandruff. Nevertheless, there are no standard reference methods to perform susceptibility test of Malassezia species yet.
AIMS: Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the optimized culture medium for growth of this lipophilic yeast using modified leeming-Notman agar and colorimetric resazurin microtiter assay to assess antimycotic activity of fluconazole against M. furfur.
RESULTS: The result showed that these assays were more adjustable for M. furfur with reliable and reproducible MIC end-point, by confirming antimycotic activity of fluconazole with MIC of 2μg/ml.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that this method is considered as the rapid and effective susceptibility testing of M. furfur with fluconazole antifungal activity.

Matched MeSH terms: Dermatomycoses/microbiology
Synthesis, spectral characterization, self-assembly and biological studies of N-acyl-2-pyrazolines bearing long alkoxy side chains

Abbas A, Nazir H, Naseer MM, Bolte M, Hussain S, Hafeez N, et al.

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2014;120:176-84.
PMID: 24177882 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2013.10.023

A series of new pyrazoline derivatives (1b-4c) bearing N-acyl arms and nine to twelve carbon long alkoxy side chains was synthesized and characterized on the basis of spectroscopic data and microanalysis. The nature of self-assembly to understand the interplay of alkoxy chain crystallization and various supramolecular interactions was investigated using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Interesting self-assembled supramolecular structures of 1b and 4c were observed in the crystal lattice owing to various CH⋯O, H⋯H, CH⋯π, lonepair⋯π and π⋯π interactions. Further, all the synthesized compounds (1b-4c) were screened for their in vitro antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities. Compounds 2b, 3b, 2c and 3c showed significant to moderate antifungal activity against Microsporum canis whereas most of the other compounds were found inactive against all the five tested fungal strains. Good anti-inflammatory activity was observed for compounds 1b with IC50 value 331 μM compared to 273 μM for Indomethacine, a standard reference drug. The bio-activity data demonstrates the relationship between lipophilicity, solubility and bioavailability.

Matched MeSH terms: Dermatomycoses/drug therapy
Pattern of skin diseases among patients attending an outpatient dermatology clinic in a tertiary hospital in urban Malaysia

Kwan Z, Wong SM, Robinson S, Tan LL, Ismail R

Australas J Dermatol, 2017 Nov;58(4):e267-e268.
PMID: 28660702 DOI: 10.1111/ajd.12541
Matched MeSH terms: Dermatomycoses/epidemiology