scholarly journals Leveraging a high resolution microfluidic assay reveals insights into pathogenic fungal spore germination

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Layla J. Barkal ◽  
Naomi M. Walsh ◽  
Michael R. Botts ◽  
David J. Beebe ◽  
Christina M. Hull
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spore Germination ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore

Germination of a population of pathogenic fungal spores into yeast can be tracked, quantified, and parsed using a microfluidic assay.

scholarly journals Influence of dinitroorthocresol (DNOC) on physiology and morphology of soil fungi. III. The effect of various concentrations of DNOC on spore germination activity and morphology of germ tubes

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Korniłłowicz
Keyword(s):  
Spore Germination ◽  
Soil Fungi ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Mucor Mucedo ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Germ Tubes

In the present paper low concentrations (l -10 mcg/ml) of DNOC, in general, were not found to restrain germination of fungal spores. High concentrations (25-200 mcg/ml) were sporostatic and sporocidal Disturbances of fungal spore germination in the presence of DNOC were often accompanied by morphological changes of spores and germ tubes, <i>Mucor mucedo</i> under the influence of DNOC developed budding cels besides hyphae.

scholarly journals Spore Germination as a Target for Antifungal Therapeutics

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien C. Ortiz ◽  
Mingwei Huang ◽  
Christina M. Hull
Keyword(s):  
Drug Development ◽  
Spore Germination ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
Approved Drugs

ABSTRACT Spores are required for long-term survival of many organisms, including most fungi. For the majority of fatal human fungal pathogens, spore germination is the key process required to initiate vegetative growth and ultimately cause disease. Because germination is required for pathogenesis, the process could hold fungus-specific targets for new antifungal drug development. Compounds that inhibit germination could be developed into high-efficacy, low-toxicity drugs for use in the prevention and/or treatment of fungal spore-mediated diseases. To identify drugs with the ability to inhibit pathogenic fungal spore germination, we developed a novel luciferase-based germination assay, using spores of the meningitis-causing yeast Cryptococcus. We screened the L1300 Selleck Library of U.S Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs and identified 27 that inhibit germination. Of these, 22 inhibited both germination and yeast growth, and 21 have not been previously indicated for use in the treatment of fungal diseases. We quantitated the inhibition phenotypes of 10 specific germination/growth inhibitors in detail and tested one drug, the antiparasitic compound pentamidine, in our mouse intranasal model of cryptococcal infection. We discovered that pentamidine was effective at reducing lung fungal burdens when used in either prophylaxis (before infection) or treatment (after establishing an infection). Due to its efficacy in vivo and low intranasal toxicity, pentamidine is a lead candidate for repurposing for broader use as an antigerminant to prevent spore-mediated disease in immunocompromised patients. Not only does pentamidine provide an opportunity for prophylaxis against fungal spores, but it also provides proof of concept for targeting pathogenic spore germination for antifungal drug development.

scholarly journals Diversity, Concentration and Dynamics of Culturable Fungal Bioaerosols at Doha, Qatar

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Raghdaa K. Fayad ◽  
Roda F. Al-Thani ◽  
Fatima A. Al-Naemi ◽  
Mohammed H. Abu-Dieyeh
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Gravimetric Method ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Colony Count ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Future Work

This research was conducted to investigate the dynamics of airborne fungi using viable culture collection and in respect to different abiotic variables, including seasonal and intra-diurnal variations. A gravimetric method was used to sample airborne fungal deposition on potato dextrose agar plates on alternate days, for a year between April 2015 to March 2016. From 176 settle plate exposures, a total of 1197 mould and 283 yeast colony-forming units (CFU), 21 genera and 62 species were retrieved. The highest fungal spore count was recorded in February 2016, whereas the lowest count occurred in August 2015. The main constituents of the fungal airspora were attributed to Cladosporium (60.2%), Aspergillus (10.4%), Fusarium (9.4%), Alternaria (8.5%), and Ganoderma spp. (2.3%). Temperature was negatively correlated with total colony count (r = −0.231, p ≤ 0.05) or species richness (r = −0.267, p ≤ 0.001), while wind speed was positively correlated with total colony count (r = 0.484, p ≤ 0.001) or species richness (r = 0.257, p ≤ −0.001). The highest dispersal of fungal spores was obtained at 18:00, whereas the lowest fungal spores release was recorded at 00:00 (midnight). There were no significant differences in species composition and richness of the airborne fungal population between two study sites, the Industrial area and Qatar University Campus. The count of Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. were significantly higher at the Industrial area site, which corresponds to a higher CO2 level than the Qatar University site. This study lays the foundation for future work to assess the implications of such aeromycological data on public health.

scholarly journals Characterisation of biofluorescent aerosol emissions over winter and summer periods in the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Forde ◽  
Martin Gallagher ◽  
Virginia Foot ◽  
Roland Sarda-Esteve ◽  
Ian Crawford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Ultra Violet ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Fluorescent Particles

Abstract. Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) are an abundant subset of atmospheric aerosol particles which comprise viruses, bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and fragments such as plant and animal debris. The abundance and diversity of these particles remain poorly constrained, causing significant uncertainties for modelling scenarios and for understanding the potential implications of these particles in different environments. PBAP concentrations were studied at four different sites in the United Kingdom (Weybourne, Davidstow, Capel Dewi, and Chilbolton) using an ultra-violet light induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) instrument, the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Spectrometer (WIBS), versions 3 and 4. Using hierarchical agglomerative cluster (HAC) analysis, particles were statistically discriminated between. Fluorescent particles and clusters were then analysed by assessing their diurnal variation and their relationship to the meteorological variables, temperature and relative humidity, and wind speed and direction. Using local land cover types, sources of the suspected fluorescent particles and clusters were then identified. Most sites exhibited a wet discharged fungal spore dominance, with the exception of one site, Davidstow, which had higher concentrations of bacteria, suggested to result from the presence of a local dairy factory. Differences were identified as to the sources of wet discharged fungal spores, with particles originating from arable and horticultural land at Chilbolton, and improved grassland areas at Weybourne. Total fluorescent particles at Capel Dewi were inferred to comprise two sources, with bacteria originating from the broadleaf and coniferous woodland and wet discharged fungal spores from nearby improved grassland areas, similar to Weybourne. The use of HAC and a higher fluorescence threshold (9SD) produced clusters which were considered to be biological following the complete analysis. More knowledge of the reaction of speciated biological particles to differences in meteorology, such as relative humidity and temperature would aid characterisation studies such as this.

New genera of Paleogene fungal spores

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 953-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Elsik ◽  
Jan Jansonius
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
New Genera ◽  
New Form

Ctenosporites, Granatisporites, and Pesavis are described as new form genera of fossil fungal spores and spore-like fossils; Striadiporites and Pluricellaesporites are emended. Pesavis and Ctenosporites are geographically restricted to the northwest Pacific and Arctic region. Granatisporites is described to facilitate the classification of fungal spore types ubiquitous over at least the Western Hemisphere.

Well-preserved fungal spores from Jurassic rocks of Hells Canyon on the Idaho–Oregon border

1994 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 664-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Traverse ◽  
Sidney R. Ash
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Spores And Pollen ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Spore Form ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Jurassic Rocks ◽  
One New Species ◽  
Hells Canyon

Palynoflorules containing sparse but regularly occurring chitinous-walled fungal, probably ascomycete, spores have been obtained from silty limestone nodules in the Jurassic Coon Hollow Formation in the Wallowa terrane in Hells Canyon, Idaho. The fungal spores are associated with moderately abundant embryophytic spores and pollen that suggest late Early Jurassic to early Middle Jurassic age, which agrees with dating provided by marine animals stratigraphically just above. The fungal spores constitute the most diverse such assemblage of robust-walled spores described from pre-Cretaceous rocks. Two new species of the fossil fungal spore form-genus Diporicellaesporites, D. idahoensis and D. serratulus, and one new species of form-genus Fractisporonites, F. pittsburgensis, are described.

scholarly journals Rain-induced bioecological resuspension of radiocaesium in a polluted forest in Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuyuki Kita ◽  
Yasuhito Igarashi ◽  
Takeshi Kinase ◽  
Naho Hayashi ◽  
Masahide Ishizuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecology ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Radioactive Aerosol ◽  
Exclusion Zone ◽  
Forest Environment ◽  
Major Mechanism ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Rainy Weather ◽  
Japanese Forest

Abstract It is the conventional understanding that rain removes aerosols from the atmosphere. However, the question of whether rain plays a role in releasing aerosols to the atmosphere has recently been posed by several researchers. In the present study, we show additional evidence for rain-induced aerosol emissions in a forest environment: the occurrence of radiocaesium-bearing aerosols in a Japanese forest due to rain. We carried out general radioactive aerosol observations in a typical mountainous village area within the exclusion zone in Fukushima Prefecture to determine the impacts and major drivers of the resuspension of radiocaesium originating from the nuclear accident in March 2011. We also conducted sampling according to the weather (with and without rain conditions) in a forest to clarify the sources of atmospheric radiocaesium in the polluted forest. We found that rain induces an increase in radiocaesium in the air in forests. With further investigations, we confirmed that the fungal spore sources of resuspended radiocaesium seemed to differ between rainy weather and nonrainy weather. Larger fungal particles (possibly macroconidia) are emitted during rainy conditions than during nonrainy weather, suggesting that splash generation by rain droplets is the major mechanism of the suspension of radiocaesium-bearing mould-like fungi. The present findings indicate that radiocaesium could be used as a tracer in such research fields as forest ecology, meteorology, climatology, public health and agriculture, in which fungal spores have significance.

scholarly journals Relating dung fungal spore influx rates to animal density in a temperate environment: Implications for palaeoecological studies

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eline N van Asperen ◽  
Jason R Kirby ◽  
Helen E Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Background Level ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Fungal Abundance ◽  
The Impact

The management of the remainder of Europe’s once extensive forests is hampered by a poor understanding of the character of the vegetation and drivers of change before the onset of clearance for farming. Pollen data indicate a closed-canopy, mixed-deciduous forest, contrasting with the assertion that large herbivores would have maintained a mosaic of open grassland, regenerating scrub and forested groves. Coprophilous fungal spores from sedimentary sequences are increasingly used as a proxy for past herbivore impact on vegetation, but the method faces methodological and taphonomical issues. Using pollen trap data from a long-running experiment in Chillingham Wild Cattle Park, UK, we investigate the first steps in the mechanisms connecting herbivore density to the incorporation of fungal spores in sediments and assess the effects of environmental variables on this relationship. Herbivore utilisation levels correlate with dung fungal spore abundance. Chillingham is densely populated by large herbivores, but dung fungal spore influx is low. Herbivores may thus be present on the landscape but go undetected. The absence of dung fungal spores is therefore less informative than their presence. Dung fungal spores likely enter the sediment record through a different pathway from wind-borne pollen and thus dung fungal abundance is better expressed as influx rates than as percentage of total pollen. Landscape openness, vegetation type and site wetness do not distort the impact of utilisation levels on dung fungal spore representation. However, dung fungal spore influx varies markedly between seasons and years. Spores travel, leading to a background level of spore deposition across the landscape, and at times a depletion of spores, especially under wet weather conditions. Animal behaviour, as well as husbandry practices, can lead to the accumulation of dung, and thus fungal spores, in specific locations on the landscape that do not directly reflect grazing pressure.

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