First Comprehensive Report of Clinical Fusarium Strains Isolated in the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Identified by MALDI-TOF MS and Molecular Biology.

Mario Henrique Paziani,Marcia De Souza Carvalho Melhem,Marcia Regina Von Zeska Kress,Roberto Martinez,Maria Emilia Nadaletto Bonifácio Da Silva,Cledir Santos,Margarete Teresa Gottardo De Almeida,Ludmilla Tonani Carvalho

doi:10.3390/microorganisms8010066

Mario Henrique Paziani, Marcia De Souza Carvalho Melhem + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8010066

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), phenotypic and molecular methods for the identification of Fusarium species complexes isolated from clinical cases in the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil) between the years 2001 and 2017. Sequencing of ITS region of ribosomal DNA and elongation factor 1 alpha gene (ET1α) were used as reference method in the analysis of a total of 108 Fusarium spp. clinical strains isolated from human hosts with superficial and systemic infections. Agreement between MALDI-TOF-MS and molecular data was observed for 97 out of 108 clinical isolates (89.8%), whereas five (4.6%) and six (5.5%) clinical isolates were misidentified and were not identified by MALDI-TOF MS, respectively. ITS region sequences and MALDI-TOF MS mass spectra identified and grouped correctly most of Fusarium clinical isolates at species complex level. This investigation highlights the potential of MALDI-TOF MS technique as a fast and cost-efficient alternative for clinical Fusarium identification. However, MALDI-TOF MS requires a more accurate and larger database. This work is the first comprehensive report for Fusarium population, based on phenotypic analyses, proteomic profile by MALDI-TOF and phylogenetic analyses of Fusarium species complexes isolated from clinical cases in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Highlights

Fusarium spp. are filamentous fungi isolated from a wide variety of substrates such as soil, plant and water, mainly in tropical regions
The aim of this study was to compare for the first time the performance of MALDI-TOF MS, phenotypic analyses and molecular methods on the identification of Fusarium species complex clinical strains isolated from biological samples of patients with superficial and systemic fusariosis, between the years 2001 and 2017 from Sao Paulo State, Brazil
A total of 108 Fusarium clinical strains were identified based on classical, molecular, and MALDI-TOF MS methods

Summary

Introduction

Fusarium spp. are filamentous fungi isolated from a wide variety of substrates such as soil, plant and water, mainly in tropical regions. They are mainly primary plant pathogens, some Fusarium species can live within plants tissues as endophytic fungi [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The great ability to survive in different climates makes this fungal species highly adaptable to different environments. The number of subcutaneous fusarioses has increased at alarming levels, making fusariosis, after aspergillosis, the second most common filamentous fungal infection in patients with hematologic neoplasms [12,13,14]

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