Causative Fungus Research Articles

Fucose-specific lectin of Aspergillus fumigatus: binding properties and effects on immune response stimulation.

Aspergillus fumigatus is the major causative fungus of aspergillosis, and many studies have explored the relationship between A. fumigatus and pathogenicity. In the current study, we focused on a fucose-specific lectin, FleA, as a novel molecule which related to the pathogenicity of A. fumigatus. The disruption of the fleA gene did not lead to clear morphological changes compared to parental strain under several stress conditions in culture, but germination become earlier. In comparison with parental strain, the pathogenicity of disruptant was enhanced in a mouse infection model. The pattern of conidial phagocytosis and adhesion to cultured cells did not explain this enhanced pathogenicity. FleA was reported to contain six conserved fucose-binding sites; the analysis of constructed FleA point mutants revealed nonequivalent contribution of the fucose-binding sites to fucose binding. Based on the immune response induced in the cultured cells upon exposure to wild-type and mutant FleA, we propose a model of the FleA molecule in A. fumigatus infection.

Allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis - pathophysiology, histology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) develops mainly in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis via types I and III hypersensitivity reactions to filamentous fungi. Aspergillus spp., especially Aspergillus fumigatus, is the major causative fungus because of its small conidia, thermophilic hyphae, and ability to secrete serine proteases. The cardinal histological feature of ABPM is allergic (eosinophilic) mucin-harboring hyphae in the bronchi, for which the formation of extracellular DNA trap cell death (ETosis) of eosinophils induced by viable fungi is essential. Clinically, ABPM is characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia, increased IgE levels in the serum, IgE and IgG antibodies specific for fungi, and characteristic radiographic findings; however, there are substantial differences in the clinical features of this disease between East and South Asian populations. Systemic corticosteroids and/or antifungal drugs effectively control acute diseases, but recurrences are quite common, and development of novel treatments are warranted to avoid adverse effects and emergence of drug-resistance due to prolonged treatment with corticosteroids and/or antifungal drugs.

In vitro fungistatic activity of 36 traditional oriental medicines and their synergistic effect against Trichophyton rubrume

Objective: To investigate the fungistatic activity and synergistic effects of natural products and their constituents, including traditional oriental medicines (TOMs). Methods: Fungistatic activities of TOMs prepared by hot-water (115 °C) or ethanol (70%; 40 °C) extraction were determined by their minimum inhibitory concentration. To assess possible synergistic effects, minimum inhibitory concentrations of various combinations were evaluated. Results: By evaluating antifungal susceptibility of Trichophyton rubrum, which is a major causative fungus for several types of dermatophytosis, we confirmed that ethanol extracts were more active than hot-water extracts in 25 of the 36 TOMs, suggesting that the constituents with high hydrophobicity tend to contribute significantly to fungistatic activity. We selected four TOMs with high fungistatic activity, including Aucklandiae radix, Gentianae macrophyllae radix, Scutellariae radix, and Galla rhois, and their synergistic effects were investigated through the combination studies between TOMs or TOM-conventional drug terbinafine. In combinations between four TOMs, partial synergistic effects were observed in Aucklandiae radix–Galla rhois and Gentianae macrophyllae radix–Galla rhois combinations, as supported by the lowest fractional inhibitory concentration index value of 0.66 for both combinations. Furthermore, Galla rhois showed the strongest synergistic effect on growth inhibition of Trichophyton rubrum with a fractional inhibitory concentration index value of 0.50 in combination with terbinafine. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the combination of TOMs and TOM-terbinafine may be effective on treatment for chronic and recurrent dermatophytosis by improving fungistatic activity and led to decrease systemic toxicity in clinical practice.

Using IFN-γ antibodies to identify the pathogens of fungal rhinosinusitis: A novel immunohistochemical approach.

Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) is commonly caused by various Aspergillus species (spp) and Mucorales fungi, and the treatment and prognosis of cases differ depending on the causative fungus. The present study describes a novel immunohistochemical method that has high sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing between these two types of fungi in patients with FRS. Three groups were included in the study. Group A included formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of 51 nasal tissue specimens of patients with FRS (27 Aspergillus spp and 24 Mucorales) that were continuously obtained from the Department of Pathology of Tongren Hospital in Beijing as the experimental group and 34 cultures (26 Aspergillus spp and 8 Mucorales) of FRS that were randomly selected from the bacterial laboratory of Tongren Hospital in Beijing to verify the staining results of the paraffin-embedded blocks. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of 10 esophageal cancer specimens were included in Group B as the positive control group. All specimens in Groups A and B were stained with interferon-γ (IFN-γ) antibody. Group C consisted of the same specimens as described in Group A, however, when performing the immunohistochemical assay, IFN-γ antibody was replaced by PBS and this served as the negative control group. The differences in IFN-γ immunohistochemical staining between Aspergillus spp and Mucorales were analyzed. Staining of IFN-γ in paraffin-embedded samples was positive in 92.6% (25/27) of specimens in which Aspergillus spp were the causative pathogen, which was significantly higher compared with specimens in which Mucorales was causative (P<0.001), with only 4.2% (1/24) of specimens staining positive for IFN-γ. Immunohistochemical staining of cell cultures was 100% positive for Aspergillus spp, whereas all Mucorales were negative. Thus, the results of the current study indicated that IFN-γ antibody immunohistochemical staining may be used as a novel diagnostic tool to distinguish between Aspergillus spp and Mucorales when identifying the causative agent in FRS, providing a useful supplementary test to the current immunohistochemical methods in the clinical diagnosis of FRS.

Peripheral Bacterial Septic Arthritis: Review of Diagnosis and Management.

Septic arthritis refers to an infection in a joint due to a bacterial, mycobacterial, or fungal cause. Joint infections are a serious cause of morbidity and mortality and constitute a true musculoskeletal emergency. The estimated incidence of septic arthritis in the general population is between 2 and 6 cases per 100,000 people per year. The most common presentation is an acute monoarthritis. Identification of organisms in the synovial fluid is the criterion standard for diagnosis. Synovial fluid aspiration should be performed prior to initiating antibiotics. While no diagnostic cutoff exists for synovial fluid white blood cell count, increasing leukocytosis is associated with a higher likelihood of an infectious cause of arthritis, and patients commonly present with values greater than 50,000/μL. The cornerstones of treating septic bacterial arthritis are adequate drainage and antimicrobials. Joint drainage is always recommended in septic arthritis; however, no clear guidelines or strong evidence exist to guide the preferred method of drainage. Options for joint drainage include daily needle aspiration, arthroscopy, or open surgical drainage via arthrotomy.

β-d-Glucan and Aspergillus Galactomannan assays in the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections

BackgroundWith an increase in the number of patients who are immunosuppressed or immunocompromised there has been an increase in invasive fungal infection (IFI) in the past few decades with its associated high morbidity and mortality, ranging from 60% to 90%. The critical problem is the identification of the causative fungus and initiation of appropriate therapy. Hence, there is a requirement for better diagnostic methods for IFI. Detection of markers for the presence of fungi during early stage of the infection, such as constituents of the cell wall or fungal DNA, is essential for timely diagnosis of IFI. Galactomannan (GM) which is a cell wall surface antigen is the most studied diagnostic marker, followed by 1,3 β-d-Glucan (BG) which is seen in deep layers of cell wall. MethodsWe have assessed the effectiveness of Galactomannan/β-d-Glucan for the early diagnosis of IFI in immunosuppressed patients in our tertiary care setting. ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of GM assay were 45%, 93%, 86% and 63% respectively, while the BG assay showed a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 85%, Positive predictive value (PPV) 84% and Negative predictive value (NPV) 79%. ConclusionBG assay is better for detection of IFI in patients with immunosuppression. However, a combination of both BG and GM assays would be the best approach as BG assay is highly sensitive, while the GM assay is highly specific for diagnosing IFI.

Clinical Course of Preseptal and Orbital Cellulitis in 50 Immunocompromised Patients with Cancer

Infections of the orbital and periorbital soft tissue can be of bacterial or fungal cause and can be categorized as preseptal cellulitis or orbital (postseptal) cellulitis. We conducted this retrospective study to examine the clinical features and prognosis in patients with cancer with preseptal and orbital cellulitis at a comprehensive cancer center. An August 2017 literature search identified no previous publications on orbital cellulitis in patients with cancer, underscoring the importance of the current report. Twelve of 62 patients with a diagnosis of preseptal or orbital cellulitis treated during 2012 to 2016 were excluded for insufficient follow-up data or lack of imaging studies; the rest are the subject of this report. This study was approved by institutional review board and conducted in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Fungal Infection as Cause of Chronic Tonsillitis : A Histopathological - Microbiological Study

Oral fungal infections are common opportunistic infections that may take different forms. Fungal infection as a cause of chronic tonsillitis indicates tonsillectomy as treatment, so preoperative identification of fungal causes of tonsillitis is valuable. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of fungal infection in chronic tonsillitis using preoperative microbiological basis and post-tonsillectomy histopathological basis. Methodology: This study included 75 children (patients group) suffering from chronic tonsillitis, and 15 healthy children complaining from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring with no history of chronic tonsillitis. Each child subjected to full history taking, clinical examination and preoperative investigations. Tonsillar swabs were taken from each tonsil of all subjects. Smears were stained and examined microscopically then cultured using Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Post-tonsillectomy, histopathological examination was carried out. Results : Tonsillomycosis is significantly associated with dental caries and recurren acute attacks of tonsillitis (with p=0.004 & 0.001respectively). Hypertrophic tonsil and neutropenia are significantly detected in tonsillomycosis (p=0.001 for both). A histopathological examination found that fungal invasion of tonsillar tissue was found in about 31.3% of tonsils (47/150) with immune reaction and presence of chronic inflammatory cells. Preoperative microbiological work revealed tonsillomycosis in 45/150 (30%) of tonsils. In comparison to histopathology, microbiological examination had 95.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV and 98.1% NPV. Conclusion : Fungal infection is a common cause of chronic tonsillitis. Haphazard use of antibiotics and dental caries has a significant predisposing role in tonsillomycosis. Neutropenia and hypertrophic tonsils can be taken as an indicator for tonsilar fungal infection. Microbiological examination is valid for preoperative diagnosis of tonsillomycosis.

Dapsone-Induced Polyserositis Through Innate Immune Activation: A First Case Report

Innate immune re-activation presenting as serositis in post liver transplant. We present a case of a 66-year-old female with NASH cirrhosis and Orthotopic Liver Transplant (OLT). One month after OLT, she was admitted for volume overload with pleural effusion and ascites which was managed medically. During follow up as outpatient, she continued to have low grade fever, and fatigue along with worsening abdominal distension and leg swelling. Six months after her OLT, she was admitted for severe anemia (hemoglobin=6.2 gm/dl) and acute on chronic kidney injury (serum creatinine=2.8 mg/dl) with persisting leukopenia. She had signs of congestive heart failure and clinically evident ascites. Chest X-ray showed possible pericardial effusion and echocardiogram showed cardiac tamponade. She underwent pericardiocentesis and fluid was negative for infection or tumor cells. She continued to have re-accumulation of hemorrhagic pericardial effusion requiring catheter placement. Her peritoneal fluid revealed a SAAG < 1.1 which ruled out portal hypertension. An extensive infectious workup was negative for bacterial, viral and fungal causes (Table 1). Malignancy was ruled out by negative fluid cytology. She had negative ANA, rheumatoid factor, ANCA, and dsDNA in serum but low IgG and C3 with an increased IgG in the peritoneal and pericardial fluid (Table 2). She had raised IL2 soluble receptor and TNF alpha indicating a cytokine release from immune reactivation suggestive of an immune-mediated polyserositis, likely from dapsone. She received IVIG for 4 days, as an immunomodulatory agent with improvement in serum creatinine and hemoglobin at discharge. She was started on prednisone which was tapered off over 6 weeks. She did not have any recurrence of serositis after discontinuation of dapsone favoring our final diagnosis. We know of cytokine storm and immune activation occurs as a result of immunosuppression in post liver transplant situation. Our patient had a sudden onset of immune reactivation with raised IL2 soluble receptor and also raised TNF alpha with low IgG. Severe forms of immune reactivation like Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) have also been reported in post liver transplant. This is due to an imbalance where there is a uncontrolled macrophage activation with reduced CD8 function. This immune reactivation was reduced by the IVIG and withdrawing possible inciting agent which was dapsone in this case.Table: Table. Infectious Workup in Patient with Orthotopic Liver Transplant Presenting with PolyserositisTable: Table. Immunoligical workup in patient with Orthotopic Liver Transplant presenting with PolyserositisFigure: Pericardial effusion noted on echocardiogram.

Health care-associated infections in pre-transplant liver intensive care unit: Perspectives and challenges.

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) threaten patient's safety worldwide especially in the intensive care units (ICU). In end-stage liver disease (ESLD), the condition is much more complicated. Data regarding HAIs among ESLD patients is lacking. We aimed to assess the incidence of HAIs, risk factors, causative micro-organisms, antimicrobial susceptibilities and mortality rates among patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) admitted to pre-transplant liver intensive care unit (LICU). This prospective observational study included 337 ESLD patients admitted to LICU, Al-Rajhi liver center, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt between January 2016 and June 2016 and they were followed up for the development of HAI manifestations. The medical history, physical examination and severity of underlying disease were determined. Clinical samples were taken from patients who developed HAIs for microbiological diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A total of 57 (16.9%) ESLD patients developed HAIs with the incidence density of 26.8 per 1000 patient-days. Blood stream infection was the most common (49.1%). Escherichia coli (21.1%) followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (15.8%) were the commonest bacteria. Multidrug resistant organisms were reported in 52.6% of the isolates. Fungal causes were 15.8% with Candida species dominance. Sphingomonas paucimobilis and Achromobacter dentrificans were reported for the first time as pathogens for HAIs in LICU. Prolonged hospital stay, intravenous line duration, prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors and paracentesis were predictors for HAIs. No significant difference between ESLD patients with and without HAIs regarding mortality (36.8% vs. 48.6%, P=0.2). High HAI rate among ESLD patients is a matter of worry. Effective surveillance program, active infection control measures and national antibiotic policies are necessary to reduce the burden of HAIs.

Isolation of a phytotoxic isocoumarin from Diaporthe eres-infected Hedera helix (English ivy) and synthesis of its phytotoxic analogs.

The fungus Diaporthe eres was isolated from a fungal pathogen-infected leaf of Hedera helix (English ivy) exhibiting necrosis. It is hypothesized that the causative fungus produces phytotoxins as evidenced by necrotic lesions on the leaves. The fungus was isolated and grown in Czapek Dox broth culture medium and potato dextrose broth culture medium and identified as Diaporthe eres. The ethyl acetate extracts of the culture broths were phytotoxic to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). 3,4-Dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylisocoumarin (1) and tyrosol (2) were isolated and identified as the phytotoxic constituents. Six analogs of 3,4-dihydro-isocoumarin were synthesized and shown to be phytotoxic. The synthesized 3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,7-dimethylisocoumarin and 3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,3,7-trimethylisocoumarin were two- to three-fold more phytotoxic than the naturally occurring 1 in a Lemna paucicostata growth bioassay. Synthesis and herbicidal activities of the several new analogs of 1 are reported for the first time. These promising molecules should be used as templates for synthesis and testing of more analogs. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

White-Nose Syndrome Fungus in a 1918 Bat Specimen from France.

White-nose syndrome, first diagnosed in North America in 2006, causes mass deaths among bats in North America. We found the causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, in a 1918 sample collected in Europe, where bats have now adapted to the fungus. These results are consistent with a Eurasian origin of the pathogen.

Clinical Validation of a Test for the Diagnosis of Vaginitis

Vaginitis may be diagnosed as bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, trichomoniasis, or coinfection. A new molecular test assays the vaginal microbiome and organisms that cause three common infections. The objective of the trial was to evaluate the clinical accuracy of the investigational test for vaginal swabs collected by patients (self) or clinicians. The primary and secondary outcomes were to compare the investigational test with reference methods for the three most common causes of vaginitis and compare clinician-collected with self-collected swabs. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which women with symptoms of vaginitis were recruited at ten clinical centers and consented to the investigation between May and September 2015. The woman collected a vaginal swab, sheathed, and then handed it to the clinician. These swabs were to evaluate how self-collected swabs compared with clinician-collected swabs. The clinician collected an investigational test swab and reference test swabs. From 1,740 symptomatic patients, clinician-collected and self-collected vaginal swabs were evaluated by the molecular test and six tests. The reference methods for bacterial vaginosis were Nugent's score and Amsel's criteria for intermediate Nugent results. The reference methods for Candida infection were isolation of any potential Candida microorganisms from inoculation of two culture media: chromogenic and Sabouraud agar and sequencing. The reference methods for trichomoniasis were wet mount and culture. For clinician-collected swabs, by reference methods, bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed in 56.5%, vaginal candidiasis in 32.8%, trichomoniasis in 8%, and none of the three infections in 24% with a coinfection rate of 20%. The investigational test sensitivity was 90.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88.3-92.2%) and specificity was 85.8% (95% CI 83.0-88.3%) for bacterial vaginosis. The investigational test sensitivity was 90.9% (95% CI 88.1-93.1%) and specificity was 94.1% (95% CI 92.6-95.4%) for the Candida group. Sensitivity for Candida glabrata was 75.9% (95% CI 57.9-87.8%) and specificity was 99.7% (95% CI 99.3-99.9%). Investigational test sensitivity was 93.1% (95% CI 87.4-96.3%) and specificity was 99.3% (95% CI 98.7-99.6%) for trichomoniasis. Results from self-collected swabs were similar to clinician-collected swabs. A molecular-based test using vaginal swabs collected by clinicians or patients can accurately diagnose most common bacterial, fungal, and protozoan causes of vaginitis. Women and their clinicians seeking accurate diagnosis and appropriate selection of efficacious treatment for symptoms of vaginitis might benefit from this molecular test.

Chemical inducers for resistance induction against powdery mildew of cucumber under greenhouse conditions

This study was completed to assess the efficacy of certain chemical inducers (potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium monohydrogen phosphate, oxalic acid, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, ferrous sulfate and magnesium sulfate) compare to flusilazole fungicide against Sphaerotheca fuliginea, the causative fungus of powdery mildew of cucumber under greenhouse conditions. The impact of these elicitors on some biochemical and growth characters of cucumber was also examined. The data demonstrated that the flusilazole was the best treatment against powdery mildew followed by salicylic acid, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, magnesium sulfate, ferrous sulfate, oxalic acid and potassium monohydrogen phosphate, respectively. Marked raise in the measured biochemical parameters (chlorophyll content, peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase) of treated cucumber compare to untreated control. Growth and yield characters (plant height, number of fruits/plant and yield/plant) of cucumber were remarkably increased in cucumber treated with examined elicitors compare to untreated control. The examined chemical inducers could be counted as stand by for control powdery mildew of cucumber.

Success of Wildlife Disease Treatment Depends on Host Immune Response

Infectious diseases significantly threaten many wildlife populations. Proposed treatments often fail to consider resulting impacts on natural host defense mechanisms and ongoing infection risks. We demonstrate the importance of prior knowledge of host defenses by modeling outcomes of various treatment regimes on bat populations infected with white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease that has caused declines in multiple North American species. Despite differences in species susceptibility to the causative fungus, how hosts respond to and survive infection remains unclear. We explore three potential host-defense mechanisms: upregulation of the responsive innate or adaptive immune systems, and rapid evolution that enables evolutionary rescue. We demonstrate that treatment can accelerate extirpation (relative to inaction) if hosts are defended by responsive immunity; whereas, treatment can cause populations undergoing evolutionary rescue to regain population viability faster. We conclude that successful treatment of wildlife diseases must first consider how individuals respond to and survive infection.

Detection of wheat damping off and root rot disease pathogenic fungi and it bio control by pseudomonas fluorescens

This study was conducted to determine the fungal cause and bio control of damping off and root rot of wheat plants by using pseudomonas fluorescens under greenhouse and field conditions. Results showed isolation of eight species from the soil and roots to deferent region of Baghdad government. Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) and Fusarium solani (Fs) were the predominant damping off fungus with frequency 60 and 52% respectively. Led the using of bacteria formulations such as crud suspension , pure bacteria filtration and pure living cells in culture medium inhibit all type fungi with rates ranging from 84-96% , 80- 93% and 75-88% respectively. Rs and Fs were more pathogenesis under greenhouse conditions, with incidence of 80 and 68% and disease severity up to 41,20 and 30,20% respectively. The results of test bacterial formulation (dry, liquid and bacterial filtrate ) with seeds, soil and water irrigation showed high effectiveness for all treatments with superiority of the treatment of seeds in reducing the incidence which reached for the three formulation 21-34% compared with the infested control of Fs, Rs which reached 70 and 55%, respectively. Field experiments results showed superiority of seeds bacterization with dry formulation to reduce the disease incidence to 38% compared with the infested control (75%).These results reflected on the increasing of the shoot and rot dry weight and increasing the productivity (63%) compared with the infested control treatment .

Molecular Diagnostic Techniques for Onychomycosis: Validity and Potential Application

Diagnosis of onychomycosis requires positive findings by direct microscopy and fungal culture. Fungal culture is slow and difficult, with low yields. We compared two dermatophyte identification methods, one using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, and the other using fungal culture to validate the molecular method. Nail specimens were collected from 149 patients with distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis who were positive for fungal elements by direct microscopy using potassium hydroxide. Each specimen was subjected to the modified real-time PCR assay of Miyajima et al. and fungal culture. Of 149 specimens, 142 (95.3%) were positive for Trichophyton rubrum or Trichophyton mentagrophytes including Trichophyton interdigitale by PCR, while only 104 (69.8%) were positive by fungal culture performed simultaneously. No specimen was negative by PCR, but positive by culture. All specimens positive for T. rubrum or T. mentagrophytes by culture were also positive by PCR, showing complete concordance for Trichophyton species. The culture of 17 specimens yielded fungi other than T. rubrum or T. mentagrophytes, whereas PCR identified T. rubrum in 11 of these specimens. Among 28 culture-negative specimens, 23 showed T. rubrum and four showed T. mentagrophytes by PCR. PCR allowed more rapid identification of causative fungi (≤2days vs. ≤28days). Real-time PCR achieved a higher dermatophyte identification rate and showed complete concordance with conventional culture for two Trichophyton species. Specimens never yielded both T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum simultaneously, suggesting that mixed infection is uncommon.

A study on chromoblastomycosis in a tertiary care hospital of eastern Odisha

Background: Chromoblastomycosis, a chronic subcutaneous mycosis, is caused by several dematiaceous Fungi, the most common being Fonsecaea pedrosoi. A majority of cases from India have been reported from the sub-Himalayan belt and South India. Aim: The aim was to study chromoblastomycosis in the eastern coastal parts of Odisha including demographic and clinicomycological profile. Materials and Methods: This report is a retrospective hospital record-based analysis of all cases of chromoblastomycosis who presented to the dermatology outpatient department of our tertiary care hospital during the past 5 years. Results: A total of 11 cases of chromoblastomycosis were diagnosed during the above period. The disease was seen predominantly in middle-aged male farmers from a rural background. The lower extremity (72.7%) was more commonly affected. Verrucous and nodular lesions are the common clinical presentation. Sclerotic bodies are demonstrated in potassium hydroxide mount and histopathological section in 81.8 and 90.9% cases, respectively. The causative fungus was isolated in 90.9% of cases with F. pedrosoi, as the most common species. Conclusion: Chromoblastomycosis mostly affects male agriculturalists, especially from a rural background. Early etiological diagnosis helps in effective management of the condition.

Detection of wheat damping off and root rot disease pathogenic fungi and it bio control by pseudomonas fluorescens

This study was conducted to determine the fungal cause and bio control of damping off and root rot of wheat plants by using pseudomonas fluorescens under greenhouse and field conditions. Results showed isolation of eight species from the soil and roots to deferent region of Baghdad government. Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) and Fusarium solani (Fs) were the predominant damping off fungus with frequency 60 and 52% respectively. Led the using of bacteria formulations such as crud suspension , pure bacteria filtration and pure living cells in culture medium inhibit all type fungi with rates ranging from 84-96% , 80- 93% and 75-88% respectively. Rs and Fs were more pathogenesis under greenhouse conditions, with incidence of 80 and 68% and disease severity up to 41,20 and 30,20% respectively. The results of test bacterial formulation (dry, liquid and bacterial filtrate ) with seeds, soil and water irrigation showed high effectiveness for all treatments with superiority of the treatment of seeds in reducing the incidence which reached for the three formulation 21-34% compared with the infested control of Fs, Rs which reached 70 and 55%, respectively. Field experiments results showed superiority of seeds bacterization with dry formulation to reduce the disease incidence to 38% compared with the infested control (75%).These results reflected on the increasing of the shoot and rot dry weight and increasing the productivity (63%) compared with the infested control treatment .

Expression of catalase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase in rot grains upon fungicide use on maize hybrids grown at different spacings.

In this study, we evaluated the fungicide effect on the incidence of rot grains and expression of catalase (CAT), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) enzymes in commercial maize hybrids grown with conventional and reduced spacing in Guarapuava, PR, Brazil. The experiment was designed in random blocks with a 3 × 8-factorial scheme, totaling 24 treatments. The first factor constituted three levels, the first with foliar fungicide application [150.0 g/L trifloxystrobin (15.0%, w/v) + 175.0 g/L prothioconazole (17.5%, w/v)] at a dose of 0.4 L/ha at V8-stage eight expanded leaves and the second with an application of 0.5 L/ha at VT-tasseling and check (no fungicide application) stage. The second factor comprised eight maize hybrids that were divided into two groups, complex (AG 9045PRO, AG 8041PRO, DKB245PRO2, and 2B707PW) and susceptible (P 32R48H, DKB390PRO, P 30F53H, and P 30R50H), according to their reaction to the causative fungus, totaling 72 plots at each site in the crop of 2013/2014. The percentage of rot grains and the expression of CAT, ADH, and MDH were evaluated for each hybrid. The percentage of rot grains was influenced by the hybrid and fungicide used. The (trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole) reduced the incidence of rot grains, with relatively higher reduction in the hybrids considered susceptible. The higher expression of CAT enzyme was related to the higher incidence of rot grains because of grain deterioration, depending on the hybrids evaluated. A higher expression of ADH and MDH enzymes was observed in the maize hybrids belonging to the group considered tolerant.