Fungal Pathogen Infection Research Articles

Isoflavones extracted from Millettia pachyloba prevent the infection of the rice blast fungus by inhibiting its conidial germination and appressorium formation.

The ascomycete Magnaporthe oryzae is a destructive phytopathogenic fungus that causes rice blast disease and can greatly reduce rice yields. Due to the widespread use of synthesized chemical fungicides and the frequent occurrence of fungicide resistance and environmental pollution as a result, it has become increasingly urgent to develop environmentally friendly biocontrol alternatives, including plant crude extracts. In this study, the crude extracts of the tropical plant Millettia pachyloba were screened out and exhibited excellent preventive effects against M. oryzae at 200 μg mL-1. Bio-guided isolation of M. pachyloba was conducted and three isoflavonoids, rotenolone, durmillone, and durallone, whose chemical structures were determined using spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses, were obtained. The three isoflavonoids exhibited antifungal activities on conidial germination and appressorium formation in M. oryzae. Rotenolone had the strongest effect, with EC50 values of 57.81 μg mL-1 on conidial germination and 19.14 μg mL-1 on appressorium formation. Comparative metabolomics showed that differential metabolites were enriched in ABC transporter pathways and amino acid metabolic pathways when M. oryzae conidia were treated with rotenolone, suggesting that rotenolone interferes with amino acid transportation. Moreover, the M. pachyloba crude extract also effectively inhibited the infection of other fungal pathogens on tomato, apple, wheat, and maize. The results suggest that isoflavones extracted from M. pachyloba prevent rice blast by inhibiting the infection-related morphogenesis of M. oryzae and may interfere with amino acid transport, demonstrating that M. pachyloba crude extract exhibits potential as a bio-fungicide for controlling fungal diseases in plants. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tetrodotoxin, fungal pathogen infection, and bacterial microbiome associations are variable in the skin microecosystems of two Taricha newt species

A diverse metabolome exists on amphibian skin that mediates interactions between hosts and skin microbiomes. Tetrodotoxin is one such metabolite that occurs across a variety of taxa, and is particularly well studied in newts of the genus Taricha that are susceptible to infection with chytrid fungi. The interaction of tetrodotoxin with the skin microbiome, including pathogenic fungi, is not well understood, and here we describe these patterns across 12 populations of Taricha granulosa and T. torosa in Washington, Oregon, and California. We found no correlation of TTX and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection in either T. granulosa or T. torosa, a pattern inconsistent with a previous study. In addition, TTX, but not Bd, was significantly correlated with the skin microbiome composition in T. granulosa. In T. torosa, however, Bd, but not TTX, was correlated with the skin microbiome structure. The relationship between TTX and skin microbiome composition differed between species, with significant correlations observed only in T. granulosa, which exhibited higher TTX concentrations. We also detected significantly higher abundances of bacterial taxa (e.g., Pseudomonadaceae) associated with TTX production in newts with higher skin TTX. These taxa (ASVs matching Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Shewanella, and Sphingopyxis) were associated with all body sites of previously sampled T. granulosa, but not found in soil samples. Our results suggest that toxins can shape the newt skin microbiome and may influence pathogen infection through indirect mechanisms, as TTX showed no direct inhibition of Bd or B. salamandrivorans growth.

Candida glabrata: A Tale of Stealth and Endurance.

Candida (Nakaseomyces) glabrata, an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, causes mucosal and deep-seated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Recently designated as a high-priority fungal pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), C. glabrata exhibits low inherent susceptibility to azole antifungals. In addition, about 10% clinical isolates of C. glabrata display co-resistance to both azole and echinocandin drugs. Molecular mechanisms of antifungal resistance and virulence in C. glabrata are currently being delineated in-depth. This Review provides an overview of the epidemiology, biology, drug resistance, tools and host model systems for C. glabrata. Additionally, we discuss the immune evasion strategies that aid C. glabrata in establishing infections in the host. Overall, this Review aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to raise awareness of human pathogenic fungi, the growing threat of antifungal drug resistance and the unmet need for novel antifungal therapies, with an ultimate goal of improving clinical outcomes of affected individuals.

Endophthalmitis patients in Makassar City: molecular identification of pathogenic fungal profile.

Endophthalmitis is a severe inflammation of the internal ocular structures, usually caused by bacterial or fungal infections, and can lead to rapid, irreversible blindness. Fungal endophthalmitis (FE), primarily due to Candida albicans and Aspergillus, is less common than bacterial endophthalmitis but has shown an increase in prevalence over the past two decades. Diagnosing FE is challenging and often delayed due to the time-consuming nature of traditional culture methods. The timely initiation of targeted antifungal therapy based on the specific fungal pathogen identified by molecular method can improve patient outcomes and reduce the risk of vision loss. This study aims to determine the presence of pathogenic fungal infections in patients with endophthalmitis using molecular methods at Hasanuddin University Hospital Makassar. This cross-sectional observational study analyzed 83 intraocular fluid samples from patients with endophthalmitis at Hasanuddin University Hospital, Makassar, Indonesia. Samples were examined using microscopy, culture, and molecular methods, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing. The study population comprised 49 males (59%) and 34 females (41%), with an average age of 45.85 years. The distribution of affected eyes was nearly equal, with 50.6% involving the right eye and 49.4% involving the left eye. Exogenous transmission, primarily related to external risk factors such as ocular trauma or surgical procedures, was identified as the most common mode of fungal transmission in this population (97.6%). No fungal elements were detected through microscopy or culture; however, PCR could identify 5 positive samples (6%); 3 were males and 2 were females; all have exogenous transmission, predominantly showing Candida species. Sequencing revealed Candida parapsilosis, Lodderomyces beijingensis, and Trichophyton rubrum among the findings. Cases of fungal endophthalmitis are rare but increasing, posing diagnostic challenges. Our study concludes that PCR is more effective than traditional culture methods in identifying fungal pathogens, with a predominance of Candida species identified in endophthalmitis. Molecular techniques like PCR offer rapid and accurate diagnosis, improving patient treatment outcomes by enabling earlier initiation of targeted antifungal therapy.

Pathological and Fungal Isolation study of dog skin disease in Iraq Governorates

Dogs are susceptible to several types of infectious diseases can be worrisome for their owner because some of them are fatal if not treated soon enough. Fungal infection can be contracted through different parts of body furthermore many of them are zoonotic infection among human and dogs the signs of any disease typical depend on location of infection either local or system infection. Local infection usually involves skin surface that look like wound the objective of this study was to briefly about the most common pathogenic fungal infection in dogs by describing information about the causative agent, clinical signs and grossly appearance with histopathological change skin examination current study were done on 200 dogs collected in Iraq governorates (Baghdad, Erbil, Anbar, Sulaymaniyah) during a period 6 months (January – June) 2023. 200 examined dogs with different age, breed and sex ( k9, ornamental and stray dogs ) were observed fungal isolation and pathological examination with clinical signs by using diagnostic tools for skin biopsies (biopsy punch) from suspected infected skin dogs. Results showed pathogenic fungi after collected on fungal culture for detection pathogenic fungal (Dermatophyte Test Agar) D.T.M Agar Base. Fungal isolation constitutes the following pathogenic fungi (100 infected samples from 200 suspected samples). 60% Aspergillus niger, 30% Trichophyton Verrucosum, 10% Alternaria spp. Clinical signs and grossly lesion showed complete skin ulcer, allopecia, odema, abscessation while microscopic appearance revealed skin ulcer, hyperkeratosis, folliculitis, necrosis, apoptosis, pyogranuloma and granulation tissue with septate hyphae in skin dermis and epidermis which infected with Aspergillus niger.

Preparation and application of polycaprolactone/β-cyclodextrin/gamma-Decalactone nanofiber composites in citrus postharvest diseases

Citrus fruits are highly susceptible to pathogenic fungal infections after harvesting, which causes serious economic losses. Therefore, it's necessary to develop new antifungal packaging. In this study, gamma-Decanolactone (DL) was successfully encapsulated in a polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) composite system using electrostatic spinning technology. PCL/β-CD was compounded in different ratios, the ratio was screened through other indicators such as fiber morphologies and mechanical properties. Then, antifungal mats were prepared by adding different concentrations of DL to the PCL/β-CD solution. The results showed that when the mixture ratio of PCL/β-CD was 6:1 and loaded with 6 % DL, the antifungal felt had strong mechanical, significantly inhibiting the growth of three citrus pathogens (P. digitatum, P. italicum and G. candidum), released DL for up to 204 h and effectively reduced the morbidity rate of citrus fruits. Therefore, the antifungal pad prepared in this study has great potential in the field of citrus disease control.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of the CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE gene family in Triticum aestivum.

CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE (CAD) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of cinnamaldehydes into cinnamyl alcohols and is a key enzyme found at the final step of the monolignol pathway. Cinnamyl alcohols and their conjugates are subsequently polymerized in the secondary cell wall to form lignin. CAD genes are typically encoded by multi-gene families and thus traditionally organized into general classifications of functional relevance. In silico analysis of the hexaploid Triticum aestivum genome revealed 47 high confidence TaCAD copies, of which three were determined to be the most significant isoforms (class I) considered bone fide CADs. Class I CADs were expressed throughout development both in RNAseq data sets as well as via qRT-PCR analysis. Of the 37 class II TaCADs identified, two groups were observed to be significantly co-expressed with class I TaCADs in developing tissue and under chitin elicitation in RNAseq data sets. These co-expressed class II TaCADs were also found to be phylogenetically unrelated to a separate clade of class II TaCADs previously reported to be an influential resistance factor to pathogenic fungal infection. Lastly, two groups were phylogenetically identified as class III TaCADs, which possess distinct conserved gene structures. However, the lack of data supporting their catalytic activity for cinnamaldehydes and their bereft transcriptional presence in lignifying tissues challenges their designation and function as CADs. Taken together, our comprehensive transcriptomic analyses suggest that TaCAD genes contribute to overlapping but nonredundant functions during T. aestivum growth and development across a wide variety of agroecosystems and provide tolerance to various stressors.

Molecular Insights into the Defense of Dioscorea opposita Cultivar Tiegun Callus Against Pathogenic and Endophytic Fungal Infection Through Transcriptome Analysis.

Dioscorea opposita cultivar Tiegun is an economically important crop with high nutritional and medicinal value. Plants can activate complex and diverse defense mechanisms after infection by pathogenic fungi. Moreover, endophytic fungi can also trigger the plant immune system to resist pathogen invasion. However, the study of the effects of endophytic fungi on plant infection lags far behind that of pathogenic fungi, and the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, the black spot pathogen Alternaria alternata and the endophytic fungus Penicillium halotolerans of Tiegun were identified and used to infect calli. The results showed that A. alternata could cause more severe membrane lipid peroxidation, whereas P. halotolerans could rapidly increase the activity of the plant antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase; thus, the degree of damage to the callus caused by P. halotolerans was weaker than that caused by A. alternata. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that various plant defense pathways, such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, play important roles in triggering the plant immune response during fungal infection. Furthermore, the tryptophan metabolism, betalain biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, flavonoid biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism, and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis pathways may accelerate the infection of pathogenic fungi, and the ribosome biogenesis pathway in eukaryotes may retard the damage caused by endophytic fungi. This study lays a foundation for exploring the infection mechanism of yam pathogens and endophytic fungi and provides insight for effective fungal disease control in agriculture.

Immune-enriched phyllosphere microbiome in rice panicle exhibits protective effects against rice blast and rice false smut diseases.

Activation of immune responses leads to an enrichment of beneficial microbes in rice panicle. We therefore selected the enriched operational taxonomy units (OTUs) exhibiting direct suppression effects on fungal pathogens, and established a simplified synthetic community (SynCom) which consists of three beneficial microbes. Application of this SynCom exhibits protective effect against fungal pathogen infection in rice.

Alternaria in berry: Effects on its quality, pathogenic mechanisms and potential control strategies

AbstractIn recent years, the production and demand of berries in the world have gradually increased, but the infection of fungal pathogens has become one of the important factors restricting the production and sales of fresh berries. It has been found that Alternaria can cause a variety of plant diseases and fruit rot worldwide. This review introduces the effect of Alternaria infection on berry quality, including physical, chemical and physiological aspects, and discusses the possible infection mechanisms. In addition, Alternaria produces toxins during infections and seriously threatens the safety of berries and consumer health. Therefore, the prevention and control measures of Alternaria are systematically summarized. This review provides the basis for further optimization of postharvest preservation technology and fruit quality, to prolong the shelf life of berries. We can realistically expect to control plant diseases with increasing efficiency, which is conducive to improving the quality and safety of postharvest berry fruits.

Xylanase VmXyl2 is involved in the pathogenicity of Valsa mali by regulating xylanase activity and inducing cell necrosis.

Xylanase plays a key role in degrading plant cell wall during pathogenic fungi infection. Here, we identified a xylanase gene, VmXyl2 from the transcriptome of Valsa mali and examined its function. VmXyl2 has highly elevated transcript levels during the infection process of V. mali, with 15.02-fold increase. Deletion mutants of the gene were generated to investigate the necessity of VmXyl2 in the development and pathogenicity of V. mali. The VmXyl2 deletion mutant considerably reduced the virulence of V. mali in apple leaves and in twigs, accompanied by 41.22% decrease in xylanase activity. In addition, we found that VmXyl2 induces plant cell necrosis regardless of its xylanase activity, whereas promoting the infection of V. mali in apple tissues. The cell death-inducing activity of VmXyl2 dependent on BRI1-associated kinase-1 (BAK1) but not Suppressor of BIR1-1 (SOBIR1). Furthermore, VmXyl2 interacts with Mp2 in vivo, a receptor-like kinase with leucine-rich repeat. The results offer valuable insights into the roles of VmXyl2 in the pathogenicity of V. mali during its infection of apple trees.

The endophytic microbiome response patterns of Juglans regia to two pathogenic fungi.

The endophytic microbial community reassembles to participate in plant immune balance when the host plants are stressed by pathogens. However, it remains unclear whether this assembly is pathogen-specific and how regulatory pathways are coordinated in multi-pathogens. In order to investigate the effects of infection with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg treatment) and Fusarium proliferatum (Fp treatment) on walnut leaf endophytic microbiome in their assembly, co-occurrence pattern, and on comprehensive chemical function of the internal environment of leaf, an interaction system of the walnut-pathogenic fungi was constructed using seed embryo tissue culture technology. The study showed differences in the assembly of endophytic microbial communities in walnut trees across three groups (control group, Ck; Cg; Fp) after Cg and Fp treatments. Despite changes in relative abundances, the dominant communities in phyla and genera remained comparable during the infection of the two pathogens. Endophyte fungi were more sensitive to the pathogen challenge than endophyte bacteria. Both promoted the enrichment of beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas, changed the modularity of the community, and reduced the stability and complexity of the endophyte community. Pathogenic fungi infection mainly affects the metabolism of porphyrin and chlorophyll, purine metabolism, phenylpropane metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. However, there was no significant difference in the secondary metabolites for the different susceptible plants. By screening endogenous antagonistic bacteria, we further verified that Pseudomonas psychrotolerans and Bacillus subtilis had inhibitory effects on the two pathogenic fungi and participated in the interaction between the leaves and pathogenic fungi. The antibacterial substances may be 1-methylnaphthalene, 1,3-butadiene, 2,3-butanediol, and toluene aldehyde.

Streptomyces griseus Versus Trichoderma viride Chitinase as an Anti-inflammatory and Antifungal Agent Against Human Pathogenic Fungi.

Fungal pathogens cause over a billion human infections annually, leading to more than 1.6 million deaths each year. The scarcity of available antifungal drugs intensifies the public health threat posed by human pathogenic fungal infections. Therefore there is a critical demand for novel, safe, and effective antifungal agents. Although chitinases are established as effective antifungal agents against phytopathogenic fungi, research on their activity against human pathogenic fungi is limited. The present study seeks to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antifungal activity of bacterial and fungal chitinase against human pathogenic fungi. The antifungal efficacy of bacterial chitinase from Streptomyces griseus, fungal chitinase from Trichoderma viride, and a combination of both was determined by calculating the inhibition percentage in fungal growth, indicated by the reduction in the dry mass of the fungi. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory activity of these chitinases was assessed by measuring the inhibition of albumin denaturation. Results revealed that chitinases exhibited greater antifungal activity compared to the standard. Notably, bacterial chitinase demonstrated higher effectiveness than fungal chitinase against Aspergillus fumigatus, while the bacterial and fungal chitinase had similar effects against different Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida species. The combination of bacterial and fungal chitinase demonstrated the highest antifungal activity against all tested fungi. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity indicated that chitinases prevented 98% of albumin denaturation, marking the first study reporting the anti-inflammatory role of chitinases in preventing albumin denaturation. Additional in-vivo studies are necessary to explore the antifungal activity of chitinases against human pathogenic fungi and investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of chitinase.

Rapid detection of pathogenic fungi from coastal population with respiratory infections using microfluidic chip technology

BackgroundCurrently, culture methods are commonly used in clinical tests to detect pathogenic fungi including Candida spp. Nonetheless, these methods are cumbersome and time-consuming, thereby leading to considerable difficulties in diagnosis of pathogenic fungal infections, especially in situations that respiratory samples such as alveolar lavage fluid and pleural fluid contain extremely small amounts of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to elucidate the utility and practicality of microfluidic chip technology in quick detection of respiratory pathogenic fungi.MethodsDNAs of clinical samples (mainly derived from sputa, alveolar lavage fluid, and pleural fluid) from 64 coastal patients were quickly detected using microfluidic chip technology with 20 species of fungal spectrum and then validated by Real-time qPCR, and their clinical baseline data were analyzed.ResultsMicrofluidic chip results showed that 36 cases infected with Candida spp. and 27 cases tested negative for fungi, which was consistent with Real-time qPCR validation. In contrast, only 16 cases of fungal infections were detected by the culture method; however, one of the culture-positive samples tested negative by microfluidic chip and qPCR validation. Moreover, we found that the patients with Candida infections had significantly higher rates of platelet count reduction than fungi-negative controls. When compared with the patients infected with C. albicans alone, the proportion of males in the patients co-infected with multiple Candidas significantly increased, while their platelet counts significantly decreased.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that constant temperature amplification-based microfluidic chip technology combined with routine blood tests can increase the detection speed and accuracy (including sensitivity and specificity) of identifying respiratory pathogenic fungi.

The Auto-Regulation of ATL2 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Plays an Important Role in the Immune Response against Alternaria brassicicola in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The ubiquitin/26S proteasome system is a crucial regulatory mechanism that governs various cellular processes in plants, including signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. Our study shows that the RING-H2-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, Arabidopsis Tóxicos en Levadura 2 (ATL2), is involved in response to fungal pathogen infection. Under normal growth conditions, the expression of the ATL2 gene is low, but it is rapidly and significantly induced by exogenous chitin. Additionally, ATL2 protein stability is markedly increased via chitin treatment, and its degradation is prolonged when 26S proteasomal function is inhibited. We found that an atl2 null mutant exhibited higher susceptibility to Alternaria brassicicola, while plants overexpressing ATL2 displayed increased resistance. We also observed that the hyphae of A. brassicicola were strongly stained with trypan blue staining, and the expression of A. brassicicola Cutinase A (AbCutA) was dramatically increased in atl2. In contrast, the hyphae were weakly stained, and AbCutA expression was significantly reduced in ATL2-overexpressing plants. Using bioinformatics, live-cell confocal imaging, and cell fractionation analysis, we revealed that ATL2 is localized to the plasma membrane. Further, it is demonstrated that the ATL2 protein possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and found that cysteine 138 residue is critical for its function. Moreover, ATL2 is necessary to successfully defend against the A. brassicicola fungal pathogen. Altogether, our data suggest that ATL2 is a plasma membrane-integrated protein with RING-H2-type E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and is essential for the defense response against fungal pathogens in Arabidopsis.

Valorisation of raw mango pickle industry waste into antimicrobial agent against postharvest fungal pathogens

In mango pickle industry, a significant quantity of mango seed kernels is discarded as solid wastes. These seed kernels can be an ideal source for obtaining extracts rich in bioactive polyphenolic compounds with good antioxidant properties. The potential of mango kernel phenolic extract (MKPE) was investigated as a natural and effective antimicrobial agent for controlling major postharvest fungal pathogen infections, a significant threat to global food supply chains. Fungal pathogens contribute to the deterioration of fruits, vegetables, and grains during storage and transportation, leading to economic losses and compromised food safety. MKPE was obtained from pickling variety 'Ramkela' raw mango kernels, and its phenolic composition was characterized using LC–MS. The in vitro antifungal activity of MKPE against Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum gloeosporoides, and Rhizopus stolonifer was evaluated in vitro. A concentration-dependent inhibition of fungal radial growth against all three pathogens was observed, exhibiting the potential of MKPE as a valuable natural resource for addressing postharvest losses caused by fungal pathogens. The extraction process yielded a total phenolic content of 2128 mg GAE/100 g. Major polyphenolic bioactive compounds present were mangiferin, quercetin, and rhamnetin. The in-vitro antimicrobial assay showed reduction in the radial growth and inhibition percent of the pathogens. EC50 values of MKPE for B. cineria, C. gloeosporoides, and R. stolonifer was found to 364.17, 963.8 and 926 ppm, respectively. Our results demonstrate an economical, sustainable, and eco-friendly approach to manage post-harvest diseases rendered by fungi using mango MKPE from pickling industry waste.

Global characterization of GH11 family xylanases genes in Neostagonosporella sichuanensis and functional analysis of Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2.

Rhombic-spot disease, caused mainly by Neostagonosporella sichuanensis, significantly impacts the yield and quality of fishscale bamboo (Phyllostachys heteroclada). Xylanases are essential for pathogenic fungi infection, yet their specific functions in the physiology and pathogenicity of N. sichuanensis remain unclear. Here, we characterized three xylanase proteins with glycosyl hydrolase 11 domains from the N. sichuanensis SICAUCC 16-0001 genome and examined the function of Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2. Purified Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 proteins displayed specific xylanase activity in vitro and induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana, independent of their enzymatic function. Both proteins possessed signal peptides and were confirmed as secreted proteins using a yeast secretion system. Subcellular localization revealed that Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus and can trigger cell death in N. benthamiana through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation. qRT-PCR results showed notable upregulation of Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 during infection, with Nsxyn1 exhibiting an 80-fold increase at 15 days post-inoculation. Deletion of Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 in N. sichuanensis impaired xylan degradation, adaptation to osmotic and oxidative stress, and pathogenic full virulence. Deletion of Nsxyn1 notably slowed fungal growth and reduced spore production, whereas only a reduction in microconidial production was observed in Nsxyn2 mutants. Complementation of Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 only partially restored these phenotypic defects in the ∆Nsxyn1 and ∆Nsxyn2 mutants. These findings suggest that Nsxyn1 and Nsxyn2 contribute to N. sichuanensis virulence and induced plant defense responses, providing new insights into the function of xylanases in the interaction between fishscale bamboo and N. sichuanensis.

Analytical and clinical validation of multiplex droplet digital PCR assay for detecting pathogenic fungal infection in lungs

ABSTRACT Pulmonary invasive fungal infection in immunocompromised hosts is difficult to diagnose, and current tools for diagnosis or monitoring of response to antifungal treatments have inherent limitations. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) has emerged as a promising tool for pulmonary pathogen detection with high sensitivity. This study presents a novel ddPCR panel for rapid and sensitive identification of pulmonary fungal pathogens. First, a ddPCR method for detecting three fungal genera, including Pneumocystis, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus, was established and evaluated. Then, the clinical validation performance of ddPCR was compared with that of qPCR using 170 specimens, and the 6 specimens with inconsistent results were further verified by metagenomics next-generation sequencing, which yielded results consistent with the ddPCR findings. Finally, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the efficiency of ddPCR. While the qPCR identified 16 (9.41%) cases of Aspergillus and 6 (3.53%) cases of Pneumocystis, ddPCR detected 20 (11.76%) Aspergillus cases and 8 (4.71%) Pneumocystis cases. The AUC for Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and Pneumocystis was 0.974, 0.998, and 0.975, respectively. These findings demonstrated that the ddPCR assay is a highly sensitive method for identifying pathogens responsible for invasive fungal pulmonary infections, and is a promising tool for early diagnosis.

Phytosynthesized Nanoparticles as Novel Antifungal Agent for Sustainable Agriculture: A Mechanistic Approach, Current Advances, and Future Directions

Due to rapidly changing environmental conditions, virulent pathogens have arisen continuously that invades the crops and badly affects their yield and quality of the cash crops which results in economic losses. To overcome the prevalent infection of fungal pathogens, there is an utmost need to develop alternative techniques that avoid conventional agriculture practices. The use of various chemical fungicides is not an environmentally sustainable solution to fungal diseases because it produces environmental contamination and is dangerous for human health. Nanotechnology provides solutions to disease control issues in a significant way. The scientific and industrial systems are being changed by this development. Similarly, nano-based instruments are highly promising in the agriculture sector, particularly for the production of powerful formulations that require appropriate distribution of agrochemicals, nutrients, pesticides/insecticides, and even growth regulators for improved efficiency of use. Nanotechnology provides an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and alternative effective monitoring of agricultural fungal pathogens. Green nanotechnology is an innovative methodology that revolutionized the field of agriculture to solve these problems. Despite increasing plant growth, nanoparticles meet the agriculture demand for high yield. This study mainly focuses on the promise of various methods for the treatment of fungal diseases through nanoparticles.

Protective role of agarwood essential oil and compounds thereof in crop‐associated fungal pathogens

AbstractThe potential risk of fungal pathogen infection in agriculture has great adverse effects on agricultural development and human health. In this study, we explored the application of agarwood essential oil (AEO) and its main components in the development of agricultural fungicides. The compositions of AEO produced in Maoming City of Guangdong Province, China was firstly analysed by GC–MS. AEO and compounds thereof including carvacrol and longifolene were then used to perform a series of antifungal activity evaluations in vitro and in vivo against agricultural and foodborne pathogens. The in vitro results showed that the antifungal activities of AEO were comparable to those of hymexazol (a positive control), and carvacrol exhibited stronger efficacy. In vivo studies also showed that AEO and carvacrol could significantly inhibit the damage effect of Curvularia mebaldsii on the germination rate of wheat roots. Further, it was found that the germination rate exhibited a downward trend with the dose increase of AEO and carvacrol.