Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae) represents one of the two vascular plants that have colonized the Antarctic continent, which is usually exposed to extreme environmental conditions. In this work, we have characterized the endophytic fungi associated with the leaves of D. antarctica. Endophytic fungi were recovered from 91 individual plants from diVerent points of Admiralty Bay at King George Island, Antarctica. A total of 26 fungal isolates were obtained from 273 leaf fragments. All isolates were identiWed by analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the rDNA. Alternaria and Phaeosphaeria were the most frequent genera associated with the plant. Other fungal isolates were identi-Wed as Entrophospora sp. and several undescribed Ascomycete species. An interesting result was obtained for the isolates UFMGCB 215 and UFMGCB 262, which were related to fungi associated with bryophytes present in boreal ecosystems. Some isolates showed low identity in the ITS sequences to sequences of fungal species deposited in GenBank, suggesting that these fungi could be new species. This work is the Wrst report on fungal endophytes associated with leaves of the Antarctic grass D. antarctica.
In this study, we summarized the major phenotypic/functional aspects of circulating leukocytes following canine immunization with Leishvaccine and Leishmune®. Our findings showed that Leishvaccine triggered early changes in the innate immunity (neutrophils and eosinophils) with late alterations on monocytes. Conversely, Leishmune(®) induced early phenotypic changes in both, neutrophils and monocytes. Moreover, Leishvaccine triggered mixed activation-related phenotypic changes on T-cells (CD4+ and CD8+ and B-lymphocytes, whereas Leishmune(®) promoted a selective response, mainly associated with CD8+ T-cell activation. Mixed cytokine profile (IFN-γ/IL-4) was observed in Leishvaccine immunized dogs whereas a selective pro-inflammatory pattern (IFN-γ/NO) was induced by Leishmune® vaccination. The distinct immunological profile triggered by Leishvaccine and Leishmune® may be a direct consequence of the distinct biochemical composition of these immunobiological, i.e. complex versus purified Leishmania antigen along with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) versus saponin adjuvant. Both immunobiologicals are able to activate phagocytes and CD8+ T-cells and therefore could be considered as a putative vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL).
This is the first description of solitary phaeohyphomycosis affecting the mucosal surface. The lesion developed in the inferior lip of a 57-year-old woman. After surgical resection, histopathological examination evidenced characteristic brownish fungal structures within granulomatous–purulent inflammation. Amplification and sequencing of rDNA obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue identifiedAlternariaspecies, as the causative agent.
In this study, we report four cases of Histoplasma capsulatum infection in eight biologists who made an expedition to determine the prevalence of this fungus in a cave localized in the northwest of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This case report demonstrates the importance of evaluating the H. capsulatum presence in Brazilian caves before opening to public visitations.
Most black fungi that are repeatedly involved in human infection belong to the order Chaetothyriales. Capnodialean melanized fungi often thrive in extreme environments like rock surfaces and hypersaline microhabitats. They are able to grow meristematically with very thick cellular walls, resembling muriform cells of agents of chromoblastomycosis. In this report we describe a member of the order Capnodiales causing a chromoblastomycosis-like infection in human skin. However, in tissue the fungus presented with toruloid hyphae and intercalary, chlamydospore-like conidia with transversal septa, rather than with muriform cells. Judging from ITS rRNA sequences, the fungus is related to, but clearly different from, the genera Catenulostroma and Pseudotaeniolina; members of these genera are environmental and only rarely occur on human hosts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.