Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates
Around 85% of the environments on Earth are permanently or seasonally colder than 5 °C. Among those, the poles constitute unique biomes, which harbor a broad variety of microbial life, including an abundance of fungi. Many fungi have an outstanding ability to withstand extreme conditions an...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/12/600 |
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| author | Laura Perini Diana C. Mogrovejo Rok Tomazin Cene Gostinčar Florian H. H. Brill Nina Gunde-Cimerman |
| author_facet | Laura Perini Diana C. Mogrovejo Rok Tomazin Cene Gostinčar Florian H. H. Brill Nina Gunde-Cimerman |
| author_sort | Laura Perini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Around 85% of the environments on Earth are permanently or seasonally colder than 5 °C. Among those, the poles constitute unique biomes, which harbor a broad variety of microbial life, including an abundance of fungi. Many fungi have an outstanding ability to withstand extreme conditions and play vital ecosystem roles of decomposers as well as obligate or facultative symbionts of many other organisms. Due to their dispersal capabilities, microorganisms from cryosphere samples can be distributed around the world. Such dispersal involves both species with undefined pathogenicity and potentially pathogenic strains. Here we describe the isolation of fungal species from pristine Arctic locations in Greenland and Svalbard and the testing of the expression of characteristics usually associated with pathogenic species, such as growth at 37 °C, hemolytic ability, and susceptibility to antifungal agents. A total of 320 fungal isolates were obtained, and 24 of the most abundant and representative species were further analyzed. Species known as emerging pathogens, like <i>Aureobasidium melanogenum</i>, <i>Naganishia albida</i>, and <i>Rhodotorula mucilaginosa</i>, were able to grow at 37 °C, showed beta-hemolytic activity, and were intrinsically resistant to commonly used antifungals such as azoles and echinocandins. Antifungal resistance screening revealed a low susceptibility to voriconazole in <i>N. albida</i> and <i>Penicillium</i> spp. and to fluconazole in <i>Glaciozyma watsonii</i> and <i>Glaciozyma</i>-related taxon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:10:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0fe22316fa8243bf8eb9fb27794dba29 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:10:32Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-0fe22316fa8243bf8eb9fb27794dba292022-12-22T03:57:50ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072019-11-0171260010.3390/microorganisms7120600microorganisms7120600Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal IsolatesLaura Perini0Diana C. Mogrovejo1Rok Tomazin2Cene Gostinčar3Florian H. H. Brill4Nina Gunde-Cimerman5Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaMicroArctic Research Group, Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Stiegstück 34, 22339 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaDepartment of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaMicroArctic Research Group, Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Stiegstück 34, 22339 Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAround 85% of the environments on Earth are permanently or seasonally colder than 5 °C. Among those, the poles constitute unique biomes, which harbor a broad variety of microbial life, including an abundance of fungi. Many fungi have an outstanding ability to withstand extreme conditions and play vital ecosystem roles of decomposers as well as obligate or facultative symbionts of many other organisms. Due to their dispersal capabilities, microorganisms from cryosphere samples can be distributed around the world. Such dispersal involves both species with undefined pathogenicity and potentially pathogenic strains. Here we describe the isolation of fungal species from pristine Arctic locations in Greenland and Svalbard and the testing of the expression of characteristics usually associated with pathogenic species, such as growth at 37 °C, hemolytic ability, and susceptibility to antifungal agents. A total of 320 fungal isolates were obtained, and 24 of the most abundant and representative species were further analyzed. Species known as emerging pathogens, like <i>Aureobasidium melanogenum</i>, <i>Naganishia albida</i>, and <i>Rhodotorula mucilaginosa</i>, were able to grow at 37 °C, showed beta-hemolytic activity, and were intrinsically resistant to commonly used antifungals such as azoles and echinocandins. Antifungal resistance screening revealed a low susceptibility to voriconazole in <i>N. albida</i> and <i>Penicillium</i> spp. and to fluconazole in <i>Glaciozyma watsonii</i> and <i>Glaciozyma</i>-related taxon.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/12/600arcticfungiemerging pathogensthermotolerancehemolysisantifungal resistance |
| spellingShingle | Laura Perini Diana C. Mogrovejo Rok Tomazin Cene Gostinčar Florian H. H. Brill Nina Gunde-Cimerman Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates Microorganisms arctic fungi emerging pathogens thermotolerance hemolysis antifungal resistance |
| title | Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates |
| title_full | Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates |
| title_fullStr | Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates |
| title_short | Phenotypes Associated with Pathogenicity: Their Expression in Arctic Fungal Isolates |
| title_sort | phenotypes associated with pathogenicity their expression in arctic fungal isolates |
| topic | arctic fungi emerging pathogens thermotolerance hemolysis antifungal resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/12/600 |
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