Fungal Planet description sheets: 1478-1549

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Aschersonia mackerrasiae on whitefly, Cladosporium corticola on bark of Melaleuca quinquenervia, Penicillium nudgee from soil under Melaleuca quinquenervia, Pseudocercospora blackwoodiae on leaf spot of Persoonia falcata, and Pseudocercospora dalyelliae on leaf spot of Senna alata. Bolivia, Aspicilia lutzoniana on fully submersed siliceous schist in high-mountain streams, and Niesslia parviseta on the lower part and apothecial discs of Erioderma barbellatum on a twig. Brazil, Cyathus bonsai on decaying wood, Geastrum albofibrosum from moist soil with leaf litter, Laetiporus pratigiensis on a trunk of a living unknown hardwood tree species, and Scytalidium synnematicum on dead twigs of unidentified plant. Bulgaria, Amanita abscondita on sandy soil in a plantation of Quercus suber. Canada, Penicillium acericola on dead bark of Acer saccharum, and Penicillium corticola on dead bark of Acer saccharum. China, Colletotrichum qingyuanense on fruit lesion of Capsicum annuum. Denmark, Helminthosphaeria leptospora on corticioid Neohypochnicium cremicolor. Ecuador (Galapagos), Phaeosphaeria scalesiae on Scalesia sp. Finland, Inocybe jacobssonii on calcareous soils in dry forests and park habitats. France, Cortinarius rufomyrrheus on sandy soil under Pinus pinaster, and Periconia neominutissima on leaves of Poaceae. India, Coprinopsis fragilis on decaying bark of logs, Filoboletus keralensis on unidentified woody substrate, Penicillium sankaranii from soil, Physisporinus tamilnaduensis on the trunk of Azadirachta indica, and Poronia nagaraholensis on elephant dung. Iran, Neosetophoma fici on infected leaves of Ficus elastica. Israel, Cnidariophoma eilatica (incl. Cnidariophoma gen. nov.) from Stylophora pistillata. Italy, Lyophyllum obscurum on acidic soil. Namibia, Aureobasidium faidherbiae on dead leaf of Faidherbia albida, and Aureobasidium welwitschiae on dead leaves of Welwitschia mirabilis. Netherlands, Gaeumannomycella caricigena on dead culms of Carex elongata, Houtenomyces caricicola (incl. Houtenomyces gen. nov.) on culms of Carex disticha, Neodacampia ulmea (incl. Neodacampia gen. nov.) on branch of Ulmus laevis, Niesslia phragmiticola on dead standing culms of Phragmites australis, Pseudopyricularia caricicola on culms of Carex disticha, and Rhodoveronaea nieuwwulvenica on dead bamboo sticks. Norway, Arrhenia similis half-buried and moss-covered pieces of rotting wood in grass-grown path. Pakistan, Mallocybe ahmadii on soil. Poland, Beskidomyces laricis (incl. Beskidomyces gen. nov.) from resin of Larix decidua ssp. polonica, Lapidomyces epipinicola from sooty mould community on Pinus nigra, and Leptographium granulatum from a gallery of Dendroctonus micans on Picea abies. Portugal, Geoglossum azoricum on mossy areas of laurel forest areas planted with Cryptomeria japonica, and Lunasporangiospora lusitanica from a biofilm covering a biodeteriorated limestone wall. Qatar, Alternaria halotolerans from hypersaline sea water, and Alternaria qatarensis from water sample collected from hypersaline lagoon. South Africa, Alfaria thamnochorti on culm of Thamnochortus fraternus, Knufia aloeicola on Aloe gariepensis, Muriseptatomyces restionacearum (incl. Muriseptatomyces gen. nov.) on culms of Restionaceae, Neocladosporium arctotis on nest of cases of bag worm moths (Lepidoptera, Psychidae) on Arctotis auriculata, Neodevriesia scadoxi on leaves of Scadoxus puniceus, Paraloratospora schoenoplecti on stems of Schoenoplectus lacustris, Tulasnella epidendrea from the roots of Epidendrum × obrienianum, and Xenoidriella cinnamomi (incl. Xenoidriella gen. nov.) on leaf of Cinnamomum camphora. South Korea, Lemonniera fraxinea on decaying leaves of Fraxinus sp. from pond. Spain, Atheniella lauri on the bark of fallen trees of Laurus nobilis, Halocryptovalsa endophytica from surface-sterilised, asymptomatic roots of Salicornia patula, Inocybe amygdaliolens on soil in mixed forest, Inocybe pityusarum on calcareous soil in mixed forest, Inocybe roseobulbipes on acidic soils, Neonectria borealis from roots of Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris, Sympoventuria eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus sp., and Tuber conchae from soil. Sweden, Inocybe bidumensis on calcareous soil. Thailand, Cordyceps sandindaengensis on Lepidoptera pupa, buried in soil, Ophiocordyceps kuchinaraiensis on Coleoptera larva, buried in soil, and Samsoniella winandae on Lepidoptera pupa, buried in soil. Taiwan region (China), Neophaeosphaeria livistonae on dead leaf of Livistona rotundifolia. Türkiye, Melanogaster anatolicus on clay loamy soils. UK, Basingstokeomyces allii (incl. Basingstokeomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Allium schoenoprasum. Ukraine, Xenosphaeropsis corni on recently dead stem of Cornus alba. USA, Nothotrichosporon aquaticum (incl. Nothotrichosporon gen. nov.) from water, and Periconia philadelphiana from swab of coil surface. Morphological and culture characteristics for these new taxa are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Osieck ER, Shivas RG, et al. 2023. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1478-1549. Persoonia 50: 158- 310. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2023.50.05.

Characterization of a 1D-imaging high-energy x-ray backlighter driven by the National Ignition Facility Advanced Radiographic Capability laser

Plastic deformation of samples compressed to Mbar pressures at high strain rates at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) forms the basis of ongoing material strength experiments in conditions relevant to meteor impacts, geophysics, armor development, and inertial confinement fusion. Hard x-ray radiography is the primary means of measuring the evolution of these samples, typically employing a slit-collimated high-Z microdot driven by the NIF laser to generate >40 keV x rays [E. Gumbrell et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 10G118 (2018) and C. M. Huntington et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 10G121 (2018)]. Alternatively, a dysprosium "micro-flag" target driven by the Advanced Radiographic Capability laser (∼2 kJ, 10 ps) can deliver significantly higher spatiotemporal resolution [M. P. Hill et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 033535 (2021)], especially in high-opacity samples. Initial experiments revealed problematic brightness and spectral gradients from this source, but by radiographing a set of diamond-turned, 105 µm-thick Pb test objects and supported by simulations using the 3D Monte Carlo code GEANT4, these geometry-dependent gradients across the field of view are quantified and mitigation strategies are assessed. In addition to significantly enhancing the modulation transfer function compared to the existing system, image stacking from multiple layers of image plate is shown to almost double the signal to noise ratio that will reduce uncertainties in future dynamic strength experiments.

Thrombotic microangiopathies: First report of 294 cases from a single institution experience in Argentina

Introduction

Introduction: Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) are rare disorders associated with fatal outcomes if left uncared for. However, healthcare problems in developing countries tend to limit medical assistance to patients.

Methods

Methods: We prospectively studied an Argentine cohort of 294 consecutive patients from 2013 to 2016. Patients’ subcategory classification relied on clinical symptoms and presence or absence of trigger events associated with TMA.

Results

Main suspected disorders were the primary TMAs known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) (n = 72/294, 24%) and atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) (n = 94/294, 32%). In acute phase, demographic parameters for acquired TTP (aTTP) (n = 28) and aHUS (n = 47) showed that both groups were characterised by a young median age (37 and 25 years, respectively) and female predominance (60% and 86%). Median of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 activity was significantly lower in aTTP than in aHUS group (1.4% vs 83%) and was associated with a more severe thrombocytopenia (15 × 10⁹ vs 53 × 10⁹/L). Creatinine (Cr) and urea (Ur) were significantly increased in aHUS compared to aTTP subjects (Cr: 3.7 vs 0.7 mg/dL, Ur: 118 vs 33 mg/dL). Gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms were more frequent in aHUS and aTTP, respectively.

Conclusion

The first description of a TMA cohort in Argentina revealed similar clinical presentations to those of other countries.

Studies of the antitumor mechanism of action of dermaseptin B2, a multifunctional cationic antimicrobial peptide, reveal a partial implication of cell surface glycosaminoglycans

Dermaseptin-B2 (DRS-B2) is a multifunctional cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAP) isolated from frog skin secretion. We previously reported that DRS-B2 possesses anticancer and antiangiogenic activities in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we evaluated the antiproliferative activity of DRS-B2 on numerous tumor cell lines, its cell internalization and studies of its molecular partners as well as their influences on its structure. Confocal microscopy using ([Alexa594]-(Cys⁰)-DRS-B2) shows that in sensitive human tumor cells (PC3), DRS-B2 seems to accumulate rapidly at the cytoplasmic membranes and enters the cytoplasm and the nucleus, while in less sensitive tumor cells (U87MG), DRS-B2 is found packed in vesicles at the cell membrane. Furthermore FACS analysis shows that PC3 cells viability decreases after DRS-B2 treatment while U87 MG seems to be unaffected. However, "pull down" experiments performed with total protein pools from PC3 or U87MG cells and the comparison between the antiproliferative effect of DRS-B2 and its synthetic analog containing all D-amino acids suggest the absence of a stereo-selective protein receptor. Pretreatment of PC3 cells with sodium chlorate, decreases the antiproliferative activity of DRS-B2. This activity is partially restored after addition of exogenous chondroitin sulfate C (CS-C). Moreover, we demonstrate that at nanomolar concentrations CS-C potentiates the antiproliferative effect of DRS-B2. These results highlight the partial implication of glycosaminoglycans in the mechanism of antiproliferative action of DRS-B2. Structural analysis of DRS-B2 by circular dichroism in the presence of increasing concentration of CS-C shows that DRS-B2 adopts an α-helical structure. Finally, structure-activity-relationship studies suggest a key role of the W residue in position 3 of the DRS-B2 sequence for its antiproliferative activity.

Effects of preset sequential administrations of sunitinib and everolimus on tumour differentiation in Caki-1 renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Sunitinib (VEGFR/PDGFR inhibitor) and everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) are both approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as first-line and second-line therapy, respectively. In the clinics, sunitinib treatment is limited by the emergence of acquired resistance, leading to a switch to second-line treatment at progression, often based on everolimus. No data have been yet generated on programmed alternating sequential strategies combining alternative use of sunitinib and everolimus before progression. Such strategy is expected to delay the emergence of acquired resistance and improve tumour control. The aim of our study was to assess the changes in tumours induced by three different sequences administration of sunitinib and everolimus.

METHODS

In human Caki-1 RCC xenograft model, sunitinib was alternated with everolimus every week, every 2 weeks, or every 3 weeks. Effects on necrosis, hypoxia, angiogenesis, and EMT status were assessed by immunohisochemistry and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

Sunitinib and everolimus programmed sequential regimens before progression yielded longer median time to tumour progression than sunitinib and everolimus monotherapies. In each group of treatment, tumour growth control was associated with inhibition of mTOR pathway and changes from a mesenchymal towards an epithelial phenotype, with a decrease in vimentin and an increase in E-cadherin expression. The sequential combinations of these two agents in a RCC mouse clinical trial induced antiangiogenic effects, leading to tumour necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our study showed that alternate sequence of sunitinib and everolimus mitigated the development of mesenchymal phenotype compared with sunitinib as single agent.

Proliferation and migration activities of fibroblast growth factor-2 in endothelial cells are modulated by its direct interaction with heparin affin regulatory peptide

Angiogenesis is the physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. In normal or pathological angiogenesis, angiogenic growth factors activate cognate receptors on endothelial cells. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and heparin affin regulatory peptide (HARP) are two heparin-binding growth factors and were described for their pro-angiogenic properties on human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). We now show that HARP acts as a mediator of FGF-2's stimulatory effects, since it is able to inhibit the proliferation and migration of HUVEC induced by FGF-2. We demonstrate by ELISA and optical biosensor binding assay that HARP and FGF-2 interact through direct binding. We have adapted a previously developed structural proteomics method for the identification of residues involved in protein-protein interactions. Application of this method showed that two sequences in HARP were involved in binding FGF-2. One was in the C-thrombospondin type 1 repeat (C-TSR-1) domain and the other in the C-terminal domain of HARP. The identification of these regions as mediating the binding of FGF-2 was confirmed by ELISA using synthetic peptides, which are as well mediators of FGF-2-induced proliferation, migration and tubes formation on HUVEC in vitro. These results imply that besides a regulation of the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of HUVEC by direct interaction of FGF-2 with its receptors, an alternative pathway exists involving its binding to growth factors such as HARP.

Abstract 3000: Angiogenic recovery under chronic exposure to sunitinib is associated with vasculogenic mimicry in renal cell carcinoma

Background. Sunitinib inhibits VEGFR/PDGFR signaling in cancer cells and reduces tumor blood flow, leading to tumor starvation, hypoxia, and necrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate mechanisms associated with adaptive resistance to sunitinib in vitro and in vivo in renal cancer models (RCC).

Materials and Methods: CAKI1 (VHL+) and 786-0 (VHL-) RCC cells were exposed in vitro to stepwise increasing doses of sunitinib for >6 months. In vitro, vascular mimicry was assessed by pseudo-tube formation assay using Matrigel. Pseudo-tube networks were quantified by “angiogenesis analyzer” for Image J, assessing the meshes number. CAKI1 or 786-0 cells were engrafted in nude mice and treated at 60 mg/kg/day of sunitinib until progression.

Results. We confirmed that the VHL pathway was functional in CAKI1 but not in 786-0 cells. In vivo, sunitinib significantly delay tumor growth with a median time-to-tumor progression of 50 days versus 17 days (p<0.001) in CAKI and over 60 days versus 22 days (p<0.01) in 786-0 xenogratfs. In CAKI1 and 786-0, quantitative immunohistochemistry and fluorescence analyses at the time of sunitinib progression showed patterns of angiogenesis recovery with tumor blood vessel sprouting associated with reduction of hypoxic and necrotic areas. In these sunitinib-resistant tumors, cancer cells displayed stem cell and mesenchymal differentiation markers such as CD133 vimentin and CXCR4. Vessels sprouting under sunitinib exposure contained CD10/CD31/von Willebrand co-stained cells embedded in their walls suggesting vascular mimicry. We further investigated whether cancer cell differentiation into endothelial cell was related to chemical inhibition of VEGFR/PDGFR by sunitinib. We first characterized CAKI and 786 cells for VEGFR and PDGFR expression, showing that CAKI expressed high level of PDGFR, whereas 786 expressed low levels of VEGFR and PDGFR. In normally oxygenated culture conditions, 786-0 cells formed spontaneously more meshes than CAKI1 cells (22 versus 0.33, p<0.05). Interestingly, chronic exposure of CAKI1 cells to sunitinib led to a 32-fold increase in the number of meshes (10.6 versus 0.33, p<0.01), which could be related to the inhibition of the PDGFR pathway.

Conclusions. Our data showed that chronic exposure to subtoxic doses of sunitinib might force cancer stem cells to differentiate into endothelial-like cells in vitro and in vivo independently of the VHL status of tumor cells. This phenomenon known as vasculogenic mimicry is associated with poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma. VHL-mutated 786-0 cells appeared more prompt to form vessels and can spontaneously form meshes in normoxic condition in vitro. Interestingly, this plastic capacity of forming vessels in normoxic condition can be acquired in wild-type VHL CAKI1 when treated chronically with subtoxic doses of sunitinib.

Citation Format: Annemilai Tijeras-Raballand, Célia Dos Santos, Maria Serova, Matthieu Martinet, Sandrine Faivre, Armand de Gramont, Eric Raymond. Angiogenic recovery under chronic exposure to sunitinib is associated with vasculogenic mimicry in renal cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3000. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3000

Benchmarking effects of mTOR, PI3K, and dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in hepatocellular and renal cell carcinoma models developing resistance to sunitinib and sorafenib

PURPOSE

To evaluate first-generation rapamycin analogs (everolimus, temsirolimus, and rapamycin) and second-generation drugs inhibiting mTOR kinase (AZD-8055), PI3K (BKM-120) or both (BEZ-235 and GDC-0980) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells characterized for acquired resistance to sorafenib or sunitinib.

METHODS

Anti-proliferative (MTT assay) and cell signaling (Western blot) effects of rapamycin analogs (1-20 μM) and second-generation drugs (0.03-20.0 μM) were assessed in human HCC SK-HEP1, RCC 786-0, and sorafenib- (SK-Sora) or sunitinib-resistant (786-Suni) cells.

RESULTS

In SK-HEP1 cells displaying high PTEN and Bcl2 expression, rapamycin analogs had poor anti-proliferative effects. However, SK-Sora cells were more sensitive to rapamycin analogs (≥1 μM) than SK-HEP1 cells. In 786-0 cells, lacking PTEN and Bcl2 expression, ≥1 μM rapamycin analogs blocked mTORC1 signaling, transiently activated Akt, and inhibited cell proliferation. Protracted sunitinib exposure in 786-Suni cells yielded an increase in p27 expression and a decreased sensitivity to rapamycin analogs, although mTORC1 function could be inhibited with rapamycin analogs. Second-generation drugs induced more potent growth inhibition than rapamycin analogs at concentrations >0.03 μM in parental cells, SK-Sora, and 786-Suni cells. Growth inhibitory concentrations of these new drugs also blocked mTORC1 downstream targets.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapamycin analogs inhibited mTORC1 downstream targets and yielded anti-proliferative effects in HCC and RCC cells. Second-generation drugs also appeared to be potent inhibitors of mTORC1 signaling; however, they appeared to be far more potent in inhibiting cellular proliferation in parental HCC and RCC cells and in cells developing resistance to sorafenib or sunitinib.

New efficient DNA extraction method to access the microbiome of Ricinus communis seeds

Ricinus communis (castor bean) seeds are used to produce an alcohol-soluble oil that is used in more than 400 industrial processes. Despite its economic importance, there has been little research on the endophytic microbiota of castor bean seeds. This microbiota is important for plant metabolic processes and may have considerable biotechnological potential, such as production of lipases and plant growth promoter agents. We evaluated several DNA extraction methodologies in order to access the microbial diversity of castor bean through a metagenomic approach. Based on our observations, we developed a new methodology that takes advantage of the low solubility of calcium phosphates and the high affinity of these phosphates for proteins and polysaccharides. The extracted DNA quality was evaluated by PCR, using a selective primer pair for bacterial and mitochondrial 16S rDNA genes (799F and 1492R). We found this methodology quantitatively and qualitatively more efficient than the other approaches. In evaluating this new extraction methodology, we found that the difficulties of DNA extraction from castor bean seeds, such as abundant oil, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and plant enzymes, could be overcome. The resulting extracts had high concentration and purity, and they were obtained faster than with previous methods. The samples contained virtually all of the DNA, including the microbial DNA; this was validated by PCR analysis.

Biochemical analysis of a castor bean leaf extract and its insecticidal effects against Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Plant extracts represent a great source of molecules, with insecticidal activity, which are used for pest control in several crop production systems. This work aimed to evaluate the toxicity of an aqueous extract of leaves of castor bean against larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in search for different classes of molecules with insecticidal activities by using in vitro assays. The effects of the castor bean leaf extract on the food utilization, development, and survival of S. frugiperda larvae was evaluated by feeding the larvae an artificial diet supplemented with different concentrations of the extract (0%, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% w/v). The effects observed were dose-dependent, and the highest concentration evaluated (10% w/v) was the one the most affected food utilization by altering the nutritional indices, as well as larval weight gain, development time, and survivorship. In vitro assays to detect saponins, lectins, and trypsin inhibitors in the castor bean leaf extract were performed, but only trypsin inhibitors were detected. No preference for the diet source was detected in S. frugiperda by feeding the larvae in choice experiments with diets containing different concentrations of the castor bean extract tested. The data obtained indicate the existence of a potential molecule in the tested extract of castor bean to be used as an alternative insecticide to be integrated in the management of S. frugiperda.

Antitumor and angiostatic activities of the antimicrobial peptide dermaseptin B2

Recently, we have found that the skin secretions of the Amazonian tree frog Phyllomedusa bicolor contains molecules with antitumor and angiostatic activities and identified one of them as the antimicrobial peptide dermaseptin (Drs) B2. In the present study we further explored the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of this molecule and investigated its mechanism of action. We showed that Drs B2 inhibits the proliferation and colony formation of various human tumor cell types, and the proliferation and capillary formation of endothelial cells in vitro. Furthermore, Drs B2 inhibited tumor growth of the human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line PC3 in a xenograft model in vivo. Research on the mechanism of action of Drs B2 on tumor PC3 cells demonstrated a rapid increasing amount of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase, no activation of caspase-3, and no changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that Drs B2 can interact with the tumor cell surface, aggregate and penetrate the cells. These data together indicate that Drs B2 does not act by apoptosis but possibly by necrosis. In conclusion, Drs B2 could be considered as an interesting and promising pharmacological and therapeutic leader molecule for the treatment of cancer.

Haematological and histopathological findings after ovariectomy in Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of ovariectomy on histopathological and hematological parameters during the course of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Hematological and immunological homeostasis is influenced by gonadal steroid hormones. Ovariectomy exerts profound influences on parasitic diseases including T. cruzi infection through modulation of the host's immune response. Three groups of female Mus musculus were infected with 4000 blood trypomastigotes of the Y strain of T. cruzi. One group was subjected to ovariectomy, another to simulated surgery before the infection, and a third group of unoperated animals were used as controls. Marked differences were detected in the responses of blood and tissue parasites. On day 9, post-infection parasitism was significantly higher in ovariectomized animals (P<0.05). These results were confirmed by histopathological studies, in which ovariectomized animals displayed hearts with higher number of amastigote burdens, increased inflammatory infiltrate, enhanced tissue fibers disorganization and decreased lytic antibody percentage, when compared to their counterparts. On day 9 the hematological changes were more apparent, with a decrease in erythrocytes, platelets and leucocytes for ovariectomized infected animals. Simulated surgery, as a stressful agent, did not cause any imbalance in parasitism or in the hemogram profile. The results confirm the importance of the female steroids in resistance against T. cruzi infection.

Reduction of Haemonchus contortus infective larvae by Harposporium anguillulae in sheep faecal cultures

Harposporium anguillulae is a common nematophagous fungus which colonizes cattle pats deposited in Brachiaria decumbens pasture in Brazil. To assess its possible effect on free living stages of trichostrongylid nematodes, the reduction of Haemonchus contortus infective stages in sheep faecal culture was evaluated in vitro. Addition of 300,000 conidia per gram of faeces caused a reduction of 99.5% compared to the control group. This result indicates that H. anguillulae could be a candidate for the development of strategies for the biological control of trichostrongylid nematodes.