Molecular Phylogeny and Proposal of Two New Species of the Emerging Pathogenic Fungus Saksenaea

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2010-12, Vol.48 (12), p.4410-4416
• Main Authors: Alvarez, E, Garcia-Hermoso, D, Sutton, D.A, Cano, J.F, Stchigel, A.M, Hoinard, D, Fothergill, A.W, Rinaldi, M.G, Dromer, F, Guarro, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Fungal; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Environmental Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal Proteins; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Humans; Itraconazole; Itraconazole - pharmacology; Life Sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Microbiology and Parasitology; Molecular Sequence Data; Mucorales; Mucorales - classification; Mucorales - cytology; Mucorales - genetics; Mucorales - physiology; Mucormycosis; Mucormycosis - microbiology; Mycological Typing Techniques; Mycology; Naphthalenes; Naphthalenes - pharmacology; Peptide Elongation Factor 1; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 - genetics; Phylogeny; Saksenaea vasiformis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Spores, Fungal; Spores, Fungal - cytology; Spores, Fungal - growth & development; Temperature; Terbinafine; Triazoles; Triazoles - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01646-10

Saksenaea is a monotypic genus belonging to the order Mucorales and capable of producing severe human infections. Through a polyphasic study based on analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, domains D1 and D2 of the 28S rRNA gene, and the elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) gene, as well as by evaluation of relevant morphological and physiological characteristics of a set of clinical and environmental strains, we have demonstrated that Saksenaea vasiformis is a complex of species. We propose as new species Saksenaea oblongispora, characterized by oblong sporangiospores and unable to grow at 42°C, and Saksenaea erythrospora, characterized by large sporangiophores and sporangia and by ellipsoid sporangiospores, biconcave in the lateral view. Itraconazole, posaconazole, and terbinafine were active against all isolates included in the study, while amphotericin B, voriconazole, and the echinocandins showed low activity.