title: Species Distribution and In Vitro Azole Susceptibility of Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolates from Clinical and Environmental Settings.
abstract: Aspergillus section Nigri includes species of interest for animal and human health, although studies on species distribution are limited to human cases. Data on the antifungal susceptibilities and the molecular mechanism of triazole resistance in strains belonging to this section are scant. Forty-two black Aspergillus strains from human patients (16 isolates), animals (14 isolates), and the environment (12 isolates) were molecularly characterized and their in vitro triazole susceptibilities investigated. Aspergillus tubingensis was isolated from humans, animals, and environmental settings, whereas Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus niger were isolated exclusively from humans. Phylogenetic analyses of β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences were concordant in differentiating A. tubingensis from A. awamori and A. niger Voriconazole and posaconazole (PSZ) were the most active triazoles. One A. tubingensis strain was resistant to itraconazole and PSZ and one A. niger strain to PSZ. Sequence analysis of the cyp51A gene revealed different sequence types within a species, and A. tubingensis strains were also phylogenetically distinct from A. awamori/A. niger strains according to the strain origin and susceptibility profile. Genetic analysis of the cyp51A sequences suggests that two nonsynonymous mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions in the CYP51A protein (changes of L to R at position 21 [L21R] and of Q to R at position 228 [Q228R]) might be involved in azole resistance. Though azole resistance in black Aspergillus isolates from animals and rural environments does not represent a threat to public health in Southern Italy, the use of triazoles in the clinical setting needs to better monitored. The cyp51A sequence is useful for the molecular identification of black Aspergillus, and point mutations in protein sequences could be responsible for azole resistance phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iatta
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nuccio
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Immediato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Carlo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miragliotta
authors.affiliation: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crescenzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy claudia.cafarchia@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cafarchia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001393:Azoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001393:Azoles; D002147:Calmodulin; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C465526:cytochrome P-450 CYP51A, Aspergillus