The production of host-selective toxins by the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria alternata is essential for the pathogenesis. A. alternata infection in citrus leaves induces rapid lipid peroxidation, accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and cell death. The mechanisms by which A. alternata avoids killing by reactive oxygen species (ROS) after invasion have begun to be elucidated. The ability t...

Most studies on molds focus on Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we report on inflammatory and allergenic properties of more typical indoor species Aspergillus versicolor, P. chrysogenum, C. cladosporioïdes, and C. sphaerospermum that were compared to A. alternata and A. fumigatus. In a mouse model, after intranasal instillation, A. alternaria, A. versicolor, and C. sphaeros...

BACKGROUND The manufacture of allergenic extracts from the mold Alternaria alternata is influenced by factors such as strain variability, allergenic origin, culturing conditions and extraction process, which affect the reproducibility of the preparations intended for diagnostic and therapeutic use. OBJECTIVES To select the most adequate antigenic source of A. alternata extracts and determine ...

BACKGROUND Although the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration on pollen production has been established in some plant species, impacts on fungal sporulation and antigen production have not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to examine the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the quantity and quality of fungal spores produced on timothy (Phleum pratense) ...

Bilobetin and 4'''-O-methylamentoflavone were isolated and identified in the needles of Taxus baccata, for the first time in this species. The antifungal activity of biflavones from T. baccata and Ginkgo biloba, namely amentoflavone, 7-O-methylamentoflavone, bilobetin, ginkgetin, sciadopitysin and 2,3-dihydrosciadopitysin towards the fungi Alternaria alternata, Fusarium culmorum, Cladosporium o...

Carrot seed oil is the source of the carotane sesquiterpenes carotol, daucol and beta-caryophyllene. These sesquiterpenic allelochemicals were evaluated against Alternaria alternata isolated from the surface of carrot seeds cultivar Perfekcja, a variety widely distributed in horticultural practise in Poland. Alternaria alternata is one of the most popular phytotoxic fungi infesting the carrot p...

BACKGROUND The mechanism underlying severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) is unknown. IL-33 is important in fungus-induced asthma exacerbations, but its role in fungal sensitization is unexplored. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether fungal sensitization in children with severe therapy-resistant asthma is mediated by IL-33. METHODS Eighty-two children (median age, 11.7 years; 6...

Eight fungal species characterized by chitinolytic activity were isolated from Egyptian black sand collected from Rosetta coast. Genus Aspergillus and Alternaria alternata exhibited the highest density (> 40% of the total count, each) on the isolation plates containing different treatments of native shrimp shell chitin. Genus Aspergillus was represented by A. flavus, A. niger, A. foetidus and A...

Objectives: To determine the isolation rate of Alternaria alternata in patients with clinical Onychomycosis Study Design: Descriptive (cross sectional) study Place and Period of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Rawalpindi, from August 2011-April 2012. Material and Methods: Sample size; 200 nail samples, Sampling Technique; Non probability convenience sampli...

The tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata produces the A. citri toxin (ACT) and is the causal agent of citrus brown spot that results in significant yield losses worldwide. Both the production of ACT and the ability to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) are required for A. alternata pathogenicity in citrus. In this study, we report the 34.41 Mb genome sequence of strain Z7 of the tang...