Clinical Origin and Species Distribution of Fusarium spp. Isolates Identified by Molecular Sequencing and Mass Spectrometry: A European Multicenter Hospital Prospective Study

Fusarium spp. are widespread environmental fungi as well as pathogens that can affect plants, animals and humans. Yet the epidemiology of human fusariosis is still cloudy due to the rapidly evolving taxonomy. The Mass Spectrometry Identification database (MSI) has been developed since 2017 in order to allow a fast, accurate and free-access identification of fungi by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization—time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Taking advantage of the MSI database user network, we aim to study the species distribution of Fusarium spp. isolates in an international multicenter prospective study. This study also allowed the assessment of the abilities of miscellaneous techniques to identify Fusarium isolates at the species level. The identification was performed by PCR-sequencing and phylogenic-tree approach. Both methods are used as gold standard for the evaluation of mass spectrometry. Identification at the species complex was satisfactory for all the tested methods. However, identification at the species level was more challenging and only 32% of the isolates were correctly identified with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) DNA database, 20% with the Bruker MS database and 43% with the two MSI databases. Improvement of the mass spectrometry database is still needed to enable precise identification at the species level of any Fusarium isolates encountered either in human pathology or in the environment.

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Multi-centric evaluation of the online MSI platform for the identification of cryptic and rare species of Aspergillus by MALDI-TOF

Medical Mycology ◽

10.1093/mmy/myz004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 962-968 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Sébastien Imbert ◽

Anne Cécile Normand ◽

Frédéric Gabriel ◽

Sophie Cassaing ◽

Christine Bonnal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Cryptic Species ◽

Rare Species ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Species Level ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Mass Spectrometry Identification ◽

Almost All ◽

Level Identification ◽

Section Level

Abstract The taxonomy of Aspergillus species has recently been revolutionized with the introduction of cryptic species and section concepts. However, their species-level identification in routine laboratories remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the identification accuracy of cryptic species of Aspergillus in various laboratories using the mass spectrometry identification (MSI) platform, an independent and freely accessible online mass spectrometry database. Over a 12-month period, when a select set of MSI users identified cryptic species, they were contacted and requested to send the isolates to our laboratory for sequence-based identification. Sequence and MSI identification results were then compared. During the study period, 5108 Aspergillus isolates were identified using MSI including 1477 (28.9%) cryptic species. A total of 245 isolates that corresponded to 56 cryptic species and 13 sections were randomly selected for DNA sequencing confirmation. Agreement between the two methods was 99.6% at the section level and 66.1% at the species level. However, almost all discrepancies (72/83, 86.7%) were misidentifications between closely related cryptic species belonging to the same section. Fifty-one isolates from noncryptic species were also identified, thus yielding 100% and 92.2% agreement at the section and species level, respectively. Although the MSI fungus database is a reliable tool to identify Aspergillus at the section level, the database still requires adjustment to correctly identify rare or cryptic species at the species level. Nevertheless, the application properly differentiated between cryptic and sensu stricto species in the same section, thus alerting on possible specific isolate characteristics.

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Analysis of Tetrahydro-β-carbolines and Their Precursors by Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Identification in Foodstuffs by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry ◽

10.1002/(sici)1097-0231(19970422)11:7<762::aid-rcm854>3.0.co;2-u ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 762-768 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

T. Herraiz

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Gas Chromatography ◽

Electron Ionization ◽

Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometry ◽

Ionization Mass Spectrometry ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Ionization Mass ◽

Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Mass Spectrometry Identification

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Macrofungi from the Hebron and Jerusalem Hills of Palestine

Mycotaxon ◽

10.5248/135.231 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

pp. 231-231

Author(s):

Maximus Thaler ◽

Aysha Al-Wahsh ◽

Alea Meuser ◽

Alyssa Rooks ◽

Mazin Qumsiyeh

Keyword(s):

Species Distribution ◽

Free Access

In February, Mycotaxon added a new annotated species distribution list to our 135 previously posted free access fungae. The 23-page "Macrofungi from the Hebron and Jerusalem Hills of Palestine" by Maximus Thaler, Aysha Al-Wahsh, Alea Meuser, Alyssa Rooks, and Mazin Qumsiyeh may be downloaded from our website via http://www.mycotaxon.com/mycobiota/index.html for no charge./

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