In vitro activity of olorofim against clinical isolates of Scedosporium species and Lomentospora prolificans using EUCAST and CLSI methodologies

Objectives To evaluate the in vitro activity of olorofim, a new broad-spectrum antifungal with a novel mechanism of action, against a collection of 123 Spanish clinical isolates belonging to five Scedosporium species and Lomentospora prolificans. Methods The activity of olorofim against Scedosporium apiospermum (n = 30), Scedosporium boydii (n = 30), Scedosporium ellipsoideum (n = 10), Scedosporium aurantiacum (n = 20), Scedosporium dehoogii (n = 3) and Lomentospora prolificans (n = 30) was compared with that of amphotericin B, voriconazole, isavuconazole and micafungin by performing EUCAST and CLSI reference methods for antifungal susceptibility testing. Results Amphotericin B and isavuconazole showed MICs ≥2 mg/L for all the species evaluated and voriconazole was moderately active (GM, MIC50 and MIC90 values ≤2 mg/L) against all of them except L. prolificans. Micafungin was effective against S. apiospermum complex strains, but exhibited elevated MECs for S. dehoogii and S. aurantiacum. Olorofim showed low MICs for all the Scedosporium strains tested (GM values were lower than 0.130 and 0.339 by the EUCAST method and the CLSI method, respectively, for all of the species), including those belonging to the MDR species L. prolificans, for which GM values were 0.115 and 0.225 mg/L by the EUCAST method and the CLSI method, respectively, while the GMs for the rest of the antifungals evaluated were higher than 3.732 mg/L using both methodologies. Conclusions Olorofim displayed promising in vitro activity against the Scedosporium and L. prolificans strains tested, some of which have reduced susceptibility to the antifungals that are currently in use.

Identification of 14-α-Lanosterol Demethylase (CYP51) in Scedosporium Species

ABSTRACT Scedosporium spp. cause infections (scedosporiosis) in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals and may persistently colonize the respiratory tract in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). They are less susceptible against azoles than are other molds, such as Aspergillus spp., suggesting the presence of resistance mechanisms. It can be hypothesized that the decreased susceptibility of Scedosporium spp. to azoles is also CYP51 dependent. Analysis of the Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium aurantiacum genomes revealed one CYP51 gene encoding the 14-α-lanosterol demethylase. This gene from 159 clinical or environmental Scedosporium isolates and three Lomentospora prolificans isolates has been sequenced and analyzed. The Scedosporium CYP51 protein clustered with the group of known CYP51B orthologues and showed species-specific polymorphisms. A tandem repeat in the 5′ upstream region of Scedosporium CYP51 like that in Aspergillus fumigatus could not be detected. Species-specific amino acid alterations in CYP51 of Scedosporium boydii, Scedosporium ellipsoideum, Scedosporium dehoogii, and Scedosporium minutisporum isolates were located at positions that have not been described as having an impact on azole susceptibility. In contrast, two of the three S. apiospermum-specific amino acid changes (Y136F and G464S) corresponded to respective mutations in A. fumigatus CYP51A at amino acid positions 121 and 448 (Y121F and G448S, respectively) that had been linked to azole resistance.

Discovery of aromadendrane anologues from the marine-derived fungus Scedosporium dehoogii F41-4 by NMR-guided isolation

Six new aromadendrane sesquiterpenoids and two known analogues, together with a new polyketide were discovered from the marine-derived fungus Scedosporium dehoogii by NMR-guided isolation. The biosynthetic pathways of sesquiterpenoids were proposed.