Aspergillus website update

[Guest guest]

Announcement

www.aspergillus.man.ac.uk/

We have not one but two new projects to highlight. Firstly we have

completed a 6 month project to update both the species database and

the secondary metabolites/mycotoxin section. We have also taken this

opportunity to tightly integrate these two databases of information.

Users will now find all information in the Species database easier

to find, and searching for a species will also reveal details of any

known metabolites and vice versa.

We will follow this up by incorporating the large amount of new

information on Aspergillus taxonomy arising from the recent

conference in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

The secondly we have a new section - the Review section. We thought

that many people coming to this website would find it useful to be

able to go straight to the most recent reviews.

Recent articles. A summary of selected papers

Aspergillosis

An extensive review/overview of the disease and its causitive agent,

the fungus aspergillus.

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/Aspergillosis_Back

grounder-Final-1.pdf

Aspergillus meningitis in Sri Lanka--a post-tsunami effect?

A small outbreak of meningitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus hit

Colombo, Sri Lanka after the tsunami of December 26th 2004. All five

victims were mothers receiving spinal anesthesia in order to deliver

by Cesarian section. Investigations revealved the most likely cause

to be syringes kept in a temporary, dusty, damp warehouse while the

better storage space was filled with overseas aid. 43/679 syringes

tested were infected with Aspergillus fumigatus despite being sealed

and unopened. Destruction of the unused syringes ended the outbreak.

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/17301315.pdf

Genomic analysis of allergen genes in Aspergillus spp.:The relevance

of genomics to everyday research.

The authors have used genomic mapping data for A. fumigates to

extensively review the genes for allergens in A.fumigatus and

others. The findings included there is a high degree of similarity

between the allergen genes in A.fumigatus and genes in many other

fungi, suggesting that investigation of current tests for

aspergillus (and others) is required in order to ensure specificity.

A second finding was that allergen genes tend to be grouped together

in a small number of gene families that have high similarity within

them. Again there is scope for confusion between these genes at the

level of protein detection.

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/17325940.pdf

Genomics-driven discovery of PKS-NRPS hybrid metabolites from

Aspergillus nidulans

Many genes in aspergillus fungi are not switched on under the

standard growth conditions used in the laboratory. In order to study

them ways must be found to switch them on. In this paper activator

genes are used to switch on 'silent' gene clusters. The activator

genes are identified by comparing the DNA sequence of known

activator genes with genomic DNA sequences found within silent gene

clusters and then cloning and expressing any genes found in the hope

of switching on new genes in that cluster.

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/17369821.pdf

Successful treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis with

recombinant anti-IgE antibody

An ABPA patient was treated with a single dose of an anti IgE drug

and showed rapid improvement. This is the first time this has been

done and suggests that IgE plays an important role in ABPA, and also

suggested a new approach to the treatment of ABPA.

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/17329558.pdf

The Aspergillus website - additions and developments

Articles: 40 new articles added

Reviews: 2 new reviews

Case Histories: A new case history of a patient with cystic fibrosis

with subacute invasive aspergillosis, subsequent to a heart/lung

transplant has been added to the case histories section - case 055.

Also - case 054 - the case of the disappearing aspergillosis.

Images: Images from a case of cutaneous aspergillosis with probable

osteomyelitis following renal transplantation, and images from case

54 - the disappearing aspergilloma.