The aim of the project is to establish a molecular microbiological research group for the study of the genetic and biological background of the pathogenicity of human pathogenic filamentous fungi.

Growing number of invasive mycoses caused by these organisms, high mortality rates and resistance to the most frequently used antifungal agents, as well as broadening of the endangered population motivate us to elaborate this research plan addressed to the following questions: mechanisms of interactions between filamentous fungi and the human host, identification and validation of the virulence factors and determination of new diagnostic markers for these challenging fungal infections. To complete these objectives, microbial characterization of clinical isolates, high throughput genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic methods and systems biology approaches will be combined in co-operation with European partner institutions.

Three different model systems corresponding to three important groups of mycoses will be developed and used. Accordingly, Scedosporium spp. causing deep pulmonary mycoses, zygomycetes fungi (i.e. Lichtheimia and Mucor species) causing systemic mycoses; and Curvularia spp. causing localized infections will be studied. As a result, new therapeutic targets can be identified and new antifungal agents and therapeutic methods can be developed and proposed. Study of the model organisms may contribute to the improved management of certain rare diseases (such as cystic fibrosis), diabetes and immunosuppressive state.

Hassan AS, Al-Hatmi AMS, Shobana CS, van Diepeningen AD, Kredics L, Vágvölgyi C, Homa M, Meis JF, de Hoog S, Narendran V, Manikandan P and IHFK Working Group (2015) Antifungal susceptibility and phylogeny of opportunistic members of the genus Fusarium causing human keratomycosis in South India. MEDICAL MYCOLOGY 54:287-294

Homa M, Galgóczy L, Tóth E, Tóth L, PappT et al. (2015) In vitro antifungal activity of antipsychotic drugs and their combinations with conventional antifungals against Scedosporium and Pseudallescheria isolates. MEDICAL MYCOLOGY 53:890-895

Krizsán K, Tóth E, Nagy LG, Galgóczy L, Manikandan P, Chandrasekaran M, Kadaikunnan S, Alharbi NS, Vágvölgyi C, Papp T (2015) Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility of Curvularia australiensis, C. hawaiiensis and C. spicifera isolated from human eye infections. MYCOSES 58:603-609

Csernetics Á, Tóth E, Farkas A, Nagy G, Bencsik O, Vágvölgyi C, Papp T (2015) Expression of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous cytochrome-P450 hydroxylase and reductase in Mucor circinelloides WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY 31:321-336

Kaerger K, Schwartze VU, Dolatabadi S, Nyilasi I, Kovács SA, Binder U, Papp T et al. (2015) Adaptation to thermotolerance in Rhizopus coincides with virulence as revealed by avian and invertebrate infection models, phylogeny, physiological and metabolic flexibility. VIRULENCE 6:395-403.

Kredics L, Narendran V, Shobana CS, Vágvölgyi C, Manikandan P, IHFK Working Group:, Varga J, Galgóczy L, Kocsubé S, Németh TM, Papp T et al. (2015) Filamentous fungal infections of the cornea: a global overview of epidemiology and drug sensitivity MYCOSES 58:243-260

Nyilasi I, Kocsubé S, Krizsán K, Galgóczy L, Papp T et al. (2014) Susceptibility of clinically important dermatophytes against statins and different statin-antifungal combinations MEDICAL MYCOLOGY 52:140-148

Nagy G, Farkas A, Csernetics Á, Bencsik O, Szekeres A, Nyilasi I, Vágvölgyi Cs, Papp T Transcription analysis of the three HMG-CoA reductase genes of Mucor circinelloides BMC MICROBIOLOGY 14: Paper 93. 10 p. (2014)

Bencsik O, Papp T et al. (2014) Ophiobolin A from Bipolaris oryzae perturbs motility and membrane integrities of porcine sperm and induces cell death on mammalian somatic cell lines. TOXINS (BASEL) 6:2857-2871

Schwartze VU, Hoffmann K, Nyilasi I, Papp T et al. (2012) Lichtheimia species exhibit differences in virulence potential. PLOS ONE 7:e40908

Schoch CL, Seifert KA, Knapp DG, Kovács GM, Nagy LG, Nyilasi I, Papp T et al. (2011) Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a universal DNA barcode marker for Fungi. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 109:6241-6246

Csernetics Á, Nagy G, Iturriaga EA, Szekeres A, Eslava AP, Vágvölgyi Cs, Papp T (2011) Expression of three isoprenoid biosynthesis genes and their effects on the carotenoid production of the zygomycete Mucor circinelloides FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY 48:696-703

Research Group of K. Voigt (Hans Knöll Institute – University of Jena, Jena, Germany)