OFFICIALOFFICIAL JOURNAL JOURNAL OF OF THE THE AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY SOCIETY FOR FOR MICROBIOLOGY MICROBIOLOGY INC. INCINC. VolumeVolume 3636 NumberNumber 22 MayMay 20152015 Medical and veterinary mycology customisable MIC solutions Sensititre provides the only fully customizable system (ARIS 2X, SWIN, OptiRead, AIM, Vizion) with a choice of completely automated, semi-automated, or manual equipment to cover all diagnostic testing needs in the clinical laboratory.More than 240 antimicrobials are available for susceptibility testing of bacteria, mycobacteria and yeasts, ensuring accurate first time results. maximum performance • To find out more visit www.trekds.com or call 1300-735-292 YeastOne™ plates Colorimetric alamarBlue™ agent provides reliable and consistent endpoint determination, with visual read option for yeast and filamentous fungi* *CE/IVD-marked. For research use only in the U.S. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. © 2015 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. © 2015 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights The Australian Society for Microbiology Inc. OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY INC. 9/397 Smith Street Fitzroy, Vic. 3065 Tel: 1300 656 423 Volume 36 Number 2 May 2015 Fax: 03 9329 1777 Email: [email protected] www.theasm.org.au Contents ABN 24 065 463 274 Guest For Microbiology Australia Editorial 42 correspondence, see address below. Medical and veterinary mycology 42 Editorial team Wieland Meyer, Laszlo Irinyi and Tania Sorrell Prof. Ian Macreadie, Mrs Jo Macreadie In Focus 44 and Mrs Hayley Macreadie DNA barcoding of human and animal pathogenic fungi: Editorial Board the ISHAM-ITS database 44 Dr Chris Burke (Chair) Dr Gary Lum Prof. Mary Barton Dr John Merlino Laszlo Irinyi and Wieland Meyer Prof. Linda Blackall Prof. Wieland Meyer Phosphate theft: a path to fungal pathogenic success 49 Prof. Sharon Chen Prof. William Rawlinson Prof. Peter Coloe Dr Paul Selleck Julianne T Djordjevic and Sophie Lev Dr Narelle Fegan Dr David Smith Candida and macrophages: a deadly affair 53 Dr Geoff Hogg Ms Helen Smith Timothy Tucey, Thomas Naderer and Ana Traven Prof.. Jonathan Iredell Dr Jack Wang Dr Ipek Kurtböke Dr Paul Young Under the Microscope 57 Subscription rates Current subscription rates are available Clinical and Translational Mycology on the southern shores: perspective from the ASM Melbourne offi ce. from the Australia and New Zealand Mycoses Interest Group 57 Monica A Slavin and Sharon C-A Chen Editorial correspondence Prof. Ian Macreadie/Mrs Jo Macreadie The Westmead Medical Mycology Collection: basis for Tel: 0402 564 308 (Ian) research and diagnosis of fungal diseases 60 Email: [email protected] Wieland Meyer, Krystyna Maszewska, Aziza Khan and Kennio Ferreira-Paim Published four times a year in print and open access online by The role of clinical mycology reference laboratories 64 Sarah Kidd, Catriona Halliday and David Ellis Australia in the global picture of the molecular epidemiology of Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII 67 Carolina Firacative, Kennio Ferreira-Paim, Luciana Trilles, Unipark, Building 1, Level 1 David M Engelthaler and Wieland Meyer 195 Wellington Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168 http://microbiology.publish.csiro.au On the surface of it: the role of materials science in developing Publishing enquiries antifungal therapies and diagnostics 71 Jenny Bennett Bryan R Coad Email: [email protected] Microsphaeropsis arundinis: an emerging cause Production enquiries of phaeohyphomycosis in cats and people 74 Helen Pavlatos George Reppas, Thomas Gottlieb, Mark Krockenberger, Email: [email protected] Catriona Halliday and Richard Malik Advertising enquiries Doug Walters Pneumocystis canis pneumonia in dogs 79 Tel: 03 9545 8505 Elizabeth Ralph, George Reppas, Catriona Halliday, Mobile: 0419 357 779 Mark Krockenberger and Richard Malik Email: [email protected] © 2015 The Australian Society for Microbiology Inc. Mucormycosis in the platypus and amphibians caused by Mucor amphibiorum 83 The ASM, through CSIRO Publishing, reserve all rights Joanne H Connolly to the content, artwork and photographs in Microbiology Australia. Permission to reproduce text, photos and Rethinking the targets for antifungal development 88 artwork must be sought from CSIRO Publishing. Jessica L Chitty and James A Fraser The Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments permit downloading and use of an article by Sporotrichosis: an Australian perspective of a global infection 90 an individual or educational institution for non- Ian Arthur, Michael Leung and Elin Westergaard commercial personal use or study. Multiple reproduction of any Microbiology Australia article in a study block is governed by rights agreement managed by Copyright You are what you secrete: extracellular proteins and virulence in Cryptococcus 93 Agency Limited and fees may apply. Leona T Campbell, Matthew P Padula, Elizabeth Harry and Dee A Carter Authors published in Microbiology Australia have the Morphogenesis and pathogenesis: control of cell identity moral right under Australian law to be acknowledged as the creator. in a dimorphic pathogen 95 ISSN 1324-4272 Hayley E Bugeja and Alex Andrianopoulos eISSN 2201-9189 Use of Caenorhabditis elegans as a non-mammalian model While reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content, the Australian Society for system to study Candida virulence 98 Microbiology, CSIRO, and CSIRO Publishing accept no Farkad Bantun, Sanjiveeni Dhamgaye and Anton Y Peleg responsibility for any loss or damage from the direct or indirect use of or reliance on the content. The opinions expressed in articles, letters, and advertisements in Cover image: Cryptococcus gattii india ink plus janus green mount of a CFS specimen with the cryptococci Microbiology Australia are not necessarily those of the arranged as the ‘Southern Cross’ and a montage showing microscopic morphology of Exserohilum Australian Society for Microbiology, the Editorial Board, rostrum, Aspergillus lentulus, Conidiobolus coronatus, Saksenaea vasiformis, Phialophora sp., Bipolaris CSIRO, and CSIRO Publishing. australiensis, Gliiocladium sp., Sordaria fumicola, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium solani. Images courtesy of David Ellis, University of Adelaide. MICROBIOLOGY AUSTRALIA • MAY 2015 41 Guest Editorial Medical and veterinary mycology Wieland Meyer A,B, Laszlo Irinyi A,C and Tania Sorrell A,D AMolecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Medical School–Westmead Hospital, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia BEmail: [email protected] CEmail: [email protected] DEmail: [email protected] Fungi, the second most frequent eukaryotic organisms1, are re- Most fungal species that cause infections are opportunistic, with a sponsible for many diseases in plants, animals and humans. They minority considered as primary pathogens of humans or animals. cause significant problems and economic losses in agriculture, food As a result, understanding the pathogenesis of fungal infections security and the health system as well as having an impact of the is critical to improve antifungal treatment of confirmed disease. biodiversity and ecosystems2. Of the estimated 5 million fungal The application of new molecular and biochemical techniques has species1, about 600 are known to cause human or animal infections, largely contributed to the development of improved fungal identi- ranging from superficial infections of the nails and skin caused by fication and new antifungal therapies. However, development of dermatophytes, through mucocutaneous candidiasis to life-threat- better and safer antifungal drugs is still needed. ening invasive fungal infections caused by Candida, Cryptococcus Despite the growing importance of fungal infections, the number of and Aspergillus species, among others3. The number of reported fungal studies (private or public) and the available research funding infections have significantly increased over the past three decades, lag significantly behind that of bacteria and viruses. To overcome with serious impacts on public health and an increased risk of this it is important to raise public awareness of fungal infection and biodiversity loss among animal species2,4. In humans, superficial their consequences. infections affect an estimated 1.7 billion (25%) individuals world- fi wide. The majority of super cial infections are not lethal but they In May 2015, the Australian New Zealand Mycology Interest Group can cause serious discomfort. Oropharyngeal or genital mucosal (ANZMIG) of the Australian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID) is infections are also common and can be disabling. An estimated 75% hosting the 19th Congress of the International Society of Human of the women of childbearing age suffer from vulvovaginitis, mainly and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) and will welcome medical mycolo- 5 caused by Candida species , which are the third most common gists and infectious diseases clinicians from around the globe. opportunistic fungal disease agents after Aspergillus spp., world- Discussions will include the latest findings in basic, applied and 4 wide . Invasive fungal diseases are less common but they cause clinical medical mycology. significant morbidity and mortality, killing about 1.5 million people every year worldwide4, and are associated with substantial health- Australia has an active