(Press-News.org) DURHAM, NC -- Researchers have pinpointed the environmental source of fungal infections that have been sickening HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California for decades. It literally grows on trees.
The discovery is based on the science project of a 13-year-old girl, who spent the summer gathering soil and tree samples from areas around Los Angeles hardest hit by infections of the fungus named Cryptococcus gattii (CRIP-to-cock-us GAT-ee-eye).
Cryptococcus, which encompasses a number of species including C. gattii, causes life-threatening infections of the lungs and brain and is responsible for one third of all AIDS-related deaths.
The study, which appears Aug. 21 in PLOS Pathogens, found strong genetic evidence that three tree species -- Canary Island pine, Pohutukawa and American sweetgum -- can serve as environmental hosts and sources of these human infections.
"Just as people who travel to South America are told to be careful about drinking the water, people who visit other areas like California, the Pacific Northwest and Oregon need to be aware that they are at risk for developing a fungal infection, especially if their immune system is compromised," said Deborah J. Springer, Ph.D., lead study author and postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at Duke University School of Medicine.
A few years ago, Duke's chairman of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Joseph Heitman M.D., was contacted by longtime collaborator and UCLA infectious disease specialist Scott Filler, M.D., whose daughter Elan was looking for a project to work on during her summer break. They decided it would be fun to send her out in search of fungi living in the greater Los Angeles area.
The student sampled 109 swabs of more than 30 tree species and 58 soil samples, grew and isolated the Cryptococcus fungus, and then sent those specimens to Springer at Duke. Springer DNA-sequenced the samples from California and compared the sequences to those obtained from HIV/AIDS patients with C. gattii infections.
She was surprised to find that specimens from three of the tree species were genetically almost indistinguishable from the patient specimens.
The researchers also found that the C. gattii isolated from the environment were fertile, reproducing either by sexual or asexual reproduction.
"That finding is important for long-term prevalence in the environment, because this fungal pathogen will be able to grow, reproduce, disperse spores, and serve as a source of ongoing infections," Springer said.
INFORMATION:
Citation
"Cryptococcus gattii VGIII isolates causing infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California: Identification of the local environmental source as arboreal," Deborah J. Springer, R. Blake Billmyre, Elan E. Filler, Kerstin Voelz, Rhiannon Pursal, Piotr Mieczkowski, Robert A. Larsen, Fred S. Dietrich, Robin C. Mary, Scott G. Filler, and Joseph Heitman. PLOS Pathogens, August. 21, 2014.
Fungus deadly to AIDS patients found to grow on trees
13-year-old's science fair project finds fungus in the environment
2014-08-21
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Low birth weight linked to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in African American women
2014-08-21
(Boston) — African American women born at a low or very low birth weight may be at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The findings, which appear in Diabetes Care, may explain in part the higher occurrence of type 2 diabetes in African American populations, which has a high prevalence of low birth weight.
Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center followed more than 21,000 women enrolled in the Black Women's Health Study over the course of 16 years, analyzing characteristics such as birth weight, current age, family history of diabetes, body ...
Enabling a new future for cloud computing
2014-08-21
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced two $10 million projects to create cloud computing testbeds--to be called "Chameleon" and "CloudLab"--that will enable the academic research community to develop and experiment with novel cloud architectures and pursue new, architecturally-enabled applications of cloud computing.
Cloud computing refers to the practice of using a network of remote servers to store, manage and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. In recent years, cloud computing has become the dominant method of providing ...
NASA scientists watching, studying Arctic changes this summer
2014-08-21
VIDEO:
In this animation, the Earth rotates slowly as the Arctic sea ice advances over time from March 21, 2014 to August 3, 2014.
Click here for more information.
As we near the final month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, NASA scientists are watching the annual seasonal melting of the Arctic sea ice cover. The floating, frozen cap that stretches across the Arctic Ocean shrinks throughout summer until beginning to regrow, typically around mid-September.
As of Aug. 19, ...
Extracorporeal support can significantly increase number of organs for transplant
2014-08-21
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Using heart-lung support technology, the University of Michigan's Transplant Center was able to increase the number of kidneys, livers and pancreases available for transplant by about 20 percent.
The results were published in the journal Transplantation and detail the impact of more than 10 years of using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, to improve the quality and viability of organs donated after circulatory determination of death.
"Organ transplant is limited by the number of donated organs available, so the use of organs that are donated ...
Liberal democracy is possible in Muslim-majority countries
2014-08-21
A new study by University of Toronto and University of Tübingen researchers suggests that Islam is not as much of an impediment to liberal democracy as is often thought.
"One of the key markers for a successful liberal democracy is a high degree of social tolerance," says U of T sociologist Robert Andersen. "We wanted to see the extent to which this existed in countries with a majority of Muslims compared to Western countries."
Andersen, U of T sociologist Robert Brym and Scott Milligan of the University of Tübingen used data from the World Values Survey – a global ...
Canola genome sequence reveals evolutionary 'love triangle'
2014-08-21
Athens, Ga. – An international team of scientists including researchers from the University of Georgia recently published the genome of Brassica napus—commonly known as canola—in the journal Science. Their discovery paves the way for improved versions of the plant, which is used widely in farming and industry.
Canola is grown across much of Canada and its native Europe, but the winter crop is increasingly cultivated in Georgia. Canola oil used for cooking is prized for its naturally low levels of saturated fat and rich supply of omega-3 fatty acids, but the plant is ...
Despite a significant reduction in smog-producing toxins, the Greater Toronto Area still violates Canada's standards for ozone air pollution
2014-08-21
Despite a significant reduction in smog-producing toxins in past decade, GTA still violates Canada's ozone standards
A new study shows that while the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has significantly reduced some of the toxins that contribute to smog, the city continues to violate the Canada-wide standards for ozone air pollution.
Smog, which can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is produced by a set of complex photochemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides and sunlight, which form ground-level ...
Orgasm rates for single women less predictable than men's, vary by sexual orientation
2014-08-21
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A new study of American singles found that during sex with a familiar partner, men have the highest orgasm rates. On average, men experience orgasm 85.1 percent of the time, with their sexual orientation making little difference. For women, however, orgasm occurrence is less predictable. On average, women experience orgasm 62.9 percent of the time during sex with a familiar partner -- and this pattern varies with women's sexual orientation, with lesbian women experiencing orgasm more often than heterosexual or bisexual women.
The Indiana University ...
Losing weight lowers health care costs for adults with type 2 diabetes
2014-08-21
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Aug. 21, 2014 – Overweight individuals with diabetes who lose weight by dieting and increasing their physical activity can reduce their health care costs by an average of more than $500 per year, according to a new study.
"Lifestyle interventions promoting weight loss and physical activity are recommended for overweight and obese people with Type 2 diabetes to improve their health," said Mark A. Espeland, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and lead author of the study. "This is the first study to show that weight ...
ORNL scientists uncover clues to role of magnetism in iron-based superconductors
2014-08-21
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 21, 2014—New measurements of atomic-scale magnetic behavior in iron-based superconductors by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University are challenging conventional wisdom about superconductivity and magnetism.
The study published in Advanced Materials provides experimental evidence that local magnetic fluctuations can influence the performance of iron-based superconductors, which transmit electric current without resistance at relatively high temperatures.
"In the past, everyone thought ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Nearly 80% of whale sharks in this marine tourism hotspot have human-caused scars
Spider uses trapped fireflies as glowing bait to attract more prey
How AI can build bridges between nations, if diplomats use it wisely
80% of Americans don’t know early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms
Researchers engineer ureter tissue from stem cells, paving way for transplantable kidneys
Strong, evidence-based leadership at CDC essential in wake of director’s exit, says SHEA
Birdwatching tourism is booming. Some countries are benefiting, while others are left behind
High protein or Trp diet increases the risk of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism
Risk of a second cancer after early breast cancer is low
Genetic key to why immune responses differ between men and women
Discovery could lead to new treatments for life-threatening allergic reactions
CRF announces TCT 2025 late-breaking clinical trials and science
Ancient DNA reveals farming spread through migration, locals slow to adopt it
Researchers turn mouse scalp transparent to image brain development
New research reveals longevity gains slowing, life expectancy of 100 unlikely
Wheat that makes its own fertilizer
Certain communities of pond plants may increase greenhouse gases
Hormone therapy type matters for memory performance after menopause
Stroke risk highest among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander people
Scientists reveal warped protoplanetary discs, reshaping ideas about how planets form
Be it feast or famine, orangutans adapt with flexible diets
Insomnia patients report better sleep when taking cannabis-based medical products
Intrusive distracting thoughts may be associated with anxiety and linked to lower well-being, and occur more often when alone than in company
New crocodile-relative “hypercarnivore” from prehistoric Patagonia was 11.5ft long and weighed 250kg
“Unhappiness hump” in aging may have disappeared worldwide
Breathwork can induce altered states of consciousness linked with changes in brain blood flow
New research makes first broad-spectrum antiviral
Good sleep quality might be key for better mental wellbeing in young adults
One step closer to improving ER+ breast cancer patients’ response to therapy
Scientists reveal the first structure of the complete botulinum neurotoxin complex
[Press-News.org] Fungus deadly to AIDS patients found to grow on trees13-year-old's science fair project finds fungus in the environment