Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Parasitology-Mycology LP3M (Code LR12ES08), Department of Clinical Biology B, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Department of Nutrition and Environmental Sciences, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mahdia, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Arch Microbiol. 2023 Jan 12;205(2):64. doi: 10.1007/s00203-022-03386-8.
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the proven vectors of Leishmaniases which are widespread parasitosis in many tropical and subtropical countries. The development of infective metacyclic Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) promastigotes stage is restricted to the vector midgut. Recently, several studies have assessed the influence of the sand fly midgut fungal microflora on the development of invective Leishmania stage. The aim of this study was to identify the fungal microflora from the cuticle and midgut of wild caught sandflies. A total of 50 sandflies were caught in two different leishmaniasis foci of center Tunisia and analyzed using an in vitro isolation of fungi followed by a morphological and molecular identification of fungal isolates. The morphological identification of sandflies specimens revealed five Species: Phlebotomus (P.) papatasi (n = 25), P. perniciosus (n = 15) P. riouxi (n = 6), P. longicuspis (n = 3) and P. sergenti (n = 1). Forty positive fungal cultures were isolated from 34 sand flies (19 males and 15 females) distributed as following: P. papatasi (n = 16), P. perniciosus (n = 11), P. riouxi (n = 4), P. longicuspis (n = 2) and P. sergenti (n = 1). Thirty-five cultures were isolated from the cuticles and five from the guts. A total of 15 fungi genera belonging to 8 families were identified with the predominance of Aspergillus genus followed by Penicillium genus. Among the 15 fungi genera, five were common between males and females specimens. Lecytophora canina and Leishmania major co-infection was detected in the gut of a female P. papatasi. Our preliminary findings highlight the high diversity of fungal microflora from the sand flies midguts.
嗜人按蚊（双翅目：长角亚目）是广泛流行于许多热带和亚热带国家的利什曼病的公认传播媒介。感染性循环亲环体莱什曼原虫（原生动物门：动基体目）前鞭毛体阶段的发育仅限于媒介的中肠。最近，几项研究评估了沙蝇中肠真菌微生物群对感染性莱什曼原虫阶段发育的影响。本研究的目的是鉴定从野生捕获的沙蝇的表皮和中肠中分离出来的真菌微生物群。在突尼斯中部的两个不同利什曼病流行地区共捕获了 50 只沙蝇，并用体外真菌分离法进行分析，然后对真菌分离株进行形态学和分子鉴定。沙蝇标本的形态学鉴定显示有 5 个种：白蛉（P.）papatasi（n = 25）、P. perniciosus（n = 15）、P. riouxi（n = 6）、P. longicuspis（n = 3）和 P. sergenti（n = 1）。从 34 只沙蝇（19 只雄性和 15 只雌性）中分离出 40 株阳性真菌培养物，分布如下：P. papatasi（n = 16）、P. perniciosus（n = 11）、P. riouxi（n = 4）、P. longicuspis（n = 2）和 P. sergenti（n = 1）。35 株从表皮分离，5 株从肠道分离。共鉴定出 15 个属的真菌，属于 8 个科，其中以曲霉属为主，其次是青霉属。在 15 个真菌属中，有 5 个属在雄性和雌性标本中都有发现。在一只雌性 P. papatasi 的肠道中检测到犬利什曼原虫和利什曼原虫的共同感染。我们的初步研究结果强调了沙蝇中肠真菌微生物群的高度多样性。
