Source: The Third Affiliated Hospital
Written by: The Third Affiliated Hospital
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

The Sixth Meeting of the ISHAM Working Groups on Black Yeasts and Chromoblastomycosis was held on September 15-18, 2016 at Viterbo, Italy. More than 70 participants from 17 countries attended the meeting. Black yeasts are classically defined as anamorphic fungi potentially able to produce melanized budding cells and are often extremotolerant. Chromoblastomycosis is one of the most frequent diseases caused by melanized fungi, which is mainly endemic in tropical and subtropical climate zones, especially in China and Brazil.
 

Group photo
 

Professors Xi Liyan and Zhang Junmin (Department of Dermatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University) and Associate Professor Feng Peiying (Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University) were the invited speakers of the meeting. They gave presentations on topics of “Molecular re-evaluation of Fonsecaea species as etiologic agents of chromoblastomycosis in China”, "Effect of Fonsecaea monophora on the expressions of TLR2, TLR4, Dectin-1 and the production of TNF-α in macrophages”, "Phylogenomic analyses reveal the diversity of laccase-coding genes in Fonsecaea genomes” and “Auricular chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea nubica with unusual polymorphic sclerotic bodies: First report from China” respectively.

There was an open and active discussion among participants focusing on black yeasts from extreme to domestic environments, black fungi in the omics ear and virulence factors, black fugal responses and biocontrol, and black fungi in human disease. This will help promote research and international cooperation in related fields at Sun Yat-sen University in the coming future.