Abstract
Invasive infections due to Magnusiomyces/Saprochaete species are an emerging problem in immunocompromised patients and are often underrecognized because of misidentification and intrinsic resistance to some antifungals. This multicenter study investigated the species distribution, antifungal susceptibility patterns, and key virulence traits of clinical isolates from Türkiye. A total of 133 clinical isolates collected between 2010 and 2024 from 18 hospitals in 10 cities were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and ITS/LSU sequencing. MICs of amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and flucytosine were determined using the EUCAST broth microdilution method. Biofilm formation and esterase, caseinase, secreted aspartyl proteinase, phospholipase, and hemolysin activities were assessed phenotypically. Sequencing identified 107 isolates (80.4%) as Magnusiomyces capitatus and 26 (19.6%) as Magnusiomyces clavatus, MALDI-TOF MS identified 106 (79.7%) as M. capitatus and 27 isolates (20.3%) as M. clavatus. There was 99.2% agreement between MALDI-TOF MS and sequencing results. Voriconazole, amphotericin B, and posaconazole showed the lowest MICs, whereas fluconazole displayed wide MIC ranges and limited activity. Overall, 97.7% of isolates were strong biofilm producers, with significantly higher biofilm production in M. capitatus. In contrast, M. clavatus showed higher caseinase and esterase activity. This study provides the most extensive multicenter dataset on Magnusiomyces/Saprochaete in Türkiye and underscores their considerable pathogenic potential through strong biofilm formation and tissue-degrading enzyme activities. Accurate species-level identification using MALDI-TOF MS supported by molecular methods is essential, and limited fluconazole activity suggests that voriconazole and amphotericin B should be prioritized in species-guided treatment strategies.
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Data availability
The DNA sequence datasets generated in this study and supporting the findings are openly available in NCBI GenBank at “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/?term=PV273725:PV273820[accn]” under accession numbers PV273725–PV273820.
Abbreviations
- AMB:
-
Amphotericin B
- BAL:
-
Bronchoalveolar Lavage
- CFU:
-
Colony forming unit
- CSF:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
- DMSO:
-
Dimethyl sulfoxide
- DNA:
-
Deoxyribonucleic acid
- EUCAST:
-
European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
- FLU:
-
Fluconazole
- ICU:
-
Intensive care unit
- IFIs:
-
Invasive fungal infections
- ITS:
-
Internal transcribed spacer
- ITR:
-
Itraconazole
- LSU:
-
Large subunit (ribosomal DNA)
- MALDI-TOF MS:
-
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry
- MIC:
-
Minimum inhibitory concentration
- ML:
-
Maximum likelihood
- MTT:
-
3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (assay)
- OD:
-
Optical density
- PBS:
-
Phosphate-buffered saline
- PCR:
-
Polymerase chain reaction
- POS:
-
Posaconazole
- RPMI:
-
Roswell Park Memorial Institute (medium)
- SAP:
-
Secreted aspartyl proteinase
- SDA:
-
Sabouraud dextrose agar
- VOR:
-
Voriconazole
- 5-FC:
-
5-Flucytosine
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Acknowledgements
“This work is respectfully dedicated, with deep gratitude, to the memory of our esteemed mentor Prof. Dr. Emel TÜMBAY, whom we lost in 2025, in recognition of her enduring and visionary contributions to the field of medical mycology.”
Funding
This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Nigde Omer Halisdemir University within the scope of project no. SAT 2024/9-BAGEP.
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A.O: Conceptualization; Methodology; Formal analysis; Investigation; Data curation; Writing-original draft; Writing-review&editing; M.A: Investigation; Data curation; Writing-original draft; Writing-review&editing; E.A.S.; D.G.; E.S.T.; B.O.; Methodology; Investigation; S.A.A: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Data curation; Writing-original draft; Writing-review&editing; Supervision, B.I: Data curation; Writing-original draft; B.O.; O.K.O.; Y.O.; S.A.; D.T.; M.A.; A.B.; A.N.K.; G.E.G; Z.E; B.E.; N.U.T.; E.E.; Z.C.K.; A.K.; M.O.; B.G.K.; H.E.; O.C.; Z.A.I.; E.S.; A.B.; E.O.; I. T.; R. A.; E. K.; provided clinical isolates; A.K: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Data curation; Writing-original draft; Writing-review&editing; Supervision. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Türkiye (Approval No: 2022/92, Date: 14.09.2022).
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Ozturk, A., Aydin, M., Sahin, E.A. et al. Antifungal susceptibility and in vitro virulence characteristics of clinical Magnusiomyces/Saprochaete isolates: a multicenter study from Türkiye. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42967-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42967-1
