ArticleBMC microbiology2026
Isolation and genomic analysis of otomycosis pathogens, and genomics-informed antimicrobial peptide design with potential therapeutic applications.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFungal infections are increasingly recognized as a major public health challenge, and superficial diseases such as otomycosis remain clinically consequential because persistence, recurrence, and treatment failure are common when the causative species and susceptibility profile are not clearly defined. However, otomycosis associated isolates are often insufficiently characterized at the genomic level. Furthermore, the development of antifungal candidates, particularly for short antimicrobial peptides, remains heterogeneous in terms of the integration of efficacy, biosafety, and mechanistic endpoints.
methodsHere, we combined clinical otoscopy and cerumen culture with whole genome sequencing and multi-database annotation of an otomycosis derived Aspergillus terreus AT-1 isolate, including targeted analyses of cytochrome P450 families, secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, curated pathogenicity resources, and antimicrobial/antibiotic resistance signatures. Then, we rationally designed five C-terminally amidated, phenylalanine based short peptides with controlled physicochemical parameters and assessed antifungal activity by broth microdilution MIC assays against A. terreus AT-1 and yeast pathogens, complemented by hemolysis testing and propidium iodide based flow cytometry and microscopy to evaluate membrane permeabilization.
resultsOtoscopy was consistent with otomycosis, and culture yielded colonies identified as A. terreus AT-1 from the affected ear but not from recovered controls. Genome annotation defined a functionally diverse repertoire spanning metabolism, transport, secondary metabolism, pathogenicity linked features, and a structured resistance gene landscape. The peptide panel showed measurable antifungal activity with distinct hemolysis profiles, and peptide C3 increased A. terreus AT-1 conidial membrane permeability.
conclusionsOverall, this study establishes an integrated and reproducible workflow that couples clinical isolation and genome resolved characterization of an otomycosis associated A. terreus AT-1 isolate with biosafety aware, mechanism informed triage of phenylalanine based short peptides.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.