Rhizomucor Pusillus

Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Rhizomucor pusillus (R. pusillus) is a member of the Mucoraceae family that is implicated in the fungal infection mucormycosis. The number of therapeutic options for the treatment of fungal infections is quite limited. As new antifungal medical therapy is needed for fungal infections including mucormycosis, Creative Biolabs now provides a full range of preclinical contract research services for antifungal drug development to support the growing interests in this field.

Introduction to R. pusillus

R. pusillus is a thermophilic saprophytic mucormycetes ubiquitous in air, soil, water, and organic matter. The growth optimum temperature of R. pusillus is between 50 and 70 degrees Celsius. The microscopic observations show that R. pusillus cells have stolons, rhizoids, and branched sporangiophores. They reproduce both sexually and asexually. Besides, it is a good producer of amylase. Moreover, it is associated with human diseases, leading to zygomycosis in humans. In animals, infection of R. pusillus may lead to mucormycotic abortion.

Pathogenesis of R. pusillus

R. pusillus typically occurs as opportunistic infections in susceptible hosts. It causes necrosis of infected tissues and pen neural invasion. Despite its low pathogenicity in humans compared with other agents of mucormycosis, R. pusillus is angioinvasive and thermotolerant, allowing for wide dissemination in febrile individuals. There are different cases reported to be caused by R. pusillus, including pulmonary, soft tissue, rhino-orbital-cerebral, cerebral, intra-abdominal, and disseminated infections. It occurs in patients with hematological malignancies, diabetes, leukemia, etc. Moreover, it can often lead to a fatal outcome and the mortality rate is rather high.

Fig. 1 Macroscopic and microscopic illustration of R. pusillus. (Bard, 2014)

Features of our Services

The service team at Creative Biolabs delivers full-scale antifungal drug discovery services with the highest quality by leveraging our rich experience and expertise. We can assist you in every stage of preclinical drug development, including target identification and validation, Hit identification, Hit to lead, Lead optimization, and IND enabling. Moreover, our services are characterized by:

• High quality – robust, efficient processes combined with quality systems
• Expertise – scientists and staff with profound expertise and hands-on experience
• Versatile – a wide range of fungal diseases, pathogens, and potential drug targets
• Flexibility – customized study designs to meet your specific needs

Other fungi that are implicated in mucormycosis include:

• Rhizopus Oryzae
• Rhizopus Microsporus
• Lichtheimia Corymbifera
• Lichtheimia Ramosa
• Mucor Circinelloides
• Apophysomyces Elegans
• Saksenaea Vasiformis
• Cunninghamella Bertholletiae

Creative Biolabs continues to expand our capabilities to meet the changing demands of our clients and to expand the value of your projects. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more information.

References

1. Kimura, M.; et al. Isolation and identification of Rhizomucor pusillus from pleural zygomycosis in an immunocompetent patient. Medical mycology. 2009, 47(8): 869-873.
2. Bard, J. D.; et al. First case report of bloodstream infection by Rhizomucor pusillus in a child with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Medical mycology case reports. 2014, 5: 20-23.

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