Taxonomic study of keratinophilic fungi isolated from soil and some mammals in France

In France, most of the researches have showed the distribution of dermatophytes and other keratinophilic fungi in the soil and in the coat of wild mammals. During these last years, we have also practiced numerous investigations about the distribution of such fungi. The isolated species are: Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton terrestre, Trichophyton ajelloï, Trichophyton simii, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum cookei, Microsporum nanum, Microsporum persicolor, Anixiopsis stercoraria, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Chrysosporium tropicum, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma curreyi, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma cuniculi, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma multifidum, Ctenomycès serratus, Chrysosporium parvum, Chrysosporium indicum, Chrysosporium georgii, Chrysosporium merdarium, Chrysosporium asperatum, Chrysosporium pannorum.A key to these species is proposed: it attempts to provide an aid in identifying geophilic dermatophytes and related fungi (belonging to the Chrysosporium genus).     

Un Chrysosporium nouveau isolé de dentine: C. keratinophilum (Frey) Carmichael var. denticolum nov. var.

Résumé LeChrysosporium keratinophilum var.denticolum diffère du type par ses spores caténées et son habitat. La formation des aleuriospores a été particulièrement étudiée.

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Summary Chrysosporium keratinophilum var.denticolum is distinct from the type by its catenate spores and its substrate. The genesis of the aleuriospores has been specially studied.

     

Human hair colonizing fungi in water sediments of India

Out of 144 samples of water sediments, 183 isolates belonging to 9 genera and 22 species were isolated. Fifty-nine isolates of Acremonium, 26 of Chrysosporium indicum, 22 of Chrysosporium keratinophilum, 17 of Malbranchea sp. and 10 of Microsporum gypseum were recovered. Acremonium implicatum, Chrysosporium georgii, Chrysosporium xerophilum and Geomyces pannorum were reported for the first time from India. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Keratinophilic fungi from the vicinity of meteorite crater soils of Lonar (India)

Thirty-two soil samples were collected from six sites in the vicinity of Lonar lake, a meteorite crater and screened for presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting techniques for isolation. Seventeen isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified by recognition of their macro- and micromorphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Gene bank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Seven species of four genera were isolated viz. Aphanoascus durus (9.38%), Aphanoascus punsolae (3.125%), Auxarthron kuehnii (3.125%), Chrysosporium indicum (25.00%), Chrysosporium tropicum (3.125%), Chrysosporium sp. (3.125%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (6.25%).     

Species diversity of keratinophilic fungi in various soil types

Keratinophilic fungi are a highly specialized, keratin-degrading ecological group. They live in natural environments, mostly in the keratinrich remains of dead animal in the soil. We investigated species diversity in four types of soils with different physico-chemical properties. The strain material was identified based on morphological characters. Different representatives of Chrysosporium and geophilic dermatophytes dominated depending on soil pH. Geophilic dermatophytes were represented by one species, Trichophyton ajelloi, and the Chrysosporium group was represented by Chrysosporium keratinophilum. The frequency of Trichophyton ajelloi increased with an increase in pH, and it reached the maximum in strongly acidic soil (podzol), unlike the Chrysosporium group. The frequency of Chrysosporium keratinophilum was positively correlated with the content of humus, nitrogen, CaCO₃ and phosphorus in the soils.     

Growth Characteristics and Enzyme Activity in Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Isolates

Eighty soil samples were collected from various sites of Bahrain and screened for presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting techniques for isolation. Thirty-six isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micromorphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Gene bank data and compared with deposited sequences for confirmation. Eight species of five genera were isolated viz. Aphanoascus fulvuscence (8.75%), Aphanoascus punsolae (20.00%), Chrysosporium indicum (2.50%), Chrysosporium tropicum (2.50%), Chrysosporium zonatum (3.75%), Spiromastix warcupii (1.25%), Microsporum gypseum (3.75%), and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.50%). In conclusion, our study indicates that keratinophilic fungi do occur in the various soils of Bahrain. Moreover, the narrow diversity and low density of keratinophilic fungi in the investigated soils is expected and is emblematic to other hot arid environments.     

Keratinophilic Fungi Recovered from Muddy Soil in Cairo Vicinities,Egypt

One hundred samples of muddy soil were collected from seven areas in the vicinity of Cairo and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi by using hair baiting isolation technique. Forty isolates of keratinophilic fungi were recovered and identified by recognition of their cultures, macro- and micromorphological features. Their physiological and molecular characteristics were studied by determination of their ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q) composition and DNA sequences of (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and 18S rRNA region sequences. The Keratinophilic isolates were identified as Chrysosporium carmichaelii, C. queenslandicum, C. zonatum, C. indicum, Aphanoascus mephitalis, and Uncinocarpus reesii. Chrysosporium zonatum was the most prevalent species and represented 42.5% of the total number of isolates. Each of C. carmichaelii and C. queenslandicum were equal in their prevalence and represented 15%. C. indicum comes next constituting 12.5%; followed by Uncinocarpus reesii which represented 10%. The least prevalent species in our study was Aphanoascus mephitalis, which was represented only 5% of the total keratinophilic isolates.     

Keratinophilic fungi of school playgrounds in the Nablus area,West Bank of Jordan

The distribution of keratinophilic fungi in the soil of 57 school playgrounds in the Nablus area was studied with relation to human presence. A total number of 73 species was recovered. Thirteen of these species were dermatophytes and closely related fungi. The most common and frequent species of the latter fungi were: Arthroderma cuniculi (found in 32.1% of school playgrounds), Chrysosporium keratinophilum (32.1%), Microsporum gypseum (10.7%), T. terrestre (7.1%), and C. asperatum (7.1%). Twenty eight of the isolated species had been reported to be pathogenic; these comprised 64.3% of the keratinophilic mycoflora of school playgrounds.     

Keratin degradation by fungi isolated from the grounds of a gelatin factory in Jabalpur,India

The ability of five keratinophilic fungi, i.e., Chrysosporium indicum, Geotrichum candidum, Gymnoascoideus petalosporus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and Talaromyces trachyspermus, to digest human hair keratin in stationary culture has been studied. Degradation of human scalp hair was studied by determination of cysteine, cystine, inorganic sulfate, thiosulfate, total protein, keratinase and change in alkalinity of culture filtrate. Gymnoascoideus petalosporus showed maximum degradation as compared to remaining isolates when grown on human scalp hair as the sole source of nutrients in vitro.     

Occurrence of keratinophilic fungi on Indian birds

Keratinophilic fungi were isolated from feathers of most common Indian birds,viz. domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), domestic pigeon (Columba livia), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), house crow (Corvus splendens), duck (Anas sp.), rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Out of 87 birds, 58 yielded 4 keratinophilic fungal genera representing 13 fungal species and one sterile mycelium. The isolated fungi were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar at 28±2°C.Chrysosporium species were isolated on most of the birds.Chrysosporium lucknowense andChrysosporium tropicum were the most common fungal species associated with these Indian birds. Maximum occurrence of fungi (47%) was recorded on domestic chickens and the least number of keratinophilic fungi was isolated from the domestic pigeon and duck. The average number of fungi per bird was found to be the 0.44.     

Keratinophilic fungi isolated from hospital dust and soils of public places at Gulbarga,India

Keratinophilic fungi were isolated from corridor dust of 11 hospitals and soils of 21 public places using a hair baiting technique. A total of 41 species belonging to 24 genera were recovered. Among the dermatophytes and related species, Microsporum gypseum was predominant, followed by Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, M. nanum and Ch. tropicum. Other species were represented by 32 species belonging to 21 genera. Most of the species isolated are known to be agents of human and animal infection or have been isolated from human and animal lesions. The fungi observed here are discussed in relation to their global distribution.     

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from soil in the vicinity of Bogota,Colombia

Soil collected from 54 areas in and around Bogota, Colombia were examined for the presence of keratinophilic fungi by theVanbreuseghem's hair baiting technique. The organisms isolated and frequency are indicated:Trichophyton terrestre, 33;T. ajelloi, 32;Chrysosporium keratinophilum, 30;Microsporon gypseum, 14; andM. fulvum, 1. The perfect stage,Nannizzia gypsea, 1; andArthroderma quadrifidum, 2; were observed growing on hair in three plates.The following organisms apparently have been reported for the first time from soil samples in Colombia:M. fulvum, T. ajelloi, T. terrestre, C. keratinophilum, N. gypsea, andA. quadrifidum.     

A Comparative Study of Caffeine Degradation by Four Different Fungi

The objective of the present study is to investigate the caffeine-degrading abilities of different fungi and to apply this knowledge to environmental remediation and industrial decaffeination process. Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Gliocladium roseum, Fusarium solani, and Aspergillus restrictus were isolated from the coffee pulp obtained from a coffee estate. Pure cultures of fungi were isolated on standard conventional potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium and authenticated. Pure cultures were subjected to a caffeine tolerance study at different concentrations of caffeine (1–8 g/L) in potato dextrose agar (PDA) and minimal media. On PDA, Fusarium solani could tolerate caffeine concentration up to 8 g/L, whereas Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Gliocladium roseum, and Aspergillus restrictus could tolerate up to 6 g/L. On minimal agar medium containing different concentrations of caffeine (1–8 g/L), Fusarium solani tolerated up to 8 g/L and the other fungi up to 2 g/L. A time-bound caffeine degradation study was undertaken at 1 g/L concentration of caffeine and glucose in nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-free liquid minimal media by subjecting the four fungi to shake flask culture at 120 rpm and 30°C. Degradation of caffeine up to 7 days at 24-h intervals was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Gliocladium roseum followed by Aspergillus restrictus showed maximum degradation of caffeine at 0.47 and 0.3 mg/ml, respectively, by 96 h in nitrogen-containing minimal medium, whereas Fusarium solani showed maximum degradation of caffeine by 48 h (0.35 mg/ml) and Chrysosporium keratinophilum by 72 h (0.29 g/ml). In nitrogen-free minimal medium, Chrysosporium keratinophilum showed maximum degradation of caffeine at 72 h (0.45 mg/ml), followed by Gliocladium roseum, Fusarium solani (0.3 mg/ml), and Aspergillus restrictus (0.25 mg/ml) at 96 h. Overall, Chrysosporium keratinophilum showed a comparatively higher rate of caffeine degradation in minimal medium with or without a nitrogen source as compared with the other three fungi, indicating that nitrogen affects caffeine metabolism.     

A preliminary note on inter-reaction of skin test sensitivity between Histoplasmin and Chrysosporin in experimental animals

Summary Species ofChrysosporium have been isolated from soil in Iran. Guinea pigs inoculated withChrysosporium keratinophilum gave a positive skin test to histoplasmin and vice versa. This would suggest thatChrysosporium species might be reponsible for positive skin tests to histoplasmin in areas known not to be endemic for histoplasmosis.     

Influence of animal hibernation on the development of mycoses

The development of adiaspiromycosis and trichophytosis depending upon the state of activity of redcheeked squirrels is described. The conidia of Chrysosporium (Emmonsia) parvum var. crescens, are not transformed into adiaspores when injected into hibernating animals. During the hibernation period of four months, most of the conidia die. After awakening, the remaining viable conidia are transformed into adiaspores. During hibernation the squirrels, which had been infected with Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulosum, developed a symptom-free infection.     

Keratinophilic fungi inhabiting floor dusts of student houses at the South Valley University in Egypt

Keratinophilic fungi include true fungi that vigorously degrade keratin as well as a number of important human pathogenic dermatophytes. We identified 41 species and one variety belonging to 19 genera in 50 floor dust samples following culture on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar medium at 28°C. Dermatophytes and closely related fungi were represented by six species—Aphanoascus fulvescens, Aphanoascus sp., Arthroderma cuniculi, Chrysosporium lucknowense, Gymnoascus uncinatus and Trichophyton rubrum. There were 35 species and one variety of other fungal species, with members of Aspergillus and Penicllium being the most prevalent. Twenty-seven species and 1 variety belonging to 14 genera were identified from 24 dust samples gathered at 2-week intervals from male student housing at El-Kenose during January–December 2005 that had been cultured on Sabauraud’s dextrose agar at 28°C. The monthly counts of keratinophilic fungi showed irregular fluctuations, with a peak in April and the lowest point in November. Dermatophytes and closely related fungi were represented by Aphanoascus fulvescens, Aphanoascus sp., Chrysosporium lucknowense, Gymnoascus uncinatus, and Trichophyton rubrum. In conclusion, the study reports the incidences of some dermatophytes found in the floor dust of student houses of South Valley University, Egypt.     

A survey of keratinophilic fungi as a tool for hen feather utilization

One hundred keratinophilic fungi belonging toAcremonium, Aphanoascus, Amauroascus, Botryotrichum, Chrysosporium, Ctenomyces, Gymnoascus, Malbranchea, Microsporum, Narashimella andVerticillium were tested for their potential to utilize hen feathers as keratinous waste.Acremonium sp. 2 andChrysosporium europae released 494.33 and 457.33 μg/ml protein from feathers respectively.Microsporum gypseum released 698.66 μg/ml protein from feathers. Some of these keratinophilic strains other thanMicrosporum may prove beneficial as tools for rapid utilization of not only feathers but other hard keratinous substrates and their end product may be of industrial importance.     

Dermatophytes and other keratinophilic fungi from coypus (Myocastor coypus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus)

The occurrence of mycotic agents was investigated by hair-brush technique on the coat of 162 naturalized coypus (Myocastor coypus) and 64 indigenous brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) originating from the same protected area in Central Italy. The isolates from positive coypus (29.6%) were identified as Microsporum gypseum (14.8%), Trichophyton terrestre (9.8%), Alternaria sp. (3.7%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.5%), Cladosporium sp. (1.8%), Scopulariopsis sp. (1.2%), and Chrysosporium keratinophilum (0.6%), whereas the isolates from positive rats (46.7%) were identified as M. gypseum (28.1%), T. mentagrophytes (12.5%), Chrysosporium tropicum and T. terrestre (3.1% each), and Chrysosporium inops (1.6%). Statistically, brown rats were more likely to harbor fungal agents (P < 0.05) on their coat than coypus, especially T. mentagrophytes (P < 0.01) and M. gypseum (P < 0.05). No positive animal showed dermatological lesions. The present results are the first providing basic information on the coat’s mycoflora of a wild coypu population. It is concluded that the coypu, an allochthonous rodent in Italy, can play a role as natural animal reservoir of dermatophytes and as carrier of keratinophilic and saprophytic fungi within its new habitat, though to a lesser extent than indigenous rats. Therefore, people who are exposed to the risk of contact with the coat of rats and coypus should take all the cautions needed to protect themselves from mycotic agents potentially transmissible to humans.     

Fermentation of waste mechanical fibers from a newsprint mill by the rot fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum

The growth and protein production of Sporotrichum pulverulentum, formerly called Chrysosporium lignorum, have been studied in submerged cultures using lignin-containing waste fibers from a newsprint mill as the only carbon source. The influence of different nitrogen sources on the growth parameters has been particularly investigated. The regulation of the production of extracellular enzymes and their interaction with the fibers is discussed. Experiments with cellulose of different degrees of polymerization and crystallinities showed that the protein content in the residual substance decreased, particularly when the crystallinity increased. When the highly crystalline powder cellulose was used as carbon source, the protein content in the residual substance was only 6% and with the mechanical waste fibers 14%. The results obtained demonstrate that the more complex the carbon source the more difficult it is to digest and the more enzyme has to be produced for its degradation. This puts a heavy burden on the protein synthesizing mechanism. Utilizing results from other work, where the endo- and exo-l, 4-β-glucanases produced by S. pulverulentum for the degradation of cellulose have been quantitatively purified, it has been calculated that the extracellular enzymes under these conditions can together account for approximately 30% of the protein in the mycelium. The endo- and exo-1,4-β-glucanases account for up to 55% of the extracellular protein. Certain possibilities of producing a final product with a high protein content using complex carbon sources are also mentioned.     

Keratinophilic fungi on sheep hairs from the West Bank of Jordan

The mycoflora of the hair in 285 sheep from the West Bank of Jordan was analysed and the frequency of occurrence and the relative importance value for different fungal species found were calculated. Ninenty six species which belong to 36 genera were isolated. Forty one of these species were either well-known agents of animal and human mycoses (Trichophyton verrucosum, T. mentagrophytes, Microsporum nanum, M. canis, and others), or have been isolated from human and animal lesions (Arthroderma cuniculi, A. curreyi, Chrysosporium tropicum, Acremonium kiliense, Aphanoascus fulvuscens, Aspergillus versicolor, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and others). These pathogenic fungi comprised 75.4% of all fungi recovered from the hair of sheep. This animal seems to represent an adequate reservoir for several dermatophytes and several potentially pathogenic fungi.