Serological cross-reactivity between sporothrix schenckii and various unrelated fungi

The serological cross-reactivity ofSporothrix schenckii with various unrelated fungi was investigated by use of immunodiffusion tests. A rabbit antiS. schenckii serum was obtained, which reacted withCladosporium werneckii, C. carrionii, C. bantianum, Coccidioides immitis, Phialophora jeanselmei, P. gougerotii, P. dermatitidis, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Histoplasma capsulatum andTrichophyton mentagrophytes, but not withSaccharomyces cerevisiae antigens. The serological determinants responsible for the cross-reactions were suggested to be D-galactosyl residues.     

Identification of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi and related taxa based on large subunit ribosomal DNA D1/D2 domain sequence analysis

The nucleotide sequences of the D1/D2 domains of large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA for 76 strains of 46 species of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi and related taxa were determined. Intra-species sequence diversity of medically important dematiaceous fungi including Phialophora verrucosa, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fonsecaea compacta, Cladophialophora carrionii, Cladophialophora bantiana, Exophiala dermatitidis, Exophiala jeanselmei, Exophiala spinifera, Exophiala moniliae, and Hortaea werneckii were extremely small; as few as 0 changes were detected in C. bantiana, Fonsecaea and Exophiala species, 1 bp in C. carrionii and H. werneckii, and 2 bp in P. verrucosa. Inter-species nucleotide diversity between most species was higher. These data suggested that the D1/D2 domain is sufficiently variable for identification of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi and relevant species. The phylogenetic trees constructed from the sequence data revealed that most human pathogenic species formed a single cluster and that Cladosporium and Phialophora species were distributed polyphyletically into several clusters.     

Four or more species of Cladosporium sympatrically colonize Phragmites australis

A collection of Cladosporium has been recovered from common reed growing at Lake Constance (Germany). High-resolution cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed that Cladosporium isolates from reed are diverse. Morphologically, we distinguished three species, viz. C. herbarum, C. oxysporum, and Cladosporium sp. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis supported these results and, moreover, separated the most common species, C. oxysporum, into two subclades. Two additional phylogenies were generated to gain support for this finding. The first, differentiating fungi by their capacities to metabolize different carbon sources, showed correlation with morphology. The second, based on actin gene sequences, showed the same overall topology as that of the ITS tree, but resulted in a higher resolution indicating the existence of four or more species of Cladosporium on reed. A nested PCR assay targeting variable sequences within actin introns indicated that these four species sympatrically colonize reed. There was no evidence for mutual exclusion on or within the host or specialization for host habitats or organs.     

Virulence and antifungal susceptibility of environmental and clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from Puerto Rico

A case of cerebral cladosporiosis caused by Cladosporium trichoides (bantianum) now known as Xylohypha bantiana is described and illustrated. Predisposing debilitating diseases were not detectable. The Cladosporiosis diagnosis was based on visualisation of hyphal element in direct Gram's stain, direct KOH preparate of pus from brain abscess and on repeated successful cultivation of Cladosporium trichoides from specimen and by histopathology. Following surgery and anti-fungal chemotherapy the patient was cured.     

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Cladosporium bantianum in Kerala (India)

A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Cladosporium bantianum is reported from India for the first time. It is also the first known case of infection involving the foot caused by this fungus. The cultural characteristics and animal pathogenicity of the isolate are described.     

Granulomatous reactions induced by lipids extracted from Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fonsecaea compactum, Cladosporium carrionii and Phialophora verrucosum

Granulomatous reactions induced by lipid extracts from the dermatophyte fungi Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fonsecaea compactum, Cladosporium carrionii and Phialophora verrucosum, the causal organisms of chromoblastomycosis, were studied. Charcoal particles coated with the lipid extracts were prepared and injected intravenously into mice. Inflammation was characterized by an intense mononuclear cell infiltrate that lodged in the lung from 4 to 8 d after inoculation.     

Cold-tolerant (psychrotrophic) moulds and blue stain fungi from softwood in Sweden. Growth rates in relation to pH and temperature

Seventy isolates of moulds and blue stain fungi ( Zygomycota and Deuteromycota ), isolated from discoloured outdoor softwood in Sweden, comprising of 27 different species, (the two largest genera Penicillium and Cladosporium ) were investigated for their linear growth at three different start-pH values (5, 7 and 9.5) at two temperatures (2°C and 24°C) on malt extract agar (MEA). At 24°C all isolates showed growth at all three start-pH values except for one isolate which did not grow at initial-pH 9.5. After 21 days at 2°C at the three start pH-values, only six isolates showed no growth indicating that 64 of the isolates were cold-tolerant (psychrotrophic). Of these 64 strains, 58 showed growth at an initial pH of 9.5. Lower pH optima at 2°C than at 24°C were found for most of the isolates. The reduction of the linear growth at initial pH 9.5 in relation to the growth at optimal pH was more pronounced (higher) at the low temperature.     

Heat resistance of Cladosporium isolated from laboratory animal facilities

Heat resistance tests for the saprophyte, Cladosporium, isolated from laboratory animal facilities were carried out. In testing the effects of moderate and high temperature conditions, C. sphaerospermum (C. s) and C. cladosporioides (C. c) were found to grow on media in temperatures less than 32 degrees C, but did not in temperature of 35 degrees C and over. The colony diameter of Cladosporium became smaller as temperature increased. The death time of C. s treated with moist heat was within 12 min at 48 degrees C and that of C. c was within 26 min at 43 degrees C. Both Cladosporium species could not survive for more than 1 min at 55 degrees C. On the other hand, Cladosporium treated with dry heat could not survive more than 69-12 min (C. s) and 39-9.5 min (C. c) at 70-100 degrees C. From these results, it can be seen that Cladosporium was definitely sensitive to heat treatment, and the authors assume that heat is a means of prevention in laboratory animal facilities.     

Experimental central nervous system phaeohyphomycosis following intranasal inoculation of Xylohypha bantiana in cortisone-treated mice

Experimental central nervous system (CNS) phaeohyphomycosis was established in cortisone-treated mice following intranasal exposure to conidia of Xylohypha bantiana (Cladosporium bantianum, C. trichoides). X. bantiana was recovered from the lungs of 78% of intranasally inoculated normal mice sacrificed within the first 3 days of infection and from 15% at day 28. The fungus was not recovered from the brains of normal mice. In contrast, X. bantiana was recovered from only 33% of the lungs of cortisone-treated mice within the first 3 days of infection. However, the fungus was recovered from the brains of 11% of cortisone-treated mice sacrificed or dying over a 28 day period. Histologically and temporally the CNS disease in cortisone-treated, intranasally inoculated mice was consistent with hematogenous dissemination from a primary pulmonary focus.     

深圳大鹏湾六种珊瑚共附生真菌多样性研究

本研究使用6种不同培养基对深圳大鹏湾6种珊瑚上的共附生真菌进行平板涂布法分离培养,结合ITS-rDNA基因序列特征和形态学特征进行鉴定来研究深圳大鹏湾海域珊瑚共附生真菌的多样性。共分离培养出457株真菌菌株,分属于7个属,分别为红酵母属Rhodotorula（180株）、曲霉属Aspergillus（170株）、木霉属Trichoderma（50株）、青霉属Penicillium（34株）、枝孢属Cladosporium（21株）、透孢黑团壳属Massarina（1株）和弯颈霉属Tolypocladium（1株）,其中优势属为红酵母属Rhodotorula和曲霉属Aspergillus,占菌株分离总数的76.59%。单独鹿角珊瑚上分离到的共附生真菌数量和种类最多,为160株9种;在该种珊瑚上还分离出弯颈霉属Tolypocladium sp.,该属真菌此前从未在珊瑚共附生真菌的研究中分离出来。本研究还发现SDA培养基分离出的共附生真菌数量最多,CDA培养基的真菌数量最少,表明不同培养基分离的共附生真菌多样性存在差异。     

Evidence supporting zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium in rural New South Wales

Cryptosporidium hominis, which has an anthroponotic transmission cycle and Cryptosporidium parvum, which is zoonotic, are the primary species of Cryptosporidium that infect humans. The present study identified the species/genotypes and subgenotypes of Cryptosporidium in 7 human and 15 cattle cases of sporadic cryptosporidiosis in rural western NSW during the period from November 2005 to January 2006. The species/genotype of isolates was determined by PCR sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and C. parvum and C. hominis isolates were subgenotyped by sequence analysis of the GP60 gene. Fourteen of 15 cattle-derived isolates were identified as C. parvum and 1 as a C. bovis/C. parvum mixture. Of the human isolates, 4 were C. parvum and 3 were C. hominis. Two different subgenotypes were identified with the human C. hominis isolates and six different subgenotypes were identified within the C. parvum species from humans and cattle. All four of the C. parvum subtypes found in humans were also found in the cattle, indicating that zoonotic transmission may be an important contributor to sporadic human cases cryptosporidiosis in rural NSW.     

Xerotolerant Cladosporium sphaerospermum Are Predominant on Indoor Surfaces Compared to Other Cladosporium Species

Indoor fungi are a major cause of cosmetic and structural damage of buildings worldwide and prolonged exposure of these fungi poses a health risk. Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium species are the most predominant fungi in indoor environments. Cladosporium species predominate under ambient conditions. A total of 123 Cladosporium isolates originating from indoor air and indoor surfaces of archives, industrial factories, laboratories, and other buildings from four continents were identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and a part of the translation elongation factor 1α gene (TEF) and actin gene (ACT). Species from the Cladosporium sphaerospermum species complex were most predominant representing 44.7% of all isolates, while the Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium herbarum species complexes represented 33.3% and 22.0%, respectively. The contribution of the C. sphaerospermum species complex was 23.1% and 58.2% in the indoor air and isolates from indoor surfaces, respectively. Isolates from this species complex showed growth at lower water activity (≥ 0.82) when compared to species from the C. cladosporioides and C. herbarum species complexes (≥ 0.85). Together, these data indicate that xerotolerance provide the C. sphaerospermum species complex advantage in colonizing indoor surfaces. As a consequence, C. sphaerospermum are proposed to be the most predominant fungus at these locations under ambient conditions. Findings are discussed in relation to the specificity of allergy test, as the current species of Cladosporium used to develop these tests are not the predominant indoor species.     

Microflora of partially processed lettuce

Bacteria, yeasts, and molds isolated from partially processed iceberg lettuce were taxonomically classified. The majority of bacterial isolates were gram-negative rods. Pseudomonas, Erwinia, and Serratia species were commonly found. Yeasts most frequently isolated from lettuce included members of the genera Candida, Cryptococcus, Pichia, Torulaspora, and Trichosporon. Comparatively few molds were isolated; members of the genera Rhizopus, Cladosporium, Phoma, Aspergillus, and Penicillium were identified.     

Conidial surface ultrastructure of human-pathogenic and saprobicCladosporium species

Freeze-fracturing of outer wall layers ofCladosporium conidia revealed two types of ultrastructure, coinciding with taxonomic characteristics. The outer conidial layers were essentially smooth in the human pathogenic species,C. bantianum, C. carrionii, andC. trichoides. In contrast, mosaic arrays of rodlets on conidia were observed with freeze-fracturing in the saprobic species,C. cladosporioides, C. coralloides, C. herbarum, C. sphaerospermum, andC. variabile. Conidia ofC. elatum were an exception among the saprobic species as they had smooth surfaces. The present study supports the suggestion that the human pathogenicCladosporium species should be transferred to another genus.     

Ecological and enzymatic studies on fungi associated with biscuits in Egypt

Some 43 species and four varieties belonging to nineteen genera were collected from 30 samples of six types of biscuit on 30% sucrose and 1% starch Czapek-Dox agars at 28°C. The most contaminated samples were chocolate wafers with 327 and 195 colonies g⁻¹, 12 and 8 genara and 18 and 13 species on the media, respectively. Samples of wafers without jam and jam wafers were less contaminated with fungi. The most frequently isolated fungi on the two media were Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus alutaceus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. sydowii, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. herbarum, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. janczewskii and yeasts (Saccharomyces spp.). The osmophiles, Eurotium amstelodami and E. repens, were infrequently isolated from chocolates and jam-wafer biscuits.All 69 isolates tested produced invertase and could produce 90%, respectively, amylase, caseinase, and catalase.     

Yeasts from Macrobrachium amazonicum: a focus on antifungal susceptibility and virulence factors of Candida spp

In the present study, it was sought to compare yeast microbiota of wild and captive Macrobrachium amazonicum and evaluate the antifungal susceptibility and production of virulence factors by the recovered isolates of Candida spp. Additionally, cultivation water was monitored for the presence of fungi. Overall, 26 yeast isolates belonging to three genera and seven species were obtained, out of which 24 were Candida spp., with Candida famata as the most prevalent species for both wild and captive prawns. From cultivation water, 28 isolates of filamentous fungi were obtained, with Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp. and Aspergillus spp. as the most frequent genera. Eight out of 24 Candida spp. isolates were resistant to azole derivatives, out of which four were recovered from wild-harvested prawns. As for production of virulence factors, three (12.5%) and eight (33.3%) isolates presented phospholipase and protease activity, respectively. This is the first comparative study between wild and captive prawns and the first report on yeast microbiota of M. amazonicum. The most relevant finding was the high percentage of resistant Candida spp., including from wild individuals, which suggests the occurrence of an environmental imbalance in the area where these prawns were captured.     

Mycoflora of camel and goat hairs from Al-Arish,Egypt

The frequency of occurrence of fungi in 120 hair samples of camel and goat from four different localities of Al-Arish governorate was determined.Twenty-six genera and 54 species were collected from the two substrates and the most common genera were Chrysosporium and Aspergillus, followed by Cladosporium. From the preceding genera Chrysosporium keratinophilum, C. tropicum, C. indicum, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Also, other keratinophilic fungi were isolated such as C. luteum, C. pannorum, C. parvum, C. dermatitidis, C. inops, Arthroderma tuberculatum, Histoplasma capsulatum and Myceliophthora vellerea.     

中国枝孢属的分类研究ⅩⅪ.萝藦枝孢新种和二新记录种

本文报道枝孢属一新种：萝藦枝孢CladosporiummetaplexisZ.Y.ZhangetX.Y．Wang,Sp．nov．和二个新记录种：叶生枝孢槭变种C.eriphyllum（Pers．）Martinvar.acerinumSaccardo和绳状枝孢C.funiculosumYamamoto。新种附有拉丁文描述及形态图,模式标本保存于云南农业大学真菌标本室（MHYAU）。