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Plant Disease Jan 2006Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) is the most common perennial grass species cultivated for forage in North America. During late fall of 2004, smooth bromegrass...
Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) is the most common perennial grass species cultivated for forage in North America. During late fall of 2004, smooth bromegrass plants in Lincoln, NE were observed to have brown lesions on leaf midveins that were several centimeters long. Symptomatic leaves were surface disinfested for 1 min in 2% NaOCl and incubated at 25°C on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and water agar. The fungus, Pithomyces chartarum (Berk. & Curt) Ellis, was isolated consistently and identified on the basis of morphological characteristics (1). Colonies were effused and black on PDA. Conidiophores measured 3.5 to 8 × 1.9 to 3.9 μm and were smooth and single. Conidia (7 to 25 × 9.5 to 14 μm) were broadly ellipsoidal, pale brown to dark brown, verrucose with mainly three transverse septa and one to two longitudinal septa. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 50-day-old plants by spraying with a conidial suspension (2.5 × 10 spores per ml). Control plants were sprayed with sterile water. All plants were kept in a moist chamber (100% relative humidity) for 3 days and then transferred to a greenhouse (25°C, >70% relative humidity, and a 12-h photoperiod). One week after spraying, elongated lesions developed on leaf midveins of inoculated plants from which P. chartarum was consistently reisolated. No symptoms were observed on control plants. While P. chartarum has been described as a saprotroph or a parasite on a wide range of plants primarily in the tropics and subtropics, including the southern United States (2), it was reported previously on B. inermis only in Canada (3). This report expands the distribution and host range of P. chartarum as a pathogen in the United States. References: (1) M. B. Ellis. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, England, 1971. (2) D. F. Farr et al. Fungal Databases, Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory, On-line publication. ARS, USDA, 2005. (3) J. H. Ginns. Compendium of Plant Disease and Decay Fungi in Canada 1960-1980. Res. Br. Can. Agric. Publ. 1813, 1986.
PubMed: 30786486
DOI: 10.1094/PD-90-0108C -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022Fungal spores are universal atmospheric components associated to allergic reactions. (Ascomycota) is considered the most allergenic spore taxa. Alt a 1 is the major...
Fungal spores are universal atmospheric components associated to allergic reactions. (Ascomycota) is considered the most allergenic spore taxa. Alt a 1 is the major allergen of and is present also in other . In this study, standard Hirst-based sampling and analyzing methods for measuring spore daily concentrations of , , , , , , and (all included in the taxon ) have been used as well as two high-volume samplers, Burkard Cyclone (2017) and MCV CAV-A/mb (2019-2020), and ELISA kits for measuring the allergen. The detection and quantification of Alt a 1 was only possible in the samples from the MCV sampler. Although Alt a 1 was better correlated with spores than with spores, the three of them showed high correlations. It is shown that there is a high and significant correlation of Alt a 1 with temperature, a negative correlation with relative humidity and no correlation with precipitation. The aerobiological monitoring of these three elements ensures the best information for understanding the affectation to allergy sufferers, but, if this is not possible, as a minimum public health service aimed at the detection, treatment and prevention of allergies, the study of the airborne spores should be ensured.
PubMed: 35205882
DOI: 10.3390/jof8020125 -
Toxins Feb 2021The fungal metabolite sporidesmin is responsible for severe necrotizing inflammation of biliary tract and liver of livestock grazing on pasture containing spores of...
The fungal metabolite sporidesmin is responsible for severe necrotizing inflammation of biliary tract and liver of livestock grazing on pasture containing spores of that synthesizes the toxin. The toxin is secreted into bile causing the erosion of the biliary epithelium accompanied by inflammation and damage to surrounding tissues. Toxicity has been suggested to be due to cycles of reduction and oxidation of sporidesmin leading to oxidative damage from the formation of reactive oxygen species. The current work is the first test of the oxidative stress hypothesis using cultured cells. Oxidative stress could not be detected in HepG2 cells incubated with sporidesmin using a dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay or by use of two-dimensional electrophoresis to search for oxidized peroxiredoxins. There was also no evidence for necrosis or apoptosis, although there was a loss of cell adhesion that was accompanied by the disruption of intracellular actin microfilaments that have known roles in cell adhesion. The results are consistent with a model in which altered contact between cells in situ leads to altered permeability and subsequent inflammation and necrosis, potentially from the leakage of toxic bile into surrounding tissues. There is now a need for the further characterization of the damage processes in vivo, including the investigation of altered permeability and mechanisms of cell death in the biliary tract and other affected organs.
Topics: Actin Cytoskeleton; Apoptosis; Cell Adhesion; Hep G2 Cells; Hepatocytes; Humans; Necrosis; Oxidative Stress; Sporidesmins
PubMed: 33670922
DOI: 10.3390/toxins13030179 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Jan 1981Twelve isolates of Pithomyces spp. from Texas were tested for sporidesmin toxin production, using both high-performance and thin-layer chromatography techniques. None of...
Twelve isolates of Pithomyces spp. from Texas were tested for sporidesmin toxin production, using both high-performance and thin-layer chromatography techniques. None of the Texas isolates produced the toxin under the conditions used. A control toxigenic New Zealand isolate, Pithomyces chartarum strain C, was grown simultaneously under the conditions tested and was found to produce sporidesmin in all cases.
Topics: Indoles; Mitosporic Fungi; Spores, Fungal; Sporidesmins; Texas
PubMed: 7224622
DOI: 10.1128/aem.41.1.212-215.1981 -
The World Allergy Organization Journal Sep 2012Pollen and mold allergies are highly problematic in Islamabad. This study was conducted to investigate the type and concentration of airborne pollens/molds causing...
World allergy organization study on aerobiology for creating first pollen and mold calendar with clinical significance in islamabad, pakistan;: a project of world allergy organization and pakistan allergy, asthma & clinical immunology centre of islamabad.
Pollen and mold allergies are highly problematic in Islamabad. This study was conducted to investigate the type and concentration of airborne pollens/molds causing allergic diseases in susceptible individuals. A volumetric spore trap (Burkard) was placed at the height of 11 m and ran continuously for 3 years. Once a week, the collecting drum was prepared by affixing Melinex tape with a double-sided adhesive that was coated with a thin layer of silicone grease. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM the drum was replaced by another drum and the pollen/mold spores were removed and permanently mounted on slides. Using a microscope, the trapped particles were identified and recorded as counts per cubic meter of air per hour. From these data, the pollen and mold calendars were constructed and expressed as counts per cubic meter of air per day. Skin prick tests were performed on more than 1000 patients attending the Pakistan Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Centre of Islamabad. The results indicated that there were 2 main pollen plants that contributed to seasonal allergies. These were Broussonetia papyrifera and Cannabis sativa during the March/April season and the July/September season, respectively. Although mold spores were continuously detected throughout the year, the most prominent mold was undetected mold and unconfirmed mold species similar to Stachybotrys species, which was high from July to September/October. Two additional molds contributing to allergic reactions were Pithomyces species and Cladosporium species, which were active during January and April, with the latter also being detected between October and November. These results may prove beneficial to both patients and physicians in planning a therapeutic protocol for avoidance and amelioration.
PubMed: 23283209
DOI: 10.1097/WOX.0b013e31826421c8 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Aug 1981Of some 350 microorganisms screened, four strains of Pithomyces species were found to carry out regio-selective hydroxylation of patchoulol, a sesquiterpene, to...
Of some 350 microorganisms screened, four strains of Pithomyces species were found to carry out regio-selective hydroxylation of patchoulol, a sesquiterpene, to 10-hydroxypatchoulol: Pithomyces sp. NRJ201, P. chartarum NRJ210, and, to a lesser extent, P. cynodontis ATCC 26150 and P. atro-olivaceus IFO 6651 were found to catalyze this reaction. A method has been developed by which 10-hydroxypatchoulol was obtained in 25 to 45% yields in 1- to 5-liter fermentation jars at 2 to 4 g of patchoulol per liter and isolated as pure material in 30% yields.
PubMed: 16345820
DOI: 10.1128/aem.42.2.187-191.1981 -
Journal de Mycologie Medicale Dec 2009OBJECTIVE: Conidia derived from a small number of common fungal genera are widely accepted as the etiological agents responsible for fungal allergic sensitization. The...
OBJECTIVE: Conidia derived from a small number of common fungal genera are widely accepted as the etiological agents responsible for fungal allergic sensitization. The contribution of fungal conidia, spores, airborne hyphae, and subcellular fragments from other uncharacterized fungal genera remains unclear. In this proof-of-concept study, we examined the composition of mycoaerosols that atopic women were exposed and sensitized to in their own indoor environment using the fluorescent halogen immunoassay (fHIA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Mycoaerosols were collected onto mixed cellulose ester protein binding membranes (PBMs) for 30 minutes with volumetric air sampling pumps. The PBMs were laminated with an adhesive cover slip and indirectly immunostained with individual patient serum IgE using the fHIA. Samples were examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy and immunostained particles were expressed as a percentage of total particles. RESULTS: All air samples contained a broad spectrum of fungal spores, conidia, hyphae, and other fungal particulates. Airborne concentrations varied between individual study participant environments. Positively immunostained conidia belonging to moniliaceous amerospores, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and many unknown species were observed in the majority of air samples. Other fungal genera including Bipolaris, Curvularia, Pithomyces, and Stachybotrys, in addition to, ascospore genera and dematiaceous hyphal fragments released detectable allergen. Twelve percent of all fHIA haloes quantified in the analysis were directed towards fungal particles. No immunostaining was detected to conidia belonging to Epicoccum, Fusarium, and Spegazzinia species. CONCLUSION: In addition to characterized fungal aeroallergens, we observed a wider composition of fungi that bound human IgE. Field surveillance studies that utilize immunodiagnostic techniques such as the fHIA will provide further insight into the diversity of fungi that function as aeroallergen sources in individual study participant environments.
PubMed: 20495612
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2009.10.003 -
IMA Fungus Dec 2015During a collecting trip exploring new habitats and locations for keratinophilic fungi, soil samples were collected from Bohani village in the central Indian state of...
During a collecting trip exploring new habitats and locations for keratinophilic fungi, soil samples were collected from Bohani village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Following isolation using a hair baiting technique, one sample yielded an interesting hyphomycetous fungus. The fungus, which could easily be observed under a dissecting microscope, formed prominently large, dark brown to opaque, fusoid conidia on horse hair after 2 mo of incubation. Single-conidial colonies were cultivated on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium by direct transfer, using a fine needle under a dissecting microscope. Morphologically the fungus resembles genera such as Bahugada, Hadrosporium, Manoharachariella, Pithomyces, and Septosporiopsis, but differs with regard to its conidia and conidiogenous cells. Based on its unique morphology, the present collection is described as a new genus, Matsushimamyces, with M. bohaniensis as type species. Phylogenetic analysis of the LSU region placed Matsushimamyces in Latoruaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes). Furthermore, based on the morphological and phylogenetic similarity (ITS and LSU rDNA), a second species, Polyschema venustum, is also referred to Matsushimamyces.
PubMed: 26734544
DOI: 10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.02.05 -
Annals of Agricultural and... 2004Continuous aerobiological monitoring has been conducted in Rzeszów from 2000-2002, using the volumetric method. On each microscope slide 1 horizontal band was analyzed,...
Continuous aerobiological monitoring has been conducted in Rzeszów from 2000-2002, using the volumetric method. On each microscope slide 1 horizontal band was analyzed, divided into 24 fields corresponding to hours. For the analysis, 10 easy to identify fungal spores were chosen from ones regarded as allergenic: Alternaria, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Drechslera (type), Epiccocum, Ganoderma, Pithomyces, Polythrincium, Stemphylium, and Torula. The results were statistically tested using the chi2 test as well as the Kruskal-Wallis test and ANOVA. The results were used to develop a calendar of the occurrence of fungal spores in Rzeszów. The spores occurred in the air throughout the whole year, but maximum concentrations were usually reached in July and August. Two groups of taxa were distinguished. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Botrytis, Epicoccum, Ganoderma spp. and Drechslera belong to the first group, and their spores and conidia were characterised by high frequency and abundance in the air. Low SFI values (Seasonal Fungal Index) and frequency of below 50% occurred in the second group of taxa, i.e. Pithomyces, Polythrincium, Stemphylium and Torula spp. Conidia of Cladosporium spp. were the most frequent, SFI values were very high and average annual concentrations did not differ significantly throughout the 3 years of study. The research confirmed the overlap of the period of maximum concentration of allergenic spores and the period of the domination of Poaceae and Artemisia pollen in the air.
Topics: Classification; Environmental Monitoring; Fungi; Poland; Reference Values; Seasons; Spores
PubMed: 15627338
DOI: No ID Found -
Biocontrol Science 2020This study examined the fungal flora contained in the dust of bedding used in 50 houses in Japan. The result showed that the mycoflora having the largest isolation rate...
This study examined the fungal flora contained in the dust of bedding used in 50 houses in Japan. The result showed that the mycoflora having the largest isolation rate was yeasts, which were isolated by 42 out of 50 houses (84%), and exceeded the isolation rate of Cladosporium spp. (80%) and Aspergillus spp. (66%). In addition, the isolation rate of Alternaria, which was an important fungus causing asthma, 66% was being considered as a high isolation rate, and this result was very interesting. The isolation rate of xerophilic fungi such as Aspergillus restrictus and Wallemia often found in house dust on the floor, was not very high. Forty-one strains of yeasts isolated from each dust sample were identified, and Naganishia diffluens species complex and Filobasidium magnum had a larger number of 13 strains, respectively. Since N. diffluens was the yeasts often isolated from human skin, it was thought to be an association between the fungal skin flora and fungal flora of bed dust. Meanwhile, there was no report of isolation of F. magnum from house dust previously. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing its isolation from bedding with relatively high frequency.
Topics: Bedding and Linens; Dust; Environmental Microbiology; Fungi; Humans; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Mycobiome
PubMed: 33281177
DOI: 10.4265/bio.25.193