G. Caretta

Fungi isolated from Antarctic mosses

Abstract. Microfungi were isolated from different moss species in Victoria Land. Twenty-eight taxa belonging to 18 genera were identified. New records for continental Antarctica were: Arthrobotrys superba, Conidiobolus sp., Penicillium minioluteum, Verticillium psalliotae and V. lamellicola. The most frequently isolated fungal species were: Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cryptococcus albidus, Cryptococcus laurentii, Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum, G. pannorum var. vinaceus, Mortierella antarctica, Cadophora malorum, Phoma herbarum and V. lecanii. Bryum pseudotriquetrum was the moss richest in fungal species. Within the Antarctic environment, moss is one of the microhabitats richest in microfungi, particularly in psychrophilic indigenous species.

Fungi isolated from Antarctic material

SummaryFungi isolated from samples of soil, penguin, skua and petrel dung and bird feathers in the Victoria Land, Antarctica, from Inexpressible Island to Cape King, were studied. All material was collected in December 1987–January 1988. Fungi occurred prevalently in bird dung and in soil, especially when mosses were present. The main species isolated were: the keratinophilic Chrysosporium verrucosum and Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum, Phoma herbarum and Thelebolus microsporus. A variety of filamentous fungi and yeasts were also encountered in soil, dung and bird feathers samples in different localities: Acremonium strictum, Cladosporium herbarum, Scolecobasidium salinum, Mortierella antarctica, Paecilomyces farinosus, Phialophora fastigiata, the thermophilic Scytalidium thermophile and Thermomyces lanuginosus, Verticillium sp., Mycelia sterilia and Cryptococcus albidus and Torulaspora delbrueckii. Most of the fungal isolates appeared to be cold-tolerant. Results from this study are discussed in conjuction with data from previous Antarctic studies in this area.

Dermatophytes and Keratinophilic Fungi in Cats and Dogs Dermatophyten und keratinophile Pilze bei Katzen und Hunden

Summary: During an 11 month period from January to November 1987, dermatophytes and keratinophilic fungi were isolated from 70 (75 %) of 93 cats and 62 (36.9 %) of 168 dogs.

Skin infection due to Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum

Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum is an ubiquitous saprophytic fungus frequently isolated from the soil and from air samples. It has rarely been reported as an animal or plant pathogen and it is an occasional aetiological agent of superficial infection of skin and nails in humans. Here, we report a case of superficial infection of the skin due to this fungus in a healthy man. The patient was treated orally with terbinafine 250 mg daily and topic bifonazole with complete resolution in 2 months.

Keratinophilic fungi isolated from a small pool

The keratinophilic fungi occurring in the water of a small pool were examined by membrane filtration with monthly sampling throughout a year. Chrysosporium evolceanui, C. keratinophilum, C. tropicum, Trichophyton terrestre and Microsporum gypseum were the most frequently found species. The results of this survey are discussed.

Airborne fungi in an Italian rice mill

SummaryStudies employing volumetric spore trap (VSP) and gravity settling culture plates (GSC) were conducted in order to analyse the air spora of a rice mill at Pavia, Italy, from October-December 1988. Results revealed a variety of fungal spores belonging to different genera and including recognized rice pathogenic fungi. The most frequent genera by GSC method includedAcremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Mucor, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Trichoderma, Trichothecium, and some unidentified fungi. Environmental assessment of fungal spores by VSP revealed that the most prevalent fungi were:Alternaria, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Helminthosporium, Nigrospora, Pyricularia, Tilletia and hyaline, dark and coloured types of ascospores and basidiospores. Airborne fungal spore concentrations were particularly high (5,000–6,000 spores/m3) in the rooms of the rice mill where the initial stages of rough rice transformation take place, and dropped to 2,500 spores/m3 in the last room, where workers are. During a temporary interruption of the working processes, air spora concentration dropped below 1,000 spores/m3.Cladosporium, Epicoccum andNigrospora spores were predominant in all subdivisions of the indoor environments of the rice mill.

Some coprophilous fungi from Kenya.

The occurrence of coprophilous fungi on samples of antelope, buffalo, zebra and hippopotamus dung collected from the Marula Estates in Kenya was recorded. A hundred and seventy three fungal isolates representative of 40 genera and 59 species were identified. Among these species, 23 were Ascomycetes (39%), 30 Deuteromycetes (50.8%), 5 Zygomycetes (8.5%) and 1 Basidiomycete (1.7%). Ascobolus immersus, Coprotus niveus, Iodophanus carneus, Lasiobolus lasioboloides, Podospora anserina, P. australis and Sporormiella minima were the dominant species occurring in the dung of these animals. Notes on infrequent or interesting Ascomycetes include Kernia nitida, Saccobolus versicolor, Sordaria fimicola and others. The interdependence of the vegetation of this area with the fungi occurring on the dung of these animals is discussed.

Superficial mycoses in Italy

A total of 1244 cases suspected of superficial mycoses were analysed in a period of 12 months in Italy. Dermatophytoses were found in 62.4%; the other common disease was Pityriasis versicolor (44.1%). The predominant speciesEpidermophyton floccosum (34,2%) was strickingly high in relation to other statistics; this species was commonest in tinea cruris. Among the other dermatophytesM. canis was predominant (31.3%) commonest in tinea corporis, followed byT. mentagrophytes (17,8%) andT. rubrum (10,3%). A high rate of yeasts was found in tinea manum (81.6%) and tinea pedis (47.7%).

Coprophilous fungi of the horse

A total of 1267 microfungi, including 35 Myxomycetes, were recorded from the fecal samples of the 60 horses; of these 395 were found on 20 saddle-horse feces, 363 on 20 race-horses and 509 on 20 working-horses. Eighty two species representing 53 genera were recorded; of these 7 were Zygomycetes, 18 Ascomycetes, 1 Basidiomycetes and 25 Fungi Imperfecti: 2 Myxomycetes. Common coprophilous fungi are in decreasing orderPilobolus kleinii, Saccobolus depauperatus, Mucor hiemalis, Lasiobolus ciliatus, Podospora curvula, Petriella guttulata, M. circinelloides, Coprinus radiatus, Dictyostelium mucoroides, Sordaria fimicola, C. miser, C. stercorarius, Acremonium sp., Coprotus granuliformis, Graphium putredinis, Iodophanus carneus, Chaetomium murorum, Podospora communis, P. inaequalis, P. setosa, Saccobolus versicolor andCladosporium cucumerinum. Species ofMyrothecium verrucaria, Actinomucor elegans, Kernia nitida, Spiculostilbella dendritica andMucorparvispora were found exclusively in working-horses feces.Badhamia sp., Anixiopsis stercoraria, Echinobotryum state ofD. stemonitis, Geotrichum candidum andOidiodendron sp. were found only in saddle-horses feces.Chlamidomyces palmarum andPhilocopra sp. were found exclusively in race-horses feces.Notes on infrequent or interesting fungi includeThamnostylum piriforme, Phialocephala dimorphospora, Rhopalomyces elegans andSpiculostilbella dendritica.

Collagenase production in an Antarctic strain of Arthrobotrys tortor Jarowaja

This paper describes the results of a comparative screening between the nematophagous Antarctic fungus Arthrobotrys tortor and other species of that genus for the production of extracellular collagenases. The nematode species used in this study was Caenorhabditis elegans, feeding on Escherichia coli cultures. Determination of collagenase activity was made using insoluble collagen from bovine Achilles tendon and determining the amount of solubilized hydroxyproline produced. The results show that the total amount of collagenase produced by the Antarctic strain of A. tortor was about threefold higher than that observed for the other species. In the Antarctic strain, collagenase was shown to be a constitutive enzyme.