Fumonisin production by Gibberella fujikuroi strains from Pinus species.

Fumonisins are important mycotoxins basically produced by strains from the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex (with anamorphs in Fusarium genus) which contaminate food and feed products representing a risk to human and animal health. In this work, we report for the first time the fumonisin production of Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon strains associated to edible pine nuts of Pinus pinea. P. pinea is an important and widely distributed Pinus species in the Mediterranean area where their pine nuts are consumed raw or slightly processed in diverse food products. In this work, characterization and further identification of those strains were performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs) of the intergenic spacer region of the rDNA (IGS) with the aid of the eight mating populations (A-H) described for G. fujikuroi species complex. The method was powerful to detect polymorphism, allowing discrimination between individuals and could be used to study the genetic relationships among them and within the G. fujikuroi species complex. Fusarium strains associated to Pinus radiata were also included in the present study. These strains did not produce fumonisins and showed no close relation with the strains isolated from P. pinea. The approach used in this work was rapid and proved to be efficient to assist identification and to characterize and analyse relatedness of new isolates within the G. fujikuroi species complex.

Spring pollen and related allergies in southern Spain.

Over the last 10 years, there has been an increase in pollen allergies throughout Europe; this trend is clearly reflected in this study carried out in Córdoba (southern Spain) over 7 consecutive years, which recorded important increases in the concentrations of certain pollen types of particular interest in this city, together with an increase in the number of patients with pollinosis visiting the Allergy Unit at Córdoba's Reina Sofía University Hospital. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether these two trends were related. Sampling was carried out from 1984 to 1990, using a Burkard spore trap placed at a height of approximately 15 m on a building situated in the city center. The trend towards an annual increase in the concentration of pollen grains was positive in all cases, although very slight for Quercus and very marked for Olea europaea. However, a different pattern of behavior was recorded with respect to the correlation between pollen concentration and cases of pollinosis, a correlation which varied according to taxa.

Variations in the concentrations of airborne Olea pollen and associated pollinosis in Córdoba (Spain): a study of the 10-year period 1982-1991.

The amount and the seasonal and daily changes in the concentrations of Olea pollen grains in the atmosphere of Córdoba (Spain) have been studied over a 10-year period. The year by year seasonal variation pattern and the theoretical intradiurnal variation model are presented. The data show a high annual variability, median concentrations varying from 75 g/m3/h in 1983 to 1413 g/m3/h in 1986. A steady increase in the total amount of pollen is attributed to the climatological characteristics of the period studied. On the other hand, the clinical data show that the number of cases of Olea allergy has increased considerably during this period, probably more because of changes in the quality of the atmosphere than because of the increase in the amount of antigen present in the air.

Fungal contamination of potential medical interest in Spanish grain stores.

A one-year study was made of fungal spores detected in the air and in the grain of two silos and two seed stores near Córdoba, Spain. Gravimetric and volumetric methods were used simultaneously on culture mediums to sample the air. The dilution method was employed to analyze seed contamination. A total of 70 taxa were isolated, 67 of these from the air and 46 in seeds. The most abundant airborne taxa were: Aspergillus oryzae, Cladosporium cladosporioides and yeast, while yeast, A. niger and A. oryzae were the most common in seeds. The statistical test revealed differences between taxa found in the air and the wheat that could be of biological interest. Finally, it is worth noting among the species isolated the high percentage of species which have been cited in the references as potentially pathogenic or antigenic.

Seasonal and daily variation of Aspergillus Mich. Ex Fr. spores in the atmosphere of Córdoba (Spain).

The atmosphere contains a complex of spores whose concentration and variation have been the subject of much study, mainly because of the relevance of fungi to allergic and aerobiological pollution problems. This paper reports on the cataloguing of the Aspergillus species present in the atmosphere of Córdoba, their seasonal and daily variation and their potential relationship with meterological parameters. The sampling was carried out in the city of Córdoba by using a volumetric trap on a culture medium; three samplings were done daily at various times throughout the year (May 1986-April 1987). An unreplicated variance analysis was applied to two variation sources in order to check for statistically significant differences between the number of colony forming units (CFU) detected at each sampling time. Meterological data and concentrations were also contrasted through statistical correlation tests. A total of 94,200 colonies were counted; 32.3% of all were from 24 species of the Aspergillus genus, of which A. fumigatus Fresen, was found to be the most abundant. Aspergillus niger Van Tiegh, A. oryzae (Ahlburg) Cohn, A. terreus Thom and A. ochraceus Wilhelm also occurred at a high frequency. All these species were detected throughout the year and in virtually all of the samplings, but particularly in autumn, which was the most favourable period for the occurrence of their spores, which in turn seemed to be conditioned by the time at which samplings were carried out, at least for the six most frequent species--A. candidus expected as it only occurred occasionally. Finally, the occurrence of spores of this genus seems to be positively and negatively correlated with meterological factors such as the wind speed and the temperature, respectively.

[Seasonal variation in the content of spores of the genus Alternaria Nees ex Fr. in the air of the city of Córdoba (Spain)]. / Variación estacional del contenido en esporas del género Alternaria Nees ex Fr. en el aire de la ciudad de Córdoba (España).

The spore concentrations of Alternaria, a genera of microfungi widely considered as allergenic by different authors (Caplin & Haynes, Gravesen, Gregory, Larsen, Petersen & Sandberg), have been investigated in the atmosphere of Córdoba (Spain) during the period of April, 1983 to March, 1985 by means of the volumetric (Andersen sampler) and gravimetric (Durham based) methods, taking samples three times a day in culture media (Agar-Malt extract 2%) and incubating them for 5-7 days. The objectives of the work have been the establishment of seasonal variation patterns, as well as the possible correlations with the climatological factors. The results show that the different species of Alternaria detected are among the most important components in the aeromycoflora of the town, only exceeded by Cladosporium ssp., yeasts and Mycelia sterilia. In fact we found 3,283 colonies of Alternaria through the gravimetric method and 572 through the volumetric method, representing a 4.28% and 0.59% respectively of the total developed colonies during the sample period. The seasonal variations in air spore concentrations of Alternaria have also been studied monthly following the methods indicated above. It was found that January is always the month with less incidence of spores, with some days free of spores. May was the month with a maximum spores incidence during the first year of study, while this was delayed until june in the second year. This delay was probably due to the prolonged rainy season during the last spring. By establishing positive groups, A. alternata was found to be the most frequent species, with seven months during the period 1984-1985 exceeding the figure of 150 colonies per month.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)