Prevalence and genotypic characterization of Clostridium difficile from ruminants in Switzerland.

Clostridium difficile is an emerging enteric pathogen of humans and animals with a known main reservoir in the intestinal tract of various warm-blooded animals. This study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of C. difficile in 150 rectal swab samples collected from cattle and goats in Switzerland. The overall prevalence of C. difficile was 6.6%. The isolates belonged to the PCR ribotypes 033, 066, 070, 003, 001 and 137. In addition, the occurrence of C. difficile in faecal samples collected from farm ground was also evaluated and C. difficile was detected in 21% (7/30) of these samples. These isolates belonged to ribotypes 033, 066, 014 and 137. Several isolates pertained to ribotypes known to cause Clostridium difficile infections in humans.

Therapeutic options and patterns of prescription in chronic venous disorders: results of a 3-year survey in Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess self-management of chronic venous disorders (CVDs) in a selected Italian population and the pattern of prescription by selected Italian phlebologists. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study carried out between 2003 and 2005. MATERIALS: Non-random, transverse sample of men and women recruited by advertising. METHODS: Assessment of therapeutic habits of respondents, treatment advice given by phlebologists related to socio-demographic variables and severity of the disease. Multivariate odds ratios for sex, age, class, region, family history and severity of the disease. RESULTS: Women undergo CVD therapy more than men (odds ratio (OR): 2.37 for medical treatment; 1.29 for surgical treatment and 5.72 for sclerotherapy). Young people prefer drug treatment to compression stockings. Drug therapy for CVD is 1.5 times more likely in southern Italian respondents, as is compression stockings (OR: 1.91). Surgical therapy is more frequent in Northern Italy (OR for Central Italy: 0.79; Southern Italy and Islands: 0.76). Family history of CVD leads people to early treatment of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into self-medication of CVD in Italy and the prescribing patterns of Italian phlebologists in the treatment of CVD. It shows that the population interviewed is able to practise responsible self-medication of their CVD problems.

The burden of constipation on quality of life: results of a multinational survey.

BACKGROUND: The impact of constipation on quality of life (QoL) may vary in different cultural or national settings. AIM: We studied QoL in a multinational survey to compare different social and demographic groups with and without constipation (defined according to Rome III criteria) and to detect country-specific differences among the groups studied. METHODS: Health-related QoL (HRQoL) was assessed with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire in 2870 subjects in France, Germany, Italy, UK, South Korea, Brazil and USA. Results Respondents were mainly middle-aged, married or living together and part- or full-time employed. General health status, measured by the SF-36 questionnaire, was significantly worse in the constipated vs. non-constipated populations. RESULTS: were comparable in all countries. QoL scores correlated negatively with age. Constipated women reported more impaired HRQoL than constipated men. Brazilians were most affected by constipation as to their social functioning (35.8 constipated vs. 51.3 non-constipated) and general health perception (29.4 constipated vs. 54.4 non-constipated). CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in HRQoL between constipated and non-constipated individuals and a significant, negative correlation between the number of symptoms and complaints and SF-36 scores. The study detected a correlation of constipation with QoL and the influence of social and demographic factors on HRQoL in constipated people.

Demographic factors and their relationship with the presence of CVI signs in Italy: the 24-cities cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common progressive disease, the deterioration rate depending on specific risk factors. Demographic characteristics associated with the prevalence of objective signs of CVI were evaluated in a cross-sectional population study in Italy. METHODS: A sample of 5247 people selected by advertising in television and newspapers in 24 Italian cities underwent a clinical examination of the lower limbs, including colour-coded duplex ultrasonography, to determine the presence and severity of CVI. Of these, 4288 subjects provided demographic data that could be analysed by multiple logistic regression model using sex, age, region and family history as covariates. RESULTS: Women were four or more times as likely as men to develop telangiectasia, whilst males had a two-fold increased risk of trunk varices. Age was the main risk factor for vein varicosis in the female population, with women aged over 50 years being almost five times as likely as those aged 29 or less to show trunk varices. Females living in the southern regions had a two-fold increase in risk of developing CVI signs and the risk increased by at least 1.3 times in multiparous women. A positive familial history of disease increased the risk for varicose veins. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic characters such as sex, advanced age, living in the southern regions, number of pregnancies and a family history of CVI were all contributing risk factors for the development of CVI in Italy.

Chronic venous insufficiency in Italy: the 24-cities cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between sex, age, geographical region, lower limb symptoms and the presence of trunk varicose veins and venous incompetence. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population study in 24 cities in the North, centre and South of Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand two hundred and forty-seven people were selected during spring and summer 2003 by advertising on television, in newspapers, and by leaflets in 24 Italian cities. In all 5187 (4457 [85.9%] women and 730 men [14.1%]) volunteers were assessed. The median age was 54 (range: 18-90) years for the women and 61 (range: 18-89) years for the men. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaire on subjective symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in the lower limbs, and clinical examination, including colour duplex ultrasonography to assess the presence and severity of varicose veins. RESULTS: Overall only 22.7% of the subjects examined were free of visible signs of venous disease, with approximately 53% of the population over 50 years of age showing some venous reflux. People living in Southern Italy were more severely affected than those living in the North. Varicosities and telangiectases were the most frequent objective signs in both sexes. Trunk varicosities (27%) and saphenous reflux (41%) increased with age and were more common in men; in contrast, minor objective symptoms such as telangiectases (70%), as well as subjective symptoms such as heavy (79%) and tired legs (78%), were more common in women and were not age-related. CONCLUSIONS: Venous disease is very common in Italy, in particular in people living in the South. A correlation between varicose veins and venous incompetence is more marked in men, while minor objective and subjective symptoms prevail in women. The findings from this non-random sample closely match results from previous studies, in which random sampling was used.

[Clinical development of phytopharmaceuticals]. / Klinische Entwicklung von Phytopharmaka.

In the past, the proof of efficacy of herbal remedies has relied upon spontaneous reports and the regular use and prescription by a few physicians. Only in the last few decades have reports of clinical trials started to appear in the medical literature. Most reports were based on open, observational trials and were rarely conducted according to the state-of-the-art techniques. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in clinical studies with herbal remedies has only recently started to be routinely used by a few pharmaceutical companies. The development of herbal remedies differs in a number of aspects from that of chemical entities. On the one hand prolonged and uneventful use of a herbal remedy may testify to its safety and efficacy, on the other, the complex composition of most herbal remedies makes it difficult to carry out pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetics (PK) trials. Generally, however, a preclinical and clinical development should be carried out according to the general principles of classical drug development. A particular problem is linked to the issue of the phytoequivalence. While bioequivalence of chemical entities can be assessed in vitro and using comparatively simple pharmacokinetics trials, the equivalence of different extracts must be normally assessed with a proper bioequivalence clinical trial. In the case of herbal remedies the whole extract, and not individual components, has to be considered the active substance. Thus, the results of a clinical trial performed with a given extract or a well-defined mixture of extracts cannot be transferred automatically to other products, unless the ingredients have been produced using the same technology. A complete, state-of-the art clinical development of a new phytopharmaceutical medicine includes the performance of GCP-conform dose-response and double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trials. Particular emphasis must be put on the study of efficacy and safety of the phytopharmaceutical product under development. As most herbal remedies aim at improving the well-being, QoL scales are ideally suited for use in the clinical evaluation of herbal remedies.

Efficacy of orally administered extract of red vine leaf AS 195 (folia vitis viniferae) in chronic venous insufficiency (stages I-II). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

UNLABELLED: Red vine leaf extract (RVLE) is a herbal medicine containing several flavonoids, with quercetin-3-O-beta-glucuronide and isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-O-beta-glycoside) as the main components. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of once-daily doses of 360 and 720 mg RVLE (pharmaceutical extract code AS 195; Antistax Venenkapseln) compared to placebo in patients with stage I and incipient stage II chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). DESIGN: A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-center study. PATIENTS: Male and female outpatients aged 25 to 75 years with stage I to stage II CVI (i.e. without extensive trophic changes), not having any other significant medical conditions and not treated with compression stockings, diuretics or other drugs affecting fluid balance. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to a double-blind treatment with placebo, 360 mg AS 195 or 720 mg AS 195 once daily for 12 weeks, preceded and followed by a single-blind 2-week placebo treatment for baseline run-in and end-of-trial washout, respectively. Study criteria were evaluated at baseline, after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment and 2 weeks after discontinuation of treatment. RESULTS: Of the 260 patients enrolled and randomized, 219 completed the study in accordance with the protocol. In the intention-to-treat analysis (N = 257), the mean (+/- SD) lower leg volume (measured by water displacement plethysmography) of the patients treated with placebo (N = 87) increased by 15.2 +/- 90.1 g (displaced water mass) and by 33.7 +/- 96.1 g after 6 and 12 weeks compared to baseline. In contrast, for patients treated with AS 195, lower leg volume decreased, and after 12 weeks of treatment, the difference in mean lower leg volume between the active treatment groups and the placebo group was -75.9 g (95% CI: -106.1 to -45.8 g) and -99.9 g (95% CI: -130.3 to -69.6 g) for the group treated with 360-mg AS 195 (N = 86) and 720-mg AS 195 (N = 84), respectively. The changes in calf circumference showed a similar pattern: in patients treated with AS 195, both the higher dose (720 mg) and, albeit to a lesser extent, the lower dose (360 mg) resulted in a clear reduction in circumference over time, whereas, circumference remained largely unchanged in patients treated with the placebo (95% CI of the estimated treatment effects vs. placebo after 12 weeks: -1.40 to -0.56 cm and -1.73 to -0.88 cm for 360 and 720 mg AS 195, respectively). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The reductions in ankle circumference were qualitatively similar but quantitatively less marked. Subjectively, there was an improvement in key CVI symptoms (VAS) at 6 weeks with all treatments, but a further improvement at week 12 was seen only in the active treatment groups; at 12 weeks, the changes compared to baseline were significantly greater (p < 0.001) in both active treatment groups than in the placebo group. The treatments were well tolerated; Adverse events were rare and usually mild. Two adverse events (AEs) during treatment with the placebo led to hospitalization and were hence labeled as 'serious'. Three further patients were withdrawn because of AEs which occurred during treatment with the placebo. CONCLUSION: Once-daily doses of 360 and 720 mg AS 195 were confirmed to be safe and effective in the treatment of mild CVI, reducing significantly lower leg edema and circumference whilst improving key CVI-related symptoms to a clinically relevant extent. The edema reduction is at least equivalent to that reported for compression stockings and/or other edema-reducing agents. The higher dose was as well tolerated as the lower dose but resulted in a slightly greater and more sustained improvement.

The memory enhancing effects of a Ginkgo biloba/Panax ginseng combination in healthy middle-aged volunteers.

The effects of capsules containing 60 mg of a standardised extract of Ginkgo biloba (GK501) and 100 mg of a standardised extract of Panax ginseng (G115) on various aspects of cognitive function were assessed in healthy middle-aged volunteers. A double blind, placebo controlled, 14 week, parallel group, repeated assessment, multi-centre trial of two dosing regimens, 160 mg b.i.d. and 320 mg o.d. was conducted. Two hundred and fifty-six healthy middle-aged volunteers successfully completed the study. On various study days (weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 14) the volunteers performed a selection of tests of attention and memory from the Cognitive Drug Research computerised cognitive assessment system prior to morning dosing and again, at 1, 3 and 6 h later. The volunteers also completed questionnaires about mood states, quality of life and sleep quality. The Ginkgo/ginseng combination was found significantly to improve an Index of Memory Quality, supporting a previous finding with the compound. This effect represented an average improvement of 7.5% and reflected improvements to a number of different aspects of memory, including working and long-term memory. This enhancement to memory was seen throughout the 12-week dosing period and also after a 2-week washout. This represents the first substantial demonstration of improvements to the memory of healthy middle-aged volunteers produced by a phytopharmaceutical.

A morphological and molecular perspective of Trichoderma viride: is it one or two species?

Trichoderma (Ascomycetes, Hypocreales) strains that have warted conidia are traditionally identified as T. viride, the type species of Trichoderma. However, two morphologically distinct types of conidial warts (I and II) have been found. Because each type corresponds to a unique mitochondrial DNA pattern, it has been questioned whether T. viride comprises more than one species. Combined molecular data (sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 1 [ITS-1] and ITS-2 regions and of part of the 28S rRNA gene along with results of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the endochitinase gene and PCR fingerprinting), morphology, physiology, and colony characteristics distinguish type I and type II as different species. Type I corresponds to "true" T. viride, the anamorph of Hypocrea rufa. Type II represents a new species, T. asperellum, which is, in terms of molecular characteristics, close to the neotype of T. hamatum.

Correspondence analysis as a tool in fungal taxonomy.

The polyphasic approach to taxonomic problems has led to the creation of complex datasets that lend themselves to numerical analysis. The numerical study, however, has to deal with mathematical problems linked with the presence of mixed-type data originating from the investigations. Correspondence analysis (CA) is an ordination technique widely used in ecology and social sciences but only rarely applied to taxonomic problems. In CA corresponding variables and taxa ordination are obtained simultaneously, thus allowing to explore the taxonomic interrelationships between taxa and variables in a single analysis. CA can be used on large and small datasets, and can be applied to mixed-type data after appropriate coding. It is not sensitive to variation of class number and size and is useful to screen large unstructured datasets, to suggest which variables should be retained to discriminate samples, to detect outliers or erroneous data and to perform identification of unknown samples. It also has the advantage of handling missing data particularly well. On the other hand, CA is sensitive to outliers, which can cause a distortion of the geometric map of the points in the graphical display. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of correspondence analysis to outliers can be effectively used to verify data. Finally, based on symmetry of row and column analyses correspondence analysis can be applied to find out which characters can be used to construct identification keys and to selectively group variables by their importance for the discrimination of samples.

Degradation of the polyamine alkaloid aphelandrine by endophytic fungi isolated from Aphelandra tetragona.

Members of the genus Aphelandra (Acanthaceae) produce rare macrocyclic polyamine alkaloids which consist of spermine acylated with two units of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid. Endophytic fungi were isolated from roots and shoots of Aphelandra tetragona and tested for their ability to metabolize the main alkaloid aphelandrine, which accumulates exclusively in the roots of the plants. Several endophytes were able to metabolize aphelandrine but only root endophytes belonging to the Nectriaceae were good metabolizers. In addition, the endophytes were grown on an agar medium containing putrescine, spermidine, or spermine as the sole nitrogen source. All fungi were able to grow on putrescine, but only the good aphelandrine metabolizers grew well on spermidine or spermine. Acremonium sp. 15, one of the most active metabolizers, grew also on a medium containing aphelandrine as sole nitrogen source. A number of strains thought to be conspecific with Acremonium sp. 15 were also tested for their ability to metabolize aphelandrine. The ability of the endophytes to metabolize aphelandrine suggests an ecological adaptation of the symbionts to their host. The possibility of using the aphelandrine metabolism as a taxonomic character is briefly discussed.

The cognitive, subjective, and physical effects of a ginkgo biloba/panax ginseng combination in healthy volunteers with neurasthenic complaints.

We evaluated the effects of a Ginkgo biloba/ginseng combination on cognitive function in this 90-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Sixty-four healthy volunteers (aged 40 to 65 years), selected on the basis of fulfilling the ICD-10 F48.0 criteria for neurasthenia, were assigned randomly to four equal dosing groups, receiving 80, 160, or 320 mg of the combination b.i.d. or placebo. Assessments were performed on the day before dosing, and again at Days 1, 30, and 90 at 1 hour after the morning dose and 1 hour after the afternoon dose. The assessments included the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerized assessment system, the Vienna Determination Unit, cycle ergometry, and various questionnaires. The treatments were well tolerated by all volunteers. On Day 90 at 1 hour post morning dosing, dose-related improvements were seen on the CDR tests, the 320 mg dose being significantly superior to placebo. These effects, however, were reversed 1 hour after the afternoon dose, possibly suggesting that a longer inter-dosing interval would be preferable. The 80-mg dose produced a significant benefit on the ergometry assessment of heart rate at maximum load. There were also several supporting changes from other assessments, including an advantage of 320 mg over placebo on the global score from the Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) at Day 90.

Molecular evidence that the asexual industrial fungus Trichoderma reesei is a clonal derivative of the ascomycete Hypocrea jecorina.

The relationship of the important cellulase producing asexual fungus Trichoderma reesei to its putative teleomorphic (sexual) ancestor Hypocrea jecorina and other species of the Trichoderma sect. Longibrachiatum was studied by PCR-fingerprinting and sequence analyses of the nuclear ribosomal DNA region containing the internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene. The differences in the corresponding ITS sequences allowed a grouping of anamorphic (asexual) species of Trichoderma sect. Longibrachiatum into Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Trichoderma pseudokoningii, and Trichoderma reesei. The sexual species Hypocrea schweinitzii and H. jecorina were also clearly separated from each other. H. jecorina and T. reesei exhibited identical sequences, suggesting close relatedness or even species identity. Intraspecific and interspecific variation in the PCR-fingerprinting patterns supported the differentiation of species based on ITS sequences, the grouping of the strains, and the assignment of these strains to individual species. The variations between T. reesei and H. jecorina were at the same order of magnitude as found between all strains of H. jecorina, but much lower than the observed interspecific variations. Identical ITS sequences and the high similarity of PCR-fingerprinting patterns indicate a very close relationship between T. reesei and H. jecorina, whereas differences of the ITS sequences and the PCR-fingerprinting patterns show a clear phylogenetic distance between T. reesei/H. jecorina and T. longibrachiatum. T. reesei is considered to be an asexual, clonal line derived from a population of the tropical ascomycete H. jecorina.

Fungal endophytes from the leaves and twigs of Quercus ilex L. from England, Majorca and Switzerland.

Leaves of Quercus ilex taken from sites in England, Majorca and Switzerland have been studied to detect the influence of the geographic position of the host within and outside its native range on the composition of its endophytic fungal assemblages. Samples of stem tissue of Q. ilex collected from the Swiss trees were also studied to confirm tissue-specific differences. Sixty different fungal taxa were isolated, but only 28 were frequent. Of the total number of isolates from the leaves from the Swiss, British and Spanish sites 87%, 31% and 63%, respectively, were coelomycetes. Four species of Phomopsis, which includes Phyllosticta ilicina (=Phomopsis ilicina v. d. Aa, ined.), were the most frequent endophytes of leaves and were either absent or rare in the twig units. Two distinct kinds of sterile mycelia were common in twigs. Swiss and Spanish trees possessed fungal assemblages distinct from those present in Britain. Naturalized stands were distinguished from native stands by the presence of rather cosmopolitan and non-specific fungal taxa, rare or absent in the samples collected in the native stands. Samples derived from the native stands were colonized by more host-specific fungi. The relative frequency of two sterile mycelia in the Swiss and Spanish sites determined their separation. Phyllosticta (Phomopsis) ilicina, the most numerous leaf colonizer, was virtually absent from the bark and the xylem. The frequent occurrence of coelomycetes as endophytes of woody trees is briefly discussed.

Simulated acid rain affects birch leaf endophyte populations.

Endophytes were frequently isolated from mountain birch (Betula pubescens var. tortuosa (Ledeb.) Nyman) leaves at a subarctic site where natural air pollution is low. We tested whether simulated acid rain had any influence on the occurrence of endophytes. Dry controls with only ambient rain and irrigated controls treated with spring water of pH 6 were compared with acid treatments at pH 3 and pH 4, prepared by adding both sulphuric and nitric acids. Treatments began in 1985 and leaf samples were taken twice during the summer of 1992. Leaves were surface sterilized, five leaf disks from each leaf placed on malt extract agar, and growing colonies were counted and identified. The most frequently isolated endophyte from birch leaves was a Fusicladium anamorph of Venturia sp. (88% of all the isolates in July and 75% of all the isolates in August), followed by a sterile mycelium and Melanconium sp. The number of endophytes isolated and the species number increased from July to August. Endophytes were most frequently isolated from the basal part of the midrib. The percentage of colonization by endophytes was similar in short and long shoots. More endophytes were isolated from leaves of branches taken at 1 m height than at 2 m height. The stronger acid rain treatment (pH 3) reduced by approximately 25% the number of isolated endophytes in August. Treatments did not have any effect on species composition of endophyte assemblages in birch leaves.

Differentiation of isolates of Discula umbrinella (Teleomorph: Apiognomonia errabunda) from beech, chestnut, and oak using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers.

Genetic variation in 30 isolates of Discula umbrinella derived from beech, chestnut, and oak was assessed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphic markers. Polymerase chain reaction amplifications with 17 primers produced 134 different DNA fragments. Three RAPD fragments were subsequently used for Southern hybridization. By these techniques up to four different individuals could be detected in the same leaf. The presence of several individuals within a single leaf indicates a finely tuned balance between the endophyte and its host. Cluster analysis of all arbitrary primed amplified DNA fragments showed that the isolates could be placed into four groups corresponding to their host origin. The high percentage of private RAPD variants within groups is consistent with low gene flow.

Ecology, metabolite production, and substrate utilization in endophytic fungi.

Endophytic fungi are a taxonomically and ecologically heterogenous group of organisms, mainly belonging to the Ascomycotina and Deuteromycotina. The isolation methods affect the species composition of the endophyte assemblage in a given host. The number of endophyte taxa isolated from a host species is usually large; however, only few, normally host specific species or strains are dominant. Endophyte assemblages are specific at the host species level, but species composition and frequencies are significantly affected by site-specific conditions. Moreover, the relative importance and number of endophytic species vary among individuals within sites. In some cases, each individual could be considered a separate ecosystem. In general, however, 40 individuals with 30 to 40 sampling units per organ and individual should be enough to detect 80% of taxa present in a given host at one site. Endophytes usually produce the enzymes necessary for the colonization of plant tissues. Substrate utilization studies and isozyme analysis have demonstrated that most endophytes are able to utilize most plant cell components. The production of growth promoting factors and of metabolites useful in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industry is widespread among endophytic fungi. The usefulness of endophytes in agricultural and pharmaceutical research is briefly discussed.

The distribution of some fungal and bacterial endophytes in maize (Zea mays L.).

Endophytic bacteria and fungi were isolated from healthy maize plants collected in a field in Devon. The average bacterial counts in the stem core tissues showed that the plant parts closer to the soil were more heavily colonized by bacteria than those near the top of the plants, and that the lower and middle part of the stems hosted the most frequently isolated bacterial species. Of the fungal species isolated, 12 had a relative importance of more than 10% in the core, 15 in the epidermis, and only 5 in the leaves. In general the distribution patterns were different among the three tissue types studied, with core and epidermis of the stems showing almost equal colonization frequencies and the leaves being most heavily colonized. More fungal species were recovered from the core and epidermis of the stem than from the leaves. The fungi most frequently isolated showed some patterns of tissue specificity, with Alternaria alternata almost exclusively associated with the leaves and Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanigerum most often present in the epidermal tissues. Assays showed low fungal colonization of seeds taken from freshly matured cobs and of seeds dried for 8 wk before testing, in contrast to higher colonization frequencies observed for the seeds used for planting. The mean values for fungal isolations in the stem pieces mostly in contact with the soil flora or close to the ground were lower than those of the more centrally placed sections. These areas of low fungal infection yielded the highest bacterial counts. The potential role of bacterial endophytes in biological control is briefly discussed.

Differential attachment by conidia of the endophyte, Discula umbrinella (Berk. & Br.) Morelet, to host and non-host surfaces.

Differential attachment of conidia to leaves of different species (host and non-host) has been observed in the endophytic fungus, Discula umbrinella (Berk. & Br.) Morelet, a deuteromycete known to cause occasional epidemics of anthracnose in beech stands. On beech leaves, attachment gradually increased over 24 h and reached a maximum after 16-24 h; there were small differences in attachment between conidia suspended in water and those in HEPES buffer. The range of variation of results obtained with conidia suspended in HEPES was smaller but the adhesion was clearly enhanced. The adhesion of conidia to the host surface was highest at pH 5, and decreased with increasing pH. Heat and chemical treatments significantly reduced attachment. Two factors (or groups of factors) are likely to be involved in the recognition process. The first is heat-labile, the second one could be a non-protein molecule present on the conidial surface and actively recognized by the host. The physiological similarity between endophytes and other symbionts is briefly discussed.