Comparative study of a new Chrysosporium species with Histoplasma capsulatum.

ABSTRACT

The Chrysosporium state of a new ascomycete, Renispora flavissima (Gymnoascaceae), resembles Histoplasma capsulatum in its macroconidial morphology. It was discovered growing in bat guano, from which it was readily isolated by direct plating of diluted soil, but only rarely from mice inoculated with soil suspensions. The fungus was consistently reisolated from tissues of mice inoculated intravenously and intraperitoneally with conidial and mycelial suspensions from cultures of the fungus. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that this species is pathogenic. Cultures grew at 37 degrees C, but did not convert to a yeast form on agar media or within cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages. Although the hyphae and conidia of this fungus fluoresce when stained with H. capsulatum fluorescent antibodies, exoantigens of the fungus produce neither H nor M precipitin bands, thus differentiating it from H. capsulatum. Both H. capsulatum and the new Chrysosporium sp. demonstrate isozyme polymorphism, and isozymic differences have been discussed between the two species.