Six new soil-inhabiting Cladosporium species from plateaus in China.

Cladosporium species are ubiquitous in various environments but are hitherto rarely isolated from soil. In the present study, six new Cladosporium species inhabiting the plateau soils of China are described as C. neopsychrotolerans, C. paralimoniforme, C. prolongatum, C. sinuatum, C. tianshanense, and C. verruculosum. These species are phylogenetically distinct and morphologically different from known species. This study increased the number of species classified in the C. cladosporioides and C. herbarum complexes and revealed Chinese plateau soil as a rich niche of Cladosporium species diversity.

Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides as potential new fungal antagonists of Puccinia horiana Henn., the causal agent of chrysanthemum white rust.

Puccinia horiana Hennings, the causal agent of chrysanthemum white rust, is a worldwide quarantine organism and one of the most important fungal pathogens of Chrysanthemum × morifolium cultivars, which are used for cut flowers and as potted plants in commercial production regions of the world. It was previously reported to be controlled by Lecanicillium lecanii, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, C. uredinicola and Aphanocladium album, due to their antagonistic and hyperparasitic effects. We report novel antagonist species on Puccinia horiana. Fungi isolated from rust pustules in a commercial greenhouse from Villa Guerrero, México, were identified as Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides based upon molecular analysis and morphological characters. The antagonism of C. cladosporioides and C. pseudocladosporioides on chrysanthemum white rust was studied using light and electron microscopy in vitro at the host/parasite interface. Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. pseudocladosporioides grew towards the white rust teliospores and colonized the sporogenous cells, but no direct penetration of teliospores was observed; however, the structure and cytoplasm of teliospores were altered. The two Cladosporium spp. were able to grow on media containing laminarin, but not when chitin was used as the sole carbon source; these results suggest that they are able to produce glucanases. Results from the study indicate that both Cladosporium species had potential as biological control agents of chrysanthemum white rust.

Cladosporium lebrasiae, a new fungal species isolated from milk bread rolls in France.

The fungal genus Cladosporium (Cladosporiaceae, Dothideomycetes) is composed of a large number of species, which can roughly be divided into three main species complexes: Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium herbarum, and Cladosporium sphaerospermum. The aim of this study was to characterize strains isolated from contaminated milk bread rolls by phenotypic and genotypic analyses. Using multilocus data from the internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA (rDNA), partial translation elongation factor 1-α, actin, and beta-tubulin gene sequences along with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and morphological observations, three isolates were identified as a new species in the C. sphaerospermum species complex. This novel species, described here as Cladosporium lebrasiae, is phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from other species in this complex.

Acne-Like Subcutaneous Phaeohyphomycosis Caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides: A Rare Case Report and Review of Published Literatures.

We report a rare case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides. A 21-year-old man was presented to our clinic with the history of cysts and nodules on his face and neck for 5 years. He was diagnosed subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis according to the finding of fungal elements in histopathological examination and direct microscopic examination of cyst pus, which was confirmed by positive culture of the cyst pus. The isolate grown on culture was identified as C. cladosporioides on the basis of morphological characters and sequence of the ITS region of ribosomal DNA. After treatment with oral itraconazole, he almost completely resolved the inflammatory lesions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of C. cladosporioides infection presented with multiple cysts and nodules like acne.

Biochemistry of lipolytic enzymes secreted by Penicillium solitum and Cladosporium cladosporioides.

Two distinct extracellular lipases were obtained from Penicillium solitum 194A, isolated from domestic compost, and Cladosporium cladosporioides 194B, isolated from dairy wastewater. These alkaline enzymes had molecular masses of 42 and 30 kDa, respectively. The P. solitum 194A lipase differed in mass from previously reported enzyme, indicating that it is a novel lipase, and indicating that penicillia can secrete lipase isoenzymes. The C. cladosporioides lipase was more active on esters of medium-chain acids, whereas the P. solitum lipase was more active on longer chained substrates. The C. cladosporioides enzyme displayed higher thermal stability than the P. solitum lipase, preserving full activity up to 48 °C and showing a T50 (10 min) of 60 °C. Their different catalytic properties and good protein stability should make these enzymes suitable for biotechnological applications. Furthermore, the combined use of these two fungal strains may prove to be valuable in lipid-rich waste management.

Changes in concentration of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores during summer storms.

Fungal spores are known to cause allergic sensitization. Recent studies reported a strong association between asthma symptoms and thunderstorms that could be explained by an increase in airborne fungal spore concentrations. Just before and during thunderstorms the values of meteorological parameters rapidly change. Therefore, the goal of this study was to create a predictive model for hourly concentrations of atmospheric Alternaria and Cladosporium spores on days with summer storms in Szczecin (Poland) based on meteorological conditions. For this study we have chosen all days of June, July and August (2004-2009) with convective thunderstorms. There were statistically significant relationships between spore concentration and meteorological parameters: positive for air temperature and ozone content while negative for relative humidity. In general, before a thunderstorm, air temperature and ozone concentration increased, which was accompanied by a considerable increase in spore concentration. During and after a storm, relative humidity increased while both air temperature ozone concentration along with spore concentrations decreased. Artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to assess forecasting possibilities. Good performance of ANN models in this study suggest that it is possible to predict spore concentrations from meteorological variables 2 h in advance and, thus, warn people with spore-related asthma symptoms about the increasing abundance of airborne fungi on days with storms.

Localization of Cladosporium fulvum hydrophobins reveals a role for HCf-6 in adhesion.

Hydrophobins are amphipathic molecules which form part of fungal cell walls and extracellular matrices and perform a variety of roles in fungal growth and development. The tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum has six hydrophobin genes, HCf-1 to -6. We have devised an epitope tagging approach for establishing hydrophobin localization during growth in culture and in plants. In this paper we localize HCf-2, -3, -4 and -5 and compare the data to our previous observations for HCf-1 and -6. In culture, HCf-1, -2, -3 and 4 localize to conidia and also appear on aerial hyphae. HCf-4 is unique in that it appears on submerged hyphae. HCf-5 expression is tightly regulated and appears on aerial hyphae early on during growth. Only HCf-1, -3 and -6 were observed during infection; HCf-3 appears on both conidia and emerging germ tubes. We also show that HCf-6 is secreted and coats surfaces under and around growing hyphae and demonstrate the effect of deleting HCf-6 on the adhesion of germinating C. fulvum conidia to glass slides.

Airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium species and relationship with meteorological conditions in Eskisehir City, Turkey.

Alternaria and Cladosporium, known as the most allergenic spores were first collected by means of Durham gravimetric sampler from Eskisehir atmosphere from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. The daily, monthly and annual variations in spores/cm(2) of Cladosporium and Alternaria were recorded. During this period, a total of 10.231 spores belonging to Cladosporium and Alternaria genera were recorded. Of these spores, 5,103 were identified in 2000 and 5,128 in 2001. While 63.09% of the total spores were those of Cladosporium, 36.91% were of Alternaria. Relationships between airborne fungal spore presence and meteorological conditions were statistically investigated. A Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that the airborne Cladosporium and Alternaria spores differed from a normal distribution. Thus, a Friedmann test was performed followed by a Pearson Correlation Analysis. The effects of rainfall, temperature and wind speed on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were non-significant according to the sites and months (p > 0.05), but the effects of relative humidity on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were significant (p < 0.01). Spore concentrations reached to their highest levels in May 2001.

Metulocladosporiella gen. nov. for the causal organism of Cladosporium speckle disease of banana.

Cladosporium musae, a widespread leaf-spotting hyphomycete on Musa spp., is genetically and morphologically distinct from Cladosporium s. str. (Davidiella anamorphs, Mycosphaerellaceae, Dothideales). DNA sequence data derived from the ITS and LSU gene regions of C. musae isolates show that this species is part of a large group of hyphomycetes in the Chaetothyriales with dematiaceous blastoconidia in acropetal chains. Cladosporium adianticola, a foliicolous hyphomycete known from leaf litter in Cuba is also a member of this clade and is closely related to C. musae. A comparison with other genera in the Cladosporium complex revealed that C. musae belongs to a lineage for which no generic name is currently available, and for which the genus Metulocladosporiella gen. nov. is proposed. Two species of Metulocladosporiella are currently known, namely M. musae, which is widely distributed, and M. musicola sp. nov., which is currently known from Africa.

Four or more species of Cladosporium sympatrically colonize Phragmites australis.

A collection of Cladosporium has been recovered from common reed growing at Lake Constance (Germany). High-resolution cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed that Cladosporium isolates from reed are diverse. Morphologically, we distinguished three species, viz. C. herbarum, C. oxysporum, and Cladosporium sp. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis supported these results and, moreover, separated the most common species, C. oxysporum, into two subclades. Two additional phylogenies were generated to gain support for this finding. The first, differentiating fungi by their capacities to metabolize different carbon sources, showed correlation with morphology. The second, based on actin gene sequences, showed the same overall topology as that of the ITS tree, but resulted in a higher resolution indicating the existence of four or more species of Cladosporium on reed. A nested PCR assay targeting variable sequences within actin introns indicated that these four species sympatrically colonize reed. There was no evidence for mutual exclusion on or within the host or specialization for host habitats or organs.

Annual and diurnal incidence of Cladosporium conidia in the atmosphere of Córdoba, Spain.

The presence of Cladosporium conidia in the atmosphere of Córdoba, a city in Southern Spain, was studied. Samplings were carried out over a three-year period in the form of hourly analyses by use of a Hirst volumetric inert collection medium trap, located 15 meters above ground level. The results obtained suggest that conidia from species of this genus are present in the atmosphere of Córdoba throughout the year. The mean of the concentrations obtained during the study period was 1065 conidia/m3 day. The conidium concentration show a markedly seasonal variation pattern, with two annual peaks (one in June and the other in September-October). The incidence of Cladosporium conidia in Córdoba appears to be determined mainly by the temperature and relative humidity. As regards intradiurnal variation, the number of Cladosporium conidia peaks between 8 and 10 pm, with a minimum between 5 and 6 am.

Nutritional physiology and taxonomy of human-pathogenic Cladosporium-Xylohypha species.

Physiological profiles of type, authentic and some additional isolates of Cladosporium-Xylohypha species of purported herpotrichiellaceous relationship are established. This group comprises melanized catenate hyphomycetes which are prevalently found on the human host. The species are excluded from the genus Cladosporium and are classified in the genus Cladophialophora. Taeniolella boppii is also transferred to this genus. Cladosporium bantianum (= Xylohypha emmonsii) and C. trichoides are considered conspecific and are now referred to as Cladophialophora bantiana. Meso-erythritol, L-arabinitol, ethanol and growth at 40 degrees C are found to be the most useful criteria for species distinction. The species Cladosporium carrionii is found to be heterogeneous. The anamorph of the saprophytic ascomycete Capronia pilosella is morphologically similar to an authentic strain of Cladosporium carrionii, but physiologically distinct. A diagnostic key for the recognized Cladophialophora species and to morphologically similar taxa is provided.

Calcium regulates in vitro dimorphism in chromoblastomycotic fungi.

Cladosporium carrionii, Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Phialophora verrucosa, the three most important agents of chromoblastomycosis, produced large numbers of sclerotic bodies at 25 degrees C, and greater numbers at 37 degrees C, after inoculation into a defined pH 2.5 medium containing 0.1 mmol l-1 Ca2+. Higher concentrations of Ca2+ reversed this tendency and promoted maintenance of hyphal growth. Addition of the Ca2+ chelator EGTA to the same medium buffered at pH 6.5 also induced sclerotic bodies, but in a more concentration-dependent fashion. EGTA at 0.5-1.0 mmol l-1 induced maximum numbers of sclerotic bodies in Cl. carrionii, whereas 2 and 8 mmol l-1 concentrations were required for the same results with F. pedrosoi and P. verrucosa, respectively. These findings suggest that Ca2+ concentrations in human tissue may play a paramount role in the dimorphic switching between hyphae and sclerotic bodies among chromoblastomycotic agents during infection.

Reclassification of Cladosporium bantianum in the genus Xylohypha.

It is proposed that the dematiaceous hyphomycete Cladosporium bantianum (Saccardo) Borelli be transferred to the genus Xylohypha (Fries) Mason as Xylohypha bantiana (Saccardo) McGinnis, Padhye, Borelli, et Ajello. This new combination is necessary because X. bantiana produces conidiophores that are indistinguishable from its vegetative hyphae and one-celled, smooth-walled conidia that are borne in long, infrequently branched chains. The blastoconidia do not possess darkly pigmented hila. In contrast, members of the genus Cladosporium Link produce erect, distinct conidiophores and one- to four-celled smooth-to-rough-walled conidia that occur in short, frequently branched, fragile chains. The blastoconidia have darkly pigmented hila. Cladosporium trichoides Emmons is a later synonym of X. bantiana.

The relationship of Cladosporium carrionii to Cladophialophora ajelloi.

Twelve of 21 isolates of Cladosporium carrionii, when grown on nutritionally deficient media such as lactrimel agar, hay infusion agar, diluted corn meal dextrose agar, and water agar, produced urniform phialides and phialoconidia identical with those produced by two isolates of Cladophialophora ajelloi. All isolates of C. carrionii and Cph. ajelloi hydrolyzed urea in 7 days, but failed to liquefy gelatin. The decomposition of casein, xanthine, hypoxanthine, and tyrosine was found to be of no diagnostic value because of the variable results given by the isolates of C. carrionii. None of the C. bantianum isolates or commonly encountered saprophytic species of Cladosporium, such as C. cladosporioides and C. herbarum, showed the ability to form phialides on any of the media tested. Because of the identical nature of the two synanamorphs of Cph. ajelloi, namely the Cladosporium-type and the Phialophora-type, with those of C. carionii, Cph. ajelloi is considered to be a later synonym of C. carrionii. The Latin description of C. carrionii is emended to include the Phialophora anamorph.

Comparative study of an isolate resembling Banti's fungus with Cladosporium trichoides.

A fungus isolated from a subcutaneous abscess of a cat was found to fit closely to the description of Banti's fungus, Torula bantiana Saccardo, which was reclassified by Borelli as Cladosporium bantianum (Sacc.) Borelli. The cat isolate was different from Cladosporium trichoides Emmons in conidial size, branching of conidial chains, and minimum, optimum, and maximum temperature for growth. Although the isolate was neurotropic in mice, the fungal morphology in mouse brain was clearly different from C. trichoides. From this study, it was apparent that C. bantianum (Sacc.) Borelli and C. trichoides Emmons should be regarded as two separate species. The 2 species were compared with C. carrionii Trejos.