DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI
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152<br />
Descriptions of Medical Fungi<br />
Phaeoacremonium parasiticum (Ajello et al.) W. Gams et al.<br />
Synonymy: Phialophora parasiticum Ajello, Gerog & Wang.<br />
The genus Phaeoacremonium initially accommodated isolates with features similar to<br />
those seen in both Acremonium and Phialophora. It differs from the former by having<br />
pigmented hyphae and conidiophores and from the latter by having indistinct collarettes<br />
and warty conidiogenous cells (Revankar and Sutton, 2010).<br />
Phaeoacremonium currently consists of 46 species with P. parasiticum and P. krajdenii<br />
recognised as the predominant species associated with human infections (Mostert<br />
et al. 2005). Other species have also been isolated from clinical cases i.e. P. alvesii,<br />
P. amstelodamense, P. griseorubrum, P. minimum, P. rubrigenum, P. tardicrescens,<br />
and P. venezuelense. Infections caused by P. parasiticum include subcutaneous<br />
abscesses, thorn-induced arthritis, and disseminated infection (Revankar and Sutton,<br />
2010, Gramaje et al. 2015).<br />
RG-2 organism.<br />
Morphological Description: Cultures usually slow growing, suede-like with radial<br />
furrows, initially whitish-grey becoming olivaceous-grey with age. Hyphae hyaline, later<br />
becoming brown and some becoming rough-walled. Phialides are brown, thick-walled,<br />
slender, acular to cylindrical slightly tapering towards the tip, 15-50 μm long, often<br />
proliferating, with small, funnel-shaped collarettes. Conidia, often in balls, are hyaline,<br />
thin-walled, cylindrical to sausage-shaped, 3-6 x 1-2 μm, later inflating. Maximum<br />
growth temperature 40°C.<br />
Molecular Identification: ITS and β-tubulin sequencing (Mostert et al. 2006, Gramaje<br />
et al. 2015).<br />
Key Features: The identification of the different Phaeoacremonium species can be<br />
done by combining cultural, morphological and sequence data (Mostert et al. 2006,<br />
Gramaje et al. 2015).<br />
References: de Hoog et al. (2000, 2015), Revankar and Sutton (2010), Mostert et al.<br />
(2005, 2006), Gramaje et al. (2015), Badali et al. (2015).<br />
10 µm<br />
a<br />
b<br />
Phaeoacremonium parasiticum (a) colony and (b) a phialide<br />
with a small, funnel-shaped collarette.