DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

Descriptions of Medical Fungi 161
Prototheca Kruger
Antifungal Susceptibility: P. wickerhamii (Australian National data); MIC µg/mL.
No. 64
AmB 9 3 3 2 1
VORI 7 2 4 1
POSA 7 1 2 4
ITRA 9 2 5 2
Purpureocillium lilacinum (Thom) Luangsa-ard et al.
Synonymy: Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom) Samson.
Purpureocillium lilacinum is commonly isolated from soil, decaying vegetation, insects,
nematodes and as a laboratory contaminant. It is also a causative agent of infection in
human and other vertebrates (Luangsa-ard et al. 2011).
RG-1 organism.
Morphological Description: Colonies are fast growing, suede-like to floccose,
vinaceous to violet-coloured. Conidiophores are erect 400-600 µm in length, bearing
branches with densely clustered phialides. Conidiophore stipes are 3-4 µm wide, yellow
to purple and rough-walled. Phialides are swollen at their bases, gradually tapering into
a slender neck. Conidia are ellipsoidal to fusiform, smooth-walled to slightly roughened,
hyaline to purple in mass, 2.5-3.0 x 2-2.2 µm, and are produced in divergent chains.
Chlamydospores are absent. Growth at 38 O C.
Molecular Identification: ITS sequencing is recommended (Atkins et al. 2005,
Luangsa-ard et al. 2011).
Key Features: Colony pigmentation, phialides with swollen bases, pigmented and
rough-walled conidiophore stipes, absence of chlamydospores and growth at 37 O C.
Note: Paecilomyces marquandii differs by having a yellow reverse pigment, smooth
conidiophore stipes, presence of chlamydospores, and no growth at 37 O C.
References: Samson (1974), Domsch et al. (1980), McGinnis (1980), Onions et al.
(1981), Rippon (1988), de Hoog et al. (2000, 2015), Perdomo et al. (2013).
Antifungal Susceptibility: P. lilacinum (Australian National data); MIC µg/mL.
No. 16
AmB 52 1 1 6 6 24 14
VORI 50 8 30 9 1 2
POSA 37 2 7 4 23 1
ITRA 53 5 13 18 2 7 2 6