No abstract available.
Aspergillus niger* ; Cicatrix*

Aims: This present study focused on purification of fungal β-mannanase produced by Aspergillus niger USM F4 and also physicochemical characterisation of the purified enzyme. Methodology and results: The purified β-mannanase with a molecular mass of ~47.4 kDa was demonstrated on SDSPAGE gel. The enzyme signified a purification degree of 4-fold, with final specific activity of 196.42 U/mg. It reached an optimum catalytic activity at pH 4.0 and 60 °C. The thermal stability of the enzyme was up to 70 °C and maintained the 50% activity after 30 min at 80 °C. Meanwhile, the pH stability was in the range of pH 3.0-9.0 and a 30 min half-life at pH 10.0. All chemical substances manifested an inhibitory effect on purified β-mannanase, with SDS (28.16 ± 0.05% residual activity) as the strongest inhibitor, followed by cupric ion (Cu2+) (49.51 ± 0.09% residual activity). As a whole, the enzyme displayed a substrate specificity in the order of locust bean gum (LBG) > carboxymethylcellulose > soluble starch > xylan from oat spelt > α-cellulose. Its preference for LBG has generated the Km and Vmax values of 0.20 mg/mL and 9.82 U/mL, respectively. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The outcomes of our study offer potential for use at industrial scales, particularly in the oligosaccharides production that involve acid-related activity, wide-ranging temperature and pH stability.
Aspergillus niger ; beta-Mannosidase

Aims: The main aim of the study was to evaluate some methods of application of Aspergillus niger AD1 and Trichoderma hamatum T-113 for enhancing the growth and yield of wheat var. Ibaa99 in pots and field conditions. Methodology and results: Plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) loaded with peat moss were used at a rate of 100, 150 and 200 mL pot-1 or m-2 in filed soil; seed treatment (coating) with fungi suspension 19 × 107, soil treatment and combination of all the three methods was employed in the study. Wheat seeds were sown in pots and field plots during 2018-2019, and data regarding various growth and yield attributes were recorded. In both pot and field trials, the results revealed that the best treatments for the desired plant growth and yield attributes were peat moss 150 mL alone or in combination with soil and seed treatments. The soil physicochemical parameters were also improved after inoculation with selected fungal isolates in different application methods compared with un-inoculated control treatment in both pot and field conditions. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The PGPF play a vital role represented phytoremediation, phytostimulation and bio-fertilization. The isolates of PGPF, which were applied with peat moss at 150 mL to the pot and in the field alone or combined with seed treatment and soil application, were significantly the best effective method for improving wheat attributes.
Aspergillus niger ; Trichoderma ; Plant Growth Regulators

Aspergillus peritonitis is a rare but serious cause of peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. We report 2 cases of peritonitis caused by Aspergillus niger in CAPD which were treated successfully with voriconazole and caspofungin, respectively, and catheter removal. Both patients initially received amphotericin B; however, they were not cured with the agent. We briefly discuss the proper selection of antifungal agent and the treatment duration. Previously reported cases of the CAPD peritonitis caused by A. Niger are also reviewed in this article.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus niger ; Catheters ; Echinocandins ; Humans ; Niger ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritonitis ; Pyrimidines ; Triazoles

A 61-year-old healthy breeder presented with three punched out, purulent ulcers surrounded by erythematous indurated plaque on the burn scars of the dorsum of the right upper arm and hand which were developed at six months prior to visit. Aspergillus niger was isolated from the pus and tissue pieces in three consecutive cultures. After eight weeks therapy with oral itraconazole, purulent ulcers were healed leaving fibrotic scars. We report a rare case of primary cutaneous aspergillosis by A. niger in a healthy man.
Arm ; Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus niger* ; Aspergillus* ; Burns* ; Cicatrix* ; Hand ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Middle Aged ; Niger ; Suppuration ; Ulcer

Antifungal properties of methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate (BMC) were investigated using 16 fungi. Cytotoxicity test of BMC revealed that the morphology of HeLa cells was considerably deformed even at the concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of BMC for 7 fungi among the 16 tested ones were lower than 1.95x10(-4) microg/ml, while Aspergillus flavus showed an MIC value higher than 1.0 microg/ml. Tolerance induction against BMC was successful only for Paecilomyces farinosus LAR10, contrary to the expectation that tolerance would be induced for the fungi having high MIC values such as Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642 and A. flavus ATCC 9643. Spore germination of A. niger ATCC 9642 was suppressed by BMC. However the mycelial growth of the fungus once germinated was not retarded at all by BMC up to 8 MIC. Addition of lanosterol provided a remedy for the reduced germination rate of A. niger ATCC 9642 spores.
Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus niger ; Fungi ; Germination ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Lanosterol ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Niger ; Paecilomyces ; Spores

Aspergillus niger has been used as a host to express many heterologous proteins. It has been known that the presence of an abundant protease is a limiting factor to express a heterologous protein. The protease deficient mutant of A. niger was obtained using UV-irradiation. A total of 1x105 spores were irradiated with 10~20% survival dose of UV, 600 J/m2 at 280 nm, and the resulting spores were screened on the casein-gelatin plates. Ten putative protease deficient mutants showing the reduced halo area around colonies were further analyzed to differentiate the protease deficient mutant from other mutant types. Among ten putative mutants, seven mutants showed significant growth defect on nutrient rich medium and two mutants appeared to be the secretory mutants, which resulted in the impaired secretion of extracellular proteins including proteases. A mutant pro--20 showed reduced halo zone without any notable changes in growth rate. In addition, the starch-degrading and glucose oxidase activities in the culture filtrate of pro--20 mutant showed the similar range as that of the parental strain, which suggested that the pro--20 mutant ought to be the protease deficient mutant rather than a secretory mutant. The reduced proteolytic activity of the pro--20 was demonstrated using SDS-fibrin zymography gel. The reduced extracellular proteolysis was quantified by casein degradation assay and, comparing with the parental strain, less than 30% residual extracellular protease activity was detected in the culture filtrate of the pro--20 mutant. The bio-activity of an exogenously supplemented hGM-CSF (human Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor) in the culture filtrate of pro--20 mutant was detected until eight times more diluted preparations than that of the parental strain.
Aspergillus niger* ; Aspergillus* ; Caseins ; Glucose Oxidase ; Humans ; Niger ; Parents ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Proteolysis ; Spores

BACKGROUND: A spectrophotometric approach to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination for filamentous fungi may provide an objective and rapid MIC reading, and quantify the hyphal growth of molds. In this study, we evaluated two spectrophotometric broth microdilution methods (SBM) to determine amphotericin B and itraconazole MICs for Aspergillus species isolated from clinical specimens. METHODS: A total of 80 clinical isolates (20 A. fumigatus, 20 A. flavus, 18 A. niger, 20 A. terreus, and 2 A. nidulans) were tested for amphotericin B and itraconazole susceptibility by the broth microdilution method. The MIC endpoint was calculated by the spectrophotometer with microplate reader (SBM-Spec method) or colorimetric XTT (tetrazolium dye) method (SBM-XTT method). The results of the SBM method were compared with those of NCCLS M38-A broth microdilution method. RESULTS: The MICs of amphotericin B by the NCCLS M38-A method ranged from 0.125 to 8 g/mL, and those of itraconazole ranged from 0.25 to 2micrograms/mL. The agreement of SBM-Spec and SBM-XTT methods within one dilution of the NCCLS M38 reference were 98.8% and 96.3% for the ampho-tericin B, and 98.8% and 100% for itraconazole, respectively. The agreements between SBM-Spec and SBM-XTT methods were 97.5% for amphotericin B and 98.8% for itraconazole. CONCLUSIONS: In antifungal susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species, the SBM method includ-ing SBM-Spec and SBM-XTT methods showed high levels of agreements with the NCCLS M38-A method. The SBM methods can be useful in the clinical laboratory.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillus* ; Fungi ; Itraconazole ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Niger

BACKGROUND: Voriconazole is a potent new triazole antifungal agent expected to be particularly useful for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. However, in vitro susceptibility of voriconazole for clinical strains of Aspergillus species isolated in Korea has not been fully surveyed. OBJECTIVE: We determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of voriconazole for clinical Aspergillus isolates. METHODS: A total of 100 clinical isolates of Aspergillus species (40 A. fumigatus, 24 A. flavus, 17 A. niger, 17 A. terreus and 2 A. nidulans) was tested. In vitro voriconazole susceptibility testing was accomplished utilizing the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) broth microdilution method M38-A. MIC of voriconazole was determined using RPMI medium at 48 h of incubation. RESULTS: Among the 100 isolates of Aspergillus species tested, 98% were inhibited by < or = 1 microgram/mL of voriconazole. The MICs of voriconazole ranged from 0.125 to 2 microgram/mL (geometric mean MIC, 0.52 microgram/mL). The MIC50 (MIC at which 50% of the isolates tested were inhibited) and MIC90 were 0.5 and 1.0 microgram/mL for all Aspergillus species, respectively. The strains showing MIC> or =2 microgram/mL were 0/40 (0%) in A. fumigatus, 1/24 (4%) in A. flavus, 1/17 (6%) in A. niger, 0/17 (0%) in A. terreus, and 0/2 (0%) in A. nidulans. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate promising in-vitro activity of voriconazole against clinical strains of Aspergillus species isolated from Korean patients.
Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus* ; Humans ; Korea ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Niger

Korean Institute of Tuberculosis (KIT) collected 129 strains of Aspergillus spp. from clinical specimens of patient suspected as pulmonary Aspergillosis. On the basis of morphological characteristics, these strains were identified as A. fumigatus (62 strains), A. niger (37), A. flavus (26), A. versicolor (1), A. nidulans (1), A. clavatus (1) and Neosartorya fennelliae (1). These strains were re-identified according to recent Aspergillus classification system which is mainly based on molecular characters. The strains were grouped by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The representative strains from each group were sequenced with partial betatubulin gene and compared with those of reference strains in the Aspergillus and were identified by the sequence. The identification was confirmed by morphological examination. As the results, they are reidentified as A. fumigatus (58), A. niger (11), A. tubingensis (26), A. flavus (27), A. sydowii (3), A. nidulans (1), A. clavatus (1), Neosartorya fennelliae (1), N. fischeri (1). This is also the first report of A. tubuingensis in clinical field in Korea.
Aspergillus ; DNA ; Humans ; Korea ; Neosartorya ; Niger ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Tuberculosis