Members of the genus Aspergillus are the most common fungi and all reproduce asexually by forming long chains of conidiospores (or conidia). The impact of various Aspergillus species on humans ranges from beneficial to harmful. For example, several species including Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger are used in industry for enzyme production and food processing. In contrast, Aspergillus flavus produce the most potent naturally present carcinogen aflatoxins, which contaminate various plant- and animal-based foods. Importantly, the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus has become the most prevalent airborne fungal pathogen in developed countries, causing invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients with a high mortality rate. A. fumigatus produces a massive number of small hydrophobic conidia as the primary means of dispersal, survival, genome-protection, and infecting hosts. Large-scale genome-wide expression studies can now be conducted due to completion of A. fumigatus genome sequencing. However, genomics becomes more powerful and informative when combined with genetics. We have been investigating the mechanisms underlying the regulation of asexual development (conidiation) and gliotoxin biosynthesis in A. fumigatus, primarily focusing on a characterization of key developmental regulators identified in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In this review, I will summarize our current understanding of how conidiation in two aspergilli is regulated.
Aflatoxins ; Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Aspergillus nidulans ; Aspergillus niger ; Aspergillus oryzae ; Developed Countries ; Food Handling ; Fungi ; Genome ; Genomics ; Gliotoxin ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Spores, Fungal ; Transcription Factors

The fungi on Meju are known to play an important role as degrader of macromolecule of soybeans. In order to elucidate the origin of fungi on traditional Meju, mycobiota of the air both inside and outside traditional Meju fermentation rooms was examined. From 11 samples of air collected from inside and outside of 7 Meju fermentation rooms, 37 genera and 90 species of fungi were identified. In outside air of the fermentation room, Cladosporium sp. and Cladosporium cladosporioides were the dominant species, followed by Cladosporium tenuissimum, Eurotium sp., Phoma sp., Sistotrema brinkmannii, Alternaria sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Schizophyllum commune, and Penicillium glabrum. In inside air of the fermentation room, Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium chrysogenum, Asp. nidulans, Aspergillus sp., Cla. cladosporioides, Eurotium sp., Penicillium sp., Cla. tenuissimum, Asp. niger, Eur. herbariorum, Asp. sydowii, and Eur. repens were collected with high frequency. The concentrations of the genera Aspergillus, Eurotium, and Penicillium were significantly higher in inside air than outside air. From this result and those of previous reports, the origin of fungi present on Meju was inferred. Of the dominant fungal species present on Meju, Lichtheimia ramosa, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor racemosus, and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis are thought to be originated from outside air, because these species are not or are rarely isolated from rice straw and soybean; however, they were detected outside air of fermentation room and are species commonly found in indoor environments. However, Asp. oryzae, Pen. polonicum, Eur. repens, Pen. solitum, and Eur. chevalieri, which are frequently found on Meju, are common in rice straw and could be transferred from rice straw to Meju. The fungi grow and produce abundant spores during Meju fermentation, and after the spores accumulate in the air of fermentation room, they could influence mycobiota of Meju fermentation in the following year. This could explain why concentrations of the genera Aspergillus, Eurotium, and Penicillium are much higher inside than outside of the fermentation rooms.
Alternaria ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Aspergillus nidulans ; Aspergillus oryzae ; Cladosporium ; Eurotium ; Fermentation* ; Fungi* ; Mucor ; Niger ; Oryza ; Penicillium ; Penicillium chrysogenum ; Schizophyllum ; Scopulariopsis ; Soybeans ; Spores ; Viperidae

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium, Chaetomium, Alternaria, and Sordariomycetes, followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.
Alternaria ; Arachis* ; Ascomycota ; Basidiomycota ; Chaetomium ; China* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Soil*

A newly synthesized Nickel (II) tyrosine complex was screened as potential antimicrobial agent against a number of medically important bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus beta-haemolytica, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenterae) and fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp.) strains. were used for antifungal activity. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the Agar Disc method. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the complexes was determined against the same pathogenic bacteria and the values were found between 4~64 microg ml(-1). Brine shrimp bioassay was carried out for cytotoxicity measurements of the complexes. The LC50 values were calculated after probit transformation of the resulting mortality data and found to be 6 microg ml(-1).
Agar ; Artemia ; Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus niger ; Bacteria ; Biological Assay ; Candida albicans ; Escherichia coli ; Fungi ; Mass Screening* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mortality ; Nickel* ; Penicillium ; Shigella ; Streptococcus ; Tyrosine*

Various soil samples were collected from twenty-four areas of ten different poultry farms in Korea and screened for prevalence of keratinolytic fungi. Fourteen species of feather-associated fungi belonging to ten genera Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Monascus, Mucor, Penicillum, and Verticillium isolated from poultry soils were grown on keratin medium. Especially, Aspergillus spp. populations associated with the soil sample is 1x10(5) cfu/g. A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. nidulans, and A. terreus could utilize keratin of chicken feather and degrade it, producing sulphydryl-containing compounds detected as keratinase, cysteine and total proteins. Keratinolytic activities of five Aspergillus species also changed the pH of the medium more alkaline than those that were less keratinolytic.
Acremonium ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Aspergillus* ; Chickens ; Cladosporium ; Cysteine ; Feathers ; Fungi ; Fusarium ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea* ; Monascus ; Mucor ; Niger ; Poultry* ; Prevalence ; Soil* ; Verticillium

In this study, we evaluated the effect of different temperatures (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C) and relative humidities (RHs; 12, 44, 76, and 98%) on populations of predominant grain fungi (Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium fellutanum, and Penicillium islandicum) and the biocontrol activity of Pseudomonas protegens AS15 against aflatoxigenic A. flavus KCCM 60330 in stored rice. Populations of all the tested fungi in inoculated rice grains were significantly enhanced by both increased temperature and RH. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that one unit increase of temperature resulted in greater effects than that of RH on fungal populations. When rice grains were treated with P. protegens AS15 prior to inoculation with A. flavus KCCM 60330, fungal populations and aflatoxin production in the inoculated grains were significantly reduced compared with the grains untreated with strain AS15 regardless of temperature and RH (except 12% RH for fungal population). In addition, bacterial populations in grains were significantly enhanced with increasing temperature and RH, regardless of bacterial treatment. Higher bacterial populations were detected in biocontrol strain-treated grains than in untreated control grains. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing consistent biocontrol activity of P. protegens against A. flavus population and aflatoxin production in stored rice grains under various environmental conditions of temperature and RH.
Aflatoxins ; Aspergillus flavus* ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Aspergillus* ; Fungi ; Humidity* ; Linear Models ; Penicillium* ; Pseudomonas*

In our previous studies, Bacillus megaterium KU143, Microbacterium testaceum KU313, and Pseudomonas protegens AS15 have been shown to be antagonistic to Aspergillus flavus in stored rice grains. In this study, the biocontrol activities of these strains were evaluated against Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium fellutanum, and Penicillium islandicum, which are predominant in stored rice grains. In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the bacterial strains were evaluated against the fungi on media and rice grains, respectively. The antifungal activities of the volatiles produced by the strains against fungal development and population were also tested using I-plates. In in vitro tests, the strains produced secondary metabolites capable of reducing conidial germination, germ-tube elongation, and mycelial growth of all the tested fungi. In in vivo tests, the strains significantly inhibited the fungal growth in rice grains. Additionally, in I-plate tests, strains KU143 and AS15 produced volatiles that significantly inhibited not only mycelial growth, sporulation, and conidial germination of the fungi on media but also fungal populations on rice grains. GC-MS analysis of the volatiles by strains KU143 and AS15 identified 12 and 17 compounds, respectively. Among these, the antifungal compound, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-indole, was produced by strain KU143 and the antimicrobial compounds, 2-butyl 1-octanal, dimethyl disulfide, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-1-heptanol, and 4-trifluoroacetoxyhexadecane, were produced by strain AS15. These results suggest that the tested strains producing extracellular metabolites and/or volatiles may have a broad spectrum of antifungal activities against the grain fungi. In particular, B. megaterium KU143 and P. protegens AS15 may be potential biocontrol agents against Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. during rice grain storage.
Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Aspergillus* ; Bacillus megaterium* ; Bacillus* ; Fungi ; Germination ; In Vitro Techniques ; Penicillium* ; Pseudomonas*

The complexes of tailor made ligands with life essential metal ions may be an emerging area to answer the problems of multi drug resistance. The coordination complexes of VO(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) with the Schiff bases derived from isatin with 3-chloro-4-floroaniline and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with 4-aminoantipyrine have been synthesized by conventional as well as microwave methods. These compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, electronic spectra, FT-IR, FAB mass and magnetic susceptibility measurements. FAB mass data show degradation of complexes. Both the ligands behave as bidentate and tridentate coordinating through O and N donor. The complexes exhibit coordination number 4, 5 or 6. The Schiff base and metal complexes show a good activity against the bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus fecalis and fungi Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma polysporum, Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. The antimicrobial results also indicate that the metal complexes are better antimicrobial agents as compared to the Schiff bases. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the metal complexes were found in the range 10~40 microg/mL.
Ampyrone ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus niger ; Candida albicans ; Coordination Complexes ; Drug Resistance ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Escherichia coli ; Fungi ; Humans ; Ions ; Isatin ; Ligands ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microwaves ; Molar ; Pyridines ; Schiff Bases ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Tissue Donors ; Trichoderma

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

Beef luncheon meat is one of the most popular meals in several countries in the world including Egypt. Thirty one fungal species and 3 species varieties were recovered from 30 samples of beef luncheon meat collected from different supermarkets in Qena. Alternaria, Aspergillus, Emericella, Mucor, Mycosphaerella, Penicillium and Rhizopus were the most common genera on the two types of media. From the above genera, the most prevalent species were Alternaria alternate, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, Emericella nidulans, Mucor racemosus, Mycosphaerella tassiana, Penicillium chrysogenum and Rhizopus stolonifer. Screening of fungi for their abilities to produce lipase enzyme showed that, ten isolates represented 32.26% of total isolates appeared high lipase production, while sixteen isolates (51.61%) were moderate and 5 isolates (16.13%) were low producers. Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Nectria haematococca produced the highest amount of lipase enzyme, so these fungi were used in further studies. The incorporation of five food preservatives (Disodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, citric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium citrate) individually in the culture medium of lipase production exhibited an inhibitive effect on the mycelial growth and enzyme production by Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Nectria haematococca.
Alternaria ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus niger ; Citric Acid ; Egypt ; Emericella ; Food Preservatives ; Fungi ; Fusarium ; Lipase ; Mass Screening ; Meals ; Meat ; Mucor ; Nectria ; Niger ; Penicillium ; Penicillium chrysogenum ; Rhizopus ; Sodium ; Sodium Benzoate ; Sorbic Acid