Penicillium sp

O Penicillium (lat. penicillus= pincel) é um género de fungos, o comum bolor do pão, que cresce em matéria orgânica biodegradável, especialmente no solo e outros ambientes húmidos e escuros. Por contágio, contaminam frutas e sementes e chegam a invadir habitações, sendo responsáveis pelos bolores que se instalam em alimentos para consumo humano.


Natural Habitats Soil • Seed • Cereal crops


Suitable Substrates in the Indoor Environment Foods (blue mold on cereals, fruits,

vegetables, dried foods) • House dust • Fabrics • Leather • Wallpaper • Wallpaper glue

Water Activity Aw=0.78-0.86

Mode of Dissemination Wind • Insects

Allergenic Potential Type I (hay fever, asthma) • Type III (hypersensitivity)

Potential Opportunist or Pathogen Penicilliosis

Industrial Uses P. chrysogenum for the antibiotic penicillin • P. griseofulvum for the antibiotic

griseofulvin a • P. roquefortii for Roquefort cheese • P. camemberti for Camembert cheese

• Brie, Gorgonzola, and Danish Blue cheese are also the products of Penicillium • Used to cure

ham and salami • Production of organic acids such as fumaric, oxalic, gluconic, and gallic

Potential Toxins Produced Citrinin • Citreoviridin • Cyclopiazonic acid • Fumitremorgen B

• Grisiofulvin • Janthitrems • Mycophenolic acid • Paxilline • Penitrem A • Penicillic acid

• Ochratoxins • Roquefortine C • Secalonic acid D • Verruculogen • Verrucosidin

• Viomellein • Viridicatumtoxin • Xanthomegnin

Other Comments Penicillium is one of the most common genera of fungi

ref: http://www.nordichomeinspection.com/uploads/Penicillium.pdf Acesso: 11/06/12

Nigrospora spp

Nigrospora spp.


(described by Zimmerman in 1902)

Taxonomic classification

Kingdom: Fungi

Phylum: Ascomycota

Order: Trichosphaeriales

Family: Trichosphaeriaceae

Genus: Khuskia (teleomorph)


Description and Natural Habitats
Nigrospora is a filamentous dematiaceous fungus widely distributed in soil, decaying plants, and seeds. It is a common laboratory contaminant. Although it has been isolated from a few clinical samples, its pathogenicity in man remains uncertain [531, 1295, 2144, 2202].

Species



Nigrospora sphaerica is the best-known species of the genus Nigrospora.


Synonyms
See the summary of synonyms and teleomorph-anamorph relations for Nigrospora spp.

Pathogenicity and Clinical Significance


Nigrospora has been isolated from cutaneous lesions of a leukemic patient and from a case with keratitis. However, its pathogenic role as a causative agent is not well-known [1847, 2218].

Macroscopic Features
Nigrospora grows rapidly and produces woolly colonies on potato dextrose agar at 25°C. The colonies mature within 4 days. Color of the colony is white initially and then becomes gray with black areas and turns to black eventually from both front and reverse. Sporulation may take more than 3 weeks for some isolates [531, 1295, 2144, 2202].


Microscopic Features
Septate hyaline hyphae, hyaline or slightly pigmented conidiophores, and conidia are visualized. The conidiogenous cells on the conidiophores are inflated, swollen, and ampulliform in shape. They bear a single conidium (14-20 µm in diameter) at their apex. Conidia are black, solitary, unicellular, slightly flattened horizontally, and have a thin equatorial germ slit [531, 1295, 2144, 2202].


Compare to
Humicola
Nigrospora is differentiated from Humicola by its very black conidia that originate from hyaline, inflated conidiophores.
Laboratory Precautions

No special precautions other than general laboratory precautions are required.
Susceptibility
No data are available

ref: http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/Nigrospora.php Acessado em 12/06/12

Kocuria rosea

Kocuria rosea


Kocuria rosea and Micrococcus spp. (gram-positive bacteria) are widespread in nature and commonly found along with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. on the skin of humans and mammals.

REF: http://www.usmicro-solutions.com/referencelibrary/bacteriallibrary.html Acessado em 11/06/12

Bacillus lentus

BioHazard Level:

1



Growth Temperature:

26oC



Appropriate growth media:

CASO agar



Genomic sources for restriction enzymes (at this website):

BlpI



Gram Stain:

Bacillus lentus is Gram stain positive



Respiration:

Bacillus lentus is aerobic



Taxonomic lineage:

Bacteria; Firmicutes; Bacilli; Bacillales; Bacillaceae; Bacillus



Industrial uses or economic implications:

Bacillus lentus produces a commercially important alkaline protease.



Miscellaneous:

Bacillus lentus is a urea-decomposing soils bacteria.



Human health and disease:

Bacillus lentus is considered non-pathogenic.

REF: http://www.thelabrat.com/restriction/sources/Bacilluslentus.shtml Acessado em 11/06/12

Bacillus cereus

A 'Bacillus cereus' é uma bactéria beta hemolítica gram-positiva, de forma cilíndrica, endêmica, que vive no solo. Algumas cepas são prejudiciais aos seres humanos e causam intoxicação alimentar, enquanto outras cepas podem ser benéficas, como os probióticos para animais [1]. É a causa da Síndrome do "Arroz Frito", como as bactérias são classicamente contraídas a partir de pratos de arroz frito que têm estado à temperatura ambiente por horas (tal como em um 'buffet'). [2]. As bactérias B. cereus são organismos anaeróbios facultativos, e tal como outros membros do gênero Bacillus, podem produzir endósporos protetores. Seus fatores de virulência incluem a cereolisina e a fosfolipase C.




REF: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_cereus Acessado em 11/06/12

Alternaria spp

Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Euascomycetes
Order: Pleosporales
Family: Pleosporaceae
Genus: Alternaria

Description and Natural Habitats

Alternaria is a cosmopolitan dematiaceous (phaeoid) fungus commonly isolated from plants, soil, food, and indoor air environment. The production of melanin-like pigment is one of its major characteristics. Its teleomorphic genera are called Clathrospora and Leptosphaeria.

Species

The genus Alternaria currently contains around 50 species. Among these, Alternaria alternata is the most common one isolated from human infections. Some authorities suggest that Alternaria alternata is a representative species complex rather than a single species and consists of several heterogenous species. While Alternaria chartarum, Alternaria dianthicola, Alternaria geophilia, Alternaria infectoria, Alternaria stemphyloides, and Alternaria teunissima are among the other Alternaria spp. isolated from infections, some Alternaria strains reported as causative agents remain unspecified.

Synonyms
See the summary of synonyms and teleomorph-anamorph relations for the Alternaria sp
Pathogenicity and Clinical Significance
Alternaria spp. have emerged as opportunistic pathogens particularly in patients with immunosuppression, such as the bone marrow transplant patients [1581] [2297]. They are one of the causative agents of phaeohyphomycosis. Cases of onychomycosis, sinusitis, ulcerated cutaneous infections, and keratitis, as well as visceral infections and osteomyelitis due to Alternaria have been reported [66, 802, 1429, 2042]. In immunocompetent patients, Alternaria colonizes the paranasal sinuses, leading to chronic hypertrophic sinusitis. In immunocompromised patients the colonization may end up with development of invasive disease[2306]. It is among the causative agents of otitis media in agricultural field workers [2345].
Since Alternaria species are cosmopolitan and ubiquitous in nature, they are also common laboratory contaminants. Thus, their isolation in culture requires cautious evaluation [1847].
Macroscopic Features
Alternaria spp. grow rapidly and the colony size reaches a diameter of 3 to 9 cm following incubation at 25°C for 7 days on potato glucose agar. The colony is flat, downy to woolly and is covered by grayish, short, aerial hyphae in time. The surface is greyish white at the beginning which later darkens and becomes greenish black or olive brown with a light border. The reverse side is typically brown to black due to pigment production [462, 1295, 2144].
Microscopic Features
Alternaria spp. have septate, brown hyphae. Conidiophores are also septate and brown in color, occasionally producing a zigzag appearance. They bear simple or branched large conidia (7-10 x 23-34 µm) which have both transverse and longitudinal septations. These conidia may be observed singly or in acropetal chains and may produce germ tubes. They are ovoid to obclavate, darkly pigmented, muriform, smooth or roughened. The end of the conidium nearest the conidiophore is round while it tapers towards the apex. This gives the typical beak or club-like appearance of the conidia [462, 1295, 2144].
Histopathologic Features
Dark colored filamentous hyphae are observed in the sections of infected tissue stained with H&E. If the pigment formation is not obvious, Fontana-Masson silver stain, which is specific to melanin, may be applied [462].



REF: http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/alternaria.php Acessado em 11/06/12

Acremonium spp

Acremonium spp. are filamentous, cosmopolitan fungi frequently isolated from plant debris and soil, they are known to result in invasive infections in the setting of severe immunosuppression. In this letter, we present a case of catheter-related fungaemia associated with Acremonium spp. in a patient with chronic renal failure. After removal of the subclavian catheter, the patient was treated successfully with voriconazole, with a loading dose of 400 mg followed by a maintenance dose of 200 mg bid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper reporting Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in a relatively immunocompetent host. We also discuss the diagnosis and treatment of Acremonium spp. associated infections in the context of current literature.

REF: A novel fungal pathogen under the spotlight--Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in an immunocompetent host.

Purnak T, Beyazit Y, Sahin GO, Shorbagi A, Akova M.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702621 Acessado em 11/06/12