Chaetomium elatum

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Chaetomium elatum
Chaetomium elatum.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Sordariales
Family: Chaetomiaceae
Genus: Chaetomium
Species:
C. elatum
Binomial name
Chaetomium elatum
Kunze (1818)
Synonyms
  • Chaetomium tenuissimumSergeeva (1960) [1] [2]
  • Chaetomium virgicephalumAmes (1963) [2]
  • Chaetomium virgecephalumAmes (1963) [2]
  • Chaetomium ramipilosumSchaumann (1973) [2]
  • Chaetomium lageniforme Corda (1837) [1] [3]
  • Chaetomium pannosumWallroth (1833) [1] [2] [3]
  • Chaetomium comatum(Tode) Fries (1829) [1] [3]
  • Chaetomium atrumLink (1824) [1] [3]
  • Sphaeria scopulaSowerby (1803) [1]
  • Sphaeria comataTode (1791) [1] [3]

Chaetomium elatum is a very common and widely distributed saprotrophic fungus of the Chaetomiaceae family of molds which has been found to grow on many different substances all over the world. [3] [4] [5] [6] It was first established by Gustav Kunze after he observed it growing on dead leaves. [3] [4] Its defining features that distinguish it from other Chaetomium species are its extremely coarse terminal hairs [7] and the lemon-shaped morphology of its ascospores. [4] It produces many metabolites with potential biotechnology uses including one with promise against the rice blast disease fungus, Magnaporthe grisea . [8] It shows very little pathogenic ability causing confirmed disease in only a few plant species. [9] [10]

Contents

History and taxonomy

Gustav Kunze established the genus Chaetomium in 1817 after discovering a new species of fungus in dead stalks and leaves which he named C. globosum. [3] [4] In 1818, when observing the dead leaves of Typha and Sparganium in Germany, Kunze recognized a new fungus that looked like C. globosum but was darker in pigmentation, and after characterizing it named it Ch. elatum. [3] [4] In addition to Kunze's identification and characterization of the species (in which he failed to discern asci), Robert Greville created illustrations in 1826 to show the morphology of the species. [3] [4] Despite this, C. elatum has been confused by other mycologists many times and thus has been re-described more than any other Chaetomium species, leading to many obligate synonyms. [3] [4] It was during the creation of one of these synonyms, C. lageniforme, by August Corda in 1837 that asci were first recognized, thus identifying the defining feature that placed this fungus in the fungal division, Ascomycota. [4]

Growth and morphology

Chaetomium elatum produces darkly-coloured oval perithecia covered with stiff, black hairs. [4] The perithecia are typically attached firmly to the substratum by dark/black rhizoids. [3] [4] In laboratory colonies C. elatum generally grows 5–6 mm per day, [11] but can show different growth rates and colour characteristics depending on the growth medium. [12] Under certain growth conditions, colonies of some strains of C. elatum may develop coloured guttation droplets of liquid on their surfaces whose function and composition are unknown. [12] [13] C. elatum has a homothallic mating system. [6] [14]

The perithecia are superficial, usually mature in 13 to 20 days, and are 280–440 μm high with a diameter of 255–380 μm. [11] [13] They may appear greenish in color under reflected light with a round/oval-like shape and have an ostiole that is sparsely covered in white/buff aerial hyphae. [11] [13] The perithecial wall is made of brown interwoven hyphae or tightly packed pseudoparenchyma. [11] [13] Morphology of the black/dark perithecium hairs varies depending on their location. [3] [4] Terminal hairs are extremely coarse, branched at right to straight angles, have irregular projections, blunt spines, and dwindle off to thin translucent tips. [3] [4] [13] Lateral hairs are thin, long, unbranched, coarsely roughened by irregular projections and dwindle into translucent smooth tips that are vaguely separate. [3] [4] The difference between the terminal hair of C. elatum and C. globosum is a distinguishing factor between the two taxa. [7]

The asci of C. elatum are generally club-shaped and contain 8 round ascospores. [3] [4] The ascospores are translucent/light olive when young and become brown with pointed tips when they mature giving them lemon-like shape when viewed in profile. [3] [4] [13] The ascospores also have a thick wall [11] with a small pore on the outer wall of their apex. [13] [11] Morphology of the ascospores is a distinguishing factor when compared to other Chaetomium species with which it might be confused like C. indicum, C. funicolum, and C. virgecephalum. [4]

The asexual morph of C. elatum has acremonium-like growth, with its conidia being borne on phialidic conidiophogeous cells that form on aerial aseptate hyphae and are 6–24.5 μm long with a diameter of 1.5–3.5 μm at the base. [13] Conidium dimensions are 2.5–5.5 μm × 1.5–2.5 μm and they form towards the base of the conidiophore in chains, are translucent, smooth, and oval-shaped with a rounded apex and short base. [13] rhizo

Habitat and ecology

Chaetomium elatum is a very common and widely distributed species of Chaetomium, with it being found all over the world. [3] [4] The species has been found in many areas of the United States, Canada, England, France, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, the Galapagos Islands and many other localities. [3] [4]

It is the most common species of fungi that grows on damp rotting straw, [6] but has also been found and isolated from a variety of materials like rope, burlap, wood, paper, cellulose products, animal dung, seeds, barrel hoops, old brooms, Hordeum vulgare L, Triticum aestivum and the dead leaves of Typha and Sparganium. [3] [4] [5] In general this species of Chaetomium mainly colonizes cereal, Alkali seepweed, True grasses, [9] has been found to interact with Japanese yew, Alkali seepweed, European rabbit, Bread wheat, True grasses, Corn. [9] It has also been associated with the mycobiota of Sugarcane [15] as well as is known as a root-colonizing fungus in the avocado plant where it serves as both a rhizoplane and rhizosphere. [10]

Biotechnology uses

Chaetomium elatum has been isolated from different materials [5] and its metabolic properties with potential biotechnology uses have been explored. In the presence of nitrocellulose (a very important cellulose derivative). [16] C. elatum can break down nitrocellulose in liquid culture. [16] Investigations into the types of metabolites produced by this fungus have found that it produces benzoquinone derivatives, [17] tetra-S-methyl derivatives, [17] anthraquinone-chromanone, [17] orsellinic acid, [17] globosumones, [17] sterols [17] Chaetoglobsins, [7] [17] Cochliodones 1–3 (azaphilone derivatives [18] ), [7] azaphilones, [19] chlorinated phenolic glycosides, [19] and xanthoquinodins. [20] Xanthoquinodins are fungal metabolites that have been found to have antibacterial, antifungal, anticoccidial, antiplasmodial, and cytotoxic activities. [20] Azaphilones have antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, cytotoxic, nematicidal and anti-inflammatory properties, [21] and the three metabolized by C. elatum have also been found to inhibit Caspase 3 which is involved in cell death. [19] Phenolic compounds have shown to possess antimicrobial properties. [22] Chaetoglobosins has been found to have anticancer activity, [23] [17] and benzoquinone derivatives have antibacterial properties. [24] Nnanoparticles harvested from crude extracts of the C. elatum exhibit antimicrobial activity against Magnaporthe grisea, the plant pathogen that causes rice blast disease. [8]

Plant pathogenicity

Chaetomium elatum is a known pathogen of the common grape vine. [9] In 2007, an investigation to determine its pathogenicity on avocado plants found that it opportunistically colonizes the plant roots and only becomes pathogenic when resources are very limited and intraspecific competition is high. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chaetomium</i> Genus of fungi

Chaetomium is a genus of fungi in the Chaetomiaceae family. It is a dematiaceous (dark-walled) mold normally found in soil, air, cellulose and plant debris. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi, there are about 95 species in the widespread genus.

<i>Ophiocordyceps unilateralis</i> Species of fungus

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859, and currently found predominantly in tropical forest ecosystems. O. unilateralis infects ants of the tribe Camponotini, with the full pathogenesis being characterized by alteration of the behavioral patterns of the infected ant. Infected hosts leave their canopy nests and foraging trails for the forest floor, an area with a temperature and humidity suitable for fungal growth; they then use their mandibles to attach themselves to a major vein on the underside of a leaf, where the host remains after its eventual death. The process, leading up to mortality, takes 4–10 days, and includes a reproductive stage where fruiting bodies grow from the ant's head, rupturing to release the fungus's spores. O. unilateralis is, in turn, also susceptible to fungal infection itself, an occurrence that can limit its impact on ant populations, which has otherwise been known to devastate ant colonies.

<i>Xylaria hypoxylon</i> Species of fungus

Xylaria hypoxylon is a species of bioluminescent fungus in the family Xylariaceae. It is known by a variety of common names, such as the candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers, or the stag's horn fungus. The fruit bodies, characterized by erect, elongated black branches with whitened tips, typically grow in clusters on decaying hardwood. The fungus can cause a root rot in hawthorn and gooseberry plants.

Farrowia is a genus of fungi within the Chaetomiaceae family.

Chaetomium cupreum is a fungus in the family Chaetomiaceae. It is able to decay in manufactured cellulosic materials, and is known to antagonize a wide range of soil microorganisms. This species is component of the biocontrol agent, Ketomium, a commercial biofungicide. It has also been investigated for use in the production of natural dyes. Chaetomium cupreum is mesophilic and known to occur in harsh environments and can rapidly colonize organic substrates in soil. Laboratory cultures of C. cupreum can be propagated on a range of common growth media including potato dextrose at ambient or higher than ambient temperature producing cottony white colonies with a reddish reverse.

<i>Galiella rufa</i> Species of fungus

Galiella rufa, commonly known as the rubber cup, the rufous rubber cup, or the hairy rubber cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae. It produces cup-shaped fruit bodies with the texture of tough, gelatinous rubber, with a rough, blackish-brown, felt-like outer surface and a smooth reddish-brown inner surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaetoglobosin A</span> Chemical compound

Chaetoglobosin A is a fungal isolate with anticancer activity in vitro. Derivatives of the compound include MBJ-0038, MBJ-0039, and MBJ-0040.

<i>Chaetomium globosum</i> Species of fungus

Chaetomium globosum is a well-known mesophilic member of the mold family Chaetomiaceae. It is a saprophytic fungus that primarily resides on plants, soil, straw, and dung. Endophytic C. globosum assists in cellulose decomposition of plant cells. They are found in habitats ranging from forest plants to mountain soils across various biomes. C. globosum colonies can also be found indoors and on wooden products.

Thielavia subthermophila is a ubiquitous, filamentous fungus that is a member of the phylum Ascomycota and order Sordariales. Known to be found on plants of arid environments, it is an endophyte with thermophilic properties, and possesses dense, pigmented mycelium. Thielavia subthermophila has rarely been identified as a human pathogen, with a small number of clinical cases including ocular and brain infections. For treatment, antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B have been used topically or intravenously, depending upon the condition.

Chaetomium atrobrunneum is a darkly pigmented mould affiliated with the fungal division, Ascomycota. This species is predominantly saprotrophic, although it has been known to infect animals including humans, showing a proclivity for the tissues of the central nervous system. Chaetomium atrobrunneum was described in 1949 from a mouldy military mattress cover obtained from the island of Guadalcanal.

Botryotrichum murorum is a common soil and indoor fungus resembling members of the genus Chaetomium. The fungus has no known asexual state, and unlike many related fungi, is intolerant of high heat exhibiting limited growth when incubated at temperatures over 35 °C. In rare cases, the fungus is an opportunistic pathogen of marine animals and humans causing cutaneous and subcutaneous infection.

Collariella bostrychodes is a fungal decomposer of lignin and carbohydrate in the family Chaetomiaceae commonly found in soil and dung. The fungus is distinguished by a darkened collar-like ostiole around the ostiolar pore, giving the fungus its name. The fungus is highly variable in shape and form, giving raise to the belief that there are two subclades in the species. The ascospores range from lemon-shaped to nearly spherical with slightly pointed ends. It can grow to be pale green and later turn pale bluish grey or olivaceous with age. The fungus produces the toxic secondary metabolite, chaetochromin.

<i>Chaetomium subspirale</i> Species of fungus

Chaetomium subspirale is a fungus from the phylum Ascomycota. It was described by A. H. Chivers in 1912 in America. The species has sexual fruiting bodies that are ornamented with characteristic, coiled hairs giving it a wooly appearance. C. subspirale colonies are brown, which the characteristic hairs are also responsible for. It is commonly found in various soil and dung samples. C. subspirale produces the mycotoxin, oxaspirodion, which inhibits inducible TNF-a expression and inhibits the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB.

Botryotrichum piluliferum is a fungal species first identified in 1885 by Saccardo and Marchal. It was discovered to be the asexual state of a member of the ascomycete genus, Chaetomium. The name B. piluliferum now applies to the fungus in all its states. B. piluliferum has been found worldwide in a wide range of habitats such as animal dung and vegetation. The colonies of this fungus start off white and grow rapidly to a brown colour. The conidia are smooth and white. B. piluliferum grows optimally at a temperature of 25-30 °C and a pH of 5.5.

Arcopilus aureus is a plant and soil fungus in the genus Arcopilus. It was first identified by A. H. Chivers in 1912, who named it Chaetomium aureum. It was later transferred to the genus Arcopilus by Wang and colleagues. The fungus has recently been recognized to have industrial use for the production of the metabolites resveratrol. and sclerotiorin Additionally, A. aureus has high lead tolerance and clearance, suggesting a potential role in environmental biotechnology.

<i>Myxotrichum chartarum</i> Species of fungus

Myxotrichum chartarum is a psychrophilic and cellulolytic fungus first discovered in Germany by Gustav Kunze in 1823. Its classification has changed many times over its history to better reflect the information available at the time. Currently, M. chartarum is known to be an ascomycete surrounded by a gymnothecium composed of ornate spines and releases asexual ascospores. The presence of cellulolytic processes are common in fungi within the family Myxotrichaceae. M. chartarum is one of many Myxotrichum species known to degrade paper and paper products. Evidence of M. chartarum "red spot" mold formation, especially on old books, can be found globally. As a result, this fungal species and other cellulolytic molds are endangering old works of art and books. Currently, there is no evidence that suggests that species within the family Myxotrichaceae are pathogenic.

<i>Trichoderma koningii</i> Species of fungus

Trichoderma koningii is a very common soil dwelling saprotroph with a worldwide distribution. It has been heavily exploited for agricultural use as an effective biopesticide, having been frequently cited as an alternative biological control agent in the regulation of fungi-induced plant diseases. They are endosymbionts associated with plant root tissues, exhibiting mycoparasitism and promoting plant growth due to their capacity to produce different secondary metabolites.

Podospora appendiculata is a coprophilous fungus that is most commonly found in the dung of lagomorphs, such as hares and rabbits, in temperate to warm climates. A member of the division Ascomycota, P. appendiculata is characterized by ovoid, hair-studded perithecia which can bear a distinctive violaceous colouring and peridia which are coriaceous, or leathery, in texture. Podospora appendiculata has been shown to produce three compounds with antimicrobial properties.

Cercophora areolata is a member of the Ascomycota division, and is grouped into the Lasiosphaeriaceae family based on morphology. C. areolata is a coprophilous fungus that has been most recently isolated from porcupine dung. Defining features of C. areolata include: 1) ovoid-conical, glabrous ascomata, 2) black, carbonaceous, areolate peridium and 3) clavate-shaped, single-walled asci. From studies on C. areolata, this fungus produces multiple antifungal compounds, which inhibit other competitor fungi.

Chaetomium perlucidum is a neurotropic dematiaceous fungus that is naturally found in the soil, including in agricultural soil, and in the stems of dead plants. The fungus can also be found on the feathers of birds, manure, seeds, and even paper. It is able to thrive at temperatures of 35 and 42 °C.

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