Mortierella polycephala

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Mortierella polycephala
Mortierella polycephala colony.jpg
UAMH 1152 grown on oatmeal agar at 25 C for 66 days
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Mucoromycota
Order: Mortierellales
Family: Mortierellaceae
Genus: Mortierella
Species:
M. polycephala
Binomial name
Mortierella polycephala
Coemans (1863)
Synonyms
  • Mortierella vantieghemiBachmann (1900)
  • Mortierella vantieghemiiBachmann (1900)
  • Mortierella raphaniDauphin (1908)

Mortierella polycephala is a saprotrophic fungus [1] with a wide geographical distribution [2] occurring in many different habitats from soil and plants to salt marshes and slate slopes. [2] It is the type species of the genus Mortierella, [3] and was first described in 1863 by Henri Coemans. [4] A characteristic feature of the fungus is the presence of stylospores, which are aerial, spiny resting spores (chlamydospores). [5]

Contents

History and taxonomy

Mortierella polycephala was the first species described in the genus Mortierella [6] of the phylum Zygomycota. It has been observed on feces of bats and rodents, such as mice and rats, [2] and it was first described by Coemans on the Bulletin de l'Académie Royale des Sciences de Belgique in 1863. [4] Coemans isolated it from wood rot polypore fungi in the genera Daedalea and Polyporus, however he did not study the mycelium or the chlamydospores. [7] The study of the previous characteristics was done by Van Tieghem who described the sporangia, chlamydospores and stylospores. [7] The species is characterized by the presence of many stylospores (aerial chlamydospores) [2] and sporangiospores arising from aerial hyphae. [8] Jean Dauphin, a professor at The University of Paris dedicated 28 pages to the description, study and experimentation on M. polycephala in his publication Contribution à l'Étude des Mortierellées (1908). [9] In his paper, this species was the only one in which external factors were assessed to determine their role in stimulating the production of zygospores. [9] M. indohii has been proposed as a closely related species to M. polycephala by several studies [5] [3] based on the production of stylospores by both species. Based on phylogenetic analyses where the complete ITS region, and LSU and SSU genes were assessed, close relationship between the two species has been proposed. [3]

Growth and morphology

Colonies are white [1] with a spider web-like texture and sparse growth; [10] they have a garlic-like aroma [11] and can measure up to 7.5 cm in diameter after 5 days at 20 °C on malt extract agar. [2] Sporangiophores in this species measure 300–500 μm long: they are 12.5–20 μm wide at the base, [10] being reduced to 3.5–5 μm at the tip. [8] They can be single or come in clusters; primary branches are present mostly in the upper part of the sporangiophore and they may give rise to secondary and tertiary branches of 12–90 μm long. [8] Sporangia are brown, [8] round (globose), with a diameter of 37–75 μm [10] and they can contain 4–20 spores. [7] M. polycephala' sporangia can grow well between 10 °C and 25 °C, with an optimum temperature of about 17 °C. [7] Sporangiospores are hyaline, [8] they measure 5.5–13.2 μm long and have an oval to irregular shape. [10] The optimum germination temperature is 27 °C. [7] Zygospores can be up to 1 mm in diameter andare produced by both homothallic and heterothallic mechanisms; [10] they are well formed between 15 °C and 22 °C. [7] Stylospores can be aerial or submerged, [6] they are hyaline and can be found alone or in groups. [7] Their diameter is around 20 μm. [7]

Physiology

Mortierella polycephala is able to decompose chitin, liquify gelatin, and produce ethanol, oxalic acid and acetic acid if grown on a glucose medium. [2] Minimal growth is observed at 4 °C; 17 °C is optimal for growth, and growth is not observed above 27 °C. [7] In his experiments Dauphin exposed the fungus to extremely low temperature using liquid air. He observed that at −180 °C (−292.0 °F), the spores of M. polycephala did not germinate but were not killed and germinated once returned to ambient temperature. At 4 °C, the chlamydospores and spores could germinate after 3 days and the mycelium was not abundant, yielding this as the minimum temperature at which M. polycephala could grow. At 15 °C germination was the best for M. polycephala: it took 2 days and the mycelium was abundant, but not too crowded. From 22–27 °C mycelium generation started to occur too fast and too crowded; and at 32 °C conditions started to get unhealthy for germination. Finally at 45 °C and higher temperatures, the spores died and germination was not possible. [7] Dauphin also discussed the effects of the lack of oxygen in the fungus growth and concluded it was not a determining factor affecting germination. [7]

Growth of M. polycephala' occurs best in natural or artificial light, and is reduced when colonies are grown in darkness; although no difference in size or morphology of fructifications is seen between colonies developed under differing lighting conditions. [7] M. polycephala grows more slowly under thermal radiation than under longer wavelengths (violet, ultraviolet, blue light) where germination is accelerated. [7] M. polycephala shows a tolerance to short-duration X-ray exposure. Longer periods of x-ray exposure result in slowed germination or death. [7] Dauphin used a radium tube given to him by Professor Pierre Curie to assess the tolerance of M. polycephala to ionizing radiation. He placed the fungus on a Petri dish, and situated the aperture of the radium source towards the centre of the dish. He found that at the borders of the dish, where radiation was more distant, germination was not affected: it was more abundant than normal; however, towards the centre of the dish growth became reduced. [7] He also compared fungal growth exposed to radium with growth under normal conditions using duplicate cultures of the same strain of M. polycephala. The control yielded normal growth and development, but the radium-exposed culture manifested double or triple the normal growth rate in some filaments while others developed cysts. [7]

Habitat and ecology

Mortierella polycephala has been reported on decaying polypores, arable and desert soil, trees such as beech and spruce, flowering plants like Calluna , alfalfa roots, wheat, tomato and cabbage; and other ecosystems like salt marshes and slate slopes. [2] It is a saprotroph fungi, [1] extensively distributed in Europe: Belgium, France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ukraine, [1] Germany and Switzerland; [2] Asia: China, Japan, [1] India and Indonesia; [2] and America: Brazil and Mexico. [2] Its spores are transmitted via air or water movement. [1] Although several articles and books report M. polycephala as a cause of pulmonary infections for cattle [10] [12] [13] [2] and abortion in cattle, [2] a primary source that confirms this statement has not been found and no other sources have reproduced the findings. A single report of animal infection attributed M. polycephala may represent a misidentified strain of M. wolfii. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zygomycota</span> Division or phylum of the kingdom Fungi

Zygomycota, or zygote fungi, is a former division or phylum of the kingdom Fungi. The members are now part of two phyla: the Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota. Approximately 1060 species are known. They are mostly terrestrial in habitat, living in soil or on decaying plant or animal material. Some are parasites of plants, insects, and small animals, while others form symbiotic relationships with plants. Zygomycete hyphae may be coenocytic, forming septa only where gametes are formed or to wall off dead hyphae. Zygomycota is no longer recognised as it was not believed to be truly monophyletic.

A zygospore is a diploid reproductive stage in the life cycle of many fungi and protists. Zygospores are created by the nuclear fusion of haploid cells. In fungi, zygospores are formed in zygosporangia after the fusion of specialized budding structures, from mycelia of the same or different mating types, and may be chlamydospores. In many eukaryotic algae, including many species of the Chlorophyta, zygospores are formed by the fusion of unicellular gametes of different mating types.

<i>Rhizopus</i> Genus of fungi

Rhizopus is a genus of common saprophytic fungi on plants and specialized parasites on animals. They are found in a wide variety of organic substances, including "mature fruits and vegetables", jellies, syrups, leather, bread, peanuts, and tobacco. They are multicellular. Some Rhizopus species are opportunistic human pathogens that often cause fatal disease called mucormycosis. This widespread genus includes at least eight species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucorales</span> Order of fungi

The Mucorales is the largest and best-studied order of zygomycete fungi. Members of this order are sometimes called pin molds. The term mucormycosis is now preferred for infections caused by molds belonging to the order Mucorales.

<i>Mucor</i> Genus of fungi

Mucor is a microbial genus of approximately 40 species of molds in the family Mucoraceae. Species are commonly found in soil, digestive systems, plant surfaces, some cheeses like Tomme de Savoie, rotten vegetable matter and iron oxide residue in the biosorption process.

<i>Mortierella</i> Genus of fungi

Mortierella species are soil fungi belonging to the order Mortierellales within the subphylum Mortierellomycotina. The widespread genus contains about 85 species.

<i>Mucor mucedo</i> Species of fungus

Mucor mucedo, commonly known as the common pinmould, is a fungal plant pathogen and member of the phylum Mucoromycota and the genus Mucor. Commonly found on soil, dung, water, plants and moist foods, Mucor mucedo is a saprotrophic fungus found world-wide with 85 known strains. It is often mistaken for Rhizopus rots on fruits due to similar mould growth shape and colour. Contrastingly, however, Mucor mucedo is found to grow on a wide range of stored grains and plants, including cucumber and tomato. Discovered in Italy in 1729 by P.A. Micheli and later noted by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in the Species Plantarum, Mucor mucedo was originally classified as Mucor vulgaris by Micheli but later classified synonymous under name Mucor mucedo. The species was redescribed as Ascophora mucedo by H.J. Tode in 1790 but this type resided in a stoloniferous habitat and was later made the type of new genus Rhizopus.

<i>Conidiobolus coronatus</i> Species of fungus

Conidiobolus coronatus is a saprotrophic fungus, first described by Costantin in 1897 as Boudierella coronata. Though this fungus has also been known by the name Entomophthora coronata, the correct name is Conidiobolus coronatus. C. coronatus is able to infect humans and animals, and the first human infection with C. coronatus was reported in Jamaica in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucoromycotina</span> Subphylum of fungi

Mucoromycotina is a subphylum of uncertain placement in Fungi. It was considered part of the phylum Zygomycota, but recent phylogenetic studies have shown that it was polyphyletic and thus split into several groups, it is now thought to be a paraphyletic grouping. Mucoromycotina is currently composed of 3 orders, 61 genera, and 325 species. Some common characteristics seen throughout the species include: development of coenocytic mycelium, saprotrophic lifestyles, and filamentous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortierellaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Mortierellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mortierellales. The family contains six genera and 93 species.

Mucor amphibiorum is a fungus found in Australia that causes infections in amphibians and platypuses. Because M. amphibiorum belongs to the genus Mucor, the infection is classified as a form of mucormycosis. The fungus was first reported from a German zoo in 1972 where it caused disease in a species of green tree frog that was imported from Australia and infected frogs, toads, and salamanders in neighboring exhibits. It is most commonly found in frogs and toads in Queensland, New South Wales, and Northern Territory, and in platypuses in Tasmania.

<i>Spinellus fusiger</i> Species of fungus

Spinellus fusiger, commonly known as bonnet mold, is a species of fungus in the phylum Mucoromycota. It is a pin mold that is characterized by erect sporangiophores that are simple in structure, brown or yellowish-brown in color, and with branched aerial filaments that bear the zygospores. It grows as a parasitic mold on mushrooms, including several species from the genera Mycena, including M. haematopus, M. pura, M. epipterygia, M. leptocephala, and various Collybia species, such as C. alkalivirens, C. luteifolia, C. dryophila, and C. butyracea. It has also been found growing on agaric species in Amanita, Gymnopus, and Hygrophorus.

<i>Mucor plumbeus</i> Species of fungus

Mucor plumbeus is a fungus in the family Mucoraceae that is very common, abundant and distributed worldwide. Mucor plumbeus is not known to be a plant or animal pathogen; however it is able to elicit an immune response in humans by activating the complement system. This species is commonly found in various types of soils over a range of pH, although alkaline soils seem more conducive to its growth. It is also known from the roots of wheat, oat and barley. In addition, M. plumbeus is a common fungal contaminant of indoor built environments. This species shares many similarities with M. racemosus, another fungus that belongs to the family Mucoraceae which is known to cause mucormycosis. Mucor plumbeus is a common spoilage agent of cheese, apples, apple cider and yogurt.

<i>Rhizopus oryzae</i> Species of fungus

Rhizopus oryzae is a filamentous heterothallic microfungus that occurs as a saprotroph in soil, dung, and rotting vegetation. This species is very similar to Rhizopus stolonifer, but it can be distinguished by its smaller sporangia and air-dispersed sporangiospores. It differs from R. oligosporus and R. microsporus by its larger columellae and sporangiospores. The many strains of R. oryzae produce a wide range of enzymes such as carbohydrate digesting enzymes and polymers along with a number of organic acids, ethanol and esters giving it useful properties within the food industries, bio-diesel production, and pharmaceutical industries. It is also an opportunistic pathogen of humans causing mucormycosis.

<i>Cunninghamella echinulata</i> Species of fungus

Cunninghamella echinulata is a fungal species in the genus Cunninghamella. It is an asexually reproducing fungus and a mesophile, preferring intermediate temperature ranges. C. echinulata is a common air contaminant, and is currently of interest to the biotechnology industry due to its ability to synthesize γ-linolenic acid as well as its capacity to bioconcentrate metals. This species is a soil saprotroph that forms rhizoids, preferring soils enriched in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It has been reported occasionally an agent of mucormycosis following the inhalation of fungal spores. Czapek's agar is a suitable growth medium for the propagation of C. echinulata.

<i>Rhizopus stolonifer</i> Species of fungus

Rhizopus stolonifer is commonly known as black bread mold. It is a member of Zygomycota and considered the most important species in the genus Rhizopus. It is one of the most common fungi in the world and has a global distribution although it is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a common agent of decomposition of stored foods. Like other members of the genus Rhizopus, R. stolonifer grows rapidly, mostly in indoor environments.

<i>Mucor circinelloides</i> Species of fungus

Mucor circinelloides is a dimorphic fungus belonging to the Order Mucorales. It has a worldwide distribution, found mostly in soil, dung and root vegetables. This species is described as not known to be able to produce mycotoxins, however it has been frequently reported to infect animals such as cattle and swine, as well as fowl, platypus and occasionally humans. Ketoacidotic patients are particularly at risk for infection by M. circinelloides.

<i>Syzygites</i> Genus of fungi

Syzygites is a monotypic genus in Zygomycota. The sole described species is Syzygites megalocarpus, which was the first fungus for which sex was reported and the main homothallic representative in the research that allowed for the classification of fungi as homothallic or heterothallic. It is also the fungus from which the term "zygospore" was coined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucoromycota</span> Diverse group of molds

Mucoromycota is a division within the kingdom fungi. It includes a diverse group of various molds, including the common bread molds Mucor and Rhizopus. It is a sister phylum to Dikarya.

Umbelopsis ramanniana is a common and abundant soil fungus. Although the ecological role of this fungus in natural ecosystems is not yet known, it is a cosmopolitan saprotroph in soil, forest leaf litter, in animal dung, and on the spore-producing bodies of ascomycete fungi. Umbelopsis ramanniana has also been found growing as an endophyte within xylem tissue of both healthy and declining conifers, but its exact effect on the plant hosts is unknown. Umbelopsis ramanniana is a representative of a unique group of zygomycete fungi that is distinct from the Mucoromycotina and Mortierellomycotina and instead forms an early diverging lineage within the Mucoralean fungi. Umbelopsis ramanniana is important from a biochemistry and biotechnology perspective because it is highly tolerant to fungicides of benomyl group, and it is oleaginous. Expression of Umbelopsis ramanniana diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2A in seed increases oil in soybean without reduction of other important yield parameters. This increase in oil can potentially add over $1 billion to the annual value of soybean crops.

References

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  5. 1 2 Chien, CY; Kuhlman, EG; Gams, W (1974). "Zygospores in two Mortierella species with "Stylospores"". Mycologia. 66 (1): 114–121. doi:10.1080/00275514.1974.12019580.
  6. 1 2 Yadav, DR; Kim, SW; Adhikari, M; Kim, HS; Kim, C; Lee, HB; Lee, YS (2015). "Three New Records of Mortierella Species Isolated from Crop Field Soil in Korea". Mycobiology. 43 (3): 203–209. doi:10.5941/MYCO.2015.43.3.203. PMC   4630425 . PMID   26539035.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Dauphin, J (1908). "Contribution à l'étude de Mortiérellées". Ann Sci Nat Bor. 8 (2): 1–112.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Mehrotra, BS; Baijal, U (1963). "Species of Mortierella from India-III". Mycopathol. Mycol. Appl. 20 (1–2): 49–54. doi:10.1007/bf02054875. PMID   14057952. S2CID   19515860.
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  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 de Hoog, GS; Guarro, J; Gené, J; Figueras, MJ (2000). Atlas of Clinical Fungi. The Netherlands: Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures/Universitat Rovira i Virgili. ISBN   978-9070351434.
  11. ↑ Gams, W (1977). "A key to the species of Mortierella". Persoonia. 9: 381–391.
  12. ↑ Ribes, JA; Vanover-Sams, CL; Baker, DJ (200). "Zygomycetes in Human Disease". Clin Microbiol Rev. 13 (2): 236–301. doi:10.1128/cmr.13.2.236. PMC   100153 . PMID   10756000.
  13. ↑ Hudson, RJ; Nielsen, O; Bellamy, J; Stephen, C (2010). Veterinary Science (1st ed.). United Kingdom: Eolss Publishing. ISBN   9781848263185.
  14. ↑ Liu, D (2011). Molecular detection of human fungal pathogens (1st ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN   9781439812419.
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