Trichothecium roseum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Sordariomycetes |
Order: | Hypocreales |
Genus: | Trichothecium |
Species: | T. roseum |
Binomial name | |
Trichothecium roseum (Pers.) Link (1809) | |
Synonyms | |
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Trichothecium roseum is a fungus in the division Ascomycota first reported in 1809. [1] It is characterized by its flat and granular colonies which are initially white and develop to be light pink in color. [1] This fungus reproduces asexually through the formation of conidia with no known sexual state. [1] Trichothecium roseum is distinctive from other species of the genus Trichothecium in its characteristic zigzag patterned chained conidia. [2] It is found in various countries worldwide and can grow in a variety of habitats ranging from leaf litter to fruit crops. [2] Trichothecium roseum produces a wide variety of secondary metabolites including mycotoxins, such as roseotoxins and trichothecenes, which can infect and spoil a variety of fruit crops. [1] It can act as both a secondary and opportunistic pathogen by causing pink rot on various fruits and vegetables and thus has an economical impact on the farming industry. [1] Secondary metabolites of T. roseum, specifically Trichothecinol A, are being investigated as potential anti-metastatic drugs. Several agents including harpin, silicon oxide, and sodium silicate are potential inhibitors of T. roseum growth on fruit crops. [3] [4] [5] Trichothecium roseum is mainly a plant pathogen and has yet to show a significant impact on human health. [1]
The genus Trichothecium is small and heterogeneous comprising seventy-three recorded species. [1] This genus was first reported in 1809. [1] The main members of the genus include Trichothecium polybrochum, Trichothecium cystosporium, Trichothecium pravicovi, and Trichothecium roseum. [1] Trichothecium roseum has morphologically different conidiophores and conidia than the other three main species, which made development of these features the center of extensive study throughout the years. [1] Since Trichothecium fungi lack a sexual phase, systematic classification was not uniform following their discovery. [1] These fungi were initially grouped into Fungi imperfecti under the form classification Deuteromycetes. [1] In 1958, Tubaki expanded Hughes' classification of soil Hyphomycetes, part of the form class of Fungi imperfecti, by adding a ninth section in order to accommodate T. roseum and its unique conidial apparatus. [6] [7] Trichothecium has now been classified under the class Sordariomycetes, phylum Ascomycota. [1]
Trichothecium roseum colonies are flat, granular, and powdery in appearance. [1] [2] The color of the colonies appears to be white initially and develop into a light pink to peach color. [1] The genus Trichothecium is characterized by its pinkish colored colonies. [8]
Conidiophores of T. roseum are usually erect and are 200-300μm in length. [9] They arise singly or in loose groups. [1] Conidiophores are simple hyphae, [10] which are septate in their lower half, [6] and bear clusters of conidia at the tip. [2] These conidiophores are indistinguishable from vegetative hyphae until production of the first conidium. [1] Conidium development is distinctive [2] and was first described by Ingold in 1956. [6] Conidia arise as blowouts from the side of the conidiophore apex which is thus incorporated into the base of each spore. [6] After the first conidium is blown out, before it matures, the apex of the conidiophore directly below blows out a second conidium from the opposite side. [6] Conidia are pinched out from the conidiophore one after another in alternating directions in order to form the characteristic zigzag patterned chain. [1] Conidia of T.roseum (15-20 × 7.5-10 μm) [9] are smooth and clavate. [1] Each conidium is two celled with the apical cell being larger than the curved basal cell. [1] Conidia are light pink and appear translucent under the microscope. [1] They appear a more saturated pink colour when grown in masses in culture or on the host surface. [1]
Trichothecium roseum reproduces asexually by the formation of conidia with no known sexual stage. [1] Trichothecium roseum is relatively fast-growing as it can form colonies reaching 9 cm (4 in) in diameter in ten days at 20 °C (68 °F) on malt extract agar. [8] This fungus grows optimally at 25 °C (77 °F) with a minimum and maximum growing temperature of 15 °C (59 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F) respectively. [8] Trichothecium roseum can tolerate a wide pH range but grows optimally at a pH of 6.0. Sporulation occurs rapidly at pH 4.0-6.5 and a combination of low temperature (15 °C (59 °F)) and high glucose concentration can increase the size of conidia. [8] Treatment of T. roseum with colchicine increases the number of nuclei in conidia, growth rate, and biosynthetic activities. [8] There are a variety of sugars that T. roseum can utilize including D-fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, raffinose, D-galactose, D-glucose, arabinose, and D-mannitol. [8] Good growth also occurs in the presence of various amino acids including L-methionine, L-isoleucine, L-tryptophan, L-alanine, L-norvaline, and L-norleucine. [8]
Trichothecium roseum can produce numerous secondary metabolites that include toxins, antibiotics, and other biologically active compounds. [1] Diterpenoids produced include rosolactone, rosolactone acetate, rosenonolactone, desoxyrosenonolactone, hydroxyrosenonolactones, and acetoxy-rosenonolactone. Several sesquiterpenoids are also produced by T. roseum including crotocin, trichothecolone, trichothecin, trichodiol A, trichothecinol A/B/C, trichodiene, and roseotoxin. [1] [8] [11]
Trichothecium roseum was found to antagonize pathogenic fungi, such as Pyricularia oryzae (Magnaporthe oryzae) and Phytophthora infestans , in vitro. [12] It was suggested that the antifungal compound trichothecin was the main contributor to this action. [12] In other studies trichothecinol B isolated from T. roseum displayed modest antifungal activity against Cryptococcus albidus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. [13]
Various studies have indicated that Trichothecinol A isolated from T. roseum strongly inhibited TPA-induced tumour promotion on mouse skin in carcinogenesis tests and therefore may be valuable for further investigation as cancer preventive agent. [13] [14] [15] Anti-cancer studies have also shown that Trichothecinol A significantly inhibits cancer cell migration and therefore can be developed as a potential new anti-metastatic drug. [15]
Trichothecium roseum is a saprophyte [10] and is found worldwide. [8] It has been found in soils in various countries including Poland, Denmark, France, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, the Sahara, Chad, Zaïre, central Africa, Australia, Polynesia, India, China, and Panama. [8] Known habitats of T. roseum include uncultivated soils, forest nurseries, forest soils under beech trees, teak, cultivated soils with legumes, citrus plantations, heathland, dunes, salt-marshes, and garden compost. [8] Commonly, this fungus can be isolated from the tree leaf litter of various trees including birch, pine, fir, cotton, and palm. [8] It has also been isolated from several food sources such as barley, wheat, oats, maize, apples, grapes, meat products, cheese, beans, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts, and coffee. [10] Levels of T. roseum in foods other than fruits are generally low. [10]
There are approximately two hundred twenty-two different plant hosts of T. roseum found worldwide. [1] Trichothecium roseum causes pink rot on various fruits and vegetables. [1] It is considered both a secondary and opportunistic pathogen since it tends to enter the fruit/vegetable host through lesions that were caused by a primary pathogen. [1] Disease caused by this fungus is characterized by the development of white powdery mold that eventually turns pink. [1] Antagonistic behaviours of T. roseum with certain plant pathogenic fungi was reported by Koch in 1934. [16] He started that T. roseum actively parasitized stroma of Dibotryon morbosum which causes black knot disease in cherry, plum, and apricot trees. [16]
Trichothecium roseum is known to produce pink rot on apples particularly following an apple scab infection caused by Venturia inaequalis. [1] Studies have shown that roseotoxin B, a secondary metabolite of T. roseum, can penetrate apple peels and cause lesions. [17] Trichothecium roseum also causes apple core rot which is a serious problem in China. [18] Core rot not only causes economic loss but it is also associated with high levels of mycotoxin production. [18] There have been reports of the presence of trichothecenes, specifically T-2 toxin, in infected apples in China. [18] T-2 toxin has the highest toxicity of the trichothecenes and poses a threat to individuals who consume these infected apples due to its carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. [18]
Trichothecium roseum was identified, along with Acremonium acutatum, as the two strains of pathogenic fungi which caused white stains on harvested grapes in Korea. [19] The presence of mycelia on the surface of the grapes resulted in a white stained, powdery mildew appearance. [19] Trichothecium roseum was identified using fungal morphology and nucleotide sequencing by PCR. [19] It appears as though the fungus covers the surface of the grape only and does not penetrate into the tissue. [19] This stain lowers the quality of the grapes and causes serious economic losses. [19]
Trichothecin, trichothecolone, and rosenonolactone, which are secondary metabolites of T. roseum, were detected in wines. [20] Presence of small quantities of trichothecin can inhibit alcohol fermentation. [20] Trichothecium roseum rot has been reported to be increasing in wineries in Portugal. [20] In this case, T. roseum appeared to grow over rotten grapes that were infected with gray rot. [20] Mycotoxins were only detected in wines that were made with grapes that had gray rot and thus these toxins may be indicators of poor quality grapes. [20] Grape contamination by T. roseum appears to be prominent in temperate climates. [20]
Cases of T. roseum pink rot have been reported on numerous other fruits, however detailed studies have yet to be pursued. [1] Pink T. roseum rot has been reported on tomatoes in Korea and Pakistan. [21] [22] It also causes pink rot in muskmelons and watermelons in Japan, the United States, South America, India, and the United Kingdom. [1] Trichothecium roseum is reported to grow also on bananas and peaches. [1]
Preventative measures can be taken to avoid growth of T. roseum in fruit crops. [23] These include ensuring adequate ventilation in the storage facility, avoiding injuring and bruising the fruit, and ensuring adequate storage temperatures. [23] Pre- and postharvest applications have been suggested as measures to control T. roseum production on fruit crops. [1] In particular, studies have been done on testing various compounds to prevent T. roseum growth on several melon types. [3] [4] [5] Harpin was inoculated on harvested Hami melons and caused significantly reduced lesion diameter and thus decreased T. roseum growth. [3] Silicon oxide and sodium silicate also reduced the severity of pink rot and lesion diameter in harvested Hami melons. [4] Pre-harvest inoculation of harpin on muskmelons decreased the amount of pink rot caused by T. roseum on harvested melons. [5]
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" or "gray mold".
Aspergillus flavus is a saprotrophic and pathogenic fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution. It is best known for its colonization of cereal grains, legumes, and tree nuts. Postharvest rot typically develops during harvest, storage, and/or transit. Its specific name flavus derives from the Latin meaning yellow, a reference to the frequently observed colour of the spores. A. flavus infections can occur while hosts are still in the field (preharvest), but often show no symptoms (dormancy) until postharvest storage or transport. In addition to causing preharvest and postharvest infections, many strains produce significant quantities of toxic compounds known as mycotoxins, which, when consumed, are toxic to mammals. A. flavus is also an opportunistic human and animal pathogen, causing aspergillosis in immunocompromised individuals.
A conidium, sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium, is an asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus. The word conidium comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, κόνις (kónis). They are also called mitospores due to the way they are generated through the cellular process of mitosis. They are produced exogenously. The two new haploid cells are genetically identical to the haploid parent, and can develop into new organisms if conditions are favorable, and serve in biological dispersal.
Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a plant pathogen with a very wide host range. It causes rotting and dieback in most species it infects. It is a common post harvest fungus disease of citrus known as stem-end rot. It is a cause of bot canker of grapevine. It also infects Biancaea sappan, a species of flowering tree also known as Sappanwood.
Penicillium expansum is a psychrophilic blue mold that is common throughout the world in soil. It causes Blue Mold of apples, one of the most prevalent and economically damaging post-harvest diseases of apples.
Fusarium sporotrichioides is a fungal plant pathogen, one of various Fusarium species responsible for damaging crops, in particular causing a condition known as Fusarium head blight in wheat, consequently being of notable agricultural and economic importance. The species is ecologically widespread, being found across tropical and temperate regions, and is a significant producer of mycotoxins, particularly trichothecenes. Although mainly infecting crops, F. sporotrichioides-derived mycotoxins can have repercussions for human health in the case of the ingestion of infected cereals. One such example includes the outbreak of alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA) in Russia, of which F. sporotrichioides-infected crop was suspected to be the cause. Although current studies on F. sporotrichioides are somewhat limited in comparison to other species in the genus, Fusarium sporotrichioides has found several applications as a model system for experimentation in molecular biology.
Nigrospora sphaerica is an airborne filamentous fungus in the phylum Ascomycota. It is found in soil, air, and plants as a leaf pathogen. It can occur as an endophyte where it produces antiviral and antifungal secondary metabolites. Sporulation of N. sphaerica causes its initial white coloured colonies to rapidly turn black. N. sphaerica is often confused with the closely related species N. oryzae due to their morphological similarities.
Aspergillus ochraceus is a mold species in the genus Aspergillus known to produce the toxin ochratoxin A, one of the most abundant food-contaminating mycotoxins, and citrinin. It also produces the dihydroisocoumarin mellein. It is a filamentous fungus in nature and has characteristic biseriate conidiophores. Traditionally a soil fungus, has now began to adapt to varied ecological niches, like agricultural commodities, farmed animal and marine species. In humans and animals the consumption of this fungus produces chronic neurotoxic, immunosuppressive, genotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic effects. Its airborne spores are one of the potential causes of asthma in children and lung diseases in humans. The pig and chicken populations in the farms are the most affected by this fungus and its mycotoxins. Certain fungicides like mancozeb, copper oxychloride, and sulfur have inhibitory effects on the growth of this fungus and its mycotoxin producing capacities.
Botrytis is a genus of anamorphic fungi in the family Sclerotiniaceae. Botrytis belongs to the group hyphomycetes and has about 30 different species. It is a plant parasite as well as saprophytes on both agricultural and forest trees. It produces stout, dark, branching conidiophores that bear clusters of paler conidia on denticles from apical ampullae. It is a common outdoor fungus and can be detected in spore trap samples. The fungus is often found growing on indoor plants. Although no mycotoxin has been reported from this fungus, it may cause hay fever, asthma and keratomycosis. The most common species is B. cinerea, which is a plant pathogen causing gray mould on a very broad range of hosts including some common ornamental plants, such as geranium, begonia, rose, lily, dogwood, rhododendron, dahlia, magnolia, camellia and fruits and produce. This fungus is mainly of outdoor origin, although it may be from growth on fruits or flowers brought in from outdoors. Some houseplants can be infected by this fungus, such as cyclamen, poinsettia, chrysanthemum, and gerbera. Other species of Botrytis may be present, such as B. peoniae on peonies, B. squamosa on onion, and B. tulipae on tulips. These species of Botrytis share some common characteristics in pathology and ecology.
A species of the genus of Penicillium which causes Blue Mold of Garlic on Allium sativum L. The genus name is derived from the Latin root penicillum, meaning "painter's brush", and refers to the chains of conidia this fungus produces that resemble a broom.
Penicillium digitatum is a mesophilic fungus found in the soil of citrus-producing areas. It is a major source of post-harvest decay in fruits and is responsible for the widespread post-harvest disease in Citrus fruit known as green rot or green mould. In nature, this necrotrophic wound pathogen grows in filaments and reproduces asexually through the production of conidiophores and conidia. However, P. digitatum can also be cultivated in the laboratory setting. Alongside its pathogenic life cycle, P. digitatum is also involved in other human, animal and plant interactions and is currently being used in the production of immunologically based mycological detection assays for the food industry.
Cladosporium cladosporioides is a darkly pigmented mold that occurs world-wide on a wide range of materials both outdoors and indoors. It is one of the most common fungi in outdoor air where its spores are important in seasonal allergic disease. While this species rarely causes invasive disease in animals, it is an important agent of plant disease, attacking both the leaves and fruits of many plants. This species produces asexual spores in delicate, branched chains that break apart readily and drift in the air. It is able to grow under low water conditions and at very low temperatures.
Pink rot is a fungal disease of various plants, caused by various organisms:
Penicillium verrucosum is a psychrophilic fungus which was discovered in Belgium and introduced by Dierckx in 1901. Six varieties of this species have been recognized based primarily on differences in colony colour: P. verrucosum var. album, P. verrucosum var. corymbiferum, P. verrucosum var. cyclopium, P. verrucosum var. ochraceum, P. verrucosum var. melanochlorum and P. verrucosum var. verrucosum. This fungus has important implications in food, specifically for grains and other cereal crops on which it grows. Its growth is carefully regulated in order to reduce food spoilage by this fungi and its toxic products. The genome of P. verrucosum has been sequenced and the gene clusters for the biosyntheses of its mycotoxins have been identified.
Aspergillus clavatus is a species of fungus in the genus Aspergillus with conidia dimensions 3–4.5 x 2.5–4.5 μm. It is found in soil and animal manure. The fungus was first described scientifically in 1834 by the French mycologist John Baptiste Henri Joseph Desmazières.
Arthrobotrys oligospora was discovered in Europe in 1850 by Georg Fresenius. A. oligospora is the model organism for interactions between fungi and nematodes. It is the most common nematode-capturing fungus, and most widespread nematode-trapping fungus in nature. It was the first species of fungi documented to actively capture nematodes.
Cladosporium sphaerospermum is a radiotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Cladosporium and was described in 1886 by Albert Julius Otto Penzig from the decaying leaves and branches of Citrus. It is a dematiaceous (darkly-pigmented) fungus characterized by slow growth and largely asexual reproduction. Cladosporium sphaerospermum consists of a complex of poorly morphologically differentiated, "cryptic" species that share many physiological and ecological attributes. In older literature, all of these sibling species were classified as C. sphaerospermum despite their unique nature. Accordingly, there is confusion in older literature reports on the physiological and habitat regularities of C. sphaerospermum in the strict sense. This fungus is most phylogenetically similar to C. fusiforme. According to modern phylogenetic analyses, the previously synonymized species, Cladosporium langeroni, is a distinct species.
Penicillium commune is an indoor fungus belonging to the genus Penicillium. It is known as one of the most common fungi spoilage moulds on cheese. It also grows on and spoils other foods such as meat products and fat-containing products like nuts and margarine. Cyclopiazonic acid and regulovasine A and B are the most important mycotoxins produced by P. commune. The fungus is the only known species to be able to produce both penitrem A and roquefortine. Although this species does not produce penicillin, it has shown to have anti-pathogenic activity. There are no known plant, animal or human diseases caused by P. commune.
Penicillium spinulosum is a non-branched, fast-growing fungus with a swelling at the terminal of the stipe (vesiculate) in the genus Penicillium. P. spinulosum is able to grow and reproduce in environment with low temperature and low water availability, and is known to be acidotolerant. P. spinulosum is ubiquitously distributed, and can often be isolated from soil. Each individual strain of P. spinulosum differs from others in their colony morphology, including colony texture, amount of sporulation and roughness of conidia and conidiophores.
Sarocladium kiliense is a saprobic fungus that is occasionally encountered as a opportunistic pathogen of humans, particularly immunocompromised and individuals. The fungus is frequently found in soil and has been linked with skin and systemic infections. This species is also known to cause disease in the green alga, Cladophora glomerata as well as various fruit and vegetable crops grown in warmer climates.