Human hair colonizing fungi in water sediments of India

Fungal Succession on Keratinous Hair and Nail Baits of Human Origin

Mycologically, succession is more precisely the sequential occupation of the same site by thalli (normally mycelia) either of different fungi or of different associations of fungi. For the study of fungal succession on hair bait, different soil samples were collected from different habitats of Jaipur. The fungal growth isolated from soil samples was observed macroscopically and microscopically for the appearance of fungi at regular interval of 15 days for more than 6 months. Regular microscopic examination of fungi of soil samples baited with hair showed a successional colonization of non-keratinophilic and keratinophilic fungi. In the first phase of 30-day incubation, five non-keratinophilic fungi appeared. After 45 days, three non-keratinophilic fungi appeared together and three keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., Coccidiodes immitis and Aspergillus niger. In third phase of 60 days, growth of only one Fusarium spp. as non-keratinophilic fungi and four keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp. Chrysosporium spp., Chrysosporium indicum and Microsporum gypseum was observed. During the study, Fusarium spp. showed persistent growth from initial phase to third phase of incubation. After 75 days, all the non-keratinophilic fungi disappeared fully and seven fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., Chrysosporium tropicum, Chrysosporium evolceanui, C. indicum, Trichophyton simii, Trichophyton terrestre and M. gypseum were observed as keratinophilic fungi. In the last phase of 90-day incubation, three keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., C. evolceanui and M. gypseum were also disappeared and four keratinophilic fungi like C. tropicum, T. simii, C. indicum and T. terrestre were found to be more persistent fungi.

Incidence of Keratinophilic Fungi from Selected Soils of Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State, India

One hundred and fifty samples were collected from eleven districts of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting technique for isolation. Seventy-one isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micromorphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Thirteen species of eight genera were isolated, namely, Auxarthron conjugatum (2.00%), Chrysosporium indicum (14.00%), Chrysosporium evolceanui (2.66%), Chrysosporium tropicum (4.66%), Chrysosporium zonatum (1.33%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (3.33%), Gymnascella dankaliensis (1.33%), Gymnascella hyalinospora (0.66%), Gymnoascoideus petalosporus (0.66%), Microsporum gypseum complex (9.33%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.00%), T. terrestre (3.33%), and Uncinocarpus queenslandicus (2.00%). This study indicates that the soils of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra may be significant reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from selected soils of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai (India)

One hundred and twenty-five samples were collected from eight different sites in the vicinity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting technique for isolation. Seventy-three isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micro-morphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Thirteen species of nine genera were isolated viz. Aphanoascus durus (2.4%), Arthroderma corniculatum (1.6%), Auxarthron umbrinum (0.8%), Chrysosporium evolceanui (1.6%), Chrysosporium indicum (16.0%), Chrysosporium tropicum (2.4%), Chrysosporium zonatum (4.0%), Chrysosporium states of Arthroderma tuberculatum (0.8%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (11.2%), Gymnascella dankaliensis (3.2%), Microsporum gypseum (12.0%), Myriodontium keratinophilum (0.8%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (1.6%). Representative of all thirteen species can release the protein in the range of 152.2-322.4 μg/mL in liquid media when grown on human hair in shake flask culture and also decompose 18.4-40.2% of human hair after four weeks of incubation. This study indicates that the soils of SGNP, Mumbai may be significant reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi. The keratinolytic activity of these fungi may be playing significant role in superficial infections to man and animals and recycling of keratinic material of this environment.

Secretion of keratinolytic enzymes and keratinolysis by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes: regression analysis

A survey on keratinophilic fungi from poultry-farm soils at Namakkal and from feather dumping soils at Chennai, India, revealed the existence of 34 species of fungi. Most of the fungi exhibited variable efficiency in producing extracellular keratinase when grown in plates with chicken feathers as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. The fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus versicolor, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum, Paecilomyces carneus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Trichoderma viride, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were efficient candidates to degrade the feathers. However, when cultivating the strains in submerged conditions in a medium containing chicken feathers as the sole nutrients source, Aspergillus glaucus, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium solani, and Penicillium citrinum also proved to be potent. Among all species, S. brevicaulis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes produced higher amounts of keratinase in both methods. Conditions for keratinase production were optimized by statistical design and surface plots. The highest keratinase activity was estimated by S. brevicaulis (3.2 KU/mL) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.7 KU/mL) in the culture medium with chicken feathers and shows (79% and 72.2% of degrading ability, respectively).

Diversity of keratinophilic fungi on human hairs and nails at four governorates in upper egypt

The mycobiota of 160 hair and nail samples collected from 4 different governorates in upper Egypt were estimated using soil plate method for isolating keratinophilic and dermatophytic fungi. Twenty-three fungi were recorded on both hair and nail samples collected from the four governorates. Highest fungal diversity (20) was collected from Red Sea samples followed by Qena (18) and Aswan (17) while lowest fungal diversity was recorded from Sohage samples. The common genera were Aphanoascus, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces and Chrysosporium. The most prevalent species belonging to these genera were: A. fulvescens, Aphanoascus sp. A. flavus link, A. flavus var. columnaris, P. chrysogenium. P. lilacinus and C. sulfureum. True dermatophytes such as Nannizzia fulva appeared in 20~30% of the male samples.

Skin infection due to Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum. Fallbericht. Hautinfektion durch Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum

Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum is an ubiquitous saprophytic fungus frequently isolated from the soil and from air samples. It has rarely been reported as an animal or plant pathogen and it is an occasional aetiological agent of superficial infection of skin and nails in humans. Here, we report a case of superficial infection of the skin due to this fungus in a healthy man. The patient was treated orally with terbinafine 250 mg daily and topic bifonazole with complete resolution in 2 months.

The maintenance and preservation of keratinophilic fungi and related dermatophytes

A total of 239 fungi belonging to nine genera and 23 species were maintained on agar slopes in a refrigerator at +8 +/- 1 degrees C and in sterile distilled water, under liquid paraffin, dried on silica gel, in sterile soil at room temperature. A limited number has been stored by freeze-drying between 1985 and 1998. It is recommended that each isolate should be maintained by at least two of these methods. The choice of the method will depend to a large extent on the equipment and facilities available in the laboratory. It is reported that simple methods can be used for preservation of keratinophilic fungi and related dermatophytes.