''Cladosporium'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
including some of the most common indoor and outdoor
mold
A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...
s. Species produce olive-green to brown or black colonies, and have dark-pigmented
conidia
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, ('). They are also called mitospores due to the ...
that are formed in simple or branching chains. Many species of ''Cladosporium'' are commonly found on living and dead plant material. Some species are
endophyte
An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plants studied to date; h ...
s
or plant pathogens, while others
parasitize
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...
fungi. ''Cladosporium'' spores are wind-dispersed and they are often extremely abundant in outdoor air. Indoors ''Cladosporium'' species may grow on surfaces when moisture is present. ''
Cladosporium fulvum
''Passalora fulva'' is a fungal plant pathogen that causes tomato leaf mold
''Cladosporium fulvum'' is an Ascomycete called '' Passalora fulva'', a non-obligate pathogen that causes the disease on tomato known as the tomato leaf mold.Cladospo ...
'', cause of tomato leaf mould, has been an important genetic model, in that the genetics of host resistance are understood. In the 1960s, it was estimated that the genus ''Cladosporium'' contained around 500
plant-pathogenic and
saprotrophic
Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (f ...
species,
but this number has since been increased to over 772 species.
The genus ''Cladosporium'' is very closely related to black yeasts in the order
Dothideales
Dothideales are an order of bitunicate fungi consisting mainly of saprobic or plant parasitic species.
Description
Taxa in this order are characterized by the absence of a hamathecium (defined as hyphae or other tissues between asci) in a loc ...
.
''Cladosporium'' species are often highly osmotolerant, growing easily on media containing 10% glucose or 12–17% NaCl.
They are rarely grown on media containing 24% NaCl or 50% glucose and never isolated from medium with 32% NaCl or greater.
Most species have very fragile
spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
chains, making it extremely difficult to prepare a mount for microscopic observation in which the
conidial chains are preserved intact.
Health effects
''Cladosporium'' species are present in the Human
mycobiome
The mycobiome, mycobiota, or fungal microbiome, is the fungi, fungal community in and on an organism.
The word “mycobiome” comes from the ancient Greek μύκης (mukēs), meaning "fungus" with the suffix “biome” derived from the Greek ...
but are rarely
pathogen
In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...
ic to humans. They have been reported to cause infections of the skin and toenails as well as sinuses and lungs, with more common symptoms including nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes. The airborne spores of ''Cladosporium'' species are significant
allergen
An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies.
In technical terms ...
s, and in large amounts they can severely affect people with asthma and other respiratory diseases. ''Cladosporium'' species produce no major
mycotoxin
A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης , "fungus" and τοξίνη , "toxin") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of kingdom Fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' ...
s of concern, but do produce
volatile organic compound
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature. High vapor pressure correlates with a low boiling point, which relates to the number of the sample's molecules in the surrounding air, a ...
s (VOCs) associated with odours. Fortunately, ''Cladosporium'' is not associated with anaphylaxis.
Hyperparasitism on rusts
Several ''Cladosporium'' species are known to be hyperparasitic to
rust fungi.
Species
*''
C. acaciicola''
*''
C. acalyphae''
*''
C. adianticola''
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C. aecidiicola''
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C. agoseridis''
*''
C. albiziae''
*''
C. algarum''
*''
C. allicinum''
*''
C. allii''
*''
C. allii-porri''
*''
C. alliicola''
*''
C. alneum''
*''
C. alopecuri''
*''
C. alternicoloratum''
*''
C. angustisporum''
*''
C. antarcticum''
*''
C. antillanum''
*''
C. aphidis''
*''
C. apicale''
*''
C. aristolochiae''
*''
C. aromaticum''
*''
C. arthoniae''
*''
C. arthrinioides''
*''
C. arthropodii''
*''
C. asperistipitatum''
*''
C. asperulatum''
*''
C. atriellum''
*''
C. atroseptum''
*''
C. auriculae''
*''
C. australiense''
*''
C. baccae''
*''
C. balladynae''
*''
C. banaticum''
*''
C. basi-inflatum''
*''
C. bauhiniana''
*''
C. boenninghauseniae''
*''
C. borassi''
*''
C. bosciae''
*''
C. brachormium''
*''
C. brachyelytri''
*''
C. brassicae''
*''
C. brassicicola''
*''
C. brevicatenulatum''
*''
C. brevipes''
*''
C. breviramosum''
*''
C. brunneoatrum''
*''
C. brunneolum''
*''
C. brunneum''
*''
C. buchananiae''
*''
C. buteicola''
*''
C. butyri''
*''
C. caraganae''
*''
C. carpesii''
*''
C. caryigenum''
*''
C. cassiae-surathensis''
*''
C. castellanii''
*''
C. chalastosporoides''
*''
C. chamaeropis''
*''
C. cheonis''
*''
C. chlamydeum''
*''
C. chrysanthemi''
*''
C. chrysophylli''
*''
C. chubutense''
*''
C. circaea''
*''
C. citri''
*''
C. cladosporioides''
*''
C. colocasiae''
*''
C. colocasiicola''
*''
C. colombiae''
*''
C. confusum''
*''
C. coralloides''
*''
C. coryphae''
*''
C. cucumerinum''
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C. cycadacearum''
*''
C. cyrtomii''
*''
C. desmodicola''
*''
C. dianellicola''
*''
C. diaphanum''
*''
C. digitalicola''
*''
C. dominicanum''
*''
C. dracaenatum''
*''
C. edgeworthiae''
*''
C. elegans
''Caenorhabditis elegans'' () is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek ''caeno-'' (recent), ''rhabditis'' (r ...
''
*''
C. elsinoes''
*''
C. epimyces''
*''
C. epiphyllum''
*''
C. erianthi''
*''
C. eriolobi''
*''
C. exasperatum''
*''
C. exile''
*''
C. exobasidii''
*''
C. extorre''
*''
C. ferox''
*''
C. festucae''
*''
C. flabelliforme''
*''
C. foliorum''
*''
C. forsythiae''
*''
C. fraxinicola''
*''
C. fuligineum''
*''
C. fumagineum''
*''
C. funiculosum''
*''
C. fusiforme''
*''
C. galii''
*''
C. gallicola''
*''
C. gamsianum''
*''
C. geniculatum''
*''
C. gerwasiae''
*''
C. globisporum''
*''
C. glochidionis''
*''
C. gloeosporioides''
*''
C. gossypiicola''
*''
C. grevilleae''
*''
C. grumosum''
*''
C. gynoxidicola''
*''
C. halotolerans''
*''
C. haplophylli''
*''
C. harknessii''
*''
C. heleophilum''
*''
C. helicosporum''
*''
C. heliotropii''
*''
C. herbaroides''
*''
C. herbarum''
*''
C. heterophragmatis''
*''
C. heuglinianum''
*''
C. hillianum''
*''
C. hordei''
*''
C. humile''
*''
C. hydrangeae''
*''
C. indicum''
*''
C. indigoferae''
*''
C. inopinum''
*''
C. inversicolor''
*''
C. iranicum''
*''
C. jacarandicola''
*''
C. juglandinum''
*''
C. kapildharens''
*''
C. lacroixii''
*''
C. ladinum''
*''
C. langeronii''
*''
C. laxicapitulatum''
*''
C. leguminicola''
*''
C. leprosum''
*''
C. licheniphilum''
*''
C. linicola''
*''
C. liriodendri''
*''
C. lonicericola''
*''
C. lophodermii''
*''
C. lupiniphilum''
*''
C. machili''
*''
C. macrocarpum''
*''
C. magnusianum''
*''
C. malvacearum''
*''
C. manoutchehrii''
*''
C. melospermae''
*''
C. metaplexis''
*''
C. milii''
*''
C. mimulicola''
*''
C. minourae''
*''
C. molle''
*''
C. murorum''
*''
C. musae''
*''
C. myriosporum''
*''
C. myrtacearum''
*''
C. myrticola''
*''
C. neocheiropteridis''
*''
C. neottopteridis''
*''
C. neriicola''
*''
C. nigrelloides''
*''
C. nigrellum''
*''
C. nitrariae''
*''
C. nodulosum''
*''
C. obtectum''
*''
C. oncobae''
*''
C. orchidearum''
*''
C. orchidiphilum''
*''
C. orchidis''
*''
C. oreodaphnes''
*''
C. ossifragi''
*''
C. ovorum''
*''
C. oxycocci''
*''
C. oxysporum''
*''
C. pallidum''
*''
C. paracladosporioides''
*''
C. perangustum''
*''
C. pericarpium''
*''
C. peruamazonicum''
*''
C. phaenocomae''
*''
C. phlei''
*''
C. phlei-pratensis''
*''
C. phyllachorae''
*''
C. phyllactiniicola''
*''
C. phyllogenum''
*''
C. phyllophilum''
*''
C. pini-ponderosae''
*''
C. pipericola''
*''
C. pisi''
*''
C. platycodonis''
*''
C. polygonati''
*''
C. polymorphosporum''
*''
C. populicola''
*''
C. praecox''
*''
C. psammicola''
*''
C. pseudiridis''
*''
C. pseudocladosporioides''
*''
C. psidiicola''
*''
C. psoraleae''
*''
C. psychrotolerans''
*''
C. punctulatum''
*''
C. ramotenellum''
*''
C. ramulosum''
*''
C. rectangulare''
*''
C. rectoides''
*''
C. rhododendri''
*''
C. robiniae''
*''
C. rutae''
*''
C. salicis-sitchensis''
*''
C. salinae''
*''
C. sarmentorum''
*''
C. scabrellum''
*''
C. silenes''
*''
C. sinuosum''
*''
C. smilacicola''
*''
C. soldanellae''
*''
C. sorghi''
*''
C. sphaeroideum''
*''
C. sphaerospermum''
*''
C. spinaciarum''
*''
C. spinulosum''
*''
C. spongiosum''
*''
C. straminicola''
*''
C. strobilanthis''
*''
C. subinflatum''
*''
C. subnodosum''
*''
C. subobtectum''
*''
C. subsessile''
*''
C. subtilissimum''
*''
C. subuliforme''
*''
C. syringae''
*''
C. syringicola''
*''
C. tectonicola''
*''
C. tenellum''
*''
C. tenuissimum''
*''
C. tetrapanacis''
*''
C. typhae''
*''
C. typharum''
*''
C. uleanum''
*''
C. uniseptosporum''
*''
C. uredinicola''
*''
C. uredinis''
*''
C. varians''
*''
C. velox''
*''
C. velutinum''
*''
C. verrucocladosporioides''
*''
C. victorialis''
*''
C. vignae''
*''
C. vincicola''
*''
C. xylophilum''
*''
C. xyridis''
*''
C. yuccae''
*''
C. zeae''
*''
C. ziziphi''
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134055
Dothideomycetes genera
Fungal plant pathogens and diseases
Allergology