''Acrophialophora fusispora'' is a poorly studied ascomycete fungus found in soil, air and various plants. ''A. fusispora'' is morphologically similar to the genera ''

Paecilomyces ''Paecilomyces'' is a genus of fungi. A number of species in this genus are plant pathogens. Several of the entomopathogenic species, such as "'' Paecilomyces fumosoroseus''" have now been placed in the genus ''Isaria'': in the order Hypocreale ...

'' and ''Masonia'', but differ in the presence of pigmented

conidiophores A conidium ( ; ), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (), is an Asexual reproduction, asexual, non-motility, motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are al ...

, verticillate

phialide The phialide ( ; el, phialis, diminutive of phiale, a broad, flat vessel) is a flask-shaped projection from the vesicle (dilated part of the top of conidiophore) of certain fungi. It projects from the mycelium without increasing in length unless ...

s, and frequent

sympodial Sympodial growth is a bifurcating branching pattern where one branch develops more strongly than the other, resulting in the stronger branches forming the primary shoot and the weaker branches appearing laterally. A sympodium, also referred to a ...

proliferation. Moreover, ''A. fusispora'' is distinguished by its pigmented spindle-shaped conidia, covered with spiral bands. The fungus is naturally found in soils of tropical to

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions. The fungus has been identified as a plant and animal

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 ...

, and has recently been recognized as an emerging opportunistic human pathogen. ''A. fusispora'' infection in human is rare and has few documented clinical cases, but due to the rarity of the fungus and potential misidentification, the infections may be underdiagnosed. Clinical cases of ''A. fusispora'' include cases of

keratitis Keratitis is a condition in which the eye's cornea, the clear dome on the front surface of the eye, becomes inflamed. The condition is often marked by moderate to intense pain and usually involves any of the following symptoms: pain, impaired e ...

pulmonary The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...

colonization and infection, and cerebral infections. The fungus also has two documented cases of infection in dogs.

History

The

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 ...

''Acrophialophora'' was created by Edward J. C. in the year 1959, with a single species, ''Acrophialophora nainiana''. However, the genus was not accepted as a distinct genus until 1970 when Samson and Mahmood differentiated ''Acrophialophora'' from the morphologically similar genera ''Paecilomyces'' and ''Masonia,'' and described the species, ''Acrophialophora fusispora''.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Acrophialophora'' consist of 3 species: ''A. fusispora, A. levis,'' and ''A. seudatica,'' while ''A. fusispora, A. nainiana,'' and ''M. indica'' were found to be of the same species, now labeled with a single name'', A. fusispora.'' The 3 species are differentiated by consistent morphological differences, such as conidial size, shape, or color. Through genetic analysis, ''A.'' ''fusispora'' was found to belong to the family

Chaetomiaceae The Chaetomiaceae (Index Fungorum number: IF80582) are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, order Sordariales, class Sordariomycetes. Chaetomiaceae are usually saprobic or parasitic. Cheatomiaceae are a great source of enzymes with diverse biotec ...

, which includes mostly

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall ...

decomposer Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms; they carry out decomposition, a process possible by only certain kingdoms, such as fungi. Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use o ...

s found in the soil, and thermotolerant

opportunistic pathogens An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens (bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses) that take advantage of an opportunity not normally available. These opportunities can stem from a variety of sources, such as a weakened immune ...

. Elements of the taxonomy of ''A. fusispora'' remain unresolved.

Growth and morphology

''Acrophialophora fusispora'' is similar to ''Paecilomyces'', but differ in the presence of pigmented, warted conidiophores, verticillate

s in limited numbers with narrowing tip, and frequent

proliferation. ''A.'' ''fusispora'' is distinguished by its pigmented

fusiform Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a b ...

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 ...

, which are covered by spiral bands, measuring 5-12 x 3-6μm. The conidia arises in long single-cell

basipetal This glossary of mycology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to mycology, the study of fungi. Terms in common with other fields, if repeated here, generally focus on their mycology-specific meaning. Related terms can be found ...

chains, ranging from colorless to pale-brown and broadly ellipsoidal to lemon-shaped. The conidiophores arise singly, terminally, and laterally from the hyphae, and are erect or ascending, straight or

flexuous {{Short pages monitor