Xerotolerant strain of Penicillium chrysogenum MF18_10 isolated from the damaged walls of Saint Sophia’s Cathedral, Kyiv

Abstract

Aim. The aim of this work is to determine the taxonomic position of the fungal strain MF18_10 isolated from the damaged wall with medieval painting of St. Sophia’s Cathedral (Kyiv, Ukraine). Methods. The fungus was isolated on selective medium for xerophilic fungi (70% sucrose Czapek agar). Мacro- and micro-morphological phenotypic characterization was carried out using light and scanning electron microscopy. Molecular-biological identification was performed using nucleotide sequences of the ITS-fragment. Results. On the basis of phenotypical characteristics of the fungal isolate MF18_10, it was established its affiliation to the genus Penicillium. ITS analysis revealed that the isolate belongs to the species P. chrysogenum demonstrating 100% identity with other 78 P. chrysogenum strains in GenBank database including the type strains NR_077145 and AY373902, also sharing several distinct differences in substitutions, deletions and insertions within this group. Conclusions. The isolated xerotolerant fungus was identified as P. chrysogenum, the typical representative of the indoor environments and dust, and also common for mycobiota of damaged historic-cultural artifacts. The differences in the analyzed P. chrysogenum ITS primary structures did not correlate with the source of isolation. Keywords: Penicillium chrysogenum, xero-tolerant fungi, ITS, scanning electron microscopy.