Frequent Genera Research Articles

Phyllosphere and phylloplane fungi of qat in Sana'a, Yemen Arab Republic

Eighty six species belonging to thirty one genera were collected from the qat phyllosphere (30 genera and 78 species) and phylloplane (20 genera and 64 species) of 24 varieties tested. In the phyllosphere the most frequent genera were Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Alternaria followed by Penicillium, Drechslera, Fusarium, Curvularia, Phoma and Chaetomium. From the preceding genera the most prevalent species were C. herbarum, C. macrocarpum, A. niger, A. flavus, A. alternata, A. phragmospora, P. citrinum, P. notatum, D. spicifera, D. halodes, D. hawaiiensis, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, C. lunata, P. humicola, P. herbarum and C. globosum. In the phylloplane the order of genera frequency was more or less the same, while the most common species were C. herbarum, C. sphaerospermum, A. niger, A. flavus, A. alternata and A. tenuissima.

Survey of the mycoflora and mycotoxins of cotton seeds and cotton seed products in Egypt

Thirty-nine species and 16 fungal genera were isolated from Egyptian cotton seeds, cotton seed meal and cotton seed cake on 1% glucose-Czapek's agar medium incubated at 28 degrees C. Aspergillus was the most frequent genus and it emerged in 87-100% of the samples contributing 70-98% of total fungi in the three substrates tested. The most common species were A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus and Rhizopus stolonifer; A. niger, A. fumigatus and Penicillium corylophilum; and A. niger, A. flavus, A. terreus, A. nidulans and Rhizopus stolonifer, respectively. Cotton seeds and cotton seed products were naturally contaminated by aflatoxin B1 and B2. About 16% of the different substrates tested were positive for aflatoxin contamination. No citrinin, ochratoxin A, patulin, sterigmatocystin, diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 toxin or zearalenone were detected in the samples assayed.

Keratinolytic fungi of wadi Qena in Egypt

Forty-six soil samples collected from different sites of wadi Qena were examined for keratinophilic fungi using the hair baiting technique. Thirty-two species in addition to one variety of each of A. nidulans and A. flavus which belong to eighteen genera were recovered. Aspergillus, Chrysosporium, Penicillium, Microsporum and Fusarium were the most frequent genera developed from baited soils.

Keratinophilic fungi of animal and bird pens in Egypt.

Samples were collected from 44 pens under animals and birds for the estimation of keratinophilic fungi using the hair-baiting technique. Thirty-nine species which belong to eighteen genera were recovered. Chrysosporium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium were the most frequent genera. From keratinophilic fungi, Myceliophthora anamorph of Corynascus sepedonium, Myceliophthora anamorph of Corynascus novoguinensis, Microsporum boullardii, M. gypseum, Trichophyton metagrophytes and Arthroderma sp. were recovered in different frequencies.

Mycoflora and mycotoxins of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds in Egypt. 1--Sugar fungi and natural occurrence of mycotoxins.

Sixty-four species and 2 varieties which belong to nineteen genera of fungi were identified from 40 peanut seed samples collected from different places in Egypt by using a dilution-plate method on glucose-Czapek's medium. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (21 species & 2 varieties), Penicillium (16 species) and Fusarium (6 species). A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, P. chrysogenum and F. oxysporum were the most common fungal species. Forty seven percent of the samples proved to be toxic to brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis revealed that peanuts were contaminated by aflatoxins (11 samples), trichothecene-toxins (10 samples), zearalenone (one sample) and citrinin (one sample). We believe that this is the first report of the natural occurrence of zearalenone and trichothecene-toxins in peanuts.

Saprophytic fungi isolated from animal and bird pens in Egypt.

Forty-four samples collected from animal and bird pens were screened for their content of saprophytic fungi by using the dilution plate method. 76 species in addition to one variety of Aspergillus flavus belonging to 33 genera were recovered on three types of media: 20 genera and 49 species on Littman-oxgall agar, 19 genera and 41 species on cellulose- and 19 genera and 43 species on glucose-Czapek's agar. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (21 species), Scopulariopsis (4 species) and Penicillium (10 species). Among the isolated fungi A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. terreus, A. niger, A. sydowi, A. nidulans, S. brevicaulis, S. brumptii, P. chrysogenum and P. funiculosum were the most common species.

Aerobic Gram-negative pharyngeal bacilli of adult Ethiopians: carrier rates and antibiograms

One thousand pharyngeal swab specimens were processed for aerobic culture to determine the carriage rate of Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). The isolates were identified and their sensitivity determined to 11 antibacterial drugs following standard techniques. Similar pharyngeal carriage rates of GNB were found among the various groups of healthy subjects. Patients had higher colonization rates (27%) than healthy subjects (16%). The increase in prevalence of GNB seemed to be associated with underlying diseases and duration of hospitalization. Klebsiella (36%) was the most frequent genus amongst the 215 isolates of GNB followed by pseudomonas (13%), enterobacter (13%) and acinetobacter (10%). Others were less frequently isolated. Over 70% of all isolates were resistant to ampicillin (79%) and carbenicillin (72%); 55, 45 and 43% were resistant to cephalothin, tetracycline and streptomycin, respectively. The great majority of the strains were sensitive to the remaining six drugs. The hospital isolates were more resistant than the non-hospital isolates to most drugs tested. The hospital strains were also more often multiply resistant (89%) than the non-hospital strains (60%). Sixty-five different resistance antibiograms of 1-10 drugs were observed among 191 strains. More varied types of antibiograms were observed among hospital strains. The high frequency of multiple drug resistance of the isolates is an indication of the extensive use of antibacterial drugs, indicating the need for a policy for judicious use of drugs.

Mycoflora of peach twigs and flowers and its possible significance in biological control of Monilinia laxa

Fungal populations on peach twigs and flowers were assessed at different times of the year by several techniques. The most frequent genera were Penicillium, Alternaria, Aspergillus and Cladosporium . On the basis of the variation of the fungal isolations through the year, nineteen species were considered to be resident on twigs and six on flowers; five of these, Aspergillus flavus, Epicoccum nigrum, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. frequentons and P. purpurogenum , inhibited the growth of the peach pathogen Monilinia laxa . The results are discussed in relation to the biological control of this peach pathogen.

Mycoflora of bean, broad bean, lentil, lupine and pea seeds in Saudi Arabia

Using the seed-plate method on glucose-Czapek's agar at 28 °C (±2 °C), 24 genera and 60 species in addition to two varieties were collected from bean, broad bean, lentil, lupine and pea seeds. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (16 species + two varieties), Penicillium (14 species), Rhizopus (1 species) and Yeasts, followed by Fusarium (3 species), Mucor (4 species) and Drechslera (3 species). From the preceding genera, Aspergillus niger, A.flavus, Penicillium citrinum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium moniliforme or F. oxysporum, Mucor hiemalis or M. racemosus and Drechslera spicifera were the most prevalent species.

Composition of the fungal flora of four cereal grains in Saudi Arabia.

Using the grain-plate method and on glucose- Czapek 's agar at 28 degrees C, fifty-eight species belonging to 26 genera were collected from barley (42 species and 19 genera), maize (29 species and 16 genera), sorghum (32 species and 17 genera) and wheat grains (42 species and 18 genera). The most frequent genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium, and Mucor followed by Alternaria, Drechslera , and Curvularia. From the preceding genera Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Penicillium notatum, Rhizopus stolonifer , Fusarium moniliforme, Mucor racemosus, Alternaria alternata, Drechslera spicifera , and Curvularia lunata were the most prevalent species in the four types of grains tested.

Insect Infestations in Wheat and Corn Exported from the United States

The incidence of insects in wheat and corn for export from the United States was determined in grain loaded at 79 port terminals in the United States and Canada (the St. Lawrence Seaway) during a 2-year period from January 1977 to December 1978. One or more live, stored-product insect species were found in 17.9% of the wheat samples and 22.4% of the corn samples. Insects of the Genus Sitophilus were the predominate ones in all samples, with 7.7% of the wheat samples containing an average of 4.2 weevils per 1,000 and 14.4% of the corn samples containing an average of 5.8 weevils per 1,000 g. Cryptolestes was the second most frequent genus of insect pests, with 7.5% of the wheat and 9.7% of the corn containing averages of 1.9 an 2.4 insects per 1.000 g. respectively. The lesser grain borer. Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), was third among species found in wheat, and the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), was third among species in com. Insects were detected most often in wheat from the Gulf and Great Lakes regions (23.8%) and in com from the Great Lakes and Atlantic Regions (23.5 to 24%). Grain from the Pacific region contained the fewest insects. The highest incidence of insects generally occurred in September or October.

Ecology of the soil mycoflora in the desert of Kuwait

The present paper reports on a quantitative ecological investigation of the hitherto unknown soil mycoflora of the desert of Kuwait. Three macrophytic communities are recognised, chiefly on the basis of the dominant plants, and the mycoflora of the top soils isolated. The three communities are that of Cyperus conglomeratus, that of Rhanterium epapposum and that of Hammada salicornica. A total of 59 fungal genera and 130 species is isolated. The community of Hammada shows the narrowest spectrum (35 genera and 81 species) while that of Rhanterium exhibits the widest spectrum (45 genera and 101 species). Total counts range from 9911 to 15,345 colonies/g oven-dry soil, with no difference between the communities. The most frequent genera are Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Stachybotrys, Myrothecium, Vlocladium, Phoma and Alternaria. The fungal flora in our desert is compared with those of other arid regions. The importance of melanin pigmentation and the coexistence of both adapted and non-adapted forms is discussed.

Survey on the cellulose-decomposing fungi of wheat straw in Egypt

Thirty-seven species and one variety which belonging to nineteen genera were identified from 50 wheat straw samples collected from different places in Egypt by using the dilution-plate method on cellulose-Czapek's agar medium with pH 5.5 and pH 8.Stachybotrys was the most frequent genus at pH 8 (84% of samples) and the fourth most frequent at pH 5.5 (56% of samples).Aspergillus was the most frequent genus at pH 5.5 but retreated to the third place, behindStachybotrys andFusarium at pH 8.Fusarium was the second most frequent at both pHs.

Halophilic fungi of desert soils in Saudi Arabia

Twenty-five genera and sixty-eight species, in addition to one variety of each of A. chevalieri, A. flavus and A. nidulans were isolated from 40 soil samples collected from desert in Saudi Arabia on 5% sodium chloride-Czapek's agar. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (20 species + 3 varieties), Penicillium (14 species), Drechslera (2 species) and Ulocladium (3 species), followed by Stemphylium (1 species), Scopulariopsis (2 species), Trichoderma (1 species) Botryotrichum (2 species), Cladosporium (3 species), Myrothecium (1 species) and Alternaria (1 species). From these genra A. amstelodami, A. chevalieri, A. ruber, A. ochraceus, P. brevi-compactum, P. ?cyano-fulvum, P. notatum, D. spicifera, U. consortiale, S. botryosum, S. brevicaulis, T. viride, B. piluliferum, C. herbarum, M. verrucaria and A. alterata were the most common. The results obtained in this investigation reveal that the fungus flora of Saudi Arabian soils is of halophilic nature.

Survey of the mycoflora of barley grains in Egypt

The fungi of 40 samples of barley grains collected from Upper Egypt were estimated using the dilution- and the grain-plate methods. 33 genera and 109 species, in addition to 2 varieties of Aspergillus nidulans, one variety of Aspergillus flavus and one variety of Penicillium cyclopium were identified. The spectrum of fungal genera and species collected by the grain-plate method (29 genera and 94 species+3 varieties) was broader than by the dilutionplate method (27 genera and 71 species+3 varieties), but the order of frequency of occurrence of fungal genera and species was basically similar in the two methods. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (25 species+3 varieties), Penicillium (32 species+1 variety), Rhizopus (2 species), Alternaria (2 species), Fusarium (6 species) and Drechslera (5 species) and were represented (as assayed by the grainplate method) in 100 %, 77.5 %, 85 % 62,5 %, 60 % and 52.5 % of the samples constituting 60.4 %, 10.2 %, 7.7 %, 3.7 %, 5 % and 2.3 % of the gross total count of fungi respectively. From the preceding genera A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. sydowii, P. notatum, P. citrinum, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, F. solani, R. stolonifer, A. alternata and D. spicifera were the most frequent.

Recherches sur la rhizosphère de Loudetia simplex C. E. Hubbard, graminée typique de la savane en Côte d'Ivoire: Rapport final

Abstract Research on the rhizosphere of Loudetia simplex C. E. Hubbard, typical grass of Ivory Coast.—Investigations on the rhizosphere microflora of Loudetia simplex, spontaneous grass in Lamto savannah of Ivory Coast, were carried out. Sampling was made at five different periods in the year to point out differences connected to climatic factors. Quantitative data of total microflora—bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi—are listed for each root tip sampled. Quantitative and qualitative data of fungal population for each seasonal period are also reported. About two hundred species, including Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti, were identified. The most frequent genera are Penicillium and Aspergillus. The occurrence of Rhinocladiella indica, Chaetomium fusisporale and Gongronella butleri is taxonomically and ecologically remarkable. Rhizosphere and soil fungal populations are compared, in order to evaluate the degree of specialization of the species recorded. The genus Aspergillus ...

Airborne spores in a mill and in a veneer factory

Airborne spores were collected in the working environment of a mill and in a veneer factory in the town of Kuopio, Central Finland. Penicillium was the most frequent fungal genus in the veneer factory. Other important genera included Mucor, Rhizôpus and Stilbum. In the mill the most dominant genus was Cladosporium, followed by Penicillium, yeasts, Aureobasidium, Botrytis, and Aspergillus. It can be concluded that (I) there are differences in the spore composition of the two occupational environments, (2) especially high concentrations of spores in the veneer factory seem to be caused by "unclean" (rotting) material used in the process and (3) in the veneer factory the concentration and the composition of the aerospora in the morning are often different from those in the afternoon.

Potential nitrogen fixation by bluegreen algae in some Tunisian and Swedish soils

The laboratory potential for nitrogen fixation by blue-green algae in sixteen Tunisian and five Swedish soils was studied using the acetylene reduction technique. Both cultivated and virgin soils were included in the study. The Tunisian cultivated soils (wheat fields and olive-tree plots) indicated nitrogen fixation values of less than 12 ng N2 fixed per gram per hour. About ten times higher levels were obtained in corresponding cultivated habitats in Sweden (barley and oat fields). In the virgin soil systems, however, the fixation rates were of about the same magnitude for both Tunisian and Swedish soils. No fixation activity was found in desertic sand samples. By far the most frequent genus found in the soils, showing algal fixation activity, wasNostoc.

Arabian-Gulf coastal materials loaded with oil- utilizing bacteria, an overview

As a consequence of the 1990- 199 1 Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, during which crude oil was deliberately released from the Al-Ahmadi Terminal into the Gulf, coastal areas have become heavily polluted with oil sediments. This paper presents an overview of a decade of research on indigenous oil-utilizing microorganisms that we found associated with inanimate and animate materials along the Arabian Gulf coasts, and their roles in the self-cleaning of the oily areas. Animate materials viz. cyanobacterial mats, epilithic algal biomass and macroalgae collected from intertidal zones of oil-polluted and clean coasts were found heavily loaded with oil-utilizing bacteria. Each gram of those coastal materials was associated with up to hundred millions of oil-utilizing bacterial cells. Nearby coastal waters on the other hand, were much poorer in such bacteria, containing only hundreds to thousands of cells per ml. Inanimate materials, e.g. coastal sand were also found associated with oil-utilizing bacteria, but the numbers were lower than those associated with animate materials, yet much higher than those in coastal waters. Coastal gravel particles were found coated with blue-green biofilms also rich in oil-utilizers. Oil utilizing bacteria associated with coastal materials belonged predominantly to Acinetobactev, Rhodococcus and other nocardioforms, with several other less frequent genera, e.g. Bacillus, Pseudornonas, and others. These bacteria could utilize a wide scope of individual aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons as sole-sources of carbon and energy. It was concluded that coastal materials, especially animate ones, contribute to the self-cleaning of the oily Gulf coasts and the polluted Gulf waters during tidal movements.