Biomechanics of conidial dispersal in the toxic mold Stachybotrys chartarum

Tucker, Kathryn; Stolze, J. L.; Kennedy, Aaron H.; Money, Nicholas P.

doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2006.12.007

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…These findings support the results of others on the common occurrence of Aspergillus and Penicillium conidia in air samples (Shen et al, 2007;Spicer and Gangloff, 2008). It was also observed for some isolates that the airflow did not cause sufficient disturbance to dislodge and/or liberate a large proportion of the conidia (Tucker et al, 2007). Therefore, in support of the theory that splashing rain may dislodge and disperse microfungal spores (Ntahimpera et al, 1998;Travadon et al, 2007), washing the culture with PSS resulted in all cases in an immediate massive release of colony forming units from the cultures (Figure 4).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Hyphomycetous fungi spore release induced by air currents and aqueous solution

Hart¹,

Calitz²,

Botha³

2014

Afr. J. Microbiol. Res.

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Hyphomycetous fungi originating from South Africa were morphologically characterised and ascribed to the genera Acremonium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, respectively. The primary means of spore dispersal employed by these isolates was investigated by quantifying colony forming units released into the air and into an aqueous solution. Measurement of spore liberation during humid aeration, revealed significant (P < 0.0001) differences among the hyphomycetous taxa investigated. Isolates of the genus Penicillium were more successful in releasing their spores than the Aspergilli and the Acremonium isolate. Spore liberation during desiccated aeration also showed a significant (P < 0.0001) difference between the respective isolates. Overall, isolates belonging to the genus Penicillium released more viable spores than Aspergillus spp., which in turn released more spores than Acremonium. In support of the theory that splashing rain may dislodge and disperse microfungal propagules, washing respective cultures with physiological salt solution resulted in an immediate massive spore release. However, the taxa investigated did not differ. These differences in airborne spore release that were observed between the hyphomycetous genera may be a result of different strategies to disperse their spores in nature. This phenomenon should be investigated further in future and the challenge now is to find correlations between the conidiophore morphology of each fungus and characteristics of their niche.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Hyphomycetous fungi spore release induced by air currents and aqueous solution

Hart¹,

Calitz²,

Botha³

2014

Afr. J. Microbiol. Res.

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“…Our data for the spore release rates were found several times higher than the data reported by Tucker et al 2007), who investigated fungal spores release of A. niger from gypsum wallboards. This may be mainly because of the differences in air speeds.…”

Section: Initial Spore Density and Spore Release Rate For Different Scontrasting

confidence: 84%

“…As mentioned above, air speed has a direct positive correlation with spore release beyond a threshold speed. Tucker et al (2007) reported the air speed of 1.6 m s -1 , whereas the air speed of 5 m s -1 was used in the present study. The drag force exerted on the fungal spores under the blowing speed of 5 m s -1 was much greater than that under the blowing speed of 1.6 m s -1 .…”

Section: Initial Spore Density and Spore Release Rate For Different Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal Spore Aerosolization at Different Positions of a Growing Colony Blown by Airflow

2020

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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The possible role of bioaerosols in the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has recently been highlighted. A bioaerosol can be comprised of bacterial cells, fungal spores and viruses. Aerosolized fungal spores in indoor environments can cause adverse health effects. As a colony propagates from the center to the perimeter, the age of fungal spores and thus the adhesion force to the colony can be much different. The spore detachment may vary according to the growing position of the spores on a colony in relation to the airflow. This study investigated the aerosolization of fungal spores at different positions of a colony. A fungal colony was divided into a quantity of sub colonies according to the age distribution. Each sub colony was subjected to airflow in a wind tunnel to determine the released spores by two count methods. The results revealed that the initial spore density, the spore release rate, and the spore release proportion for the central sub colony were all significantly higher than that for the sub colony at the edge. The spore release rate for the central sub colony was approximately 2.6 times that at the edge. Spores growing at the center of the colony were aerosolized more easily than that growing at the outer edge. Growth age is a significant factor in the difference of spore aerosolization between sub colonies.

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“…and Chaetomium spp.) growing on damp building materials do not readily become airborne and/or lose their culturability soon after liberation (21,29,45,47) and may therefore not be detected during air or dust sampling. Correct species identification of the fungi is also important, since new research has indicated that species-specific metabolites, like atranone C produced by…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between Fungal Species and Water-Damaged Building Materials

Andersen

Frisvad

Søndergaard

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

305

280

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Fungal growth in damp or water-damaged buildings worldwide is an increasing problem, which has adverse effects on both the occupants and the buildings. Air sampling alone in moldy buildings does not reveal the full diversity of fungal species growing on building materials. One aim of this study was to estimate the qualitative and quantitative diversity of fungi growing on damp or water-damaged building materials. Another was to determine if associations exist between the most commonly found fungal species and different types of materials. More than 5,300 surface samples were taken by means of V8 contact plates from materials with visible fungal growth. Fungal identifications and information on building material components were analyzed using multivariate statistic methods to determine associations between fungi and material components. The results confirmed that Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor are the most common fungal species in water-damaged buildings. The results also showed Chaetomium spp., Acremonium spp., and Ulocladium spp. to be very common on damp building materials. Analyses show that associated mycobiotas exist on different building materials. Associations were found between (i) Acremonium spp., Penicillium chrysogenum, Stachybotrys spp., Ulocladium spp., and gypsum and wallpaper, (ii) Arthrinium phaeospermum, Aureobasidium pullulans, Cladosporium herbarum, Trichoderma spp., yeasts, and different types of wood and plywood, and (iii) Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus melleus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Chaetomium spp., Mucor racemosus, Mucor spinosus, and concrete and other floor-related materials. These results can be used to develop new and resistant building materials and relevant allergen extracts and to help focus research on relevant mycotoxins, microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), and microparticles released into the indoor environment.Most water damage indoors is due to natural disaster (e.g., flooding) or human error (e.g., disrepair). Water can seep into a building as a result of melting snow, heavy rain, or sewer system overflow. Water vapor can be produced by human activities like cooking, laundering, or showering and then condense on cold surfaces like outer walls, windows, or furniture. Damp or water-damaged building materials are at high risk of fungal growth (mold growth), possibly resulting in health problems for the occupants and the deterioration of the buildings. The water activity (a w ) (a w ϫ 100 ϭ % relative humidity at equilibrium) of a building material is the determining factor for fungal growth and varies with the temperature and the type of material (27). The longer a material's a w is over 0.75, the greater the risk of fungal growth (49), though different fungi have different a w preferences (11). Some filamentous fungi can grow on a material when the a w is as low as 0.78 (26), while others can survive 3 weeks at an a w of 0.45 (30). The severity of indoor dampness varies with the climate, but WHO (52) estimates that in Austral...

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Biomechanics of conidial dispersal in the toxic mold Stachybotrys chartarum

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Hyphomycetous fungi spore release induced by air currents and aqueous solution

Hyphomycetous fungi spore release induced by air currents and aqueous solution

Fungal Spore Aerosolization at Different Positions of a Growing Colony Blown by Airflow

Associations between Fungal Species and Water-Damaged Building Materials

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