Four primer systems, amplifying fragments of the gene coding for the small ribosomal subunit (18S rRNA) were characterised with pure cultures of 65 medically relevant fungal species plus two mushrooms. A primer cocktail (TR1/CA1-TR2/AF2) amplified 59 of 67 fungal species; the universal fungal primer 1 (UF1) in combination with the eukaryotic primers S3 or EU1 amplified 64 and 65 of 67 fungal sp...

BACKGROUND Pytiriasis versicolor is an infectious disease caused by several Malassezia species which has a tendency to become relapsing or chronic. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted in an attempt to investigate the clinical course of pityriasis versicolor with regard to the number of relapses after a 12-month therapy and correlate this number with isolates of Malassezia species. MATERIAL ...

We studied human mycoses in conjunctiva, nails (onycholytic lesions) and skin lesions in 100 babaçu coconut breakers of Esperantinópolis, Maranhão (Fig. 1), and studied the ground near the babaçu palms, coconut shells and palm leaves (Fig. 2), for taxonomic classification of fungi by direct mycological and microscopic examination. We also performed direct examination with KOH for human mycoses....

RNase and DNase activities were studied in seven fungi of the subdivisions Ascomycotina, Zygomycotina and Basidiomycotina during their autolysis, and extracellular and intracellular RNase and DNase were found. RNase specific activity reached higher levels than DNase specific activity in the culture liquid and mycelial extract, except in Aspergillus nidulans. Generally maximal RNase specific act...

Fungal growth in buildings starts at a water activity (a(w)) near 0.8, but significant quantities of mycotoxins are not produced unless a(w) reaches 0.95. Stachybotrys generates particularly high quantities of many chemically distinct metabolites in water-damaged buildings. These metabolites are carried by spores, and can be detected in air samples at high spore concentrations. Very little atte...

We developed a protocol for the rapid identification and quantitation of fungi by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in carpet. The fungi used in this study are field isolates of Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporoides, and Stachybotrys chartarum. The modified spore extraction method provided superior quality, high-molecular-weight genomic ...