Aspergillus is a genus of around 200 fungi. Fungi are divided into two basic morphological forms, yeasts and hyphae. Aspergillus is a filamentous fungus (made of chains of cells, called hyphae).
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Aspergilli are aerobic organisms and can be found in most oxygen-rich environments, where they commonly grow as moulds on the surface of a substrate, as a result of the high oxygen tension. Commonly, fungi are grown on carbon-rich substrates, mainly monosaccharides such as glucose. Aspergillus, however, can also secrete amylase enzymes, which allow it to use polysaccharides as a carbon source, for example starch. As a result of this, Aspergillus species are common contaminants of starchy foods, for example bread and potato, and grow in or on many plants and trees.
In addition to growth on carbon sources such as glucose, fructose, maltose, and starch, many species of Aspergillus demonstrate oligotrophy, i.e. they are capable of growing in nutrient-depleted environments, or environments in which there is a complete lack of key nutrients. Aspergillus niger is a prime example of this; it can be found growing on damp walls, or as a major component of mildew. It will also happily grow in environments lacking a carbon source, instead using salts and nitrogen sources such as ammonia and nitrate for both growth and protein production, although in such environments the fastidious nature of the organism is truly revealed.
History: In 1729 Aspergillus was first catalogued by an Italian priest and biologist P Micheli. In studying the shape of the fungus, he was reminded of an aspergillum, an instrument used for the dispersion of holy water, thus the name.
Warning: Some Aspergillus species cause serious disease in humans and animals, and can be pathogenic.
Aspergillosis is the group of diseases caused by Aspergillus. The symptoms include fever, cough, chest pain or breathlessness, which also occur in many other illnesses so diagnosis can be hard. Usually, only patients with already weakened immnune systems or who suffer other lung conditions are susceptible.
In man, the major forms of disease are:
Allergic aspergillosis (affects asthma, cystic fibrosis and sinusitis patients).
Acute invasive aspergillosis (risk increases if patient has weakened immunity such as some cancer patients and those in chemotherapy).
Disseminated invasive aspergillosis (widespread through body).
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