Acremonium

Acremonium
Plate culture of Acremonium falciforme
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Ascomycota Order: Hypocreales Family: Hypocreaceae Genus: Acremonium Fr.
Type species
Acremonium alternatum Link
Synonyms
Cephalosporium

Acremonium is a genus of Fungi in the Hypocreaceae family.

Description

Acremonium species are usually slow growing and are initially compact and moist. Acremonium hyphae are fine and hyaline and produce mostly simple phialides. Their conidia are usually one-celled (i.e. ameroconidia), hyaline or pigmented, globose to cylindrical, and mostly aggregated in slimy heads at the apex of each phialide.

Clinical significance

The genus Acremonium currently contains approximately 100 species, of which most are saprophytic, being isolated from dead plant material and soil. Many species of Acremonium are recognized as opportunistic pathogens of man and animals, causing mycetoma, onychomycosis, and hyalohyphomycosis. Clinical manifestations of hyalohyphomycosis caused by Acremonium include arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, cerebritis and subcutaneous infection.

The cephalosporins, a class of β-lactam antibiotics, were originally derived from Acremonium (which was previously known as "Cephalosporium").

Species

• Acremonium strictum

See also

• Chaetomium

External links

• Index Fungorum
• http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Fungal_Descriptions/Hyphomycetes_(hyaline)/