Organisms

Chaetomium is a genus of filamentous fungi (Phylum Ascomycota, Class Sordariomycetes) encompassing species that typically possess densely setose, ovoid to pyriform ostiolate ascomata, clavate asci and pigmented, one-celled ascospores (Domsch et al. 1993). Species of Chaetomium are important in the decomposition of plant and other cellulose-rich materials, and can be isolated easily from dung, plant debris and soil. The genus contains a number of species capable of growth at elevated temperatures as well as a few species that cause infections in vertebrates. Chaetomium globosum, the type species of the genus, can be isolated easily from decaying plant material, seeds and other cellulosic substrates. It is the most frequently isolated and cosmopolitan of the over 150 species of Chaetomium described to date (Domsch et al. 1993).

Chaetomium globosum is a medically important fungus and is encountered typically as an agent of skin and nail infections in humans. This species more rarely causes cerebral and systemic infections, but such mycoses have high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised patients (Serena et al. 2003). Chaetomium globosum is important to human health as a contaminant in indoor environments since it is known to produce mycotoxins (Nielsen et al. 1999; Pieckova 2003) and act as an allergen.

References

1. Domsch, K.H. et al. (1999). Compendium of soil fungi. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK.
2. Nielsen, K.F. et al. (1999). Production of mycotoxins on artificially and naturally infested building materials. Mycopathologia 145(1):43-56.
3. Pieckova, E. (2003). In vitro toxicity of indoor Chaetomium Kunze ex Fr. Ann. Agric. Environ. Med. 10(1):9-14.
4. Serena, C. et al. (2003). In vitro activities of new antifungal agents against Chaetomium spp. and inoculum standardization. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47(10):3161-3164.