Aspergillus glaucus

Botanical reference to this fungus seems to begin with Micheli, who in 1729 used the generic name Aspergillus, derived from aspergillum (holy water sprinkler) to describe the filamentous nature of this group of fungi.Bennett JW (2010). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160617021430/http://www.open-access-biology.com/aspergillus/aspergillusch1.pdf "An Overview of the Genus Aspergillus"]}} (PDF). Aspergillus: Molecular Biology and Genomics. Caister Academic Press. {{ISBN|978-1-904455-53-0}}.

The fungus was later described as Mucor glaucus in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus before being moved to the genus Aspergillus in 1809.Species Plantarum: 1186 (1753)Mag. Gesell. naturf. Freunde, Berlin 3(1-2): 16 (1809)     Other names are also quite common, namely Aspergillus herbariorium and its teleomorph synonym, Eurotium herbariorium.{{Cite web|url=http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=161735|title=Species Fungorum - Species synonymy|website=www.speciesfungorum.org|access-date=2016-10-15}}

Aspergillus glaucus is a robust xerophilic fungus capable of surviving in a wide variety of different environments due to features of its physiology. Firstly, the fungus has a cardinal temperature range between 4 °C and 37 °C, allowing it to grow well during winter.{{Cite journal|last=Panasenko|first=Vasil T.|title=Ecology of microfungi|journal=The Botanical Review|language=en|volume=33|issue=3|pages=189–215|doi=10.1007/BF02858637|issn=0006-8101|year=1967|bibcode=1967BotRv..33..189P |s2cid=12235615 }} The optimal temperature range for growth, however, is between 24 °C and 25 °C. With these temperatures, growth is considered moderate, reaching maturity in about one to three weeks. It is also one of the most osmotolerant fungi in its genus, being capable of developing at a sucrose concentration of 60%, allowing it to grow in very sweet syrups and foodstuffs.

The fungus itself is filamentous and thin-walled. and has many features in common with other species in its genus, namely its conidial heads, which radiate to somewhat columnar and are round or elliptical. These conidial heads are typically sized between 5 and 6.5 μm.[null Mould Allergy], Yousef Al-Doory and Joanne F. Domson, Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, 1984. 287 p. The conidiophores containing them, typically 200 to 350 μm long, are smooth-walled and somewhere between uncolored to pale brown.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mold.ph/aspergillus-glaucus.htm|title=Aspergillus glaucus|website=www.mold.ph|access-date=2016-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115200232/http://www.mold.ph/aspergillus-glaucus.htm|archive-date=2016-11-15|url-status=dead}} In addition, the hyphae of the mycelium are septate and hyaline.

Phialides cover the upper portion of the vesicles, which are globose to sub-globose, and uniseriate, with a diameter between 15 and 30 μm. The asci contains eight spores that are typically unarranged while the perithecia are typically yellow. The mould can appear as either yellow or in patches of green.Thom, C., & Raper, K. B. (1941). The Aspergillus glaucus group (Vol. 424). US Dept. of Agriculture.

Aspergillus glaucus has a worldwide geographic distribution because of many of the aforementioned physiological characteristics. It is one of the few fungi that can be found in Arctic environments due to the extremely low temperatures. As a result, it is a common outdoor fungus in the winter.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dehs.umn.edu/iaq_fib_fg_gloss_aspergillusglaucus.htm|title=Aspergillus glaucus|last=Safety|first=University of Minnesota, Department of Environmental Health &|website=www.dehs.umn.edu|access-date=2016-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516143626/http://www.dehs.umn.edu/iaq_fib_fg_gloss_aspergillusglaucus.htm|archive-date=2008-05-16|url-status=dead}} In addition, even among its own genus, A. glaucus is capable of thriving in low moisture environments, allowing it to grow in dry areas.

A. glaucus is also polytrophic, allowing it to take advantage of a large number of different food sources. As a result, it's been found to grow well on a variety of different foods, including corn, wheat, fish, butter, and eggs. It can also survive in foods such as jam and jellies, very sweet substances that most other fungi cannot grow in, because of its osmotolerance.

Several strains of Aspergillus glaucus may produce mycotoxins. There is at least one recorded instance of this species appearing to cause a fatal brain infection.{{cite journal|last=Traboulsi|first=RS|author2=Kattar, MM |author3=Dbouni, O |author4=Araj, GF |author5= Kanj, SS |title=Fatal brain infection caused by Aspergillus glaucus in an immunocompetent patient identified by sequencing of the ribosomal 18S-28S internal transcribed spacer|journal=European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases|date=Oct 2007|volume=26|issue=10|pages=747–50|pmid=17665232 |doi=10.1007/s10096-007-0361-x|s2cid=10570990 }} That being said, A.glaucus is not considered to be very pathogenic as its growth is restricted by temperatures of more than 35 °C. In addition, even as a pathogen, it is not considered very dangerous as it is highly susceptible to anti-fungal treatments.{{Cite journal|last1=Araujo|first1=Ricardo|last2=Pina-Vaz|first2=Cidalia|last3=Rodrigues|first3=Acacio Gonçalves|date=2007-01-01|title=Susceptibility of environmental versus clinical strains of pathogenic Aspergillus|journal=International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents|volume=29|issue=1|pages=108–111|doi=10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2006.09.019|issn=0924-8579|pmid=17189101}}

It is known to be an allergen and an irritant in addition to causing pneumonitis and various forms of dermatitis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_219658.html|title=Chemical Sampling Information {{!}} Aspergillus glaucus|website=www.osha.gov|access-date=2016-10-15}}{{Cite journal|last1=M.D|first1=Kazuko Yoshida|last2=M.D|first2=Masayuki Ando|last3=M.D|first3=Kiyotaka Ito|last4=M.D|first4=Tetsunori Sakata|last5=M.D|first5=Kazuko Arima|last6=M.D|first6=Shukuro Araki|last7=M.D|first7=Katsuhisa Uchida|date=1990-08-01|title=Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis of a Mushroom Worker due to Aspergillus glaucus|journal=Archives of Environmental Health|volume=45|issue=4|pages=245–247|doi=10.1080/00039896.1990.9940809|pmid=2119164|issn=0003-9896}}

One of the more popular applications for A. glaucus is in the production of katsuobushi, shavings of a smoked and fermented fish that is popular in Japanese cuisine. In the final stages of preparation, a culture of A. glaucus is sprayed onto the fish, providing the necessary fermentation. There have been some health concerns due to the discovery of a mycotoxin, beta-nitropropionic acid, that the fungus produces.Frisvad, Jens C.; Thrane, Ulf; Samson, Robert A.; Pitt, John I. (2006-08-29). "Important Mycotoxins and the Fungi which Produce Them". In Ailsa Diane Hocking. Advances in Food Mycology. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 571. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. p. 7. {{ISBN|9780387283913}}.

Another possible application for A. glaucus is its use as an anti-cancer agent. The mycotoxin aspergiolide A may be able to be used as an anti-cancer agent.{{Cite journal|last1=Sun|first1=Xueqian|last2=Zhou|first2=Xiangshan|last3=Cai|first3=Menghao|last4=Tao|first4=Kejing|last5=Zhang|first5=Yuanxing|date=2009-09-01|title=Identified biosynthetic pathway of aspergiolide A and a novel strategy to increase its production in a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus by feeding of biosynthetic precursors and inhibitors simultaneously|journal=Bioresource Technology|volume=100|issue=18|pages=4244–4251|doi=10.1016/j.biortech.2009.03.061|issn=1873-2976|pmid=19386490|bibcode=2009BiTec.100.4244S }}{{Cite journal|last1=Cai|first1=Menghao|last2=Zhang|first2=Ying|last3=Hu|first3=Wei|last4=Shen|first4=Wei|last5=Yu|first5=Zhenzhong|last6=Zhou|first6=Weiqiang|last7=Jiang|first7=Tao|last8=Zhou|first8=Xiangshan|last9=Zhang|first9=Yuanxing|date=2014-05-20|title=Genetically shaping morphology of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus glaucus for production of antitumor polyketide aspergiolide A|journal=Microbial Cell Factories|volume=13|pages=73|doi=10.1186/1475-2859-13-73|issn=1475-2859|pmc=4039328|pmid=24886193 |doi-access=free }}

Finally, due to its Arctic habitat and low cardinal temperature range, A. glaucus is a potential source of enzymes capable of functioning at low temperatures, though research in this area is still relatively new.{{Cite journal|last1=Abrashev|first1=Radoslav|last2=Feller|first2=Georges|last3=Kostadinova|first3=Nedelina|last4=Krumova|first4=Ekaterina|last5=Alexieva|first5=Zlatka|last6=Gerginova|first6=Maria|last7=Spasova|first7=Boryana|last8=Miteva-Staleva|first8=Jeni|last9=Vassilev|first9=Spassen|date=2016-05-01|title=Production, purification, and characterization of a novel cold-active superoxide dismutase from the Antarctic strain Aspergillus glaucus 363|journal=Fungal Biology|volume=120|issue=5|pages=679–689|doi=10.1016/j.funbio.2016.03.002|pmid=27109365|bibcode=2016FunB..120..679A |hdl=2268/194482 |url=https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/194482/1/Fungal%20Biol_2016_Abrashev.pdf}}

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{{cite web |title=GSD Species Synonymy. Current Name: Aspergillus glaucus (L.) Link, Mag. Gesell. naturf. Freunde, Berlin 3(1-2): 16 (1809) |url=https://www.speciesfungorum.org/GSD/GSDspecies.asp?RecordID=161735 |publisher=Species Fungorum |access-date=16 October 2023}}

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{{Taxonbar|from=Q18230950|from2=Q3006386|from3=Q21977511}}

glaucus

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Fungi described in 1753

Category:Fungus species