DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

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Descriptions of Medical Fungi
Aspergillus flavus complex
Aspergillus section Flavi historically includes species with conidial heads in shades
of yellow-green to brown and dark sclerotia. Hedayati et al. (2007) reviewed the A.
flavus complex and included 23 species or varieties, including two sexual species,
Petromyces alliaceus and P. albertensis. Several species of section Flavi produce
aflatoxins, among which aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic of the many naturally occurring
secondary metabolites produced by fungi. Aflatoxins are mainly produced by A. flavus
and A. parasiticus, which coexist and grow on almost any crop or food (Varga et al.
2011). Within the complex, A. flavus is the principle medically important pathogen of
both humans and animals. However, some other species in the A. flavus complex,
notably A. oryzae, A. avenaceus, A. tamari, A. alliaceus and A. nomius, may cause
rare mostly superficial infections (Hedayati et al. 2007, de Hoog et al. 2015).
Note: Accurate species identification within A. flavus complex remains difficult due
to overlapping morphological and biochemical characteristics. For morphological
identifications, it is recommended to report as Aspergillus flavus complex.
Molecular Identification: ITS sequence analysis is sufficient to identify to species
complex level only. Definitive identification requires analysis of β-tubulin, calmodulin
and actin genes (Samson et al. 2007, Balajee et al. 2005a).
Aspergillus flavus Link ex Grey
Aspergillus flavus has a worldwide distribution and normally occurs as a saprophyte in soil
and on many kinds of decaying organic matter, however, it is also a recognised pathogen
of humans and animals. It is a causative agent of otitis, keratitis, acute and chronic
invasive sinusitis, and pulmonary and systemic infections in immunocompromised
patients. A. flavus is second only to A. fumigatus as the cause of human invasive
aspergillosis (Hedayati et al. 2007).
RG-2 organism.
Morphological Description: On Czapek Dox agar, colonies are granular, flat, often
with radial grooves, yellow at first but quickly becoming bright to dark yellow-green with
age. Conidial heads are typically radiate, later splitting to form loose columns (mostly
300-400 µm in diameter), biseriate but having some heads with phialides borne directly
on the vesicle (uniseriate). Conidiophore stipes are hyaline and coarsely roughened,
often more noticeable near the vesicle. Conidia are globose to subglobose (3-6 µm in
diameter), pale green and conspicuously echinulate. Some strains produce brownish
sclerotia.
Key Features: Spreading yellow-green colonies, rough-walled stipes, mature vesicles
bearing phialides over their entire surface and conspicuously echinulate conidia.
Antifungal Susceptibility: A. flavus complex (Australian National data); MIC µg/
mL.
No 16
AmB 68 1 5 7 30 22 3
VORI 68 1 1 6 25 24 11
POSA 57 2 1 5 16 26 7
ITRA 68 1 3 11 43 10