A STUDY ON POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CERTAIN MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS FRES AND ITS PRESENCE IN, OR ON, HUMAN AND ANIMAL (PULMONARY) TISSUE

A study was made of a number of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of 119 Aspergillus fumigatus strains and 1 A. fischeri strain, to determine whether there is any reason to presume that A. fumigatus strains from patients can be distinguished from saprophytic strains. Strains from cases of aspergillosis sensu lato (referred to as p-strains) were compared with strains of saprophytic origin (w-strains). The variability of colony aspect, size and shape of the conidia, length of the conidiophores, sensitivity to antimycotics and fluorescence in Wood's light was much greater in the p-group than in the w-group. No characteristic was found to correlate with one group only. All the strains were strongly inhibited by amphotericin B, followed by pimaricin and nystatin. Griseofulvin did not inhibit any strain, trichomycin a few only. Growth and sporulation of all the strains appeared to be independent of aneurine, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxin and riboflavin. In some strains the Czapek medium showed a pale green, blue or red fluorescence when observed in Wood's light. Fluorescence was more frequent and sometimes stronger in the p-group than in the w-group. Glucose, fructose, saccharose and maltose were excellent carbon sources. Dextrin, galactose and glycerol were less favourable for most strains, in this order. Lactose and potassium pyruvate were either not utilized at all, or only poorly. Potassium pyruvate, however, was a good carbon source for A. fischeri, strain 74. Peptone, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, glycine, urea and alanine were good nitrogen sources. The utilization of glutamine and tyrosine was usually good. Sporulation was delayed on all the nitrogen media examined, except the peptone and cystine media. Some strains were capable of anaerobic growth without sporulation. © 1969 Kluwer Academic Publishers.