Keratinolytic and keratinophilic fungi in the soils of Papua New Guinea

A study was made of soil samples collected during an expedition to the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Fungi were isolated from the samples by the method of hair baiting (To-Ka-Va). Of the 33 species isolated, about half showed keratinolytic activity. Such activity is previously unreported for Mucor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMycopathologia (1975) Vol. 115; no. 2; p. 113
Main Authors Filipello Marchisio, V, Curetti, D, Cassinelli, C, Bordese, C
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands 01.08.1991
Subjects
Fungi - isolation & purification
Fungi - metabolism
Hair - microbiology
Keratins - metabolism
Papua New Guinea
Soil Microbiology
Papua New Guinea
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Summary:A study was made of soil samples collected during an expedition to the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Fungi were isolated from the samples by the method of hair baiting (To-Ka-Va). Of the 33 species isolated, about half showed keratinolytic activity. Such activity is previously unreported for Mucor hiemalis f. hiemalis, Myrothecium roridum, Paecilomyces carneus, P. marquandii, Penicillium brevicompactum, Rhinocladiella mansonii and Verticillium lecanii. The species most active keratinolytically were Chrysosporium an. Arthroderma cuniculi, C. an. A. curreyi, C. indicum, Myceliophthora vellerea and Trichophyton ajelloi. The spectrum of fungi with keratinolytic activity isolated from the different sites differed considerably according to the frequency of use by man, heaviest use being correlated with greatest activity. The pH of the soil (varying from 5.8-7.5) had little influence on the type of such fungi isolated.
ISSN:0301-486X
DOI:10.1007/bf00436799