Lichtheimia ramosa | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Mucoromycota |
Class: | Mucoromycetes |
Order: | Mucorales |
Family: | Lichtheimiaceae |
Genus: | Lichtheimia |
Species: | L. ramosa |
Binomial name | |
Lichtheimia ramosa (Zopf) Vuill. (1903) | |
Synonyms | |
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Lichtheimia ramosa is a saprotrophic zygomycete, typically found in soil or dead plant material. It is a thermotolerant fungus that has also been known to act as an opportunistic pathogen–infecting both humans and animals.
Taxonomy
It was previously known as Absidia ramosa, but has been known by its current name since the Absidia and Lichtheimia genera were differentiated from each other. There has also previously been some disagreement in the scientific community over whether L. ramosa and L. corymbifera were distinct species. But L. ramosa was recently established as a distinct species based on genome sequence analysis.
Description
Asexual reproduction of L. ramosa is done by use of sporangiospore-producing sporangia. The sporangiospores are smooth, lightly colored, and bear a long ellipsoid shape. The sporangia are pear shaped and often sport branched sporangiophores. Sexual reproduction in L. ramosa is achieved through zygospores. These zygospores have been found to have equatorial rings with suspensors and bear no appendages.
Distribution and habitat
It is saprotrophic, most commonly found within dead plant material or in the soil. As this species is thermotolerant, with an optimal growth temperature of around 37 °C, it has now been found in a wide range of habitats around the world–including North America, South America, Central Europe, Africa, and India.
Epidemiology
It is an opportunistic pathogen that has been associated with mucormycosis in both humans and animals. Mucormycosis due to L. ramosa typically only presents in severely immunocompromised patients with a wide range of infections being described; including rhinal, cutaneous, rhinocerebral, pulmonary, renal, and disseminated infections. However, there have been some cases of infection among immunocompetent patients, due to soil contamination of a traumatic injury. Amphotericin B. is the typical course of treatment for an infection by L. ramosa. But if not identified and treated quickly enough, the infection can be fatal.
References
- ^ Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Hoffmann K, de Hoog GS, Rodriguez-Tudela JL, Voigt K, Bibashi E, Walther G (June 2010). "Species recognition and clinical relevance of the zygomycetous genus Lichtheimia (syn. Absidia pro parte, Mycocladus)". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 48 (6): 2154–2170. doi:10.1128/JCM.01744-09. PMC 2884488. PMID 20357218.
- ^ Schwartze VU, Santiago AL, Jacobsen ID, Voigt K (December 2014). "The pathogenic potential of the Lichtheimia genus revisited: Lichtheimia brasiliensis is a novel, non-pathogenic species". Mycoses. 57 (Suppl 3): 128–131. doi:10.1111/myc.12230. PMID 25267009. S2CID 2582054.
- Schwartze VU, Hoffmann K, Nyilasi I, Papp T, Vágvölgyi C, de Hoog S, et al. (2012-07-20). Spellberg B (ed.). "Lichtheimia species exhibit differences in virulence potential". PLOS ONE. 7 (7): e40908. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040908. PMC 3401187. PMID 22911715.
- ^ Garcia-Hermoso D, Hoinard D, Gantier JC, Grenouillet F, Dromer F, Dannaoui E (December 2009). "Molecular and phenotypic evaluation of Lichtheimia corymbifera (formerly Absidia corymbifera) complex isolates associated with human mucormycosis: rehabilitation of L. ramosa". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 47 (12): 3862–3870. doi:10.1128/JCM.02094-08. PMC 2786664. PMID 19759217.
- Hoffmann K, Discher S, Voigt K (October 2007). "Revision of the genus Absidia (Mucorales, Zygomycetes) based on physiological, phylogenetic, and morphological characters; thermotolerant Absidia spp. form a coherent group, Mycocladiaceae fam. nov". Mycological Research. 111 (Pt 10): 1169–1183. doi:10.1016/j.mycres.2007.07.002. PMID 17997297.
- Nottebrock H, Scholer HJ, Wall M (March 1974). "Taxonomy and identification of mucormycosis-causing fungi. I. Synonymity of Absidia ramosa with A. corymbifera". Sabouraudia. 12 (1): 64–74. doi:10.1080/00362177485380091. PMID 4838239.
- Ellis JJ, Hesseltine CW (June 1966). "Species of Absidia with ovoid sporangiospores. II". Sabouraudia. 5 (1): 59–77. doi:10.1080/00362176785190111. PMID 5963263.
- Alvarez-Zúñiga MT, Santiago-Hernández A, Rodríguez-Mendoza J, Campos JE, Pavón-Orozco P, Trejo-Estrada S, Hidalgo-Lara ME (November 2017). "Taxonomic identification of the thermotolerant and fast-growing fungus Lichtheimia ramosa H71D and biochemical characterization of the thermophilic xylanase LrXynA". AMB Express. 7 (1): 194. doi:10.1186/s13568-017-0494-y. PMC 5668220. PMID 29098440.
- Rüping MJ, Heinz WJ, Kindo AJ, Rickerts V, Lass-Flörl C, Beisel C, et al. (February 2010). "Forty-one recent cases of invasive zygomycosis from a global clinical registry". The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 65 (2): 296–302. doi:10.1093/jac/dkp430. PMID 20008047.
- Bibashi E, de Hoog GS, Pavlidis TE, Symeonidis N, Sakantamis A, Walther G (December 2012). "Wound infection caused by Lichtheimia ramosa due to a car accident". Medical Mycology Case Reports. 2: 7–10. doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2012.12.001. PMC 3885937. PMID 24432204.
- Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Cuesta I, Walther G, Cuenca-Estrella M, Rodriguez-Tudela JL (July 2010). "Antifungal susceptibility profile of human-pathogenic species of Lichtheimia". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 54 (7): 3058–3060. doi:10.1128/AAC.01270-09. PMC 2897292. PMID 20421405.
- Mouronte-Roibás C, Leiro-Fernández V, Botana-Rial M, Ramos-Hernández C, Lago-Preciado G, Fiaño-Valverde C, Fernández-Villar A (2016). "Lichtheimia ramosa: A Fatal Case of Mucormycosis". Canadian Respiratory Journal. 2016: 2178218. doi:10.1155/2016/2178218. PMC 4904553. PMID 27445521.
Taxon identifiers | |
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Lichtheimia ramosa |