Identification and characterization of a special species of Paecilomyces

Abstract

A special purple filamentous fungus, TD16, was isolated from the contaminated culture broth of cyanobacteria (chroococcaceae sp). The sequence of the ITS1-5.8SITS2 region of its rDNA suggests that it belongs to the genus Paecilomyces with the highest homology of 99%. Further phylogenetic analysis (GenBank accession no: JN243772) indicates that the fungus is related more closely to Paecilomyces lilacinus than to other species of Paecilomyces. However, its phialides consist of a very thin neck (diameter less than 0.5 μm), approximately half that of the Paecilomyces lilacinus reported previously. Accordingly, the species is perhaps a variety or subspecies of Paecilomyces lilacinus. Furthermore, this special Paecilomyces secreted polysaccharides composing of galactose only and a lilac water-soluble pigment into the broth. © 2012 Springer-Verlag and the University of Milan.