Aspergillus fischeri

Aspergillus fischeri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Eurotiomycetes
Order: Eurotiales
Family: Aspergillaceae
Genus: Aspergillus
Species:
A. fischeri
Binomial name
Aspergillus fischeri
Wehmer, 1905

Aspergillus fischeri is a species of fungus in the genus Aspergillus. Nyosartorya fischeri is the taxonomic term for A. fischer in its teleomorph phase. It is widely distributed in soil throughout the world. It is a plant pathogen but does not require a high level of biosecurity. A. fischeri has been reported as a causative agent in aspergillosis. It is also a common factor in food spoilage. However, its utility in biodegradation of plastic waste, production of aromatic compounds, drug repurposing and cytotoxic potential are potential benefits.

Taxonomy

A. fischeri was thought to be one of the 64% of species in the aspergillus genus which are unable to undergo sexual reproduction. The name for these species, as a group, is fungi imperfecti.

However, when it was found that A. fischeri did have a sexual stage of reproduction, the taxonomy was changed to a teleomorph name, that is, Neosartorya fischeri.

A. fischeri can be distinguished from similar fungi through sequence analysis of the beta-tubulin, calmodulin and actin genes.

Morphology

The surface of colonies of A. fischeri vary from suede-like to woolly (floccose) and from white to pale yellow in colour. The asexual fruiting bodies (conidial heads) are short, columnar and arranged in a single layer (uniseriate). The conidiophore striations (stripes on the stalk) are smooth-walled and the vesicles (the cone-shaped swellings at the ends of the stalks) are usually sub-globose (less than spherical) to flask-shaped. The spores (conidia) are sub-globose (2-2.5 µm in diameter) and are smooth to finely roughened.

Reproduction

The reproduction of A. fischeri can be divided into three forms: sexual, asexual and parasexual. Occasionally, hyphae from two different individuals will fuse. This is the precipitant of the parasexual form of reproduction.

A. Fischeri is also described as homothallic. This means each individual has the genetic matter of both sexual types and so is able to reproduce without the presence of another distinct individual.

Pathogenicity

A. fumigatus is the most common pathogen in the cause of the human pulmonary disease, invasive aspergillosis. A. Fischeri is a member of the Aspergillus fumigatus complex. The complex is a group of species very closely related to A. fumigatus.

The pathogenicity of organisms of the A. fumigatus complex is determined in large part by the expression of various genes. These genes control factors such as the ability of the organism to grow at human body temperatures; and the ability of the organism to form biofilms among others.

Species within the A. fumigatus complex have different strains. Some strains, including those of A. fischeri express pathogenic factor genes as much as A.fumigatus and thus may cause invasive aspergillosis. Occurring sporadically, A. fischeri is now a recognised cause of disease in immunosuppressed patients.

Uses

Biodegradation of plastic waste

A number of fungi are able to degrade plastics. In the fungus taxonomy, the phyla that degrade plastics include Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota. Within Ascomycota, the class Eurotiomycetes contain the largest number of plastic degraders. A. fischeri is a species within this class. A. fischeri is able to degrade the polymer polycaprolactone. This happens through the release of fungal lipase.

Fungal cell factories

By convention, aromatic compounds are derived from petroleum. However, fungi including A. Fischeri are able to produce aromatic compounds by breaking down lignin. Lignin is the organic polymer that is part of the supporting structure of vascular plants. Aspergillus and other fungi can then metabolize aromatic compounds. The upscaling of this process to "cell factories" may help to decrease the use of fossil fuel.

For example, A. fischeri has been studied in the manufacturing of Gallic acid. Gallic acid is found in plants either as a free molecule or as part of the tannic acid molecule. It is used in photography, inks and dyes, manufacturing of the antibiotic trimethoprim. It also has antioxidant and cytotoxic activity.

Indore researchers, Bajpai and Patil used a growth medium containing tannic acid from gall nuts and A. fischeri to produce via fermentation a bioconversion to gallic acid at 0.56 g per litre of medium per hour.

Drug repurposing

Drug resistance is a significant problem in treating patients with invasive Candida albicans infections. Fungi produce many different secondary metabolites, substances not necessary for survival but which affect the organism's environment. These metabolites may be incorporated into a known drug to strengthen the drug's effect on C. albicans. For example, A. fischeri produces an antifungal protein (NFAP2). NFAP2 recognizes and binds particular intracellular proteins in C. albicans.

Cytotoxic action

A. fischeri may be useful in treating cancer. For example, creating a microbiological culture of strains of A. fischeri and another fungus, Xylaria flabelliformis produces a number of metabolites. One of these, called Wheldone has cyctotoxic action against breast, melanoma, and ovarian cancer cell lines.

Deleterious effects

Food spoilage

A. fischeri , like many fungi, is a cause of food spoilage. This is due to its heat resistance among other factors. A. fischeri can grow at 50 degrees celsius. The heat resistance part of the fungus is the ascospore. Food affected by A. fischeri spoilage include fruit juice, and tinned strawberries. A. fischeri has also been found in spoiled dairy products such as cream cheese.

References

  1. ↑ de Hoog, G. S. (2000). Atlas of clinical fungi (2nd ed.). Amer Society for Microbiology. p. 292. ISBN 90-70351-43-9. OCLC 46669547.
  2. ↑ Dyer PS, O'Gorman CM (January 2012). "Sexual development and cryptic sexuality in fungi: insights from Aspergillus species". FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 36 (1): 165–192. Bibcode:2012FEMMR..36..165D. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00308.x. PMID 22091779.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Aspergillus fischeri". Mycology. Adelaide University. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
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  5. ↑ Lamoth, Frederic (17 May 2016). "Aspergillus fumigatus - related species in clinical practice". Frontiers in Microbiology. 7 (7): 683. Bibcode:2016FrMic...700683L. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00683. PMC 4868848. PMID 27242710.
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  7. ↑ Rinker, D.; et al. (4 September 2024). "Strain heterogeneity in a non-pathogenic Aspergillus fungus highlights factors associated with virulence". Communications Biology. 7 (1) 1082. doi:10.1038/s42003-024-06756-8. PMC 11374809. PMID 39232082.
  8. 1 2 3 Ekenayaka, A.; et al. (25 July 2022). "A review of the fungi that degrade plastic". J. Fungi. 8 (8): 772. Bibcode:2022JFung...8..772E. doi:10.3390/jof8080772. PMC 9330918. PMID 35893140.
  9. ↑ Kahn, I.; et al. (February 2017). "Lactobacillus sps. lipase mediated poly (ε-caprolactone) degradation". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 95: 126–131. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.11.040. PMID 27865950.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Umashankar, P.; Nygard, Y. (14 November 2024). "Filamentous fungi as emerging cell factories for the production of aromatic compounds". Fungal Biol. Biotechnol. 11 (11): 19. doi:10.1186/s40694-024-00188-z. PMC 11566741. PMID 39543771.
  11. 1 2 3 Bajpai, B.; Patil, S. (October 2008). "A new approach to microbial production of gallic acid". Braz J Microbiol. 39 (4): 708–711. doi:10.1590/S1517-838220080004000021 (inactive 7 November 2026). PMC 3768451. PMID 24031294.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2026 (link)
  12. ↑ Costa de Oliviera, S.; Rodrigues, A. (22 January 2020). "Candida albicans Antifungal Resistance and Tolerance in Bloodstream Infections: The Triad Yeast-Host-Antifungal". Microorganisms. 8 (2): 154. doi:10.3390/microorganisms8020154. PMC 7074842. PMID 31979032.
  13. ↑ Sponsel, Valerie. "Plant metabolites: primary versus secondary". EBSCO. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
  14. 1 2 Dan, K.; et al. (9 October 2026). "Exploiting Neosartorya (Aspergillus) fischeri antifungal protein 2-defined fungal targets for drug repurposing against Candida albicans". Microbiol. Spectr. 14 (11) e01310-26. doi:10.1128/spectrum.01310-26. PMC 13729217. PMID 42852920.
  15. ↑ Dan, K.; et al. (October 2025). "Beyond plasma membrane disruption: Novel antifungal mechanism of Neosartorya (Aspergillus) fischeri antifungal protein 2 in Candida albicans". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 327 (1) 146558. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146558. PMID 40848794. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
  16. ↑ Rangel-Grimaldo, M.; et al. (23 July 2024). "Wheldone Revisited: Structure Revision Via DFT-GIAO Chemical Shift Calculations, 1,1-HD-ADEQUATE NMR Spectroscopy, and X-ray Crystallography Studies". J. Nat. Prod. 87 (8): 2095–2100. Bibcode:2024JNAtP..87.2095R. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00649. PMC 11348420. PMID 39039966.
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  18. ↑ Santos, J (2020). "Effect of storage temperature, water activity, oxygen headspace concentration and pasteurization intensity on the time to growth of Aspergillus fischerianus (teleomorph Neosartorya fischeri)". Food Microbiology. 88 (1): 63–65. doi:10.2214/ajr.132.1.63. PMID 103406. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  19. ↑ McIvoy, I.J.; Stuart, Mary R. (1970). "Temperature tolerance of Aspergillus fischeri var. glaber in canned strawberries". Ir. J. Agric. Res. 9 (1): 59–67. JSTOR 25555561. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  20. ↑ Garnier, L.; Valence, L.; Mounier, J. (2017). "Diversity and control of spoilage fungi in dairy products, an update". Microorganisms. 5 (3): 42. doi:10.3390/microorganisms5030042. PMC 5620633. PMID 28788096.