| Acremonium | |
|---|---|
| Plate culture of Acremonium falciforme | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Phylum: | Ascomycota |
| Order: | Hypocreales |
| Family: | Hypocreaceae |
| Genus: | Acremonium Fr. |
| Type species | |
| Acremonium alternatum Link |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cephalosporium |
|
Acremonium is a genus of Fungi in the Hypocreaceae family; it was previously known as "Cephalosporium".
Contents |
Acremonium species are usually slow growing and are initially compact and moist. Acremonium hyphae are fine and hyaline and produce mostly simple phialides. Their conidia are usually one-celled (i.e. ameroconidia), hyaline or pigmented, globose to cylindrical, and mostly aggregated in slimy heads at the apex of each phialide.
The genus Acremonium currently contains approximately 100 species, of which most are saprophytic, being isolated from dead plant material and soil. Many species of Acremonium are recognized as opportunistic pathogens of man and animals, causing mycetoma, onychomycosis, and hyalohyphomycosis. Clinical manifestations of hyalohyphomycosis caused by Acremonium include arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, cerebritis and subcutaneous infection.
The cephalosporins, a class of β-lactam antibiotics, were originally derived from Acremonium (which was previously known as "Cephalosporium").