Acremonium
| 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".
Description
Acremonium species are usually slow-growing and are initially compact and moist. Their 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.
Clinical significance
The genus Acremonium currently contains about 100 species, of which most are saprophytic, being isolated from dead plant material and soil. Many species are recognized as opportunistic pathogens of man and animals, causing mycetoma, onychomycosis, and hyalohyphomycosis. Infections of humans by fungi of this genus are rare,[1] but clinical manifestations of hyalohyphomycosis caused by Acremonium may include arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, cerebritis, and subcutaneous infection.[citation needed]
The cephalosporins, a class of β-lactam antibiotics, were originally derived from Acremonium (which was previously known as "Cephalosporium").