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The genus Arthrographis is from the phylum Ascomycota. It
is a prevalent mold that exists in a global scale. Arthrographis
can best be described as filamentous although the colony starts
off as flat and smooth. Upon maturation, the texture becomes
velvet-like or even powdery.
Different species of Arthrographis fungi usually show up
in shades of white, pale yellow or tan. In addition, folds
or ridges may develop as the colony grows outward from the
center. Arthrographis is also described as Fungi Imperfectii
since it is known to not have a sexual state.
There are five known species under the genus Arthrographis.
These are Arthrographis kalrae, Arthrographis cuboidea, Arthrographis
lignicola, Arthrographis pinnicola and lastly Arthrographis
alba.
For Arthrographis Kalrae, its teleomorph is referred to as
Eremomyces langeronii and is also the synonym for A. kalrae.
Other obsolete synonyms for A. kalrae are Arthrographis langeronii
and Oidiodendron kalrae. The obsolete synonyms for Arthrographis
cuboidea are Briosia microspore, Coremiella cuboidea and Geotrichum
cuboideum.
Among the five species, a colony of A. cuboidea is known
to grow fast up to about 9 centimeters especially at temperatures
of 25°C. Its arthroconidia is shaped like cubes. The other
species have varied growth rates from moderately fast to slow,
with some species reaching just around 1centimeter in 7 days.
You can differentiate A. lignicola by its broad and yellow
arthroconidia. Meanwhile, A. pinnicola can be identified by
its sensitivity to cycloheximide and A. alba is known to fail
to reproduce when temperatures reach 37°C.
The various Arthrographis species are commonly found in soil.
They may also be collected from compost and environmental
waste. Certain species of Arthrographis, particularly Arthrographis
cuboidea are resident in hardwood such as oak.
The genus also exhibit keratinolytic activity. This means
that Arthrographis are able to live off hair, nails, feathers
and similar keratin-based organic structures of birds and
mammals. It also follows that humans can be affected by fungal
invasion of Arthrographis variants, specifically by Arthrographis
Kalrae.
Arthrographis Kalrae is a moniliaceous (pale colored) anamorphic
fungus that bears some significance in human pathogenesis.
This is due to the fact that A. Kalrae is a known agent of
several human diseases. It is a source of mycetoma, a chronic
granulomatous skin disease that can also extend down to subcutaneous
tissues, muscles and even bone. In severe infections, mycetoma
may even affect the patient's tendons and nerves.
Another disease attributed to A. Kalrae is fungal sinusitis
and fungal meningitis. These invasive conditions could prove
fatal to patients with compromised immune systems such as
those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Other conditions involving A. Kalrae include a form of onychomycosis
(ringworm of the nails), fatal-stroke syndrome and post-traumatic
fungal panophthalmitis - an acute infection of the eye. There
is even a reported case of photophobia, or hypersensitivity
of the eyes to light, from an infected contact lens wearing
patient.
Some of these diseases induced by Arthrographis Kalrae may
be treated with the anti-fungal drug itraconazole, which can
be administered orally or intravenously. Keeping the environment
clean and free from strains of Arthrographis is equally essential
to the resolution and eradication of such fungi-based diseases.
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