Exserohilum Rostratum, the Killing Fungus
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Let’s have a look at the original Exserohilum rostratum, description of Helminthosporium rostratum (Drechsler, 1923): Occurring on the dry leaves the killing fungus of Eragrostis major, host [current name: Eragrostis cilianensis, Danny Haelewaters Robert A. Shoemaker even stinkgrass]. Harvard University Herbaria, described a third genus, Bipolaris, to Conidiophores dark olivaceous, Farlow Herbarium exclude species that were not emerging singly or in groups of Email: [email protected] like Drechslera from Helminthosporium. 2 to 5 from stomata or between These genera have been rejected by epidermial cells, the swollen bases different authors for various reasons and here are hundreds of topics I more or less united; measuring 6 to likewise, they have been accepted for could write about for my very 8 by 40 to 180 µm; 1 to 6 septate, various other reasons. Anyway, to make first contribution to FUNGI. The the septa separated by intervals of a long story short: the current accepted hardest part about writing is choosing a 15 to 40 µm; proliferating the first T name for what we are talking about right suitable topic and sticking with it until spore 40 to 140 µm from the base, now is Exserohilum rostratum. the end. This time, however, it was a little and successive spores at intervals It is interesting to consider that this easier than typically due to the interesting of 10 to 30 µm, at the apices of fungus belongs to the Ascomycota. nature of Exserohilum rostratum. Ever well-defined geniculations. Members of this phylum go through heard of it? It’s a fungus that seems to Conidia, when mature, dark asexual (anamorphic) phases during cause fatal meningitis, right now. Wait, olivaceous; straight or less which they reproduce rapidly by right now?! Let’s find out what is going on. frequently somewhat curved; often mitospores or conidia (generated through It’s been a while since short, widest at or somewhat below the cellular process of mitosis). The Charles Frank Drechsler (1923) the middle, tapering moderately sexual phase with the asci is called the described the ascomycete or more markedly towards both teleomorph (see Ascomycetes Life Cycle fungus Helminthosporium rostratum. ends, the hemispherical apex illustration, courtesy Pennsylvania State Then Stanley J. Hughes (1958) excluded abruptly rounded off, the basal University Department of Biology, and from the genus Helminthosporium, a end somewhat more acute, often used here with permission). group of graminicolous species exhibiting a rounded conical Back to Exserohilum rostratum, is corresponding to another genus, contour; or less frequently this the anamorph or teleomorph? Ito’s (1930) Drechslera. In 1959, produced at the tip into a more 12 FUNGI • Volume 5:5 • Winter 2012 or less elongated rostrate Therefore, it is a significant problem in agents. However, treatment of these prolongation. rice, corn, sorghum, and soybean fields. cutaneous infections is primarily based There it is: Exserohilum This weed is a serious strain on rice yield. on aggressive surgical removal combined rostratum (= Helminthosporium Annual worldwide rice yield loss caused with antifungal therapy. rostratum) is the asexual state, the by this weed is estimated to be 15–21%. The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire anamorph, since its description is almost Two sides to every coin Saint-Justine (Montreal) decided after the 2007 E. rostratum case to replace purely based on conidial characteristics. On October 14, 2012 Federal officials all wooden boards used to secure An anaomorph/teleomorph connection reported contaminated injections had intravenous lines by Plexiglas covered for this fungus was only made in 1976, sickened 214 people in fifteen states. So with sterile gauze. The replacement when Setosphaeria rostrata K.J. Leonard far [November 19], 478 people have been occurred as part of an infection control was described and recognized as diagnosed with meningitis after having policy and is said to be potentially teleomorph of Exserohilum rostratum. had steroid injections into the epidural lifesaving (Saint-Jean et al., 2007). space as a treatment for back pain. Worse, Biocontrol agent However, no fungal traces were found, 36 of them have died. Human impact on the natural although certain tapes and wooden The injections were found to be environment has expanded tremendously devices have been reported to be linked contaminated with Exserohilum over the past century. Rapid population with fungal infection. rostratum. This fungus thus seems to have growth and a globalized economy have Since October, 19 states reported some characteristics that we should take caused widespread pollution, habitat cases with fungal meningitis. The into account when considering using it as destruction and climate change. One outbreak was traced back to Exserohilum a biocontrol agent. major but often little appreciated problem rostratum contaminated medication for Exserohilum includes several saprobic in our increasingly interconnected global epidural steroid injections, packaged species in the bark, leaves, and stems of biosphere, is the ecological disturbance and marketed by the New England both woody and herbaceous plants, but caused by animals and plants invading Compounding Center (Framingham, there’s also a large number of parasitic new ecosystems. Often these invasions MA). It is estimated that more than species. Those affecting graminaceous occur unintentionally, for example 14,000 people may have been exposed to hosts are pretty well known, because through ships releasing their ballast water the contaminated medication—they are of their possible use as effective into foreign waters, or through worldwide not necessarily infected. biocontrol. Next to these economically trade in agricultural and horticultural Conclusion products. Many other invasions result important forms, many other species from deliberate introductions, which have of Exserohilum are recorded as thriving As a conclusion we may want to limit run out of control. on various members of the grass family, working with Exserohilum rostratum. Invading species disrupt the normal but have remained more or less obscure If this invasive Leptochloa weed is still functioning of ecosystems by directly because either the hosts affected were of bothering you, I suggest trying to raise a outcompeting native species, destabilizing little economic value, or their parasitism green manuring legume in the summer food webs or affecting the cycling caused little or no observable damage. in crop fields that would be ploughed in of nutrients through the ecosystem. Although ubiquitous, members of the situ at the time of preparing fields Invasive species may drive native species genus Exserohilum are rarely pathogenic (Kathiresan, 2006). I’m sure this won’t to extinction through simple food in humans. Only three species have kill you. competition, by using available food been shown to parasitize humans: E. Acknowledgements rostratum, E. longirostratum and E. resources more efficiently, or by mating This article has been adapted with macginnisii (Saint-Jean et al., 2007). The with native species to which they are permission from a blog post published most common type of infections are closely related (hybridization). Invasive by the author on SciLogs.com. Many sinusitis and skin infections, although “alien” species are now considered one of thanks go to Sarah Verhaeghen, Rachel a few cases of cerebral abscesses, the top drivers for global biodiversity loss. Engstrand and Donald H. Pfister for their keratitis, osteomyelitis, prosthetic Now, our fungus of interest, E. valuable comments. valve endocarditis and disseminated rostratum, has recently been References Cited demonstrated to work as a biocontrol infection have been described. In agent against one such invasive weed— 2007 a child undergoing treatment for Drechsler, C.F. 1923. Some red sprangletop (Yamaguchi et al., acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) graminicolous species of 2009). Red sprangletop, Leptochloa was infected by E. rostratum, causing Helminthosporium. Journal of Agricultural chinensi (Linnaeus) Nees, is a grassy cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis. The Research 24: 641-740. weed originating from tropical Asia. It is infection was due to contaminated Kathiresan, K.R. 2006. Effect of Global distributed throughout Southeast Asia, intravenous dressings. In total, only ten Warming on invasion of alien plants in from East Asia to South Africa, Burma, cases of primary cutaneous skin infections Asia. NIAES Symposium, Japan. Sri Lanka, India, Australia, and Japan, due to Exserohilum have been described Leonard, K.J. 1976. Synonymy of where it is an alien species. The weed in the English literature. The problems Exserohilum halodes with E. rostratum, has adapted to moist, swampy places in with these reports are the incomplete data and induction of the ascigerous state, open habitats and is a huge seed producer on follow-up and the lack of discussion Setosphaeria rostrata. Mycologia 68(2): (with more than 40,000 seeds per plant). of the potential use of newer antifungal 402-411. Winter 2012 • Volume 5:5 • FUNGI 13 Saint-Jean, M., G. St-Germain, C. Lafarrière, and B. Tapiero. 2007. Hospital- acquired phaeohyphomycosis due to Exserohilum rostratum in a child with leukemia. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology 18(3): 200-202. Yamaguchi, K., K. Nagai, and E. Matsumoto. 2009. Conidia production of Exserohilum rostratum, a biocontrol agent against red sprangletop (Leptochlora chinensis), by a two-phase system