Phaeococcomyces Species

Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Fungi Imperfecti
Class: Blastomycetes
Family: Phaeococcomycetaceae
Genus: Phaeococcomyces

Phaeococcomyces is a dematiaceous yeast that inhabits the soil and the plant material. The taxonomic position and the nomenclature for the Phaeococcomyces species appear variable in the literature. Due to a problem of nomenclature, the genus Phaeococcomyces has been established as a replacement for Phaeococcus. On the other hand, nutritional physiological data suggest that Phaeococcomyces exophialae is a yeast-like synanamorph of Exophiala spinifera [530, 531, 961].

The two widely accepted species of Phaeococcomyces are Phaeococcomyces exophialae and Phaeococcomyces catenatus. See the list of obsolete names and synonyms for Phaeococcomyces spp.

Based on a MedLine search, no infections due to Phaeococcomyces have so far been reported.

The colonies of Phaeococcomyces grow slowly. They are slimy, yeast-like to wrinkled, and black in color.

Yeast cells produce unicellular, globose to ellipsoidal conidia that are hyaline to dark brown or black. Pseudohyphae may be present. Hyphae are absent.

No special precautions other than general laboratory precautions are required.

No data are available.

Phaeococcomyces spp.

PubMed

GenBank

References

530. de Hoog, G. S., A. H. Gerritis van den Ende, J. M. Uijthof, and W. A. Untereiner. 1995. Nutritional physiology of type isolates of currently accepted species of Exophiala and Phaeococcomyces. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 68:43-49.

531. de Hoog, G. S., J. Guarro, J. Gene, and M. J. Figueras. 2000. Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd ed, vol. 1. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

961. Haase, G., L. Sonntag, Y. van de Peer, J. M. Uijthof, A. Podbielski, and B. Melzer-Krick. 1995. Phylogenetic analysis of ten black yeast species using nuclear small subunit rRNA gene sequences. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 68:19-33.

1496. McGinnis, M. R., W. A. Schell, and J. Carson. 1985. Phaeoannellomyces and the Phaeococcomycetaceae, new dematiaceous blastomycete taxa. Sabouraudia. 23:179-188.