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Conidia of Penicillium rubens formed at low water activities can attract more water

Karel A van Laarhoven1,2, Loes H M Peeters1, Mirjam Bekker1

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Microbiologyopen
|September 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Fungal spores formed in drier conditions have higher dry weight and attract more water, aiding early colonization. This is due to increased compatible solutes like glycerol.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Mycology
  • Fungal physiology

Background:

  • Indoor fungal growth is a significant concern.
  • Understanding fungal response to moisture is crucial for controlling colonization.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated the impact of conidiation water activity on subsequent fungal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how past moisture conditions during spore formation (conidiation) influence the water sorption and growth of Penicillium rubens conidia.
  • To quantify the water sorption of conidia across a range of water activities at conidiation.
  • To correlate conidial pretreatment water activity with subsequent mycelial growth rates.

Main Methods:

  • Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) was used to measure water sorption of conidia.
  • Conidia of Penicillium rubens were formed at controlled water activities (0.86–0.99).
  • Hyphal growth rates were measured on agar and gypsum substrates using pretreated conidia.

Main Results:

  • Conidia formed at lower water activities exhibited higher dry weight and increased water attraction from humid air.
  • No significant effect of conidiation water activity on mycelial growth rates was observed on either agar or gypsum.
  • Enhanced water sorption is attributed to higher concentrations of compatible solutes, particularly glycerol, in conidia formed at lower water activities.

Conclusions:

  • Conidia formed under drier conditions possess higher dry weight and enhanced water sorption capabilities.
  • Increased compatible solute content (e.g., glycerol) in conidia is responsible for their improved water uptake.
  • Enhanced water sorption may be a key survival mechanism for fungi during the initial stages of colonization in low-moisture environments.
Keywords:
compatible solutesconidiaglycerolmoisture sorption isothermpenicillium rubenswater activity stress

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