Black yeasts of the genus Exophiala, in particular the species E. dermatitidis, are the dominant fungal inhabitants of sampled dishwashers around the world. Their occurrence in nature is almost unknown. So far they were only rarely isolated from tropical berries and saunas, thus most of the isolates originates from patients. Air was considered as their main dispersal vector, however almost no isolates were obtained. Our reserach showed that the main vector of transfer of these fungi is most probably water, and to a lesser extent water aerosols.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3000911
Adaptive mechanisms of extremophilic fungi to environments, characterized by low water activities, low or high temperatures and fluctuations of pH were presented. One of the four selected model organisms was also the black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2815311
Dishwashers represent an extreme environment due to high temperatures, large pH fluctuations, occasional increased salinities, high or low nutrients and oxidative stress. Such environments prevent growth of mesophilic microorganisms, however they enrich growth of adapted, opportuno pathogenic polyextremophilic microorganisms, such as black yeasts species Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2814799