矢口 貴志

Genotypes of Candida spp. isolated from exhalation of 20 dolphins, 11 water samples from captive pools, and 24 oral cavities of staff members in an aquarium using a combination of multiple drug resistance 1 gene (MDR1) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 5.8s-ITS 2 regions of ribosomal RNA gene (ITS rDNA) sequences were studied. The holding ratios of the dolphins, captive pools, and staff members were 70, 90, and 29, respectively. Isolated pathogenic yeast species common to the dolphins and environments were Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. Identical genotypes in both Candida spp. based on the combination of MDR1 and ITS rDNA were found in some dolphins, between a dolphin and a staff, among dolphins and environments, and among environments. The results indicated the diffusion and exchange of pathogenic yeasts at the aquarium among dolphins and environments. The isolates at the aquarium showed higher rates of resistance to azole antifungals compared to reference isolates. Copyright © 2010 Hideo Takahashi et al.

Two fungal pathogens of the mantis shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria) in Yamaguchi and Aichi Prefectures, Japan are described as the new species Plectosporium oratosquillae and Acremonium sp. (a member of the Emericellopsis marine clade). Both fungi infect the gills of the mantis shrimp, which become brown or black due to melanization. The former species is characterized by its slow growth on artificial seawater yeast extract peptone glucose (PYGS) agar, pale yellow to pale orange or grayish yellow colonies, short cylindrical solitary phialides with a wavy tip, and one-celled ellipsoidal conidia. Although lacking the two-celled conidia demonstrated by the type species Plectosporium tabacinum, the taxonomic placement of the new species was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA and ITS2). Acremonium sp., the other causal pathogen, differs from P. oratosquillae by its fast growth on PYGS agar, pale orange to salmon-colored colonies, long, slender conidiophores consisting of solitary phialides with tips lacking an undulate outline, and typically cylindrical conidia. Analysis of ITS and beta-tubulin gene sequences placed this fungus within the phylogenetically distinct Emericellopsis (anam. Acremonium) marine clade. Various physiological characteristics of both pathogens were also investigated. This is the first report of a fungal infection found on the mantis shrimp in Japan.

In a screen searching for new bioactive agents, a new indoloditerpene, penijanthine A (1), was isolated from Penicillium janthinellum IFM 55557. The structure of 1 was established on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical investigation, as well as detailed comparison with the spectroscopic and physico-chemical data of paxilline (2), which was isolated along with 1.

In the course of searching for new antifungal agents, a new cyclic depsipeptide, eujavanicin A (1), wits isolated from Eupenicillium javanicum as an antifungal agent against the human pathogenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The structure of 1 was established by spectroscopic and chemical investigations. The absolute stereochemistry was elucidated by Marfey's method and by chiral HPLC analysis.

The clinical isolates are traditionally classified based on morphology, but in recent years a polyphasic taxonomy that combines morphological, physiologic and molecular phylogenetic analyses is used to characterize them. Numerous common pathogenic species, traditionally considered homogeneous, are indeed polyphyletic. Classifications of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus and relatives based on molecular phylogenetic analyses have been developed. The strains of C. albicans group are divided into 5 genotypes by PCR method. The strains of Cr. neoformans are divided into 3 varieties (var. grubii, var. neoformans, var. gattii) and into 5 serotypes. The strains of A.fumigatus and relative are divided into 5 clades based on DNA sequence analysis.

Pseudallescheria boydii is a ubiquitous filamentous fungus. We report a case of cutaneous P. boydii infection of the left knee in a 79-year-old Japanese man who was receiving oral predonisolone (25 mg/day) for radiation pneumonitis after radiation therapy on left breast cancer. He presented with a 2-week-history of a lesion on the left knee. A biopsy specimen from the skin lesion revealed granulomatous inflammation with hyphae. Culture of the pus from the skin specimen confirmed the diagnosis of cutaneous P. boydii infection. rDNA ITS sequence was analyzed to confirm the mycological diagnosis. The patient was treated orally with 200 mg/day of itraconazole. The lesion was gradually cured and left a hypertrophic scar. Cutaneous injury may be responsible for an incidence of localized infection. Such rare fungus infection in immunocompromised patients who have a persistent traumatic skin ulcer needs to be ruled out. An opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients can be life-threatening and prompt treatment based on accurate diagnosis is important.

Three novel histamine H3 receptor (H3R) ligands, PF1270A (1), PF1270B (2) and PF1270C (3) were isolated from the culture broth of the fungal strain PF1270. The strain was identified as Penicillium waksmanii on the basis of morphological characteristics. These compounds were obtained from the culture broth by solvent extraction and chromatographic purification. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallographic analysis. They possess pentacyclic spiroindolinone skeletons. 1, 2 and 3 displayed high affinity for the rat H3R (Ki=0.058, 0.17 and 0.19 mu M, respectively) and human H3R (Ki=0.047, 0.12 and 0.22 mu M, respectively). Moreover, 1, 2 and 3 acted as potent agonists with the EC50 values of 0.12, 0.15 and 0.20 mu M, respectively.

Three new decalin derivatives, eujavanicols A-C (1-3), were isolated from an extract of Eupenicillium javanicum IFM 54704. Their structures were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods.

Four strains of Ochroconis gallopava from 3 out of 15 Japanese hot springs were isolated. Colonies of the hot spring isolates were uniformly floccose and dark olive green on the surface and dark brown on their reverse side on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, however, they became felty, flat, and brownish-black, and produced a reddish-brown pigment after several times of subculture at room temperature. Shapes and sizes of conidia of the four strains were individual, while the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences showed 99.7% identity in the GenBank database. The DNA pattern of the hot spring isolates amplified by species specific loop mediated isothermal amplification method were as the same pattern as that of a clinical isolate. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of antifungal agents to O. gallopava isolated from the hot springs were ranged from 0.5 to 1 mu g/ml in amphotericin B, 1 to 16 mu g/ml in flucytosine, 0.125 to 0.25 mu g/ml in itraconazole, 1 to 4 mu g/ml in miconazole, 16 to 64 mu g/ml in flconazole and 0.03 to 0.5 mu g/ml in micafungin. The isolates had fatal outcome in experimentally infected mice intravenously with severe invasiveness to brains and kidneys. These findings suggested that O. gallopava habitats in hot springs could be one of sources for infection.

A phylogenetic study based on sequence analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1, 5.8S and ITS2 region was performed in 33 strains morphologically identified as Fonsecaea pedrosoi from clinical specimens and living environments, preserved at the Research Center for Pathogenic Fungi and Microbial Toxicoses, Chiba University. The strains of Fonsecaea were divided into two major clades: Group A, representing F. pedrosoi sensu de Hoog et al.; and Group B, representing F. monophora. We identified new lineages: Group B was further clustered into three subgroups, B-1, B-2 and B-3, which were phylogenetically distinct from each other. The subgroups B-1, B-2 and B-3 are thought to be mainly predominant in Africa and Central and South America, Japan and China, and Europe and North America, respectively. Thus, polymorphism in Group B is rather considered to be caused by its geographic parameter. We demonstrate for the first time that all clinical isolates from Japan are monophyletic, belonging to a new lineage of F. monophora.

Multiple recent studies have demonstrated the limited utility of morphological methods used singly for species identification of clinically relevant aspergilli. It is being increasingly recognised that comparative sequence based methods used in conjunction with traditional phenotype based methods can offer better resolution of species within this genus. Recognising the growing role of molecular methods in species recognition, the recently convened international working group meeting entitled "Aspergillus Systematics in the Genomic Era" has proposed several recommendations that will be useful in such endeavors. Specific recommendations of this working group include the use of the ITS regions for inter section level identification and the P-tubulin locus for identification of individual species within the various Aspergillus sections.

A phylogenetic study based on sequence analysis of the β-tubulin, hydrophobin and calmodulin genes was performed in 19 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus and related species isolated from clinical specimens in Japan. Correlations between detailed morphology and phylogeny were examined. Species in the section Fumigati were divided into five clades: clade I, typical strains of A. fumigatus clade II, species including A. lentulus and A. fumisynnematus clade III, species including A. fumigatiaffinis and A. novofumigatus, clade IV, atypical strains of A. fumigatus including A. viridinutans and clade V, species including A. brevipes, A. duricaulis and A. unilateralis. Most of the examined strains from clinical specimens in Japan clustered together in clade I and exhibit globose conidia with lobatereticulate ornamentation. Other strains from clinical specimens were divided into two clades (clades II and IV). The strains in clades II and the six strains in clade IV exhibit conidia with microtuberculate ornamentation, while A. viridinutans-complex in clades IV and the strains in clade V have conidia with lobate-reticulate ornamentation. The six strains are clearly distinguished from A. viridinutans-complex and are considered to be related to Neosartorya udagawae. The maximal growth temperatures of clades I, II, IV and V were above 50°C, 45°C, 42°C and 42°C, respectively. These data are useful for classification of species within the Aspergillus section Fumigati.

Silver has long been known to have an antimicrobial activity against bacteria and other microorganisms, and has been used as eating utensils, as dental fillings and so on. We developed a novel adduct, GX-95, of silver with nanometer-scale particles to peptidic hydrolysates from collagen. Antifungal activity of the adduct against pathogenic yeasts and filamentous fungi was examined in terms of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). GX-95 was found to possess strong and broad antifungal activities against all fungi examined in the following MICs: 0.25 to 0.31 μg/ml for Candida albicans including resistant strains to fluconazole, itraconazole and flucytosine, 0.05 to 0.2 μg/ml for Cryptococcus neoformans strains, 0.025 to 0.4 μg/ml for Aspergillus fumigatus strains, 0.4 μg/ml for Trichophyton rubrum, and 0.05 μg/ml for Cladophialophora carrionii.

In Japan during 1996-2004, 21 actinomycete strains that have madurose as the diagnostic cell-wall sugar and show true branching in their substrate and aerial mycelia were isolated from sputa or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with pulmonary infections or who were suspected of having related infections. Chemotaxonomic studies showed that all the isolates belong to the genus Actinomadura. Among them, six and seven strains were classified respectively into clusters of Actinomadura nitritigenes and Actinomadura cremea based on 16S rDNA analyses because their 16S rDNA similarities to those respective species were greater than 99.5%. To our knowledge, this is first report that strains of above two species were isolated from clinical specimens. Neither Actinomadura madurae nor Actinomadura pelletieri strain was isolated, and one new species, Actinomadura chibensis, was proposed; the remaining seven strains were not assigned into any known species, suggesting the presence of another new Actinomadura species.

Two new dioxomorpholine derivatives, javanicunine A (1) and B (2) were isolated from the extract of Eupenicillium javanicum IFM 54704. These structures were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods.

We present a practical case in which the fungi have contributed to the estimation of postmortem interval of the cadaver. A 71-year-old man wearing a shirt and pants was found dead at the bottom of an open well about 6 m below the ground in his garden. Externally the face was dotted with colonies of white fungi, which was devoid of dipteran larvae and other insects. The fungi were identified as Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus terrous. These fungi, widely inhabit in the life circumstances, can generally colonize 3-7 days after attaching on the subjects. The appearance of the body surface, the state of decomposition of various organs, police information describing that the man had last been seen 12 days before discovery and the fungal evidence indicated that the man had been dead for about 10 days. We suggest that fungi can provide an useful means of estimating the minimum interval since death when forensic entomology is not applicable. Although, no data about growth rates of the fungi on human cadavers have been available, further researches should be needed to clarify the successive colonization of fungi on human cadavers. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

We report the first case of subcutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by the genus Cephalotheca, which has not been reported to cause human infection. A 67-year-old immunocompetent farmer presented with a 10-year history of verrucous erythematous plaques on the right foot dorsum, great toe, heel and sole. Histopathology of the lesions revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation with numerous nonpigmented fungal spores in the dermis. Cultures of biopsy specimens on Sabouraud's dextrose agar for 2 weeks developed into yellowish brown, velvety colonies that subsequently turned black after 8 weeks because of the production of black cleistothecia indicating the teleomorph. On the basis of mycological features, scanning electron microscopic morphology and molecular analysis data, a new species of Cephalotheca was identified and designated Cephalotheca foveolata. Because there was no response to the antifungal agents administered, the patient was successfully treated by surgical excision with skin graft.

We examined and identified fungi flora found growing on two human cadavers. The main isolate colonized on the surfaces of the skin and bones was morphologically identified as Eurotium repens. The genus Eurotium usually inhabits soil and exhibits osmophilic properties. Because the cadavers contained abundant organic materials, Eurotium species formed ascomata and conidia. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe in detail the species of fungus obtained from human cadavers. Because the detection of some species of fungus found in human cadavers may reveal the local habits of them, more forensic cases is needed to develop fungi into the forensic tool. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The causative agent isolated from a Korean patient with subcutaneous fungal infection is described as Cephalotheca foveolata, a new species of Cephalotheca, Cephalothecaceae, Ascomycota. It is characterized by globose cleistothecia, covered with yellow to brown hairs, cephalothecoid peridium, prototunicate asci, broadly reniform and foveolate ascospores, and a Phialemonium-like anamorph. Based on the analysis of sequences of the D1/D2 region of 28S rDNA, the fungus is phylogenetically a member of Cephalotheca. This is a new record of the genus from a patient with a human mycosis.

近年の分子生物学的解析の進歩は生物種の系統分類体系を大きく変貌させてきた．古典的な分類・同定は，形態学的あるいは生理学的な手法により行われてきたが，分子生物学的手法を用いることで DNA の塩基配列の相違などから，形態学的，生理学的にはほとんど同一にみえる生物種であってもさらにサブグループに分類することが可能となった．臨床の場面においては感染症の原因菌について，同定はもちろん感染経路などを探索する場合に，このサブグループの情報が非常に有効であることが知られている．本研究では，病原性酵母 Candida albicans について 2 種類の指標（25S genotype と ALTS）を用いて検討した．<BR>方法：千葉大学真菌医学研究センター保存の C. albicans 1110 株について McCullough 等¹⁾ の方法（25S genotype）による A，B，C のタイプ分けと Chibana 等²⁾ の方法を一部改良した ALTS によるタイプ分けの後，分離源情報とを合わせ検討した．<BR>結果：分離源情報の内，分離国と分離源が明確な株についての比較により以下の点が明らかになった．日本，ブラジル，タイの 3 カ国の比較ではタイにおいて特徴的なタイプの分布割合を示した．分離源においては，AIDS 患者の血液等の内臓由来の菌株で genotype B が高くなっていることが判明した．<BR>1)：McCullough MJ et al.: J Clin Microbiol 37: 417-421, 1999.<BR>2)：Chibana H et al.: J Bacteriol 176: 3851-3858, 1994.

Two new penicillide derivatives, secopenicilides A (3) and B (4), were isolated along with penicillide (1) and purpactin A (2), and altenusin (5) and dehydroaltenusin (6), the antifungal substances of this fungus, from the extract of Penicillium simplicissimum IFM 53375. The absolute structures of 3 and 4 were determined by spectroscopic investigation and chemical correlation to penicillide (1). The absolute configuration of purpactin A (2) was determined by the chemical method.

Three new coupling compounds derived from citrinin (9) and 2,3,4-trimethyl-5,7-dihydroxy2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (8) - penicitrinone A (1), penicitrinol A (2) and penicitrinone B (3) - and a new citrinin derivative - decarboxydihydrocitrinin (4) - were isolated along with 3-methoxy-1-methyl-4(1H)-quinolone (5), quinolactacin A2 (6), dihydrocitrinone (7), 2,3,4-trimethyl-5,7-dihydroxy-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (8), citrinin (9), quinocitrinin A or B (10), and decarboxydihydrocitrinone (11) from the extract of Penicillium citrinum IFM 53298. The relative structures of compounds 1-4 were confirmed on the basis of spectroscopic investigations and chemical correlations. Citrinin (9) and quinolactacin A2 (6) both showed antifungal activity.

Four new vermistatin derivatives, dihydrovermistatin (1), acetoxy-dihydrovermistatin (2), hydroxydihydrovermistatin (3), and penisimplicissin (4) were isolated along with vermistatin (5), penicillide, and funicone from the extract of Penicillium simplicissimum IFM 53375. The structures of 1 - 4 were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.

In the course of our rsearch for new antifungal agents, two new meroterpenoids, penisimplicin A (1) and B (2), were isolated from Penicillium simplicissimum. The absolute structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectroscopic and chemical investigation. Penisimplicin A (1) and B (2) are rare examples of D-ring seco-meroterpenoids. Since compounds 1 and 2 showed no antifungal activities, the isolation of the compounds with antifungal activity will be attempted.

Talaromyces eburneus, previously unregarded as a heat resistant fungus, is redescribed on new isolate from a spoilage outbreak that involved a pasteurized pineapple juice in Japan. Based on examination of the new isolate, type studies, and the D1/D2 region of 28S rDNA sequence analysis, we conclude that Geosmithia argillacea is assigned to the teleomorphic species T eburneus as an anamorph. Heat resistant fungus identification such as this finding is important in the study of food spoilage.

Two new decalin derivatives, eujavanoic acids A (1) and B (2), were isolated from Eupenicillium javanicum, along with several compactin derivatives. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by spectroscopic methods and modified Mosher's method. The side chain (2-methylbutanoyloxy) and acid functionalities of compactin derivatives were necessary to show the antifungal activity.

The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor bears sites of action for insecticides. To discover GABA receptor-directed insecticides in natural products, fungal culture extracts were screened for their ability to inhibit specific binding of the radiolabeled noncompetitive antagonist [(3)H]1 -(4-ethynylphenyl)-4-n-propyl-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane to housefly head membranes. The screening efforts led to the isolation of two alkaloids from Aspergillus terreus: PF1198A(alantrypinone) and PR1198B (seran-trypinone), which had IC(50) values of 0.34 and 2.1 muM, respectively, in this assay. These compounds were ca. 47-61-fold selective for housefly vs rat GABA receptors. Both compounds showed insecticidal activity against Myzus persicae in the range of 100-500 ppm. Binding assay-guided screening should provide significant opportunities for the identification of novel and selective insecticides.

深在性真菌症に対する新規抗真菌剤の開発の一環として，土壌由来の分離菌102 株を，病原性糸状菌2 種および病原性酵母2 種に対する抗真菌試験を指標に探索を行い，37 菌株のエキスに何らかの抗真菌活性が認められた．そこで，日和見感染症の一つであるアスペルギルス症などの原因菌であるアスペルギルス・フミガタスに対して特異的に抗真菌活性を示したタラロマイセス・フラブス IFM52668 株に着目し，その成分検索を行った．その結果，フニコン（1），ベルミスタチン（3）およびエメリン（4）とともに新規化合物9，14- エポキシ-11-デオキシフニコン（2） を単離することができた．化合物2 は各種スペクトル，特にNMR スペクトルの解析から，その平面構造を決定した．また化合物1，3 および4 についても各種スペクトルの解析から，その構造を決定した．これらの化合物の抗真菌テストの結果，主成分であるフニコン（1）が弱いながら抗アスペルギルス・フミガタス活性を示したことより，タラロマイセス・フラブス IFM52668 株の抗真菌活性本体はフニコン（1）であることが明らかとなった．

For the purpose of discovering GABA receptor-directed insecticides in natural products, fungal culture extracts were screened for their ability to inhibit the specific binding of the noncompetitive antagonist [H-3]EBOB to housefly head membranes. The screening efforts led to the isolation of a derivative of dihydroisocoumarin (PF1223) from the culture of Neosartorya quadricincta. This compound at 2.2 muM inhibited [H-3]EBOB binding by 65%. This ligand might prove to be a lead compound for the identification of novel insecticides acting at the insect GABA receptor. (C) Pesticide Science Society of Japan.

New extracellular endoglucanases, designated RCE1 and RCE2, produced by Rhizopus oryzae isolated from the soil, were purified to apparent homogeneity from the culture supernatant. The molecular mass of RCE1 and that of RCE2 were found to be 41 kDa and 61 kDa, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of RCE1 and RCE2 showed high homology with those of the family I cellulose-binding domains. Internal amino acid sequences of RCE1 and RCE2 showed homology with that of the catalytic domain of EGV from Humicola insolens belonging to family 45 endoglucanase. The cellooligosaccharide hydrolysis patterns of RCE1 and RCE2 were similar to that of EGV from H. insolens. These results indicate that RCE1 and RCE2 are family 45 endoglucanases having a cellulose binding domain at their N-terminus. RCE1 and RCE2 hydrolyzed carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), insoluble cellooligosaccharide (G33), cellohexaose, and cellopenpaose, but not Avicel, xylan, galactan, arabinan, mannan, or laminarin. The CMCase activity of both enzymes was inhibited by Cu2+, Zn2+, Co2+, and Pb2+. The optimum pH for the CMCase activity of both enzymes was found to be between pH value 5.0 and 6.0, and the optimum temperature was 55°C, the lowest among the family 45 endoglucanases. These results indicate that RCE1 and RCE2 represent a new type of endoglucanases having the lowest optimum temperature among the family 45 endoglucanases. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

The dichloromethane extract of Talaromyces convolutus cultivated on barley exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans. In the course of a search for the active compounds, four new tetramic acid derivatives, talaroconvolutins A (1), B (2), C (3), and D (4), were isolated along with ZG-1494 alpha (5), and mitorubrin derivatives. The structures of talaroconvolutins A-D (1-4) were established on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical investigations and chemical correlations. The antifungal activity of the talaroconvolutins against the pathogenic fungi Aspergillus fumigates, Aspergillus niger, C. albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans was determined.

Two novel antifungal antibiotics, PF1163A and B, were isolated from the fermentation broth of Penicillium sp. They were purified from the solid cultures of rice media using ethyl acetate extraction, silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. PF1163A and B showed potent growth inhibitory activity against pathogenic fungal strain Candida albicans but did not show cytotoxic activity against mammalian cells. These compounds inhibited the er,ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida albicans.

A new species of Neosartorya, N. sublevispora (anam. Aspergillus sublevisporus), is described and photographed. The species is characterized by non-ostiolate ascomata covered loosely with a pale yellowish hyphal envelope, lenticular ascospores with two low equatorial crests, and subglobose to ellipsoidal, microtuberculate conidia. The ornamentation of ascospores, which is composed of two closely appressed crests and small even-sized echines on their convex surfaces, particularly serves to distinguish this species from other recognized species. A revised key to all accepted species of the genus is provided.

Two groups, producers of (+)- and (-)-mitorubrin derivatives, coexist in the series Lutei of the genus Talaromyces. The optical rotations of mitorubrins From T. emodensis, T. hachijoensis, and T. wortmannii var, sublevisporus, which produced mitorubrinol acetate (5), were all positive, whereas those from T. austrocalifornicus and T. convolutus, which produced mitorubrinal (3) and mitorubrinic acid (4), were all negative.

A new species of Talaromyces, characterized by development of unusual deep green ascomata on common media, is described and given the name Talaromyces euchlorocarpius. This species, isolated from soil, also produces ellipsoidal, spinose ascospores, typically biverticillate penicilli, large ellipsoidal, smooth-walled conidia, and is assigned to the series Lutei of the section Talaromyces.

Roumegueriella rufula (Ascomycota Hypocreales) isolated from a soil sample collected in Taiwan is described as a new record from East Asia. Some observations are recorded, particularly on cultural characteristics of a Gliocladium anamorph of this fungus, which has scarcely been reported since Bainier described both ascosporic and conidial forms as species of Gliocladium.

Three new nonsteroidal progesterone receptor ligands, PF1092A, B and C, have been isolated from Penicillium oblatum. They were purified from the solid cultures of rice media using ethyl acetate extraction, silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies, and crystallization. All three ligands competitively inhibited [3H]-progesterone binding to porcine uteri cytosol preparations with IC50 of 3.0 x 10 nM (PF1092A), 2.2 x 102 nM (PF1092B) and 2.2 x 103 nM (PF1092C).

Two striking fungi, isolated from soils from the island of Hachijo-jima in Japan, are described and illustrated. One of these represents e new species of Talaromyces (Ascomycetes), for which the name Talaromyces hachijoensis is proposed. The new species is distinctive among all other recognized species in its restricted growth on common media, yellow ascomata characterized by asci developing in chains, striate ascospores, and the absence of an anamorph. The other is Heterocephalum taiense, a rare hyphomycete which has only previously been recorded from Ivory Coast soil and probably from Panama soil.

Lasiobolidium gracile isolated from a soil sample collected from California, USA is described as a new species. This species is characterized by yellowish brown to reddish brown, nonostiolate ascomata with numerous, long straight appendages and a translucent peridium, subglobose to broadly clavate asci, hyaline to pale yellowish brown, ellipsoidal ascospores. It differs from the other species of Lasiobolidium in the straight and narrow appendages and the large ascospores. A key is presented separating the seven known species.