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Zygomycetes

Zygomycetes are usually fast growing fungi characterized by primitive coenocytic (mostly aseptate) hyphae.  Asexual spores include chlamydoconidia, conidia and sporangiospores contained in sporangia borne on simple or branched sporangiophores.  Sexual reproduction is isogamous producing a thick-walled sexual resting spore called a zygospore.
Apophysomyces
BasidiobolusConidiobolus
Cunninghamella
Mortierella
Mucor
Mycocladus (Absidia)
Rhizomucor
Rhizopus
Saksenaea
Syncephalestrum

Identification:
Most isolates are heterothallic i.e. zygospores are absent, therefore identification is based primarily on sporangial morphology.  This includes the arrangement and number of sporangiospores, shape, color, presence or absence of columellae and apophyses, as well as thearrangement of the sporangiophores and the presence or absence of rhizoids.  Growth temperature studies (25,37,45C) can also be helpful.  Tease mounts are best, use a drop of 95% alcohol as a wetting agent to reduce air bubbles.  For specific identification see an appropriate text book.
Laboratory identification of some zygomycetous fungi, especially Apophysomyces elegans and Saksenaeavasiformis may be difficult or delayed because of the mould's failure to sporulate on the primary isolation media or on subsequent subculture onto potato dextrose agar.  Sporulation may be stimulated by the use of nutrient deficient media, like cornmeal-glucose-sucrose-yeast extract agar, Czapek Dox agar, or by using the agar block method described by Ellis and Ajello (1982) and Ellis and Kaminski (1985).Apophysomyces elegans
Colonies are fast growing, white becoming creamy white to buff with age, downy with no reverse pigment, and are composed of broad, sparsely septate (coenocytic) hyphae typical of a zygomycetous fungus. Sporangiophores are unbranched, straight or curved, slightly tapering towards the apex, up to 200 um long, 3-5 um in width near the apophysis, and hyaline when young butdeveloping as the culture ages, a sepia to brown pigmentation and a conspicuous sub-apical thickening 10-16 um below the apophysis with age. Sporangiophores arise at right angles from the aerial hyphae and often have a septate basal segment resembling the "foot cell" commonly seen in Aspergillus.  Rhizoids are thin-walled, sub-hyaline and predominantly unbranched. Sporangia are multispored, small(20-50 in diameter), typically pyriform in shape, hyaline at first, sepia colored when mature, columellate and strongly apophysate. Columellae are hemispherical in shape and the apophyses are distinctively funnel- or bell-shaped. Sporangiospores are smooth-walled, mostly oblong, occasionally subglobose, (3-4 x 5-6 um) and sub-hyaline to sepia in mass. Good growth at 26, 37 and 42C.  RG-2 organism.[pic]
Culture of Apophysomyces elegans
[pic][pic]
Young sporangium (left) and mature sporangium (right) of Apophysomyces elegans showing distinctive funnel-shaped apophyses and a conspicuous pigmented sub-apical thickening below the apophysis.
Apophysomyces elegans is readily distinguishable from other zygomycetes of medical importance, especially the morphologically similar, strongly apophysatepathogen Absidia corymbifera. A. elegans has sporangiophores with distinctive funnel- or bell-shaped apophyses and hemispherical-shaped columellae, a conspicuous pigmented sub-apical thickening which constricts the lumen of the sporangiophore below the apophysis, and distinctive foot cells.
 
MIC data is limited.  Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.

MICdata is limited.  Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.
| |MIC ug/mL | |MIC ug/mL |
|Antifungal | |Antifungal | |
| |Range | |Range...