User:MediSyntax/sandbox

Exophiala pisciphila is an endophyte fungus of the ascomycetes and occasional opportunistic pathogen of several known fish species (including the smooth channel catfish from which it was isolated ) and immunocompromised humans. It belongs to a grouping of darkly pigmented fungi known as a dematiaceous fungi and exhibits characteristic darkly coloured cell walls due to melanin pigments. This species reproduces asexually by conidia and yeast-like cells. The conidia of E. pisciphila can arise upon numerous structures along its continually growing hyphae, its annellides, or even from the surface of pre-existing conidia. These microconidia species are characterized as clustering upon formation with a secretion of a mucous-like substance produced by the fungus.

Morphology
As determined by culture studies, a substrate preference for simple sugars produces the best fungal colonization upon media such as potato dextrose agar (PDA) or malt agar (MA) and despite the slow growth, most sugar-based media did facilitate colony development. E. pisciphila forms floccose colonies of olive-black colour with a black reverse. Close examination of structural anatomy of mycelia show role-like bundles of hyphae the extend upward and can suspend within their bundles clusters of single-celled yellow-brown conidia.

Ecology
E. pisciphila is an endophytic species which forms a network association that spans distance enough to form symbiosis with several root systems at once. As an endophyte, E. pisciphila associated tightly with the epidermis and cortex of the plant root in a commensal symbiosis. The high melanin concentration of the DSEs does however allow them to exploit a niche in colonizing root systems in close proximity to sources of heavy metal soil deposits. The species aids its symbiont by shunting the metals away from the plant roots.

Medical relevance
As a pathogen, E. pisciphila appears to be opportunistic in all described cases, thus far limited to several fish species and immunocompromised humans. The few confirmed cases (in addition to a current lack of any species-level identification antigen ) make it a challenge to clinically confirm a case of illness as a consequence of E. pisciphila. It was, in fact, originally discovered when isolated and misidentified as a case of E. salmonis in channel catfish. Cases of Exophiala pisciphila infection in humans constitute any or several of the following symptoms :
 * Chromoblastomycosis
 * Phaeohyphomycosis
 * Mycetoma

Study related to this species of fungus is not limited to the pathogenicity of E. pisciphila infection, preliminary studies have screened and isolated a number of secondary metabolites] that may have biomedical applications. Among these are: exophilic acid and exophilin A, proteins which have demonstrable HIV-1 integrase inhibition and antibiotic activity, respectively. This is in addition to a pair of cytotoxic polyketides of unknown cellular function. Further research will determine the applications, if any, of these biomolecules in disease or drug discovery