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Penicillium citrinum
Penicillium citrinum is an anamorph, mesophilic fungus species of the genus of Penicillium. Because of its mesophilic character, Penicillium citrinum is a commonly occurring filamentous fungus with world-wide distribution and probably one of the most commonly occurring eukaryotic life forms on Earth. It is also an endophyte .The first statin (Mevastatin) was 1970 isolated from this species.

Growth and morphology
Penicillium citrinum colonies' growth on Czapek Yeast Extract Agar medium (CYA) appear radially sulcate (narrow deep furrows or radial grooves) with 25-30 mm in diameter. Marginal areas velutinous,sometimes floccose centrally. Mycelium has white periphery with central greyish-turquoise to greyish orange. Exudates secrete at the surface of the colony appear clear, pale yellow or pale brown to reddish brown.

Colonies on Malt Extract Agar medium (MEA) grow to approx. 14-18 mm diameter, 22 mm in rare cases. Mature colonies appear plane or radially sulcate, white to greyish orange in color. Grey blue Condia at the margins and dull green elsewhere. Colony reverse shows pale brown to deep yellow brown color.

Colonies grow on 25% Glycerol Nitrate Agar medium (G25N) display a size of 13-18mm in diameter, radially sulcate, velutinous or floccose centrally ; Mycelium in white with dull green conidia ; Colony reverse shows dull brown, yellow brown or olive in color. No germination at 5°C. Growth limited to 8-10 mm diameter with wrinkled white mycelium at 37°C.

Rapid growth observed on PDA media, with granular powdery colony, dark green color and pale yellow color on the back side of colony ; Moderate growth on Czapek Dox media, greenish organ color in granular form, yellow orange color on the back side of colony

Physiology
Penicillium citrinum is a mesophilic species with minimum growth temperature at 5°C or slightly above, maximum at 37°C, optimal at 26-30°C. At 25°C, the minimum aw required for growth has been reported to be 0.80-0.84 .Also it grows over the pH range 2 - 10.

Penicillium citrinum produces tanzawaic acid A-D, ACC , Quinocitrinine A, Quinocitrinine B and endoglucanase and exoglucanase , specific purposes unclear.

While enhancement of cholinergic neurotransmission have considered as one potential therapeutic approach against Alzheimer's disease, one treatment strategy is acetylcholine retention in the cholinergic synapses by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Interestingly, Penicillium citrinum was discovered to secrete acetylcholinesterase inhibitors quinolactacins A1 & A2. Specific physiological purposes of this was undocumented, but it provided insights into future clinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Penicillium citrinum consistently produce citrinin. It was found that the swarming motility of Paenibacillus polymyxa strain E681 was greatly induced by citrinin produced by Penicillium citrinum KCTC6549 in a dose-dependent manner. It revealed new properties of citrinin to induce bacterial motility by transcroptional activation of related genes as a unique example of bacterial-fungal interaction in nature.

A new strain of Penicillium citrinum was found in coastal sand dunes as one of the 15 isolated endophytic fungi from the roots of Ixeris repenes. The fungi isolate IR-3-3 provided maximum plants growth when applied to waito-c rice and Atriplex gmelinii seedlings which is later identified to be a new strain of Penicillium citrinum (named as Penicillium citrinum KACC43900) through phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequence. Analysis of the culture filtrate displayed presence of physiologically active gibberellins which are plant survival and growth-promoting metabolites indicates the endophytic properties of this new strain of Penicillium citrinum. While the presence of Penicillium species in coastal sand dunes is limited, this new strain seems to help in conservation and revegetation of the rapidly eroding sand dune flora.

Habitat and ecology
Penicillium citrinum has been isolated from nearly every kind of food which has been surveyed for fungi ''. Penicillium citrinum'' is commonly found on moldy citrus fruits and can be isolated from soil, (tropical) cereals, spices and indoor environments. Penicillium citrinum has also been reported for its presence on nuts, blackgram in India, amaranth seeds in Argentina, cinnamon and soy sauce, in fermented and cured meats, cocoa pulp, young coconuts, soybeans, wine grapes and dried vine fruits, curd and cheese, bottled mineral water, as well as coffee beans, dried beans and peppercorns.

In Southeast Asia, Penicillium cirtrinum was isolated from maize, peanuts, copra soybeans, sorghum and cashews. It is very widespread in Indonesian food commodities, such as dried fish, sorghum, peanuts and kemiri nuts, pepper, coriander, maize and mung beans. But interestingly, the citrinin levels were never significant to cause any pathological effects.

Toxicity
Penicillium citrinum is the main producer of mycotoxin citrinin of moderate toxicity. Citrinin is a significant renal toxin to monogastric domestic animals, including pigs, and dogs. Domestic birds are also susceptible to citrinin which leads to watery diarrhoea, increased food consumption and reduced weight gain due to kidney degeneration in chickens, ducklings and turkeys. Citrinin also has been reported to cause teratogenic effects in rats. An impact of citrinin on human T cells was recently illustrated, however, the overall effect of citrinin on humans remain unclear. This Penicillium species also causes mortality for the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus.

Penicillium citrinum has been reported in fungal keratitis (eye), lung infections (pneumonia), a single case of a urinary tract infection (UTI) and one of pericarditis. Their contribution to the disease process may be secondary an additional underlying illness. Immunocompromised individuals have greater risks of getting infected.