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Ulocladium chartarum is a species of fungi.

History and taxonomy
Ulocladium chartarum was discovered in 1848 as Alternaria chartarum, later it was renamed by E.G Simmons in 1967 as U.chartarum

U. chartarum is a common mold in indoor environments and can form on paper under the right conditions. Members of the genus Ulocladium are often found in water-damaged materials together with species of Stachybotrys. (Frisvad and Gravesen 1994, Gravesen et al.1997) Ulocladium is a good indicator of wet environments and is an indication of water damage. This genus is morphologically similar to Alternaria and shares the same major allergen. This genus seems to be isolated in the same places as S. chartarum although with more frequency, as it is able to grow under the same humidities as Alternaria. According to the literature,almost no secondary metabolites have been isolated from it,where as all four isolates inoculated on materials grew well, but did not produce any metabolic quantities of secondary metabolites, which in accordance with the literature,few metabolites from this genus have been described.Also analyses from natural samples with excessive growth have not revealed any metabolites in the polarity range.

Growth and morphology
In U.chartarum a telemorph is not known. Colonies are velvety to floccose, rapidly growing, olivaceous brown to black. Conidia are obovoid to short ellipsoidal, golden brown to blackish brown, roughened with 1-5 oblique or longitudinal septa and 1-5 lateral septa, born singly or in short chains from sympodial conidiophores. Colonies grow rapidly, powdery to lanose, black or olivaceous black. (Microscopically) Conidiophores erect, straight or flexuose, often somewhat geniculate, mostly unbranched, upto 50x4-5 µm, golden brown, smooth-walled, conidial scars brown. Conidia are commonly in chains of 2-10, ellipsoidal or obovoidal, often with short peeks, medium brown to olivaceous, finally black, verrucose, 18-38x11-20 µm, with 1-5 (commonly 3) transfers and several oblique or longitudinal septa. Also seen secondary conidiophores present on conidia. Conidiophores septate, simple or branched, straight, flexuos, often geniculate with 1-8 pores up to 40-50 x 5-7 µm, golden brown, smooth walled. Conidia solitary or in chains of 2-10, obovoid to short ellipsoidal, 18-38 x 11-20 µm, with 1-5 (commonly 3) transfers and 1-5 longitudinal or oblique septa, medium brown to olivaceous, smooth walled or verrucose, base conical at first (becoming round with age),apex broadly rounded before “false beak” production. NOTE: “false beak” each beak is in form and function a conidiophore forming secondary conidia and is therefore distinct from the gradually tapering true beaks of Alternaria. Good sporulation can be obtained by growing cultures on potato-carrots or hay-infusion agar under near UV (black) light. Incubation temperature alone can alter size, color and shape of spores in U.chartarum. U. chartarum is heterocaryotic and that over different but overlapping temperature ranges spore morphogenesis is directed by different nuclei.

Physiology
Cellulase activities of U.chartarum were found to be influenced by the mode of incubation as well as by the age of the fungal culture. During the life cycle of U.chartarum the mycelium undergoes a highly regulated process of programmed cell death In stressed conditions the colony elaborates a new strategy to survive for a short time developing submerged mycelium and for a long time sporulating microcolonies on the surface of the substrate. By spreading the spores this species is able to survive, and preserve to extend throughout evolution.

Habitat and ecology
Reported habitat of U.chartarum is from Canada, Europe (Great Britain), India, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa. Isolated from soil, dung, emulsion paint, grasses, wood, paper, fibers and emulsion paints. U.chartarum is well known to be involved in bio deterioration of organic and inorganic substrates covered with organic deposits and expected to be a possible contaminant in Spaceships U.chartarum is able to grow under spaceflight conditions developing, as a response, a complex colony morphotype Necrosis of leaves of Quercus pubescens caused by the fungus U.chartarum has also been reported. This fungus causes leaf spots both under natural conditions and following artificial inoculation of unwounded attached leaves.

Medical significance
A cutaneous mycoses caused by U.chartarum in a heart transplant recipient has also been reported. The infection cleared after complete surgical excision and 6 months of oral itraconazole therapy. In vitro,activity of amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, ravuconazole and terbinafine against the clinical isolate is shown. The low production of the metabolites indicates, however, Ulocladium is not a major toxicological problem. This should be confirmed by testing it in vitro and in vitro pulmonary toxicity and its related inflammatory potentials. Also noticed U.chartarum and other fungal species could find a favourable environment to grow invasively unnoticed in the depth of surfaces containing very small amount of substrate, posing a risk factor for biodegradation of structural components, as well as a direct threat for crew health in space ships. Also,Cutaneous granulomas due to the mold fungus U.chartarum has been reported,nevertheless this fungus is usually harmless for mammalian. (Preuss)