Identification of Mucorales isolates from soil using morphological and molecular methods.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Soil is the main habitat of saprophytic and pathogenic fungi. Mucoromycotina constitutes a large group of soil fungi, with certain opportunistic members causing systemic infections in immunocompromised hosts. The majority of human and animal infections are caused by the members of the genera , , , (, and . Accordingly, in the present study, we aimed to isolate and identify the main genera of the order Mucorales, using molecular assays and morphological features

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 340 soil samples were collected from seven public parks throughout the city and sidewalk gardens in 14 municipal districts in Isfahan, Iran. All the samples were cultured on the appropriate media, incubated at 27°C for 2- 4 days, and examined daily for visible fungal growth. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was applied and macroscopic, microscopic, and physiological characteristics were assessed to identify fungal colonies.

RESULTS

400 pure colonies, belonging to the orders Mucorales and Mortierellales, including the genera , and were identified The genus (35.5%) was the most frequent isolate, followed by (32.25%) and (27.5%).

CONCLUSION

The results emphasize the importance of opportunistic fungi in public areas and indicate the risk of exposure for immunocompromised individuals.