Fungalpedia – Note 2816, Keratinophyton

 

Keratinophyton. H.S. Randhawa & R.S. Sandhu.

Citation when using this data: Kandemir H et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank

Classification: Onygenaceae, Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi 

Members of Keratinophyton and Aphanoascus share cleistothecia with a pseudoparenchymatic peridium, and they can be found on keratinous substrates and dung (Cano et al. 2002a; Sutton et al. 2013). The two groups are distinguished by their ascospore morphology and differences in the ITS locus (Sutton et al. 2013; Crous et al. 2017). Both genera have been shown to be separate according to ITS sequences in previous studies (Sutton et al. 2013; Crous et al. 2017; Labuda et al. 2021).

In the current study, differences in the LSU locus also confirmed the differentiation of Aphanoascus and Keratinophyton species. The Keratinophyton group includes several species described in Chrysosporium, an ancient genus that has been regarded as having a doubtful identity. Labuda et al. (2021) reclassified the following recently described species in Keratinophyton: C. clavisporum (ex-type culture: G801), C. echinulatum (ex-type culture: CBS 141178), C. evolceanui (ex-type culture: CBS 116.63), C. fluviale (ex-type culture: CBS 100809), C. qinghaiense (ex-type culture: GZUIFR-11), C. hubeiense (ex-type culture: EM66601), C. linfenense (ex-type culture: GZAC-H31), C. minutisporum (ex-type culture: CBS 101577), C. submersum (ex-type culture: CBS 101575), and C. siglerae (ex-type culture: UAMH 6541).

Type species: Keratinophyton terreum H.S. Randhawa & R.S. Sandhu, Sabouraudia 3: 253 (1964).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Aphanoascus.

 

References

Cano J, Sagués M, Barrio E, Vidal P, Castañeda RF, Gené J, Guarro J 2002a – Molecular taxonomy of Aphanoascus and description of two new species from soil. Studies in Mycology 47:153–164.

Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Burgess TI et al 2017 – Fungal Planet description sheets: 558–624. Persoonia 38:240–384 (145). 

Labuda R, Bernreiter A, Hochenauer D, Kubátová A, Kandemir H, Schüller C 2021 – Molecular systematics of Keratinophyton: the inclusion of species formerly referred to Chrysosporium and description of four new species. IMA Fungus 12(1):17. 

Sutton DA, Marín Y, Thompson EH, Wickes BL, Fu J, García D, Swinford A, de Maar T, Guarro J 2013 – Isolation and characterization of a new fungal genus and species, Aphanoascella galapagosensis, from carapace keratitis of a Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra microphyes). Medical Mycology 51(2):113–120. 

 

Entry by

Hazal Kandemir, Center of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Division of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey 

 

Published online 25 June 2026

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