Incidence of Myco-keratinophiles in Cold Arid Soil at High Altitude Khardung Village of Ladakh, India

摘要

Soil samples collected aseptically from Khardung, a village of Nubra valley, which is 14,738 feet above sea level, were examined for the prevalence of myco-keratinophiles by keratin-bait technique. The soil samples were found to be cent percent positive for this unique group. A total of 29 myco-keratinophilic species belonging to 13 genera, viz, Acremonium bacillisporum (16.7%), A. implicatum (33.3%), Aspergillus flavus (50.0%), A. parasiticus (16.7%), A. sydowii (33.3%), A. ustus (25.0%), A. wentii (16.7%), Beauveria bassiana (50.0%), Chrysosporium inops (16.7%), C. merdarium (41.7%), C. queenslandicum (41.7%), Chrysosporium anamorph of Gymnoascus demonbreunii (16.7%), Cladosporium cladosporioides (25.0%), Embellisia chlamydospora (16.7%), Emericella variecolor (25.0%), Epicoccum nigrum (8.3%), Fusarium oxysporum (33.3%), F. semitectum (25.0%), F. sporotrichioides (33.3%), F. trichothecioides (8.3%), F. moniliforme var. subglutinans (16.7%), Gliocladium catenulatum (16.7%), G. roseum (33.3%), Paecilomyces lilacinus (41.7%), P. marquandii (33.3%), P. variotii (33.3%), Penicillium brevicompactum (25.0%), P. griseofulvum (16.7%) and Sagenomella alba (16.7%) were isolated. The fungi encountered have been discussed in relation to their global distribution and potential pathogenic behavior.