{"id":27461,"date":"2022-04-05T21:53:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T16:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/?p=27461"},"modified":"2022-05-04T02:47:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T21:02:15","slug":"rhizopus-spp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhizopus spp- An Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Rhizopus spp<\/em> are saprophytic fungi found on plants and it is parasitic on animals.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They are multicellular fungi, with about 8 species.<\/li>\n<li>They are responsible for causing an opportunistic infection known as invasive mucormycosis in humans and animals.<\/li>\n<li>Some species are used for industrial importance such as <em>Rhizopus stolonifer<\/em> which caused bread mold.<\/li>\n<li>Rhizopus infections may also be a complication of ketoacidosis.<\/li>\n<li>Phylogenic characterization of <em>Rhizopus<\/em> categorizes eight species <em> Rhizopus schipperae, Rhizopus delemar, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizopus caespitosus, Rhizopus arrhizus <\/em>(Rhizopus oryzae), <em>Rhizopus reflexus, Rhizopus homothallicus, <\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Rhizopus stolonifer.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Medically important groups are <em>Rhizopus oryzae<\/em> and <em>Rhizopus microsporus.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28051\" src=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhizopus-spp.jpg\" alt=\"Rhizopus spp\" width=\"800\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhizopus-spp.jpg 800w, https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhizopus-spp-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhizopus-spp-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Image Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brainkart.com\/article\/Rhizopus---Fungi_32856\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BrainKart<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/faculty.ccbcmd.edu\/courses\/bio141\/labmanua\/lab10\/sdarhizopus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Gary E. Kaiser<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#habitat-of-rhizopus-spp\" title=\"Habitat of Rhizopus spp\">Habitat of Rhizopus spp<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#morphological-and-cultural-characteristics-of-rhizopus-spp\" title=\"Morphological and Cultural Characteristics of Rhizopus spp\">Morphological and Cultural Characteristics of Rhizopus spp<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#pathogenesis-of-rhizopus-spp\" title=\"Pathogenesis of Rhizopus spp\">Pathogenesis of Rhizopus spp<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#pathogenesis-in-human-and-animal-host-murcomycosiszygomycosis\" title=\"Pathogenesis in human and animal host: Murcomycosis\/Zygomycosis\">Pathogenesis in human and animal host: Murcomycosis\/Zygomycosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#clinical-manifestation-of-mucormycosiszygomycosis\" title=\"Clinical manifestation of mucormycosis\/zygomycosis\u00a0\">Clinical manifestation of mucormycosis\/zygomycosis\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#laboratory-diagnosis-of-mucormycosis-rhizopus-spp\" title=\"Laboratory Diagnosis of Mucormycosis (Rhizopus spp)\">Laboratory Diagnosis of Mucormycosis (Rhizopus spp)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#cultural-examination\" title=\"Cultural Examination\">Cultural Examination<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#histological-examination\" title=\"Histological examination\">Histological examination<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#molecular-diagnosis\" title=\"Molecular Diagnosis\">Molecular Diagnosis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#differential-diagnosis\" title=\"Differential diagnosis\">Differential diagnosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#treatment-of-mucormycosis\" title=\"Treatment of Mucormycosis\">Treatment of Mucormycosis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#selected-species-of-rhizopus-and-industrial-uses\" title=\"Selected species of Rhizopus and industrial uses\">Selected species of Rhizopus and industrial uses<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#rhizopus-microsporus-var-oligosporus\" title=\"Rhizopus microsporus var oligosporus\">Rhizopus microsporus var oligosporus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#rhizopus-oryzae-or-rhizopus-arrhizus\" title=\"Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus arrhizus\">Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus arrhizus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#rhizopus-stononifer\" title=\"Rhizopus stononifer\">Rhizopus stononifer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/#references-and-sources\" title=\"References and sources\">References and sources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"habitat-of-rhizopus-spp\"><\/span><strong>Habitat of <em>Rhizopus <\/em>spp<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>This species is a cosmopolitan group of fungi.<\/li>\n<li>It is found on a wide variety of surfaces, on organic substances like soil, decaying fruits, grown fruits and vegetables, jellies, tobacco, peanuts, leather, bread, and syrups.<\/li>\n<li>They are also found in animal feces<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"thumb tright\">\n<div class=\"thumbinner\">\n<h2 class=\"thumbcaption\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"morphological-and-cultural-characteristics-of-rhizopus-spp\"><\/span><strong>Morphological and Cultural Characteristics of <em>Rhizopus <\/em>spp<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Rhizopus<\/i> species grow as filamentous, with branching hyphae which are coenocytic (multinucleated).<\/li>\n<li>The branched hyphae are of three types: stolons, pigmented rhizoids, and unbranched sporangiophores.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28047\" src=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Macroscopic-and-microscopic-morphology-of-Rhizopus-microsporus.jpg\" alt=\"Macroscopic and microscopic morphology of Rhizopus microsporus\" width=\"640\" height=\"887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Macroscopic-and-microscopic-morphology-of-Rhizopus-microsporus.jpg 640w, https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Macroscopic-and-microscopic-morphology-of-Rhizopus-microsporus-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Figure: Macroscopic and microscopic morphology of\u00a0<i>Rhizopus microsporus<\/i>\u00a0CBS 700.68.\u00a0<b>A:<\/b>\u00a0Colony on MEA after 2\u00a0days incubation at 30\u00a0\u00b0C;\u00a0<b>B:<\/b>\u00a0Zygospores with unequal suspensors; B<sub>1<\/sub>\u2013B<sub>3<\/sub>. Azygospore from CBS 344.29.\u00a0<b>C:<\/b>\u00a0Columella;\u00a0<b>D:<\/b>\u00a0Sporangia;\u00a0<b>E:<\/b>\u00a0Rhizoids;\u00a0<b>F:<\/b>\u00a0Columella with a collar. Scale bar\u2009=\u200910\u00a0\u03bcm. <strong>Image Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s13225-013-0229-6#Fig1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Springer Nature<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They reproduce both sexually and asexually.<\/li>\n<li>Asexual reproduction produces sporangiospores which are formed in a spherical structure known as a sporangium.<\/li>\n<li>The sporangiospores are globose to ovoid, single-celled, hyaline to brown, and striate.<\/li>\n<li>The sporangia are produced in large numbers, which are dark, and are formed on a long stalk conidiophore known as a sporangiophore.<\/li>\n<li>The sporangiophores arise from root-like rhizoids, and they rounded, responsible for producing numerous multinucleated spores.<\/li>\n<li>Sexual reproduction produces dark zygospores formed when two compatible mycelia fuse.<\/li>\n<li>Zygospores germinate forming genetically different offsprings from the parents.<\/li>\n<li>Colonies are fast-growing, covering the surface of the agar.<\/li>\n<li>Rapidly growing colonies fade from white to dark during sporulation.<\/li>\n<li>The colonies have a dense cottony growth or candy flossy or fairly floss in texture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28052\" src=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Life-cycle-of-Rhizopus.jpg\" alt=\"Life cycle of Rhizopus\" width=\"382\" height=\"492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Life-cycle-of-Rhizopus.jpg 382w, https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Life-cycle-of-Rhizopus-233x300.jpg 233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Figure: Life cycle of <em>Rhizopus<\/em>. Image Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brainkart.com\/article\/Rhizopus---Fungi_32856\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BrainKart<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"pathogenesis-of-rhizopus-spp\"><\/span><strong>Pathogenesis of <em>Rhizopus <\/em>spp<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Rhizopus spp<\/em> causes infections in animals, humans, and plants.<\/li>\n<li>Human infection by Rhizopus spp is known as mucormycosis also known as zygomycosis.<\/li>\n<li>Plant diseases are collectively known as rots affecting harvested fruits (strawberries), tomatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, papayas, and stone fruits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"pathogenesis-in-human-and-animal-host-murcomycosiszygomycosis\"><\/span><strong>Pathogenesis in human and animal host: <\/strong><strong>Murcomycosis\/Zygomycosis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The infection is caused by <em>Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus oryzae<\/em> and <i>Rhizopus microsporus.<\/i><\/li>\n<li>The fungus is transmitted into the host via air spore inhalation which deposits in the paranasal sinuses and the lung.<\/li>\n<li>Risk factors include diabetes mellitus,\u00a0 malnutrition, malignancies (lymphomas and leukemias), renal failure, organ transplant, burns, immunosuppressive therapy, cirrhosis, and AIDS.<\/li>\n<li>Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and patients on dialysis who receive treatment with iron chelator deferoxamine are also more susceptible to mucormycosis.<\/li>\n<li>The most common form of mucormycosis is rhinocerebral mucormycosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"clinical-manifestation-of-mucormycosiszygomycosis\"><\/span><strong>Clinical manifestation of mucormycosis\/zygomycosis\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The infection is characterized by the invasion of blood vessels in humans and animals.<\/li>\n<li>The infection then progresses to other body areas including the lungs and the brains.<\/li>\n<li>Generally, these infections are broken down into five presentations: rhinocerebellar, pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and disseminated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"general-discussion\" class=\"rdr-box\">\n<p>Manifestations include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sinus infection (sinusitis)<\/strong> characterized by fever, headaches, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, and sinus pain.\n<ul>\n<li>Dissemination to out part of the sinus characterized by necrosis of the mouth palate, bone and cartilage disintegration causing division of the nostril septum, swelling of the nose area, erythema of the skin and eye socket.<\/li>\n<li>Bluing of the sinus and eye sockets due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis)<\/li>\n<li>Blurred vision and extended necrosis which can damage the facial structure.<\/li>\n<li>Dissemination to brain characterized by lethargy, seizures, slurred speech, partial paralysis, abnormalities of the nerves of the face and eyes (cranial neuropathies), a brain abscess, altered consciousness, and coma.<\/li>\n<li>Paralysis of eye muscles, known as ophthalmoplegia may also occur.<\/li>\n<li>The involvement of the sinus and the brain is known as<strong> rhinocerebral mucormycosis.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pulmonary mucormycosis<\/strong> is a progressive infection of the respiratory system.\n<ul>\n<li>It is associated with the involvement of the respiratory system characterized by fever and an unproductive cough with spitting or hemoptysis, chest pain, and difficulty breathing (dyspnea).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cutaneous mucormycosis<\/strong> is characterized by skin inflammation and hardening involving underlying tissues. Skin redness, with painful swelling, also occurs.\n<ul>\n<li>Ulceration also occurs with blistering and tissue necrosis causing the skin to turn black.<\/li>\n<li>Cutaneous mucormycosis can be severe and fulminant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gastrointestinal infection<\/strong> is uncommon but not rare.\n<ul>\n<li>It is characterized by abdominal pain and vomiting of blood (hematemesis).<\/li>\n<li>Lesions form in the stomach or intestines.<\/li>\n<li>Inflammation of the peritonitis, abdominal lining, and abdominal organs can occur.<\/li>\n<li>Severe bowel pain due to lack of blood flow (bowel infarctions) and hemorrhagic shock.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disseminated mucormycosis<\/strong> occurs in immuno-compromised.\n<ul>\n<li>It is rare but when it occurs, it causes a severe infection that spreads to other body parts affecting the brain, heart, spleen, skin, and other organs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Rarely it affects the kidney, heart chambers, and valves and bones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"laboratory-diagnosis-of-mucormycosis-rhizopus-spp\"><\/span><strong>Laboratory Diagnosis of Mucormycosis (<em>Rhizopus<\/em> spp)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Specimen<\/strong>: Sputum, pus\/tissue biopsies, blood\/serum, transbronchial biopsy, sinuses biopsy, gastrointestinal tissue biopsy, skin biopsy<\/p>\n<p><strong>Microscopic Examination<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>10-20% KOH wet mount to observe nonseptate or sparsely septate broad hyphae, sporangiophores, root-like hyphae (rhizoids), sporangia, sporangiospores.<\/li>\n<li>Observe brown colored unbranched sporangiospores occurring in clusters at the tips of the hyphal tubes.<\/li>\n<li>Singly occurring spores may also be observed which are ovoid-shaped, hyaline to brown colored.<\/li>\n<li>The spores are rounded with flattened bases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28048\" src=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Morphological-characteristics-of-Rhizopus-oryzae.jpg\" alt=\"Morphological characteristics of Rhizopus oryzae\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Morphological-characteristics-of-Rhizopus-oryzae.jpg 640w, https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Morphological-characteristics-of-Rhizopus-oryzae-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Figure:<\/strong> Morphological characteristics of Rhizopus oryzae isolated from orange. <strong>A:<\/strong> Colony on PDA after 7 days of inoculation, <strong>B:<\/strong> Sporangium and sporangiophore, <strong>C:<\/strong> Columellum, <strong>D:<\/strong> Sporangiospores, <strong>E:<\/strong> Rhizoid. <strong>Image Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/koreascience.or.kr\/article\/JAKO201115952332571.page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cultural-examination\"><\/span><strong>Cultural Examination<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/sabouraud-dextrose-agar-sda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA)<\/a> with cycloheximide at 37\u00b0C produces a characteristic dense cottony-fluffy growth with a flossy texture.<\/li>\n<li>Macroscopic observation of the color of the colonies is initially white and turns grey to yellowish-brown as culture matures, Reverse pigmentation is white to pale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"histological-examination\"><\/span><strong>Histological examination<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Using <a href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/hematoxylin-and-eosin-stain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hematoxylin and eosin stain (H&amp;E stain or HE stain)<\/a> to observe for wide, thin-walled, hyaline septate or nonseptate hyphae in tissue samples. The hyphae are also observed to be non-parallel and branched<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"molecular-diagnosis\"><\/span><strong>Molecular Diagnosis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/polymerase-chain-reaction-pcr-principle-steps-applications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PCR<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/next-generation-sequencing-ngs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">genomic sequencing<\/a> for phylogenic identification and differentiation of the <em>Rhizopus<\/em> specific species.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"differential-diagnosis\"><\/span><strong>Differential diagnosis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Differentiating Pulmonary mucormycosis from other fungal infections such as aspergillosis can also assist in the identification of causative agents.<\/li>\n<li>This is done during the physical and symptomatic examination of patients inclusive with laboratory diagnosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"treatment-of-mucormycosis\"><\/span><strong>Treatment of Mucormycosis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Mucormycosis treatment involves combined antifungal treatment along with the surgical procedure of the involved tissues.<\/li>\n<li>Intravenous administration of amphotericin B is the drug of choice.<\/li>\n<li>Posaconazole or isavuconazole can be used as second line of tretament after amphotericin B.<\/li>\n<li>Adjunctive treatment with hyperbaric oxygen is given in combination with primary therapy.<\/li>\n<li>Other antifungal drugs include voriconazole, fluconazole, and flucytosine can be used depending o the causative agent of mucormycosis.<\/li>\n<li>Treatments for underlying conditions are mandatory with close observation of patients for contraindications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"selected-species-of-rhizopus-and-industrial-uses\"><\/span><strong>Selected species of <em>Rhizopus <\/em>and industrial uses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are 8 known species of Rhizopus of which 3 are of industrial and medical importance and they include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Rhizopus microsporus var. oligosporus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Rhizopus oryzae<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Rhizopus stononifer<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"rhizopus-microsporus-var-oligosporus\"><\/span><strong><em>Rhizopus microsporus var oligosporus<\/em><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It is used to produce fumaric acid, lactic acid, and cortisone.<\/li>\n<li>It is used to make fermented soybeans known as tempeh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"rhizopus-oryzae-or-rhizopus-arrhizus\"><\/span><em><strong>Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus arrhizus<\/strong><\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It is used in the production of lactic acid and cortisone.<\/li>\n<li>It is also used for alcoholic fermentation<\/li>\n<li>Its also used for the biosorption of heavy metals which is the passive adsorption of chemical contaminants by organisms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"rhizopus-stononifer\"><\/span><em><strong>Rhizopus stononifer<\/strong><\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It is also known as black bread mold.<\/li>\n<li>It causes fruit rot on strawberry, tomato, and sweet potato (soft rot).<\/li>\n<li>It is used in the commercial production of fumaric acid, lactic acid, and cortisone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"references-and-sources\"><\/span><strong>References and sources<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>https:\/\/mycology.adelaide.edu.au\/descriptions\/zygomycetes\/rhizopus\/<\/li>\n<li>https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Rhizopus<\/li>\n<li>drfungus\/knowledgebase\/rhizopus<\/li>\n<li>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rhizopus<\/li>\n<li>https:\/\/www.uptodate.com\/contents\/mucormycosis-zygomycosis\/print<\/li>\n<li>https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK544364\/<\/li>\n<li>https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/B012227055X011299<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rhizopus spp are saprophytic fungi found on plants and it is parasitic on animals. They are multicellular fungi, with about 8 species. They are responsible for causing an opportunistic infection &#8230; <a title=\"Rhizopus spp- An Overview\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/rhizopus-spp\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Rhizopus spp- An Overview\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":28051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[5352,5354,5353],"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhizopus-spp.jpg","author":{"name":"Faith Mokobi","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8b4f039c6d83a1b8509046a793299d54?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"categories":[{"term_id":210,"name":"Mycology","slug":"mycology","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":210,"taxonomy":"category","description":"<strong>Mycology is a branch of natural science involved in studies related to fungi, their structure, genetic composition, biochemical properties, taxonomy, and their applications.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms that occur as yeasts, molds, or as a combination of both forms. The characteristic features of fungi include the chitinous cell walls, plasma membranes containing ergosterol, 80S rRNA, and microtubules composed of tubulin.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology has become an important area of research in clinical microbiology as of the approximately 70,000 recognized species of fungi, about 300 are known to cause human infections. Some might even have economic importance as plant and animal pathogens.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungal diseases of healthy humans tend to be relatively benign, but the few life-threatening fungal diseases are critical.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology is further separated as phytopathology as many fungi are known to cause plant diseases.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology was traditionally considered a branch of botany even though it has been observed that fungi are evolutionary more closer to animals than plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the years, based on new researches, mycology is now established as a distinct discipline.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi have been a topic of interest due to their role in the environment as decomposers with some fungi being consumed as a source of food and antibiotics.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycological studies led to the discovery of penicillin as the first antibiotic, which led the way for the production of more antibiotics.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many fungi like bacteria might even exist in a symbiotic relationship with other living beings in the form of the normal flora.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the emergence of new fungal species causing diseases in different living beings, the focus of mycology has been shifted towards the systemic classification and identification of fungi based on various techniques.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi are comparatively harder to isolate and identify in laboratories than in bacteria; however, other molecular techniques like gene sequence analysis and PCR have made it possible to identify fungal species accurately.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides, fungi are mostly associated with skin or tissue-related infections. These infections can range from mild to severe depending on the pathogenic nature of the species.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology thus is closely related to other areas like clinical medicine and pathology.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some fungi have found applications in food and beverage industries where fungi like yeasts are used for baking and brewing process.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The industrial application of fungi gives rise to the relationship between mycology and biotechnology.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","parent":0,"count":33,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":210,"category_count":33,"category_description":"<strong>Mycology is a branch of natural science involved in studies related to fungi, their structure, genetic composition, biochemical properties, taxonomy, and their applications.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms that occur as yeasts, molds, or as a combination of both forms. The characteristic features of fungi include the chitinous cell walls, plasma membranes containing ergosterol, 80S rRNA, and microtubules composed of tubulin.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology has become an important area of research in clinical microbiology as of the approximately 70,000 recognized species of fungi, about 300 are known to cause human infections. Some might even have economic importance as plant and animal pathogens.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungal diseases of healthy humans tend to be relatively benign, but the few life-threatening fungal diseases are critical.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology is further separated as phytopathology as many fungi are known to cause plant diseases.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology was traditionally considered a branch of botany even though it has been observed that fungi are evolutionary more closer to animals than plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the years, based on new researches, mycology is now established as a distinct discipline.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi have been a topic of interest due to their role in the environment as decomposers with some fungi being consumed as a source of food and antibiotics.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycological studies led to the discovery of penicillin as the first antibiotic, which led the way for the production of more antibiotics.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many fungi like bacteria might even exist in a symbiotic relationship with other living beings in the form of the normal flora.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the emergence of new fungal species causing diseases in different living beings, the focus of mycology has been shifted towards the systemic classification and identification of fungi based on various techniques.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fungi are comparatively harder to isolate and identify in laboratories than in bacteria; however, other molecular techniques like gene sequence analysis and PCR have made it possible to identify fungal species accurately.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides, fungi are mostly associated with skin or tissue-related infections. These infections can range from mild to severe depending on the pathogenic nature of the species.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mycology thus is closely related to other areas like clinical medicine and pathology.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some fungi have found applications in food and beverage industries where fungi like yeasts are used for baking and brewing process.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The industrial application of fungi gives rise to the relationship between mycology and biotechnology.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","cat_name":"Mycology","category_nicename":"mycology","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}