Mucor sp. |
Zygomycete. | |
| Distribution | Where Found | Mode of Dissemination |
| Ubiquitous; cosmopolitan. Approx. 50 species. |
Organic matter, dung, soil. /span> | Rain splash except for M. plumbeus, which is commonly dry and disseminated by wind. |
| Allergen | Potential Opportunist or Pathogen | Potential Toxin Production |
| Minor. Type I allergies (hay fever, asthma). Type III hypersensitivity pneumonitis. |
Rare infections in severely debilitated patients. | Not known. Old cultures produce a substance which inhibits further growth and promotes autolysis of the culture. |
| Growth Indoors | Industrial Uses | Other Comments |
| Found on a variety of substrates, including leftover food, soft fruits, and juices. Aw=0.90-0.94 (minimum for various species). |
Mucor produces proteolytic enzymes used in cheese production. | None. |
| Characteristics: Growth/Culture | Notes on Spore Trap Recognition | Notes on Tape Lift Recognition |
| Grows well on general fungal media, and frequently fills the petri dish. Mucor species may overgrow and inhibit other fungi present. | Round colorless spores, variable in size, sometimes angular. Very difficult to identify in any definitive way, and most probably called “other colorless.” Some species of the related genus Rhizopus do have distinctive angular spores with striations. Counts of “Zygomycetes” on spore trap reports are most probably these particular Rhizopus species. | The presence of a zygomycete is easily noted on tape lifts, although identification to genus may be more difficult. Recognition depends on the condition of the sporulating structures of the particular zygomycete present. |
