Wallemia sebi

Wallemia sebi
Wallemia sebi colonies
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Wallemiomycetes
Order: Wallemiales
Family: Wallemiaceae
Genus: Wallemia
Species:
W. sebi
Binomial name
Wallemia sebi
(Fr.) Arx (1970)
Synonyms[1]
  • Torula epizoa Corda (1829)
  • Sporendonema sebi Fr. (1832)
  • Hemispora stellata Vuill. (1906)
  • Sporendonema epizoum (Corda) Cif. & Redaelli (1934)

Wallemia sebi is a xerophilic fungus of the phylum Basidiomycota.[2]

It is commonly found on highly sugared or salted materials, such as jams, bread, cakes, sugar, bacon, salted meats, and salted fish.[3] It is also found in indoor air, house dust, and soil.[2]

One distinctive feature of W. sebi is its relationship with water activity. Most fungi are profoundly affected by the availability of water. The ability to tolerate environments with low water activity has been found mostly in Ascomycota, but rarely in Basidiomycota.[4] However, W. sebi. can adjust its morphology and physiology to adapt to different environmental conditions and survive osmotic stress.[4] Wallemia sebi have lower limits for growth below water activity of 0.75 (0.69-0.75)aw,[5] while most microorganisms are limited to 0.95 and above.[6]

Wallemia sebi has been isolated from hair, hay, textiles and man.[7] It can grow slowly without additional solute in the growth medium, and form small, reddish-brown, powdery colonies.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Index Fungorum: Wallemia sebi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Zalar2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Moore1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Padamsee2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arora1991 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Garry1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference onions1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).