[1] Aspergillus penicillioides is typically found in indoor air, house dust, and on substrates with low water activity, such as dried food, papers affected by foxing, and inorganic objects such as binocular lenses.
[2] The distribution of the fungus is worldwide; it has been found in bed dust from maritime temperate, Mediterranean, and tropical climates.
[3] A colony can arise from a single sexual or asexual spore under acidic conditions,[4] and its diameter ranges from less than a milliliter to several centimeters, depending on the size and composition of the substrate.
[6] Helmut Gams et al., renamed the taxa as Aspergillus Section Restricti in agreement with the Botanical Code.
A. penicillioides, A. restrictus, A. proliferans, five Eurotium teleomorphs represented by E. herbariorum and Edyuillia athecia were grouped together.
[9] Strain CBS 116.26 was isolated from sugar cane in Louisiana, and it was sent to Spegazzini and recognized by him to fit description of his species.
[7] ATCC 16905, extype of Aspergillus vitricola, was isolated from binocular lens in Japan by Torao Ohtsuki.
Colonies on Czapek's agar with 20% sucrose can reach length of 1–1.5 cm in 4 weeks at room temperature.
[8] Reverse is uncolored to greenish brown or dark green, with color emphasized at colony center.
Generally, two thirds of the vesicle area is fertile, bearing phialides ranging from 8-11 μm in length.
In laboratory cultures, the performance of fungus-free mites is poor, indicating a requirement of D. pteronyssinus for the fungus.
D. pteronyssinus grew more rapidly when A. penicillioides was supplemented with dietary components, such as yeast and wheat germs, suggesting that the fungus has nutritious value for the mites.
[12] Specifically, A. penicillioides predigests dandruff, destructs fats and keratin, which are the main components of mites' food.
[14] A. penicillioides can also alter the physical nature of substratum, which impedes mites' movement and increases food handling time.
[17] Some mechanisms for discoloration include colored pigments secreted by mycelia, maillard reaction, and enzyme production that causes chemical change in the paper.
[9] Aspergillus penicillioides is a common indoor fungus in damp buildings where it has been associated with allergic rhinitis.
Under high level of exposure to indoor fungus, an association was found between fungal concentration and development of allergic rhinitis.
[19] Despite that this species was originally described from a skin infection,[20] the principle human exposure hazard is likely to be through the inhalation route.
Products of mold growth, such as volatile organic metabolites and spores, may contribute to discomfort such as allergy and asthma.
At 71% relative humidity, such as dry areas in homes, A. penicillioides showed greatest response and form many spores.
[25] Some other prevention strategies are controlling liquid water, managing indoor condensation and selecting materials that minimize mold growth.
[26] Fungal infestation can spoil stored cereals, seeds, fruits, nuts, cocoa beans, and raw sugar.
penicillioides can increase free fatty acid content in the oil and produce bad taste.
[27] In 1955, Clyde Martin Christensen recognized that A. restrictus was able to grow on wheat at very low moisture level.
[30] The lag phase may be due to delay in growth, adverse conditions such as limiting nutrients, and enzyme proliferation specific for pollutants.
[32] When Aspergillus penicillioides was cultivated in a continuous flow reactor to treat a petrochemical effluent, more than 75% of COD and 80% of SCFA were removed.