Aspergillus niger
On Czapek dox agar, colonies consist of a compact white or yellow basal felt covered by a dense layer of dark-brown to black conidial heads. Conidial heads are large (up to 3 mm x 15-20 um in diameter), globose, dark brown, becoming radiate and tending to split into several loose columns with age. Conidiophores are smooth-walled, hyaline or turning dark towards the vesicle. Conidial heads are biseriate with the phialides borne on brown, often septate metulae. Conidia are globose to subglobose (3.5-5.0 um in diameter), dark brown to black and rough-walled. RG-1 organism.
Culture of Aspergillus niger.
Conidial head of A. niger.
Note: conidial heads are biseriate, large, globose, dark brown,
becoming radiate with the phialides borne on metulae.
MIC data is limited. Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.
| Antifungal | MIC ug/mL | Antifungal | MIC ug/mL |
||
Range |
MIC90 |
Range |
MIC90 |
||
| Itraconazole | 0.03->8 |
0.5 |
Amphotericin B | 0.125-2 |
2 |
| Voriconazole | 0.03-4 |
0.25 |
Anidulafungin | 0.03 |
nd |
| Posaconazole | 0.03-1 |
0.25 |
Caspofungin | 0.015-0.25 |
nd |
Clinical significance:
Aspergillus niger is one of the most common and easily identifiable species of the genus Aspergillus, with its white to yellow mat later bearing black conidia. This is the third most common species associated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. It is also often a causative agent of aspergilloma and is the most frequently encountered agent of otomycosis. A. niger may also be a common laboratory contaminant.
Mycosis: Aspergillosis
Further reading:
De Hoog G.S. and J Guarro. 1995. Atlas of clinical fungi. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn and Delft, The Netherlands.
Kwon-Chung, K.J. and J.E. Bennett. 1992. Medical Mycology. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia and London.
