| Species/Subspecies:
|
Penicillium verrucosum subsp. verrucosum |
| Categories:
|
Toxic for animals; toxic for humans; spoilage organism |
| Etymology:
|
Genus name: paint brush.
Species epithet: scaly/warty.
Subspecies epithet: see Species epithet. |
| Significance: | [Very important]
|
| Geographic distribution:
|
Occurs in temperate and colder climates in e.g. northern Europe, North America and southern South America. |
| Taxonomy:
|
| Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
| Ascomycota | Eurotiomycetes | Eurotiales | Trichocomaceae | Penicillium |
|
|---|
| | |
Macromorphology (smell):
| Slow-growing. It may take a week for a colony to grow about 20 mm in diameter. The mycelium is white and the conidia are gray-green to dull green.
Has a pungent earthy odour. |
Micromorphology:
 | The conidia have smooth walls and a diameter of 2.5-3.0 μm. The conidia have first an ellipsoidal shape, which later changes to globular. |
| Reproduction: | |
| Spec. Char.:
| Psychrophilic. Optimal temperature for germination is 21-23°C. |
| Disease/effect:
| |
| Virulence Factors:
| The organism produces ochratoxin A (OTA), which is a very poisonous mycotoxin, and citrine. Ochratoxin A is probably both carcinogenic and neurotoxic. |
| Genome Sequence:
|
|
| 18S rRNA Seq:
|
| ACC-No GenBank | Strain/Isolate | Number of NT |
| JN938976 | DAOM 221128 | 1075 |
|
| ITS regions:
|
| ACC-No GenBank | Strain/Isolate | Number of NT | Genes |
| NR_119495 | FRR 965TM | 609 | 18S rRNA, ITS 1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS 2, 28S rRNA |
|
| Taxonomy/phylogeny:
|
Six variants (or subspecies) of P. verrucosum has been described: album, corymbiferum, cyclopium, melanochlorum, ochraceum and verrucosum. These varieties differ in their different colony colours. |
| Comment: | If grain is stored improperly, this mold can grow and produce OTA. OTA is not produced at a humidity below 18% and temperatures above 28°C. |
| Reference(s):
| No. 4, 37 |
| Updated: | 2022-06-22 |