Home • Paecilomyces niveus CO7 v1.0
Byssochlamys nivea
Byssochlamys nivea. d. Conidiophores; e. conidia; f. ascospores.
from Samson et. al.. Used under a Creative Commons NonCommercial License.

The genome of Paecilomyces niveus was sequenced and assembled by the Hodge lab at Cornell University and annotated using the JGI annotation pipeline. In order to allow comparative analyses with other fungal genomes sequenced by the JGI, a copy of this genome is incorporated into Mycocosm. Please note that this copy of the genome is not maintained by the Hodge lab and is therefore not automatically updated. JGI tools were used to automatically annotate predicted proteins.

Paecilomyces is a genus of unusually tough molds. These hard-to-kill species grow in harsh conditions including on leather, in alcohol, and under low oxygen conditions. Paecilomyces niveus Stolk & Samson (Byssochlamys nivea Westling) is an important food spoilage fungus. Not only does P. niveus produce conidia and chlamydospores, but being homothallic, it readily produces abundant, durable ascospores that can survive temperatures of 90°C. It’s unique ability to survive high temperatures has led to spoilage of thermally processed syrups and canned fruits. In these canned products and environments with as little as 0.5% oxygen, Paecilomyces niveus can grow as a facultative anaerobe. Thermally processed products are uniquely at risk of spoilage by P. niveus, which can cause disintegration of fruit, off-flavors, and it produces secondary metabolites, including patulin. Patulin is one of only a few regulated mycotoxins and is often associated with blue mold rot of apples, caused by Penicillium expansum. Food contamination with P. niveus has been attributed to sanitation issues, however, little is known about the ecology of this organism.

Genome Reference(s)