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Whole Allergen

m204 Ulocladium chartarum

m204 Ulocladium chartarum Scientific Information

Type:

Whole Allergen

Display Name:

Ulocladium chartarum

Route of Exposure:

Inhalation

Family:

Pleosporaceae

Species:

chartarum

Latin Name:

Ulocladium chartarum

Other Names:

Ulocladium chartarum

Summary

Ulocladium chartarum is a common mold of the Order Pleosporales, mostly found in plant materials, soil and indoor environments. It is a known plant pathogen which may have a role in the sensitization of allergic patients. The particles causing sensitization are spores found in the environment.

Ulocladium spp. may be involved in the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis. This mold may also cause opportunistic disease. Cross reactivity with other molds, especially if taxonomically close, may occur.

Allergen

Nature

Ulocladium chartarum is a common mold, renamed Alternaria chartarum following extensive genotyping (1). Molds of the genus Ulocladium are common saprobes and plant pathogens, able to cause disease in oaks (2). They can also be frequently found in soil (3), indoors (4, 5) and are considered an indicator of water damaged buildings (6). U. chartarum has been isolated from mural paintings, from plant residues within the plaster layer (7). Ulocladium spp., including U. chartarum, were also cultured from a number of water-damaged building materials, of which gypsum appeared to be the most susceptible (8). In a study focusing on environmental conditions of UK homes, 9% of 204 fungal isolates taken from visible mold tested positive for an antibody specific for Ulocladium/Alternaria/Epicoccum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (9).

During in vitro culture, U. chartarum colonies appear dense, with tall hyphae extending from the main mycelium. The colonies are olive-black, with a cottony appearance and regular margins (7). The mold presents black conidia (a type of spore) and hyphae due to their melanin content, with a rough surface, usually in a short chain with septae that can be both longitudinal and transverse (6, 7). The spores of the genus Ulocladium are large and thought to settle more rapidly when airborne when compared to other types of spores (5). Highest fungal spore levels were detected in suburban areas, compared to urban (10). Ulocladium spores contributed to 3.72% of the total catch during a 2-year study and reached a peak during spring, from February to May (11). In another study, the peak spore concentration was in winter, followed by spring (12).

Taxonomy

Taxonomic tree of Alternaria genus (1, 13)

Domain

Eukaryota

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Subphylum

Pezizomycotina

Class

Dothideomycetes

Order

Pleosporales

Family

Pleosporaceae

Genus

Alternaria

Taxonomic tree of Alternaria genus (1, 13)

Tissue

Spores release allergens (4). 

Epidemiology

Worldwide distribution 

There is a distinct lack of specific reports of allergic disease attributed to Ulocladium spp.; however, it is hypothesized its involvement in developing symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis (12). 

Risk factors 

Condensation in the home increased the risk of exposure to Ulocladium spp. (9).

Environmental Characteristics

Worldwide distribution 

Ulocladium spp. can be found in many countries, Romania (7), Argentina (10), and Austria (4).

Route of Exposure

Main

Inhalation (14).

Detection

Main methods

Standard RCS centrifugal air sampler (10) or personal volumetric petri plate sampler (11).

Measures 

Spore levels were between 1.20–107 CFU/m3 (10, 11)

Clinical Relevance

There appear to be limited reports indicating U. chartarum as a specific agent of hypersensitivity reactions and allergic diseases; Ulocladium spp. have low pathogenicity in humans (3). Taking into account the studies characterizing this mold using sera from mold-allergic patients with positive IgE reactivity (4, 12, 15), it is possible that allergic conditions caused by U. chartarum may be underestimated (4).

Allergic rhinitis

Ulocladium spp. may have a role in the sensitization and induction of asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms (12).

Other diseases

U. chartarum caused cutaneous mycosis in an immunocompromised heart transplant patient (3).

Diagnostics Sensitization

The presence of allergen-specific antibodies is usually determined by skin prick tests (SPTs) and serology for IgE (4, 12, 14, 15).

Prevention and Therapy

Allergen immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is currently not recommended for patients allergic to molds, due to complexities of the allergens and patient co-allergies (14).

Prevention strategies 

Avoidance is difficult to achieve (14), due to the range of indoor environment in which Ulocladium spp. can be found (9)

Molecular Aspects

Allergenic molecules

Recombinant versions the antigens Ulo c 1, Ulo c 2 and Ulo c 6 were characterized and shown to be IgE reactive using serum of mold-allergic patients; their reactivity ranged between 40-58% (4).

Cross-reactivity

Cross-reactivity has been demonstrated to other molds. A recombinant version of the U. chartarum antigen Ulo c 1 showed IgE cross-reactivity with Alt a 1 from Alternaria alternata. Furthermore, the IgE from serum of mold-allergic patients recognized more antigens from U. chartarum than A. alternata, and also showed stronger reactivity (4). In a study using extracts of U. chartarum and Ulocladium botrytis, the IgE reactivity did not show significant differences between the two species (15).

Compiled By

Author: RubyDuke Communications

Reviewer: Dr. Christian  Fischer

 

Last reviewed: December  2022

References
  1. Woudenberg JHC, Groenewald JZ, Binder M, Crous PW. Alternaria redefined. Studies in mycology. 2013;75(1):171-212.
  2. Vannini BA, Vettraino AM. Ulocladium chartarum as the causal agent of a leaf necrosis on Quercus pubescens. Forest Pathology. 2000;30(6):297-303.
  3. Durán MT, Del Pozo J, Yebra MT, Crespo MG, Paniagua MJ, Cabezón MA, et al. Cutaneous infection caused by Ulocladium chartarum in a heart transplant recipient: case report and review. Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(3):218-21.
  4. Pfeiffer S, Sandler P, Raith M, Pascal M, Munoz-Cano RM, San Bartolome C, et al. Identification of Ulocladium chartarum as an important indoor allergen source. Allergy. 2021;76(10):3202-6.
  5. Kuhn DM, Ghannoum MA. Indoor mold, toxigenic fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: infectious disease perspective. Clinical microbiology reviews. 2003;16(1):144-72.
  6. Li D-W. Appendix Common Airborne and Indoor Fungi and Their Spores. 2006. p. 243-63.
  7. Gomoiu I, Chatzitheodoridis E, Vadrucci S, Walther I. The effect of spaceflight on growth of Ulocladium chartarum colonies on the international space station. PloS one. 2013;8(4):e62130-e.
  8. Gravesen S, Nielsen PA, Iversen R, Nielsen KF. Microfungal contamination of damp buildings--examples of risk constructions and risk materials. Environ Health Perspect. 1999;107 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):505-8.
  9. Sharpe RA, Cocq KL, Nikolaou V, Osborne NJ, Thornton CR. Identifying risk factors for exposure to culturable allergenic moulds in energy efficient homes by using highly specific monoclonal antibodies. Environ Res. 2016;144(Pt A):32-42.
  10. Basilico Mde L, Chiericatti C, Aringoli EE, Althaus RL, Basilico JC. Influence of environmental factors on airborne fungi in houses of Santa Fe City, Argentina. Sci Total Environ. 2007;376(1-3):143-50.
  11. Kochar S, Ahlawat M, Dahiya P, Chaudhary D. Assessment of allergenicity to fungal allergens of Rohtak city, Haryana, India. Allergy Rhinol (Providence). 2014;5(2):56-65.
  12. Hasnain SM, Al-Frayh AS, Al-Suwaine A, Gad-El-Rab MO, Harfi HA, Al-Sedairy S. Allergenic implication of airborne Ulocladium in Saudi Arabia. Grana. 1995;34(1):70-6.
  13. Uniprot.org. Taxonomy - Alternaria chartarum 2021 [cited 2021 7.12.21]. Available from: https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/119957.
  14. Twaroch TE, Curin M, Valenta R, Swoboda I. Mold allergens in respiratory allergy: from structure to therapy. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2015;7(3):205-20.
  15. Moreno A, Pineda F, Alcover J, Rodríguez D, Palacios R, Martínez-Naves E. Orthologous Allergens and Diagnostic Utility of Major Allergen Alt a 1. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016;8(5):428-37.