INTRODUCTION

Airborne environments harbor a diverse array of biological aerosols, including bacteria, fungi, pollen, and tissues [1]. Fungal spores, particularly in outdoor and indoor air, constitute a significant focus of research in the field of aerobiology [2]. Previous studies focus on the sources and dispersal patterns of airborne fungi, temporal variations in fungal species concentrations, and their relationships with other sources. The composition of fungal communities in the air varies considerably across continents and oceans [3]. In Korea, a nationwide study identified Cladosporium as the most abundant airborne fungus, followed by Alternaria and Irpex [4].

Penicillium fungi are ubiquitous, with species found in diverse environments, including indoor and outdoor air, soil, marine habitats, and foods [5]. Among the 483 currently documented species, Penicillium is a broad genus classified into 2 subgenera and 32 sections by Houbraken et al. [6]. The systematics of Penicillium species were determined through the analysis of morphological characteristics, such as colony features, and the number and shape of conidiophore branches. Molecular phylogeny relied on DNA regions, primarily the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (RPB2) [7].

In Korea, numerous species of Penicillium have been documented over the years, and a comprehensive list was compiled by Kim et al. [8]. Recently, 15 previously unrecorded species were identified [912]. However, the number of reported Penicillium species in Korea remains lower than the global count. Considering the industrial significance of Penicillium species, particularly in antibiotic and food production, as well as their potential pathogenicity to crops and mycotoxin production [13], ongoing studies on Penicillium species in Korea are crucial.

In this study, we report the occurrence of P. mexicanum, which has not previously been reported in Korea. We isolated this strain from air samples and conducted morphological identification in conjunction with phylogenetic analyses utilizing the ITS, BenA, and CaM regions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION