Purpureocillium lilacinum, long known as Paecilomyces lilacinus, is a common soil mould whose colonies turn lilac to purplish as they sporulate. It can live on dead organic matter or attack insects, other fungi and, especially, nematode eggs, and it is widely studied for biological control of root-knot and cyst nematodes on crops. It is also an occasional human pathogen, mostly in people with weakened immunity, indwelling devices or lens implants, so cultures should be handled with care.
Not edible; a microscopic mould. It can cause opportunistic human infections (hyalohyphomycosis, including eye infections), so avoid inhaling spores or handling cultures without basic lab hygiene.
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Habitat
Cultivated and uncultivated soils, forests, grassland, deserts, estuarine sediments and sewage sludge; frequent in the rhizosphere of many crops; found in nematode eggs and occasionally in females of root-knot and cyst nematodes, and on insects. Some isolates grow from 8 to 38 C, optimum 26-30 C.
Distribution
Widespread in soils; isolated from many countries (the first record of it parasitizing nematode eggs was from Peru). A detailed range is not given in the sources consulted.
Characteristics
Colonies on malt agar 5-7 cm in 14 days at 25 C, white at first, becoming vinaceous as they sporulate; reverse usually vinaceous. Hyphae smooth, hyaline, 2.5-4 µm wide. Conidiophores 400-600 µm long from submerged hyphae (about half that from aerial hyphae). Phialides swollen at the base, tapering to a thin distinct neck. Conidia in divergent chains, ellipsoid to fusiform, smooth to slightly rough. No chlamydospores. Infects nematode eggs by attaching with appressoria and penetrating the eggshell, aided by proteases and chitinase.
