Survival and growth of Ajellomyces (Blastomyces) dermatitidis on oak leaves coated with saliva.
Yeast-form cells of Ajellomyces dermatitidis transferred to unsterilized and sterilized oak leaves in a humidity chamber failed to grow and produce mycelium. Transfers of these cells to Mycobiotic agar resulted in the growth of A. dermatitidis from all 5 autoclaved and 4 of the 11 unsterilized leaves. Soaking oak leaves with human airways secretions or saliva and inoculating them with yeast-form cells, and pouring sterile H2O on the leaves 10 days to 2 months later, permitted growth on 11 out of 36 leaves. It was concluded that these two natural substances, airways secretions and saliva, inhibited bacteria and furnished nutriment to A. dermatitidis.
D001758:Blastomyces / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014197:Trees