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Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1993 Mar;31(3):572–577. doi: 10.1128/jcm.31.3.572-577.1993

The benomyl test as a fundamental diagnostic method for medical mycology.

R C Summerbell 1
PMCID: PMC262822  PMID: 8458952

Abstract

The fungicide benomyl has long been known to differentially affect major taxonomic groups of fungi. In the present study 163 species or aggregates of closely similar species of medically important fungi and actinomycetes, as well as species commonly isolated as clinical contaminants, were tested to determine their reactions to three concentrations of benomyl. Fungi of basidiomycetous, endomycetous, and microascaceous affinities were highly resistant, including all common yeasts and Geotrichum, Pseudallescheria, Scedosporium, and Scopulariopsis species. Also resistant were fungi of pleosporalean affinities with poroconidial anamorphs, such as Alternaria, Bipolaris, Curvularia, and Exserohilum species. Most other fungi of ascomycetous affinity were moderately to strongly susceptible. Such fungi included dermatophytes; Coccidioides, Blastomyces, and Histoplasma species; Sporothrix schenckii; medically important aspergilli; and "black yeasts." Benomyl testing aided in the provisional identification of nonsporulating mycelia, including common basidiomycetous isolates obtained as contaminants as well as nonsporulating Aspergillus fumigatus from pulmonary sources.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Sigler L., Harris J. L., Dixon D. M., Flis A. L., Salkin I. F., Kemna M., Duncan R. A. Microbiology and potential virulence of Sporothrix cyanescens, a fungus rarely isolated from blood and skin. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 May;28(5):1009–1015. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.5.1009-1015.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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