Arthrobotrys oligospora Research

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This thread is for the purpose of researching Arthrobotrys oligospora's "AO"'s relationship to Morgellons Disease.

We believe this is the MAIN Morgellons pathogen, this thread is for the purpose of determining if this statement is true. With the end goal to be in a scientific abstract format.

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Ok, how'd we get here? Sarothra and a few others were talking about this 'sticky trap' thing and I was looking for those posts to bring over here... Sarothra had created a thread with a theory in it regarding her 'sticky trap' fungus and I posted immediately to tell her that I was about to put out photos and to come look to see if she found any matches? Here is the beginning of her theory thread:

Now We Have Answers We Can Cure It

I started putting out various photos of the Microscopic Photos section and Sarothra interrupted me in the Biofilms thread to say:

Originally Posted by sarothra

The biofilm is the process by which arthrobotrys puts out its sticky trap. At present I cannot locate any pics on the internet which show the actual process in action, but the end result is this:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~gbarron/ZBio...ty/pleuto2.jpg

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My response to her post:

Originally Posted by Kammy

Sarothra -

I'm talking to you over on the "Black Specks" thread... that's why I made categories.

I BELIEVE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED WHAT MORGELLONS IS... if you can come over to THAT thread... and let's talk about it? It is at:

Microscopic Photos of the "Black Specks"

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These photos below shows the relationship between the 'seeds/specks' and the fibers and what they are doing in the creation process.

Cultered on 2/28/09 in nutrient agar, Exp 2, photographed on 3/29/09 - 31 days growth.

This photo below at 450x shows a beginning stage of how the 'seeds/specks/beads' are connector-like in the middle of the fibers.

In a different place in the same petri dish where the growth is a little further along - (at 100x) - Notice how the 'specks/seeds' are now on the side of the fibers as if they are almost ready to fall off? I speculate that they do 'fall off' or leave the fiber to continue this process over and over. ( And, how the red fibers tend to produce red 'specks/seeds', the blue fibers produce blue seeds, yellow - yellow, etc.)

(When I remove the fiber/seed debris from my outside ear, I have often felt as if my ear contains 'beads on a string'... )

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Sarothra and the others understand "AO" better than I do, I haven't researched it yet. So, I thought I'd start with some 'basics' of what it is, what it does, what it looks like in diagrams, the name of the parts... etc.

Then find some of Sarothra's quotes and bring them in here. She's made some very profound statements in regard to what "AO" is doing inside our Morgellons!

And... hopefully she will be around later to post and Kritters also has verified that she believes "AO" is a part of Morgellons, we'd like to hear your comments, Kritts? And... I believe Katinka was involved in some of the initial 'sticky trap' conversations? (I'm going to try to find those quotes too.)

And... whoever else wants to ask questions, that's how we learn!

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A Nematotoxin produced by the Nematophagous Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora Fresenius

"THE nematopagous fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora Fres., captures nematodes by means of adhesive hyphal networks. When a nematode has been snared, the fungus pierces the animal's integument and produces a bulbous structure from which trophic hyphæ grow throughout the body of the worm. Drechsler1 attributes the death of the nematode to the partial severance of its body by the infection bulb of the fungus. This view is not shared by Shepherd2, who found that the captured nematode becomes inactive before the infection bulb has completely developed. Duddington3 supports Shepherd's view and suggests that a toxin, capable of paralysing or killing, may be secreted by the adhesive trapping organs and act externally, or that such a substance may be transported internally by way of the fine penetration peg through the nematode cuticle. Soprunov and Galiulina4 claim to have detected a secretion by a hyphal network-forming species which paralyses nematodes."

I will translate in the next post:

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I've created some diagram photos and am waiting to get my FTP software unlock code to put them up on my site shortly.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong:

What we have been calling "fibers" are technically called: adhesive hyphal networks

What we have been calling "black specks/seeds" are technically called: infection bulb

Somehow in this process, the nematodes (I'll get a photo in here)... get trapped in the hyphal network and injected? with a toxin (the biofilm?)...

"Duddington3 supports Shepherd's view and suggests that a toxin, capable of paralysing or killing, may be secreted by the adhesive trapping organs and act externally, or that such a substance may be transported internally by way of the fine penetration peg through the nematode cuticle. Soprunov and Galiulina4 claim to have detected a secretion by a hyphal network-forming species which paralyses nematodes."

From my lesion, I have a powder or liquid emitted that is numbing, appearing very toxic. This secretion they are referring to, I believe, we've been calling the 'biofilm'?

I'm not sure what the "penetration peg" is or the "nematode cuticle"... let's look further.

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Arthrobotrys oligospora: nematophagous fungus

"Arthrobotrys oligospora
Arthrobotrys oligospora FRESENIUS 1850

Form Genus: Arthrobotrys CORDA 1839
Form Subfamily: Hyalodidymae
Form Family: Moniliaceae
Form Order: Moniliales (Hyphomycetes)
Form Class: Deuteromycetes (Fungi imperfecti)
Division: Eumycota

Arthrobotrys oligospora ist the most frequent, most widespread and so far best investigated nematophagous fungus species. The ubiquitary fungus has been isolated from plenty of different substrates, e. g. from compost, decomposing wood and animal excrements.

Concerning its growth behaviour and the form of its adhesive three-dimensional network traps it is similar to Arthrobotrys superba.

The upright Conidiophores bear 20-30 groups of 5-20 two-celled, 16-30 µm long and 8-16 µm broad conidia clearly indented at the sept, whose distal cell is about twice as large as the proximal cell."

Conidia of Arthrobotrys oligospora


Conidiophore of Arthrobotrys oligospora

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Arthrobotrys oligospora: nematophagous fungus

Adhesive three-dimensional network of Arthrobotrys oligospora



Nematode captured in an adhesive three-dimensional
network of Arthrobotrys oligospora


Half-digested nematode in three-dimensional network
of Arthrobotrys oligospora

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In my photos I had captured a couple of nematodes, what I jokingly called "Trophozite Wearing A Necklace"... I found it amusing and had no clue as to WHY a worm would be wearing a 'necklace'... Kritts made a good observation, but... Sarothra explains:

"Morgellons 'Snakes', Worms, and Trophozites"

"Trophozite Wearing Necklace"

Left ear 3/18/09 - shot in petri dish, cultured 3/1/09 100x

This trophozite is next to the "pure" Morgellons, you can begin to see the formation of the 'satellites' in the white hairs of the Morgellons growth.

Originally Posted by sarothra

I still think these fibers are nematodes. They are tapered on both ends, they move and undulate and are drawn to the sticky traps produced by the predatory fungi. There is even a pic I believe taken by yourself of a nematode with necklace. That is a nematode that was captured by the stick trap ring of this fungus. They have been fed a diet of polymers and animal fat, making them appear man-made - their bodies are mostly "plastic".