Motility of a common soil flagellate Cercomonas SP. in the presence of aqueous infusions of fungal spores

Active cultures of the colourless soil flagellate Cercomonas sp. were exposed to aqueous infusions from spores of 11 species of saprophytic soil fungi (4 spp of Aspergillus, 4 spp of Penicillium,Paecilomyces variotti, Rhizomucor pusillus and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis). Aqueous infusions from Aspergillus fumigatus (IMI strain 64212B), A. terreus (IMI strain 45543) and A. versicolor (IMI strain 45554) were the most inhibitory to Cercomonas movement. An intermediate group of fungal infusions (A. fumigatus IMI strain 64212C, A. niger IMI strain 17454, Paecilomyces variotii IMI strain 108007 and Penicillium cyclopium) inhibited Cercomonas sp. movement to a lesser extent. With a third group of fungal infusions (A. fumigatus IMI strains 34444, 34444A and 34444B, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. echinulatum, P. thomii, Rhizomucor pusillus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis) the least inhibition of Cercomonas sp. movement was observed.