Discovery of Two Chrysosporium Species with Keratinolytic Activity from Field Soil in Korea

In an ongoing survey of Korean indigenous fungi, two fungal strains (KNU16-74 and KNU16-99) belonging to the genus Chrysosporium were isolated from field soil in Gyeongnam, Korea. Morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis using sequence of the internal transcribed spacer regions were carried out to confirm its precise identification. These strains were identified as Chrysosporium indicum (KNU16-74) and Chrysosporium fluviale (KNU16-99). To examine the keratin degradation efficiency of these two fungal species, human hair strands were incubated with fungus culture. Results revealed that these two fungal species have the ability to degrade keratin substrate. This is the first report of these two species in Korea.