MORPHOLOGICAL, KERATIN COLONIZING AND DEGRADING CHARACTERS OF SOME KERATINOPHILIC FUNGI AND RELATED DERMATOPHYTES ISOLATED FROM KEOLADEO NATIONAL-PARK, BHARATPUR

Morphological keratin colonizing and degrading characters of some kera tinophilic fungi and related dermatophytes have been studied. Coloniza tion of different substrates by fungi did not show any correlation wit h their morphological characters. However, it was possible to distingu ish isolates on the morphological and biochemical basis as fungi with rhexolytically dehiscing conidia displayed similar enzyme-specificity in degrading chicken feathers while, Gymnoascus subumbrinus with schiz olytically dehiscing conidia could not degrade it.