Fungi have the ability to grow over a widerange of temperature conditions. Fungi, andmicroorganisms generally, have been classified as psychrophiles, mesophiles, thermotolerantand true thermophiles.
A thermophilic fungusis defined as one which has minimum growth at20 ◦C or above and a maximum growth at 50 ◦C orabove. Optima for thermophilic fungi thus occur inthe range 40–50 ◦C. Figure 6.2 shows the optimal,maximum and minimum temperature range forsome thermotolerant and thermophilic fungi.
While there are well-known examples of bacteriawhich are able to grow in a variety of naturalenvironments including hot springs and geyserswhere temperatures can reach 100 ◦C, eukaryotesare much more sensitive because, at temperatures above 65 ◦C, their membranes becomeirreparably damaged.
However, many mesophilicthermotolerant fungi do exist; for example, somedeuteromycetes isolated from thermal springshave maximum growth temperature of 61.5 ◦C (Tansey and Brock 1973). One must, however,distinguish between the ability to actively growas a thermophile at such high temperatures andsurvival.
Source: (2007). Fungi in Extreme Environments. In: Kubicek, C., Druzhinina, I. (eds) Environmental and Microbial Relationships. The Mycota, vol 4. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71840-6_6
