Improved Microbial Production of Colominic Acid,a Homopolymer of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid

A culture medium has been devised for producing colominic acid in improved yields. Major improvements were obtained by using sorbitol as a source of carbon, by adding phosphate in high concentrations, and by supplementing a limited amount of yeast extract. E. coli O 16: Kl: HNM produced approximately 3000 µg/ml of colominic acid on cultivation at 37°C for 46 hr with a liquid medium consisting of sorbitol (2.0%), (NH₄)₂SO₄ (0.5%), K₂HPO₄ (1.4%), MgSO₄·7H₂O (0.05%), and yeast extract (0.05%).

Isolation and purification by deproteinization with ammonium sulfate, precipitation with ethanol, and by column chromatography on anion exchange resins resulted in a pure colominic acid preparation devoid of internal ester linkages.

In producing colominic acid, strains forming S-type colonies were more active than those forming R-type colonies.     

Community composition of root‐associated fungi in a Quercus‐dominated temperate forest: “codominance” of mycorrhizal and root‐endophytic fungi

In terrestrial ecosystems, plant roots are colonized by various clades of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi. Focused on the root systems of an oak‐dominated temperate forest in Japan, we used 454 pyrosequencing to explore how phylogenetically diverse fungi constitute an ecological community of multiple ecotypes. In total, 345 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of fungi were found from 159 terminal‐root samples from 12 plant species occurring in the forest. Due to the dominance of an oak species (Quercus serrata), diverse ectomycorrhizal clades such as Russula, Lactarius, Cortinarius, Tomentella, Amanita, Boletus, and Cenococcum were observed. Unexpectedly, the root‐associated fungal community was dominated by root‐endophytic ascomycetes in Helotiales, Chaetothyriales, and Rhytismatales. Overall, 55.3% of root samples were colonized by both the commonly observed ascomycetes and ectomycorrhizal fungi; 75.0% of the root samples of the dominant Q. serrata were so cocolonized. Overall, this study revealed that root‐associated fungal communities of oak‐dominated temperate forests were dominated not only by ectomycorrhizal fungi but also by diverse root endophytes and that potential ecological interactions between the two ecotypes may be important to understand the complex assembly processes of belowground fungal communities.     

Diversity and plant growth-promoting ability of endophytic fungi from the five flower plant species collected from Yunnan,Southwest China

The diversity and plant growth-promoting ability of endophytic fungi associated with the five flower plant species growing in Yunnan, Southwest China, were investigated. A total of 357 culturable endophytic fungi were isolated from 1000 segments of healthy leaves and stems of the five plant species. Based on the morphological characteristics and the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) analysis, the isolates were identified to 24 taxa, of which Alternaria, Phomopsis, Cladosporium, and Colletotrichum were the dominant genera. The Sorenson's coefficient similarity indices of the endophytic fungi from the five flower plant species ranged from 0.36 to 0.80. It was found that the similarity index between two cultivated flowers (0.8) or the similarity index between two wild flowers (0.71–0.76) was higher than the similarity index between one cultivated flower and one wild flower (0.36–0.48). The Shannon indices (H) of the endophytic fungi from the five plant species ranged from 1.73 to 2.45, and the diversity indices of the wild flowers were higher than those of the cultivated flowers. The plant growth-promoting tests indicated that some isolates could improve the host plants' growth more efficiently when compared with the control (p < 0.05, least significant difference test).     

Fungal response from oat (Avena sativa) plants and surface residue in relation to soil aggregation and organic carbon

Abstract

The influence of soil fungi on soil organic carbon (OC) from surface residue was tested in outdoor plots in southern Ontario, Canada, 2004. Fungal hyphal length, soil aggregation, OC and light and heavy fractions of organic matter were compared with factors of plant growth (with or without oat [Avena sativa]) and surface residue (no residue, oat straw (low C:N) or corn (Zea mays) stalks (high C:N)) in a factorial arrangement. Significant increases were observed in soil OC from the oat plants, and from corn stalks compared to straw residue, in the growing season with very moist, high OC, sandy soil. In treatments with corn stalk residue, fungal hyphal length was increased with interaction from the oat plants and residue and was positively correlated with the heavy fraction organic matter along with soil OC. Fungal hyphae, plant roots and high C:N residue were all factors in soil OC increases.     

Corallomycetella属及以C. jatrophae为模式建立新属Corallonectria(丛赤壳科,肉座菌目)(英文)

对Corallomycetella属的概念进行了阐述,该属包括子实体为红色、在自然和培养条件下产生菌索的丛赤壳类真菌。根据对近期采集的标本的观察和多基因系统树分析的结果,广义的Corallomycetella repens形成2个分支,它们与生物地理因素相关联。狭义的Corallomycetella repens限于来自亚洲的标本,而C.elegans来自非洲和美洲。Corallomycetella属成熟的子囊孢子表面具有纤细条纹,此特征过去曾被忽略,C.jatrophae与广义的Neonectria属关系接近,而与C.repens和C.elegans关系较远;因而建立新属Corallonectria,其子囊壳表面细粉状,无性型为束丝结构并与镰孢菌相似。     

基于比较基因组学方法的丝状子囊菌同源序列分析

为探讨丝状子囊菌基因组的同源保守序列作为标记基因,利用Standalone BLASTN方法将构巢曲霉全基因组基因分别与30种丝状子囊菌基因组比较.构巢曲霉与每个丝状子囊菌基因组之间的同源匹配基因数量似乎可反映子囊菌之间的进化关系,构巢曲霉（10,560个基因）与15种散囊菌纲其他真菌间的匹配基因数量为5,179-7,747个,其中与另外7个同属的种匹配的基因数量为7,434-7,747个,而与亲缘关系较远的2种锤舌菌纲真菌灰葡萄孢和核盘菌的匹配基因数量分别仅有4,318个和4,242个.构巢曲霉的10,560个基因与20余种子囊菌基因组同时匹配的基因数为3,509个,占33.2％,构巢曲霉基因与30种子囊菌共同匹配的基因仅924个.此外,E值大小在10-30_0.1范围的同源序列变异性大,而在0-10-100范围的同源序列高度保守.随着基因组序列数据的增加,比较基因组方法将会在真菌系统学研究领域发挥更大的作用.     

特殊环境真菌

真菌是生物多样性最丰富和生存环境最多样的生物类群之一,除了我们熟知的土壤、植物残体、水体等一般环境外,还存在极地、高温、高盐等各种特殊环境.对真菌而言,特殊环境是指绝大多数真菌不能生存的环境,而特殊环境真菌是指特殊环境中特有的真菌或适应特殊环境的真菌.特殊环境人为地划分为以下3种类型:第一类,具有某种特定的理化限制因素的环境;第二类,某些特殊基质;第三类,受多因素限制的特殊复杂环境.特殊环境真菌有着独特的适应性,并进化出各种机制来占据生态位.它们在细胞构造、代谢方式、进化机制等方面的特殊性引起了科学家的广泛关注.本文介绍了各种特殊生态环境下生活的真菌类群以及它们的生存机制,并对今后的研究方向进行了展望.     

山东省淡水真菌三个中国新记录种

2010年6–10月期间,我们对山东省的淡水真菌进行调查和采集,发现3个中国新记录种:长鞭状透明长棒孢Hyalocamposporium longiflagellatum、乌拉圭斯宾塞马丁氏孢菌Spencermartinsia uruguayensis和大洋格腔孢菌Pleospora pelagica。主要对这3种淡水真菌进行形态描述及讨论。     

A comparison of fungal endophytic community diversity in tree leaves of rural and urban temperate forests of Kanto district,eastern Japan

To clarify the effects of forest fragmentation and a change in tree species composition following urbanization on endophytic fungal communities, we isolated fungal endophytes from the foliage of nine tree species in suburban (Kashiwa City, Chiba) and rural (Mt. Wagakuni, Ibaraki; Mt. Takao, Tokyo) forests and compared the fungal communities between sites and host tree species. Host specificity was evaluated using the index of host specificity (Si), and the number of isolated species, total isolation frequency, and the diversity index were calculated. From just one to several host-specific species were recognized in all host tree species at all sites. The total isolation frequency of all fungal species on Quercus myrsinaefolia, Quercus serrata, and Chamaecyparis obtusa and the total isolation frequency of host-specific species on Q. myrsinaefolia, Q. serrata, and Eurya japonica were significantly lower in Kashiwa than in the rural forests. The similarity indices (nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) and C_MH) of endophytic communities among different tree species were higher in Kashiwa, as many tree species shared the same fungal species in the suburban forest. Endophytic fungi with a broad host range were grouped into four clusters suggesting their preference for conifer/broadleaves and evergreen/deciduous trees. Forest fragmentation and isolation by urbanization have been shown to cause the decline of host-specific fungal species and a decrease in β diversity of endophytic communities, i.e., endophytic communities associated with tree leaves in suburban forests were found to be depauperate.     

基于DNA高通量测序分析生料酿醋过程中的真菌多样性

【目的】了解生料酿醋不同阶段的真菌群落结构及其变化规律,为生料酿醋工艺优化提供理论指导。【方法】从山西一家生料酿醋企业采集原料、麸曲、发酵缸醋醅、熏醋样、淋醋样等涉及生料酿醋各阶段的样品共51份,扩增真菌ITS1区序列并利用高通量测序技术分析真菌多样性。【结果】除5份样品未扩增成功外,在剩余46份样品中共检测到489个真菌OTU,以子囊菌为主(占88.3%)。原料、麸曲、发酵缸醋醅、熏醋样、淋醋样等不同组别间在真菌群落结构方面存在显著差异。原料和麸曲中的真菌物种丰富度最低,发酵缸醋醅的真菌物种丰富度最高,熏醋样和淋醋样中的真菌物种丰富度又有所降低。原料和麸曲中的优势真菌分别为酿酒酵母和黑曲霉,是发酵阶段真菌的重要来源,但发酵缸醋醅中也检测到大量可能来源于发酵室环境的真菌。发酵缸醋醅在不同发酵时期间也存在明显的真菌群落结构差异,并可据此划分成发酵前期(包括发酵第2–13天的样品)和发酵后期(包括发酵第17–46天的样品)。酿酒酵母和亮白曲霉的丰度在发酵前期显著高于发酵后期,而黑曲霉、一种小戴卫霉科真菌等的丰度在发酵后期显著高于发酵前期。【结论】生料酿醋的不同阶段和发酵缸醋醅发酵的不同时期,其真菌群落结构都存在明显差异。酿酒酵母和黑曲霉是发酵阶段的优势真菌。本研究为生料酿醋工艺优化提供了理论依据。