Biological potential of fungal inocula for bioaugmentation of contaminated soils

The suitability of the fluorescein diacetate hydrolyzing activity (FDA) assay for determining the biological potential (ie fungal biomass produced per unit of substrate) of solid pelleted fungal inoculum intended for use in the bioaugmentation of contaminated soils with white-rot fungi, was evaluated. FDA activity of the white-rot fungusPhanerochaete chrysosporium grown on pelleted substrates and on agar was found to be proportional to quantities of fungal ergesterol and fungal dry matter, respectively. Inoculum biological potential was found to be greatly influenced by substrate formulation and structure, and temperature. Biological potential and the type of carrier influenced the ability ofP. chrysosporium to tolerate pentachlorophenol (PCP).Phanerochaete chrysosporium andTrametes versicolor introduced into PCP-contaminated soil on pellets with higher biological potential and higher nitrogen content (C:N ratio of 501), did not remove PCP more efficiently than when the fungi were introduced on pellets with a lower biological potential (C:N ratio of 3091). However, under the latter conditions most of the PCP was transformed to pentachloroanisole (PCA). In soil inoculated withT. versicolor on pellets with high biological potential, higher manganese peroxidase activity was detected compared to soil inoculated with pellets with a lower biological potential.     

A fungal pathogen with potential for biocontrol ofStriga hermonthica (Scrophulariaceae)

Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Saccardo (IMI Number 311922b) was isolated from diseasedStriga hermonthica (Del.) Bentham parasitic on sorghum in the Nuba Mountains Rural Development Project, Kordofan, Sudan in November 1986. Symptoms of the disease consisted of progressive blackening and drying of the leaves and flowers. The disease caused 50% mortality ofS. hermonthica populations in two areas.     

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of fungal pathogens isolated from diseased fish in Xinjiang,China

The outbreaks of fungal diseases in cultured fish have been severe in recent years, which is harmful to the healthy and sustainable development of fish farming. In this study, an investigation was conducted for significant fungal infections of 12 species of fish in four regions in Xinjiang, China, to understand the distribution of local fish fungal pathogens. Twenty-six fungal strains with pathogenicity were isolated, and the challenge experiment showed that eight strains from Changji area had high infection rate to fish eggs. Based on internal transcribed spacer sequence data and molecular analysis, the 26 strains were classified into nine different species of six fungal genera. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all strains were divided into two clades, namely Cluster 1 (contains only the genus Mucor) and Cluster 2 (consists of five small branches), and the distribution of strains from the same region was scattered in two clusters. There is no strict host selectivity for these fungi to infect fish. Mucor sp. are the main fungal pathogen of fish in these four regions, whereas Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Carassius auratus are two types of fish that were susceptible to pathogen. In addition, the environmental adaptability experiments showed that eight highly pathogenic strains have different adaptability to the environment, and their optimum temperature and pH were 25°C and 7.0, respectively, whereas the concentration of NaCl was negatively correlated with the growth of strains. Therefore, these results indicated that the coinfection of multiple fungal pathogens in a culture region should be considered in the future study.     

Extracellular fungal polyol lipids: A new class of potential high value lipids

Extracellular fungal glycolipid biosurfactants have attracted attention because productivities can be high, cheap substrates can be used, the molecules are secreted into the medium and the downstream processing is relatively simple. Three classes of extracellular fungal glycolipid biosurfactants have provided most of the scientific advances in this area, namely sophorolipids, mannosylerythritol lipids and cellobioselipids. Polyol lipids, a fourth class of extracellular fungal glycolipid biosurfactants, comprise two groups of molecules: liamocins produced by the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, and polyol esters of fatty acids, produced by some Rhodotorula yeast species. Both are amphiphilic, surface active molecules with potential for commercial development as surfactants for industrial and household applications. The current knowledge of polyol lipids highlights an emerging group of extracellular fungal glycolipid biosurfactants and provides a perspective of what next steps are needed to harness the benefits and applications of this novel group of molecules.     

棕黑腐质霉(Humicola fuscoatra)导致真菌性腹膜炎1例

报道1例由棕黑腐质霉属(Humicola fuscoatra)导致的真菌性腹膜炎。此菌分离自1名长期腹膜透析患者的腹水。腐质霉属在自然界广泛存在,棕黑腐质霉导致的人类感染罕见。现对棕黑腐质霉的真菌学特点进行研究,并进行分子测序。体外药物敏感性试验结果对伊曲康唑的MIC为0.008μg/mL,伏立康唑的MIC为0.016μg/mL,两性霉素B的MIC为1.5μg/mL。患者拔除腹透管,改行血液透析。口服伊曲康唑0.1 g/12 h,28 d后病情明显改善,出院。     

白蚁菌圃真菌多样性研究进展

白蚁菌圃存在于白蚁巢中,具有硬而脆的多孔结构,是特殊的真菌生存环境。当有白蚁在白蚁巢内活动时,蚁巢伞Termitomyces是菌圃上的优势菌;当白蚁巢被废弃,炭角菌Xylaria成为菌圃上的优势真菌。菌圃中还存在其他微生物如无性型真菌（anamorphic fungi）和酵母等。菌圃中的真菌很多具有潜在药用价值或其他经济价值。从蚁巢伞、炭角菌等主要真菌类群出发,结合分子生态学研究菌圃真菌多样性的方法,综述了白蚁菌圃真菌多样性的研究进展,揭示了目前的研究热点及存在的问题,并针对这些问题提出可能的发展方向。     

Cover filter unit for on-line sampling of fungal broths

New cover filter sampling unit was tested in fungal fermentations in the presence of antifoam agents producing sticky fungal polysaccharides. Cover filter unit long-term filter capacity depends on the intensity of the pumping capacity of impeller as well as on the position of the filter unit.     

A simple procedure for dissolving fungal cell wall preparations for the analysis of neutral sugars

Quantitatively precise solutions of fungal cell walls were obtained by dissolving with 60% (v/v) H₂SO₄ under normal conditions. Complete dissolution was achieved within 1h when the samples were first ground to a fine powder and suspended in ethanol.     

Phylogenomics reveal a robust fungal tree of life

Our understanding of the tree of life (TOL) is still fragmentary. Until recently, molecular phylogeneticists have built trees based on ribosomal RNA sequences and selected protein sequences, which, however, usually suffered from lack of support for the deeper branches and inconsistencies probably due to limited subsampling of the entire genome. Now, phylogenetic hypotheses can be based on the analysis of full genomes. We used available complete genome data as well as the eukaryote orthologous group (KOG) proteins to reconstruct with confidence basal branches of the fungal TOL. Phylogenetic analysis of a core of 531 KOGs shared among 21 fungal genomes, three animal genomes and one plant genome showed a single tree with high support resulting from four different methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. The single tree that we inferred from our dataset showed excellent nodal support for each branch, suggesting that it reflects the true phylogenetic relationships of the species involved.     

真菌漆酶的酶活测定方法评价

目前真菌漆酶酶活的测定方法多样,没有统一的标准,致使不同研究之间的漆酶酶活无法进行比较分析,也造成漆酶产品在酶活质量意义上的混乱。因此,对测定真菌漆酶酶活的各种不同的分光光度法进行了综述和比较分析,认为采用ABTS法作为测定漆酶酶活的方法较具合理性和科学性,建议作为漆酶酶活测定的统一方法。     

念珠菌致真菌性角膜炎3例报告

真菌性角膜炎是严重的致菌性眼病,本文报告我院于2011年诊治的3例念珠菌致真菌性角膜炎,这有助于了解在本地区该疾病的致病菌及主要特点。     

Extracellular enzyme localization during interspecific fungal interactions

Abstract Confronted colonies of Phlebia radiata, P. rufa, Coriolus versicolor, Stereum hirsutum, Phanerochaete velutina and Hypholoma fasciculare showed spatially and temporally heterogeneous patterns of loccase-α-naphthol and peroxidase activities. These activities were coincident in axenic cultures. but were not always so during interaction. Confrontation between species resulted in induction of phenoloxidase activities, even within coenocytic colony regions of Phlebia species which were normally void of such activities in axenic culture. These events resulted in restriction of C. versicolor growth during interaction with P. rufa.     

真菌化石研究进展

随着真菌化石被不断发现,利用化石中的真菌研究真菌类群的起源和进化历程逐渐成为真菌进化生物学研究的一个热点。真菌化石还是研究古生态中真菌与其他生物之间相互作用的重要材料,而这种相互作用既能用于研究古生物间的协同进化,也能成为判断古生态、古气候的重要依据。本文综述了国内外真菌化石的研究进展,旨在为更加系统准确地确定不同真菌类群的分化时间,重建真菌的系统发育树提供参考,同时也为研究生物间相互作用以及推断古生态环境提供帮助。     

真菌性鼻-鼻窦炎研究进展

真菌性鼻-鼻窦炎是鼻科临床常见的一种特异性感染性疾病。传统观点认为,真菌性鼻-鼻窦炎(fungalrhino-sinusitis,FRS)多在机体长期使用抗生素、糖皮质激素、免疫抑制剂及接受放射治疗等情况下发生,也可在一些慢性消耗性疾病如糖尿病、烧伤致机体抵抗力下降时发生。但近年来在健康体检中也有发现FRS,造成这种情况的原因目前还不太清楚,有待进一步研究。由于引起致病的病原真菌种类不同,真菌性鼻窦炎的临床类型、诊断、治疗及临床疗效果等均有各自的特点,以下针对病因、临床类型及表现、诊断、治疗及预后等方面进行回顾。     

Molecular identification of root fungal associates in Orchis pauciflora Tenore

Abstract

The terrestrial orchid, Orchis pauciflora Ten., growing in poor grassland and garrigue of Central Mediterranean region, is local and rare and has been included in the red lists of several Italian regions. We investigated the diversity of fungal associates in O. pauciflora adult plants collected in two protected areas of Tuscany (Central Italy). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycorrhizal roots of 12 orchid plants and the fungal ITS were amplified and sequenced. Several fungal associates, belonging to different taxa of basidiomycetes (Tulasnellaceae) and ascomycetes such as Leptodontidium, Exophiala and Phialophora species, were recovered. The trophic role of these fungi and their impact on O. pauciflora growth and conservation are discussed.     

An age-structured model to evaluate the potential of novel malaria-control interventions: a case study of fungal biopesticide sprays

It has recently been proposed that mosquito vectors of human diseases, particularly malaria, may be controlled by spraying with fungal biopesticides that increase the rate of adult mortality. Though fungal pathogens do not cause instantaneous mortality, they can kill mosquitoes before they are old enough to transmit disease. A model is developed (i) to explore the potential for fungal entomopathogens to reduce significantly infectious mosquito populations, (ii) to assess the relative value of the many different fungal strains that might be used, and (iii) to help guide the tactical design of vector-control programmes. The model follows the dynamics of different classes of adult mosquitoes with the risk of mortality due to the fungus being assumed to be a function of time since infection (modelled using the Weibull distribution). It is shown that substantial reductions in mosquito numbers are feasible for realistic assumptions about mosquito, fungus and malaria biology and moderate to low daily fungal infection probability. The choice of optimal fungal strain and spraying regime is shown to depend on local mosquito and malaria biology. Fungal pathogens may also influence the ability of mosquitoes to transmit malaria and such effects are shown to further reduce vectorial capacity.