Relative Contributions of Bacteria and Fungi to Rates of Degradation of Lignocellulosic Detritus in Salt-Marsh Sediments

Specifically radiolabeled [¹⁴C-lignin]lignocellulose and [¹⁴C-polysaccharide]lignocellulose from the salt-marsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora were incubated with an intact salt-marsh sediment microbial assemblage, with a mixed (size-fractionated) bacterial assemblage, and with each of three marine fungi, Buergenerula spartinae, Phaeosphaeria typharum, and Leptosphaeria obiones, isolated from decaying S. alterniflora. The bacterial assemblage alone mineralized the lignin and polysaccharide components of S. alterniflora lignocellulose at approximately the same rate as did intact salt-marsh sediment inocula. The polysaccharide component was mineralized twice as fast as the lignin component; after 23 days of incubation, ca. 10% of the lignin component and 20% of the polysaccharide component of S. alterniflora lignocellulose were mineralized. Relative to the total sediment and bacterial inocula, the three species of fungi mediated only very slow mineralization of the lignin and polysaccharide components of S. alterniflora lignocellulose. Experiments with uniformly ¹⁴C-labeled S. alterniflora material indicated that the three fungi and the bacterial assemblage were capable of degrading the non-lignocellulosic fraction of S. alterniflora material, but only the bacterial assemblage significantly degraded the lignocellulosic fraction. Our results suggest that bacteria are the predominant degraders of lignocellulosic detritus in salt-marsh sediments.     

Medium-term fertilization of grassland plant communities masks plant species-linked effects on soil microbial community structure

According to the singular hypothesis of plant diversity, different plant species are expected to make unique contributions to ecosystem functioning. Hence, individual species would support distinct microbial communities. It was hypothesized that microbial community dynamics in the respective rhizospheres of, two floristically divergent species, Agrostis capillaris and Prunella vulgaris that were dominant in a temperate, upland grassland in northern Greece, would support distinct microbial communities, in agreement to the singular hypothesis. Phospholipid lipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of the rhizosphere soil microbial community were obtained from the grassland which had been subjected to factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization over five plant growth seasons. The soil cores analyzed were centered on stands of the two co-occurring target plant species, sampled from five blocks in all four factorial N and P fertilization combinations. Distinct PLFA clustering patterns following principle component analysis of PLFA concentrations revealed that, in the absence of P fertilization, soils under the two plant species supported divergent microbial communities. In the P fertilized plots, however, no such distinction could be observed. Results reveal that nutrient fertilization may mask the ability of plant species to shape their own rhizosphere microbial community.     

长期养分添加对贝加尔针茅草原土壤微生物群落的影响

土壤微生物是土壤生态系统的重要组成部分,是土壤生态系统物质循环和能量流动的主要参与者,在维持土壤生态系统过程和功能方面发挥着关键作用。以内蒙古贝加尔针茅草原为研究对象,采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)技术,探讨连续12年氮(N)、磷(P)、钾(K)养分单一添加和复合添加条件下草地土壤理化性质、微生物群落结构特征的变化及其主要影响因素。结果表明,长期养分添加条件下,土壤有机碳和全氮均无显著变化,但磷(P、NP、PK、NPK)和钾(K、NK、PK、NPK)添加处理分别显著提高了土壤速效磷和速效钾含量(P < 0.05)。单一氮添加显著增加了土壤硝态氮和铵态氮含量,并显著降低了土壤pH值(P < 0.05)。单一磷和钾添加均提高了土壤细菌、真菌、放线菌和总PLFA含量,而单一氮添加和复合养分添加(NP、NK、PK、NPK)均显著降低了以上指标的含量(P < 0.05)。此外,各养分添加处理均未显著改变革兰氏阳性细菌与革兰氏阴性细菌比(G⁺/G^-),但含氮的复合添加处理(NP、NK、NPK)均显著降低了真菌与细菌比 (F/B) (P < 0.05)。相关性分析结果表明,多种微生物PLFA含量与速效磷和铵态氮显著负相关,与土壤pH值显著正相关。基于冗余分析和随机森林模型分析发现土壤pH值和土壤磷含量是影响土壤微生物群落特征的主要驱动因素。综上,长期养分添加显著改变了土壤速效养分含量和土壤pH值,并显著影响了土壤微生物群落结构。     

施磷对干旱胁迫下箭竹根际土壤养分及微生物群落的影响

以箭竹及其根际土壤作为研究对象,采用两因素随机区组实验,设置2种水分处理（正常浇水和干旱胁迫）和2种施磷量处理（施磷和不施磷）,探究施磷对干旱胁迫下箭竹根际土壤养分及微生物群落结构和多样性的影响。结果表明：（1）干旱胁迫显著降低了箭竹根际土壤中微生物量碳、可溶性有机氮和有效磷的含量,虽对箭竹根际土壤微生物群落的多样性无显著影响,但显著降低了箭竹根际土壤中总PLFA（phospholipid fatty acid contents）的含量和真菌、细菌、革兰氏阳性菌与革兰氏阴性菌的PLFA含量以及革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌的PLFA比值,显著改变了箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构,结果显著降低了箭竹的生物量。（2）施磷显著增加了受旱箭竹根际土壤中微生物量碳和有效磷的含量,虽大体上对受旱箭竹根际土壤微生物群落的多样性无显著影响,但显著增加了受旱箭竹根际土壤中总PLFA和真菌PLFA的含量,并在一定程度上增加了细菌、革兰氏阳性菌、革兰氏阴性菌和放线菌的PLFA含量以及革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌和真菌/细菌的PLFA比值,也在一定程度上改善了受旱箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构,从而改善受旱箭竹的生长。（3）主成分分析表明,干旱对箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构的影响显著,而施磷的影响不明显。（4）相关分析发现,箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构与箭竹根际土壤微生物量碳、可溶性有机氮及箭竹生物量呈显著正相关。综上,干旱降低了箭竹根际土壤养分含量和微生物生物量,改变了箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构,抑制了箭竹的生长;施磷能增加受旱箭竹根际土壤养分含量和微生物生物量,改善受旱箭竹根际土壤微生物群落结构,进而改善受旱箭竹的生长。     

肉苁蓉寄主梭梭根际土壤微生物种类及群落结构特征

为探索梭梭根际土壤微生物结构特征及其与肉苁蓉寄生的关系,应用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)法分析了5—8月份梭梭生长季节的根际土壤微生物种类及群落结构特征,采用湿筛倾注-蔗糖离心法对其根际土壤AM真菌进行了初步分离和鉴定,并分析了肉苁蓉寄生与梭梭根际微生物及环境因子间的相关性。结果表明,5—7月3个月份的梭梭根际土壤微生物磷脂脂肪酸种类及含量均显著高于8月份,总磷脂脂肪酸和AM真菌磷脂脂肪酸以6月份含量最高。梭梭根际土壤共鉴定出AM真菌4属35种,它们分别为球囊霉属(Glomus)22种、无梗囊霉属(Acaulospora)7种、多孢囊霉属(Diversispora)3种和巨孢囊霉属(Gigaspora)3种。其中以黑球囊霉(Glomus melanosporum)和双网无梗囊霉(Acaulospora bireticulata)为优势种群,并且发现了与寄生有关的巨孢囊霉属AM真菌。6月份和8月份的AM真菌孢子数量最多,而5月份的AM真菌孢子数量最低。6月份梭梭根际土壤提取液得到的肉苁蓉种子萌发率(65.94%)和田间接种寄生率(59.19%)均为最高值,而5月份土壤提取液测试得到的肉苁蓉种子萌发率最低。因此,推测梭梭根际AM真菌可能参与了肉苁蓉的寄生过程。相关分析表明梭梭根际土壤微生物种类和数量主要与土壤温湿度和土壤理化性质相关性较大,其中可能与寄生有关的真菌数量与土壤温度呈显著正相关;肉苁蓉寄生率与土壤温度及土壤养分呈显著负相关。研究为解析梭梭根际土壤微生物在肉苁蓉寄生过程中的作用以及指导肉苁蓉人工种植提供参考。     

氮磷添加对内蒙古温带典型草原土壤微生物群落结构的影响

选取内蒙古温带典型草原,进行连续6a氮磷添加试验,采用土壤特征微生物PLFA生物标记技术,研究6个氮添加水平N0(0 kg N hm-2a-1)、N1(56 kg N hm-2a-1)、N2(112 kg N hm-2a-1)、N3(224 kg N hm-2a-1)、N4(392 kg N hm-2a-1)、N5(560 kg N hm-2a-1)和6个磷添加水平P0(0 kg P hm-2a-1)、P1(15.5 kg P hm-2a-1)、P2(31 kg P hm-2a-1)、P3(62 kg P hm-2a-1)、P4(93 kg P hm-2a-1)、P5(124 kg P hm-2a-1)对土壤特征微生物PLFA生物标记数量和土壤微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明:(1)随氮添加量增加,土壤微生物总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)含量和土壤细菌PLFA生物标记数量、放线菌PLFA生物标记数量呈上升趋势,土壤G+/G-呈增加趋势;各氮添加水平对土壤真菌PLFA生物标记数量无显著差异,随氮添加量增加,土壤真菌/细菌比降低。(2)随磷添加量增加,土壤总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)含量、土壤细菌PLFA生物标记数量、放线菌PLFA生物标记数量、真菌PLFA生物标记数量及真菌/细菌比值呈先上升后下降趋势,均以P3水平(62 kg P hm-2a-1)处理最高,说明适宜的磷添加对内蒙古温带典型草原土壤微生物繁殖和菌落结构有显著影响。     

Effect of soil moisture content on the deformation behaviour of root-reinforced soils subjected to shear

The effects of plant species which frequently occur in set-aside arable land on rhizosphere soil properties were assessed and compared to rhizosphere soil of Secale cereale (Rye) grown on an intensively managed arable soil (sandy Cambisol, Saxony, NE-Germany). On a 6 year old set-aside arable land rhizosphere soil samples were taken under Agropyron repens, Cirsium arvense and Rumex acetosa, the most frequent plant species, and under the leguminous plant species Vicia villosa. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) has been used to characterise the structure of the soil microbial community. Carbon mineralisation rates as well as gross (¹⁵N isotope pool dilution method) and net nitrogen mineralisation rates were determined as indicator of microbial activity. In intensive managed plots a rhizosphere effect was obvious in higher nutrient contents, gross N mineralisation rates and higher relative abundances of fungi and protozoa in Rye rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. Plant species altered rhizosphere microbial activity. Lowest gross N mineralisation and gross NH₄ consumption rates were detected in Rye rhizosphere soil. Both rates revealed high positive correlations with dissolved organic carbon (extracted with KCl) and soil pH. The rhizosphere soil microbial communities of the three dominant plant species of the set-aside arable land (Agropyron, Cirsium, Rumex) were more similar to each other than to Vicia grown on the same set-aside plots and Rye grown on intensive managed plots. The highest number of non-identified PLFAs detected in Vicia rhizosphere soil suggests that microbial diversity was highest. Differences in quantity and quality of Vicia rhizodeposition, especially higher N contents, seem to induce the higher microbial activity and different microbial community structure. The rhizosphere soil of the dominant plant species on the set-aside and intensively managed arable land reflected the differences in bulk soil properties (obtained in a previous study) between the two management systems (e.g. pH, gross N mineralisation, metabolic quotient, PLFA marker characteristic of G? bacteria and fungi).     

Litter Breakdown and Microbial Succession on Two Submerged Leaf Species in a Small Forested Stream

Microbial succession during leaf breakdown was investigated in a small forested stream in west-central Georgia, USA, using multiple culture-independent techniques. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and water oak (Quercus nigra) leaf litter were incubated in situ for 128 days, and litter breakdown was quantified by ash-free dry mass (AFDM) method and microbial assemblage composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and bar-coded next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Leaf breakdown was faster for red maple than water oak. PLFA revealed a significant time effect on microbial lipid profiles for both leaf species. Microbial assemblages on maple contained a higher relative abundance of bacterial lipids than oak, and oak microbial assemblages contained higher relative abundance of fungal lipids than maple. RISA showed that incubation time was more important in structuring bacterial assemblages than leaf physicochemistry. DGGE profiles revealed high variability in bacterial assemblages over time, and sequencing of DGGE-resolved amplicons indicated several taxa present on degrading litter. Next-generation sequencing revealed temporal shifts in dominant taxa within the phylum Proteobacteria, whereas γ-Proteobacteria dominated pre-immersion and α- and β-Proteobacteria dominated after 1 month of instream incubation; the latter groups contain taxa that are predicted to be capable of using organic material to fuel further breakdown. Our results suggest that incubation time is more important than leaf species physicochemistry in influencing leaf litter microbial assemblage composition, and indicate the need for investigation into seasonal and temporal dynamics of leaf litter microbial assemblage succession.     

罕山土壤微生物群落组成对植被类型的响应

选取分布在中国东北部地区的阔叶林-针叶林-亚高山草甸这一明显的植被垂直带谱来研究植被类型对土壤微生物群落组成的影响。选取5种植被类型-山杨(Populus davidiana)(1250—1300 m),山杨(P.davidiana)与白桦(Betula platyphylla)的混交林(1370—1550 m),白桦(B.platyphylla)(1550—1720 m),落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)(1840—1890 m),亚高山草甸(1900—1951 m),采用磷脂脂肪酸(Phopholipid Fatty Acids,PLFAs)分析方法测定不同植被类型下的土壤微生物群落组成。分别采用主成分分析(Principal Components Analysis,PCA)以及冗余分析(Redundancy Analysis,RDA)来解释单种特征PLFAs的分异以及土壤理化指标与微生物PLFAs指标间的相关性。结果表明不同植被类型下土壤有机碳(SOC)对土壤微生物PLFAs总量,各类群(真菌(f)、细菌(b)、革兰氏阳性菌(G+)、革兰氏阴性菌(G-))生物量以及群落结构影响显著;土壤微生物PLFAs总量及各类群的生物量随土层加深总体上表现降低趋势,G+/G-和f/b分别随土层加深总体上表现升高趋势。不同植被类型下,阔叶混交林土壤PLFAs总量及各类群生物量总体上最高;针叶林比阔叶林下的f/b和G+/G-高;亚高山草甸下低的p H值对有机碳的可利用性有一定的抑制作用,导致f/b和G+/G-的值相对较高。总之,不同植被类型下SOC对土壤微生物群落组成的影响最为显著,而较低的p H对有机碳的可利用性有一定的抑制作用;真菌对植被类型的变化比细菌更敏感,而细菌更易受可利用性养分和p H变异的影响,这对预测不同林型下的土壤微生物群落组成有重要的启示作用。     

Biosoftening of coir fiber using selected microorganisms

Coir fiber belongs to the group of hard structural fibers obtained from coconut husk. As lignin is the main constituent of coir responsible for its stiffness, microbes that selectively remove lignin without loss of appreciable amounts of cellulose are extremely attractive in biosoftening. Five isolated strains were compared with known strains of bacteria and fungi. The raw fiber treated with Pseudomonas putida and Phanerocheate chrysosporium produced better softened fiber at 30±2 °C and neutral pH. FeSO₄ and humic acid were found to be the best inducers for P. chrysosporium and P. putida, respectively, while sucrose and dextrose were the best C-sources for both. Biosoftening of unretted coir fibers was more advantageous than the retted fibers. Unlike the weak chemically softened fiber, microbial treatment produced soft, whiter fibers having better tensile strength and elongation (44.6–44.8%) properties. Scanning electron microscopy photos showed the mycelia penetrating the pores of the fiber, removing the tylose plug and degrading lignin.     

A Microbial Link between Elevated CO2 and Methane Emissions that is Plant Species-Specific

Rising atmospheric CO₂ levels alter the physiology of many plant species, but little is known of changes to root dynamics that may impact soil microbial mediation of greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands. We grew co-occurring wetland plant species that included an invasive reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) and a native woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus L.) in a controlled greenhouse facility under ambient (380 ppm) and elevated atmospheric CO₂ (700 ppm). We hypothesized that elevated atmospheric CO₂ would increase the abundance of both archaeal methanogen and bacterial methanotroph populations through stimulation of plant root and shoot biomass. We found that methane levels emitted from S. cyperinus shoots increased 1.5-fold under elevated CO₂, while no changes in methane levels were detected from P. arundincea. The increase in methane emissions was not explained by enhanced root or shoot growth of S. cyperinus. Principal components analysis of the total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) recovered from microbial cell membranes revealed that elevated CO₂ levels shifted the composition of the microbial community under S. cyperinus, while no changes were detected under P. arundinacea. More detailed analysis of microbial abundance showed no impact of elevated CO₂ on a fatty acid indicative of methanotrophic bacteria (18:2ω6c), and no changes were detected in the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) relative abundance profiles of acetate-utilizing archaeal methanogens. Plant carbon depleted in ¹³C was traced into the PLFAs of soil microorganisms as a measure of the plant contribution to microbial PLFA. The relative contribution of plant-derived carbon to PLFA carbon was larger in S. cyperinus compared with P. arundinacea in four PLFAs (i14:0, i15:0, a15:0, and 18:1ω9t). The δ¹³C isotopic values indicate that the contribution of plant-derived carbon to microbial lipids could differ in rhizospheres of CO₂-responsive plant species, such as S. cyperinus in this study. The results from this study show that the CO₂–methane link found in S. cyperinus can occur without a corresponding change in methanogen and methanotroph relative abundances, but PLFA analysis indicated shifts in the community profile of bacteria and fungi that were unique to rhizospheres under elevated CO₂.     

Unraveling the effects of management regime and plant species on soil organic carbon and microbial phospholipid fatty acid profiles in grassland soils

In a field experiment we have examined the effect of long-term grassland management regimes (viz., intensive versus extensive) and dominant plant species (viz., Arrhenatherum elatius, Holcus lanatus and Dactylis glomerata) on soil organic carbon (SOC) build up, soil microbial communities using biomarker phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and the relationship between SOC and PLFAs of major groups of microorganisms (viz., bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes). The results have revealed that changes in SOC were not significantly affected by the intensity of management or by the plant species composition or by their interaction. The amount of PLFA of each microbial group was affected weakly by management regime and plant species, but the canonical variance analysis (CVA), based on individual PLFA values, demonstrated significant (P<0.05) effects of management regime and plant species on the composition of microbial community. Positive and significant (P<0.01) relationships were observed between PLFA of bacteria (R2=0.47), fungi (R2=0.33), actinomycetes (R2=0.71) and total microbial PLFA (R2=0.53) and SOC content.     

Biodelignification of wheat straw by different fungal associations

Seven strains of fungi were tested individually as well as in different combinations to determine their lignin degrading ability using wheat straw as natural substrate. When tested individuallyPhanerochaete chrysosporium caused a maximum loss in total organic matter (26.45%) as well as in the lignin component (28.93%). The associations between different groups: white-rot plus white-rot, white-rot plus brown-rot and white-rot plus soft-rot fungi revealed that in certain combinations the ligninolysis was enhanced to variable extent.Deadalea flavida plusP. chrysosporium was the best association to bring about a lignin loss of 36.27%.     

Enhanced ligninolytic enzyme production and degrading capability of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor

Ligninolytic enzyme production by the white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor precultivated with different insoluble lignocellulosic materials (grape seeds, barley bran and wood shavings) was investigated. Cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium precultivated with grape seeds and barley bran showed maximum lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) activities (1000 and 1232 U/l, respectively). Trametes versicolor precultivated with the same lignocellulosic residues showed the maximum laccase activity (around 250 U/l). For both fungi, the ligninolytic activities were about two-fold higher than those attained in the control cultures. In vitro decolorization of the polymeric dye Poly R-478 by the extracellular liquid obtained in the above-mentioned cultures was monitored in order to determine the respective capabilities of laccase, LiP and MnP. It is noteworthy that the degrading capability of LiP when P. chrysosporium was precultivated with barley bran gave a percentage of Poly R-478 decolorization of about 80% in 100 s, whereas control cultures showed a lower percentage, around 20%, after 2 min of the decolorization reaction.     

Fungal pretreatment of lignocellulose by Phanerochaete chrysosporium to produce ethanol from rice straw

Phanerochaete chrysosporium is a wood‐rot fungus that is capable of degrading lignin via its lignolytic system. In this study, an environmentally friendly fungal pretreatment process that produces less inhibitory substances than conventional methods was developed using P. chrysosporium and then evaluated by various analytical methods. To maximize the production of manganese peroxidase, which is the primary lignin‐degrading enzyme, culture medium was optimized using response surface methodologies including the Plackett–Burman design and the Box–Behnken design. Fermentation of 100 g of rice straw feedstock containing 35.7 g of glucan (mainly in the form of cellulose) by cultivation with P. chrysosporium for 15 days in the media optimized by response surface methodology was resulted in a yield of 29.0 g of glucan that had an enzymatic digestibility of 64.9% of the theoretical maximum glucose yield. In addition, scanning electronic microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and X‐ray diffractometry revealed significant microstructural changes, fungal growth, and a reduction of the crystallinity index in the pretreated rice straw, respectively. When the fungal‐pretreated rice straw was used as a substrate for ethanol production in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for 24 h, the ethanol concentration, production yield and the productivity were 9.49 g/L, 58.2% of the theoretical maximum, and 0.40 g/L/h, respectively. Based on these experimental data, if 100 g of rice straw are subjected to fungal pretreatment and SSF, 9.9 g of ethanol can be produced after 96 h, which is 62.7% of the theoretical maximum ethanol yield. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 471–482 © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

喀斯特地区三种人工林土壤微生物群落结构特征

为揭示不同人工植被修复模式对喀斯特土壤微生物群落的影响,采用氯仿熏蒸提取法和磷脂脂肪酸(phospholipid fatty acid, PLFA)法研究人工构建的降香黄檀(Dalbergia odorifera)纯林(PDOP)、顶果木(Acrocarpus fraxinifolius)纯林(PAFP)、顶果木×降香黄檀混交林(MADP)对土壤微生物生物量及土壤微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明:(1)PDOP的土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)和微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量显著高于PAFP和MADP,PAFP显著高于MADP。(2)三种人工林土壤真菌、丛枝菌根真菌和总PLFA含量无显著差异,但PDOP土壤细菌、放线菌、丛枝菌根真菌和总PLFA含量均高于PAFP和MADP,PAFP高于MADP。PDOP的土壤细菌、革兰氏阳性菌、革兰氏阴性菌、放线菌的PLFA含量显著高于MADP。MADP的真菌细菌比显著高于PDOP,但与PAFP无显著差异。(3)冗余分析表明,土壤阳离子交换量、pH和C:N是影响土壤微生物群落组成的最主要影响因子。从三种人工林的土壤微生物生物量及微生物群落结构来看,在喀斯特地区MADP并未显示出酸性土地区混交林提高土壤微生物生物量、改善土壤微生物群落结构的优势,但混交林的真菌细菌比最高,更有利于提高土壤生态系统的稳定性。     

Diversity,ecological role and potential biotechnological applications of marine fungi associated to the seagrass Posidonia oceanica

The marine environment is characterized by high salinity and exerts a strong selective pressure on the biota, favouring the development of halo-tolerant microorganisms. Part of this microbial diversity is made up of fungi, important organisms from ecological and biotechnological points of view. In this study, for the first time, the qualitative and quantitative composition of the mycoflora associated to leaves, rhizomes, roots and matte of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica was estimated. A total of 88 fungal taxa, mainly belonging to Ascomycota, were identified by morphological and molecular methods. The most represented genera were Penicillium, Cladosporium and Acremonium. Most of the species (70) were selectively associated with one district; only two species (Penicillium chrysogenum var. chrysogenum and P. janczewskii) were isolated from all the districts. Moreover the capability to produce laccases, peroxidases and tannases by 107 fungal isolated by the different districts of P. oceanica was carried out. These results show that the mycoflora associated to P. oceanica is very rich and characterized by fungi able to produce ligninolytic enzymes and tannases useful to degrade and detoxify lignocellulose residues in presence of high salt concentrations. These fungi, hence, may play important ecological roles in marine environments but can also be very useful in different biotechnological areas.     

Lignocellulose Degradation during Solid-State Fermentation: Pleurotus ostreatus versus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Lignocellulose degradation and activities related to lignin degradation were studied in the solid-state fermentation of cotton stalks by comparing two white rot fungi, Pleurotus ostreatus and Phanerochaete chrysosporium. P. chrysosporium grew vigorously, resulting in rapid, nonselective degradation of 55% of the organic components of the cotton stalks within 15 days. In contrast, P. ostreatus grew more slowly with obvious selectivity for lignin degradation and resulting in the degradation of only 20% of the organic matter after 30 days of incubation. The kinetics of ¹⁴C-lignin mineralization exhibited similar differences. In cultures of P. chrysosporium, mineralization ceased after 18 days, resulting in the release of 12% of the total radioactivity as ¹⁴CO₂. In P. ostreatus, on the other hand, 17% of the total radioactivity was released in a steady rate throughout a period of 60 days of incubation. Laccase activity was only detected in water extracts of the P. ostreatus fermentation. No lignin peroxidase activity was detected in either the water extract or liquid cultures of this fungus. 2-Keto-4-thiomethyl butyric acid cleavage to ethylene correlated to lignin degradation in both fungi. A study of fungal activity under solid-state conditions, in contrast to those done under defined liquid culture, may help to better understand the mechanisms involved in lignocellulose degradation.     

Fungal Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Residues; Opportunities & Perspectives

The development of alternative energy technology is critically important because of the rising prices of crude oil, security issues regarding the oil supply, and environmental issues such as global warming and air pollution. Bioconversion of biomass has significant advantages over other alternative energy strategies because biomass is the most abundant and also the most renewable biomaterial on our planet. Bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues is initiated primarily by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria which are capable of degrading lignocellulolytic materials. Fungi such as Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger produce large amounts of extracellular cellulolytic enzymes, whereas bacterial and a few anaerobic fungal strains mostly produce cellulolytic enzymes in a complex called cellulosome, which is associated with the cell wall. In filamentous fungi, cellulolytic enzymes including endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases (exoglucanases) and β-glucosidases work efficiently on cellulolytic residues in a synergistic manner. In addition to cellulolytic/hemicellulolytic activities, higher fungi such as basidiomycetes (e.g. Phanerochaete chrysosporium) have unique oxidative systems which together with ligninolytic enzymes are responsible for lignocellulose degradation. This review gives an overview of different fungal lignocellulolytic enzymatic systems including extracellular and cellulosome-associated in aerobic and anaerobic fungi, respectively. In addition, oxidative lignocellulose-degradation mechanisms of higher fungi are discussed. Moreover, this paper reviews the current status of the technology for bioconversion of biomass by fungi, with focus on mutagenesis, co-culturing and heterologous gene expression attempts to improve fungal lignocellulolytic activities to create robust fungal strains.     

Cross-Site Soil Microbial Communities under Tillage Regimes: Fungistasis and Microbial Biomarkers

The exploitation of soil ecosystem services by agricultural management strategies requires knowledge of microbial communities in different management regimes. Crop cover by no-till management protects the soil surface, reducing the risk of erosion and nutrient leaching, but might increase straw residue-borne and soilborne plant-pathogenic fungi. A cross-site study of soil microbial communities and Fusarium fungistasis was conducted on six long-term agricultural fields with no-till and moldboard-plowed treatments. Microbial communities were studied at the topsoil surface (0 to 5 cm) and bottom (10 to 20 cm) by general bacterial and actinobacterial terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses. Fusarium culmorum soil fungistasis describing soil receptivity to plant-pathogenic fungi was explored by using the surface layer method. Soil depth had a significant impact on general bacterial as well as actinobacterial communities and PLFA profiles in no-till treatment, with a clear spatial distinction of communities (P < 0.05), whereas the depth-related separation of microbial communities was not observed in plowed fields. The fungal biomass was higher in no-till surface soil than in plowed soil (P < 0.07). Soil total microbial biomass and fungal biomass correlated with fungistasis (P < 0.02 for the sum of PLFAs; P < 0.001 for PLFA 18:2ω6). Our cross-site study demonstrated that agricultural management strategies can have a major impact on soil microbial community structures, indicating that it is possible to influence the soil processes with management decisions. The interactions between plant-pathogenic fungi and soil microbial communities are multifaceted, and a high level of fungistasis could be linked to the high microbial biomass in soil but not to the specific management strategy.