Endophytic fungi: resource for gibberellins and crop abiotic stress resistance

The beneficial effects of endophytes on plant growth are important for agricultural ecosystems because they reduce the need for fertilizers and decrease soil and water pollution while compensating for environmental perturbations. Endophytic fungi are a novel source of bioactive secondary metabolites; moreover, recently they have been found to produce physiologically active gibberellins as well. The symbiosis of gibberellins producing endophytic fungi with crops can be a promising strategy to overcome the adverse effects of abiotic stresses. The association of such endophytes has not only increased plant biomass but also ameliorated plant-growth during extreme environmental conditions. Endophytic fungi represent a trove of unexplored biodiversity and a frequently overlooked component of crop ecology. The present review describes the role of gibberellins producing endophytic fungi, suggests putative mechanisms involved in plant endophyte stress interactions and discusses future prospects in this field.     

源于植物内生无花果拟盘多毛孢真菌的新色原酮类次生代谢产物研究

从植物内生真菌无花果拟盘多毛孢菌株(Pestalotiopsis fici;AS3.9138=W106-1)的放大发酵粗提物中分离得到4个异戊二烯基取代的色原酮类新结构次生代谢产物pestaloficiolsM-P(1-4),并应用质谱和核磁共振技术确定了上述化合物的结构。生物活性测试结果表明化合物2能够抑制HIV-1病毒在C8166细胞中的复制;化合物3和4对宫颈癌细胞(HeLa)具有细胞毒活性;另外,化合物3对烟曲霉Aspergillus fumigatus也具有较强的抑制活性。     

川滇四区森林土壤纯培养放线菌多样性及生物活性

【目的】为了从放线菌发现新的药物先导化合物,研究了川滇4个地区的放线菌多样性及其生物活性。【方法】采集250份土样,用4种培养基分离放线菌;从中选择98株代表菌进行了初步分类鉴定;采用琼脂扩散法,检测了169株放线菌对4种细菌和7种真菌的抑菌活性;利用特异性引物扩增法,测定了它们产生的聚酮合酶(PKSI、PKSⅡ)基因、非核糖体多肽合成酶(NRPS)基因和多烯类化合物合成酶(CYP)基因。【结果】黄荆老林的放线菌有13个属,峨眉山、青城山仅5个属,九寨沟9个属,西双版纳达20个属;不同地区的放线菌具有抗菌活性的菌株平均约占10%;有27%-36%的菌株产生PKSI、II、NRPS、CPY化合物合成基因。【结论】在采集样品的地区中,人类干扰越少,放线菌的多样性越高。分离放线菌时,使用"极端"条件,虽然分离到的放线菌数量可能不多,但获得未知菌的比例较大。添加抑制剂可减少革兰氏阴性细菌和真菌,有利于分离放线菌。     

Plant and soil effects on bacterial communities associated with Miscanthus × giganteus rhizosphere and rhizomes

Bacterial assemblages, especially diazotroph assemblages residing in the rhizomes and the rhizosphere soil of Miscanthus × giganteus, contribute to plant growth and nitrogen use efficiency. However, the composition of these microbial communities has not been adequately explored nor have the potential ecological drivers for these communities been sufficiently studied. This knowledge is needed for understanding and potentially improving M. × giganteus – microbe interactions, and further enhancing sustainability of M. × giganteus production. In this study, cultivated M. × giganteus from four sites in Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, and New Jersey were collected to examine the relative influences of soil conditions and plant compartments on assembly of the M. × giganteus‐associated microbiome. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer (ARISA) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) targeting the nifH gene were applied to examine the total bacterial communities and diazotroph assemblages that reside in the rhizomes and the rhizosphere. Distinct microbial assemblages were detected in the endophytic and rhizosphere compartments. Site soil conditions had strong correlation with both total bacterial and diazotroph assemblages, but in different ways. Nitrogen treatments showed no significant effect on the composition of diazotroph assemblages in most sites. Endophytic compartments of different M. × giganteus plants tended to harbor similar microbial communities across all sites, whereas the rhizosphere soil of different plant tended to harbor diverse microbial assemblages that were distinct among sites. These observations offer insight into better understanding of the associative interactions between M. × giganteus and diazotrophs, and how this relationship is influenced by agronomic and edaphic factors.     

濒危药用植物桃儿七根的显微结构及其菌根真菌分布研究

本文研究了桃儿七Sinopodophyllum hexandrum根的显微结构及其真菌分布。结果表明,桃儿七的根为根状茎,节状,不定根形成的须根系发达。根的结构主要由表皮、皮层、维管柱三部分构成,其中,皮层所占比例最大,超过80%。根的木质部有四原型和五原型两种类型,五原型较为常见;四原型的根和五原型的根在皮层细胞形态上存在一定差异。在桃儿七的不定根和其上的侧根观察到真菌菌丝分布,其数量和种类与根的直径有关,在不定根较细(先端)的部位真菌以暗色有隔内生真菌(DSE真菌)为主,侵染率为77.9%;而较粗根中真菌菌丝为无隔菌丝为主,分布很少且仅存在于皮层细胞的一至二层,不侵染皮层深部和维管柱。不定根侧根中真菌以丛枝菌根真菌为主,丛枝菌根常常占据大部分的皮层细胞,侵染率高达90%以上。桃儿七根中没有发现根毛存在,因此,侧根中共生的丛枝菌根真菌可能是桃儿七养分和水分吸收的主要途径。     

Endophytic colonization of olive roots by the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens PICF7

Confocal microscopy combined with three-dimensional olive root tissue sectioning was used to provide evidence of the endophytic behaviour of Pseudomonas fluorescens PICF7, an effective biocontrol strain against Verticillium wilt of olive. Two derivatives of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), the enhanced green and the red fluorescent proteins, have been used to visualize simultaneously two differently fluorescently tagged populations of P. fluorescens PICF7 within olive root tissues at the single cell level. The time-course of colonization events of olive roots cv. Arbequina by strain PICF7 and the localization of tagged bacteria within olive root tissues are described. First, bacteria rapidly colonized root surfaces and were predominantly found in the differentiation zone. Thereafter, microscopy observations showed that PICF7-tagged populations eventually disappeared from the root surface, and increasingly colonized inner root tissues. Localized and limited endophytic colonization by the introduced bacteria was observed over time. Fluorescent-tagged bacteria were always visualized in the intercellular spaces of the cortex region, and no colonization of the root xylem vessels was detected at any time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this approach has been used to demonstrate endophytism of a biocontrol Pseudomonas spp. strain in a woody host such as olive using a nongnotobiotic system.     

Computer-Guided Trypanocidal Activity of Natural Lactones Produced by Endophytic Fungus of Euphorbia umbellata

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by Chagas’ disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Since the current treatment lack efficacy, specificity, and suffers from several side-effects, novel therapeutics are mandatory. Natural products from endophytic fungi have been useful sources of lead compounds. In this study, three lactones isolated from an endophytic strain culture were in silico evaluated for rational guidance of their bioassay screening. All lactones displayed in vitro activity against T. cruzi epimastigote and trypomastigote forms. Notably, the IC₅₀ values of (+)-phomolactone were lower than benznidazole (0.86 vs. 30.78 μM against epimastigotes and 0.41 vs. 4.88 μM against trypomastigotes). Target-based studies suggested that lactones displayed their trypanocidal activities due to T. cruzi glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (TcGAPDH) inhibition, and the binding free energy for all three TcGAPDH-lactone complexes suggested that (+)-phomolactone has a lower score value (−3.38), corroborating with IC₅₀ assays. These results highlight the potential of these lactones for further anti-T. cruzi drug development.     

Purification and characterization of a highly active chromate reductase from endophytic Bacillus sp. DGV19 of Albizzia lebbeck (L.) Benth. actively involved in phytoremediation of tannery effluent-contaminated sites

Phytoremediation using timber-yielding tree species is considered to be the most efficient method for chromium/tannery effluent-contaminated sites. In this study, we have chosen Albizzia lebbeck, a chromium hyperaccumulator plant, and studied one of its chromium detoxification processes operated by its endophytic bacterial assemblage. Out of the four different groups of endophytic bacteria comprising Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Bacillus, and Salinicoccus identified from A. lebbeck employed in phytoremediation of tannery effluent-contaminated soil, Bacillus predominated with three species, which exhibited not only remarkable chromium accumulation ability but also high chromium reductase activity. A chromate reductase was purified to homogeneity from the most efficient chromium accumulator, Bacillus sp. DGV 019, and the purified 34.2-kD enzyme was observed to be stable at temperatures from 20°C to 60°C. The enzyme was active over a wide range of pH values (4.0–9.0). Furthermore, the enzyme activity was enhanced with the electron donors NADH, followed by NADPH, not affected by glutathione and ascorbic acid. Cu²⁺ enhanced the activity of the purified enzyme but was inhibited by Zn²⁺ and etheylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). In conclusion, due to its versatile adaptability the chromate reductase can be used for chromium remediation.     

茅苍术叶片可培养内生细菌多样性及其促生潜力

对江苏省道地药材茅苍术叶片可培养内生细菌的多样性及其固氮、解磷、解钾、产生长素的能力进行研究。依据菌落形态的不同,共分离得到52株内生细菌。能正常传代培养的45株内生细菌经ARDRA分析后归入14个聚类簇,簇内菌株的BOX-PCR指纹图谱相似度不高,在属水平上显示出茅苍术内生细菌丰富的多样性。各聚类簇代表菌株16S rDNA的序列分析表明分离得到的内生细菌与泛菌属、微杆菌属、短杆菌属、农杆菌属、假单胞菌属、芽孢杆菌属细菌亲缘关系相近,优势内生细菌与假单胞菌属细菌亲缘关系相近。45株能正常传代培养的内生细菌中,有10株能够在无氮培养基上正常生长,具固氮潜力。使用nifH基因通用引物对其基因组进行扩增后,除ALEB 33外,其它9株内生细菌均可获得与nifH基因片段大小相近的条带。分别使用NBRIP培养基和蒙金娜有机磷培养基筛选后获得19株和15株能够溶解磷酸钙和卵磷脂的内生细菌,其中ALEB 43溶解无机磷的能力最强,达(251.43±6.55)mg/L;ALEB 4A溶解有机磷的能力最强,达(23.63±1.46)mg/L。部分内生细菌溶解无机磷的能力与其产酸能力呈正相关,而菌株溶解有机磷的能力却无此相关性。通过硅酸盐培养基的筛选,获得具有解钾潜力的菌株24株。43株内生细菌能够将色氨酸转化为生长素,其中ALEB 44产生长素的能力最强,达(268.44±10.12)μg/mL。本研究首次揭示了江苏省道地药材茅苍术体内丰富的内生细菌资源及其促生长潜力,对进一步阐述茅苍术与内生菌之间的相互关系具有重要意义。