Origin of sclerotia-like cells in submerged Claviceps purpurea producing clavine alkaloids

Ultrathin sectioning of submerged mycelium of Claviceps purpurea Tul. producing clavine alkaloids revealed yeast-like budding resulting in asexual sporesblastospores. These deciduous spores were born by extended hyphal cells and retained the same ultrastructure of cell organelles. Both the extended hyphae and the blastospores resembled the cells of ergot sclerotial tissue. A surface culture of C. purpurea Tul. producing no alkaloids was used as a reference.     

醉马草内生菌的分离、鉴定及杀虫效果

【目的】探明醉马草内生菌的种类,筛选对农作物虫害有毒杀作用的菌株。【方法】采用研磨法从健康醉马草植物的根、茎、叶和种子中进行菌种分离;通过对其形态、培养特征、生理生化及其他生物学特性的研究;16SrDNA及ITS序列的系统发育学分析进行鉴定;用玻片浸渍法和喷雾法筛选产杀虫活性物质菌株。【结果】获得细菌89株,分别属于枯草芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)、链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、棒状杆菌属(Corynebacterium)、叶杆菌属(Phyllobacterium)、鞘脂单胞菌属(Sphingomonnas)、类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)和不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter)8个属;真菌2株,分别属于麦角菌属(Claviceps)和毛壳菌属(Chaetomium)。经初筛及复筛,内生菌娄彻氏链霉菌Streptomyces rochei(GA)和黑麦麦角菌Claviceps purpurea(PF-2)发酵液粗提物对棉蚜虫(Aphis gossypii)致死率达85%以上。【结论】醉马草内生菌株PF-2和GA的粗提代谢物对棉蚜虫有明显的毒杀作用,为开发新的生物源农药提供了生物源物质。     

Separation of ergot alkaloids by adsorption on silicates

A mixture of ergot alkaloids (agroclavine, elymoclavine, chanoclavine, and chanoclavine aldehyde) was separated from the Claviceps purpureafermentation broth by adsorption on inorganic adsorbents containing silica. The uptake of alkaloids depended on the concentration of adsorbent and pH. The adsorption capacity for of inorganic materials increased with increasing content of inorganic oxides such as MgO and CaO in the adsorbent. Using statistical thermodynamics, a simple mathematical model describing the multicomponent adsorption equilibrium is proposed and a numerical method suitable for fast computer simulation of multicomponent adsorption was developed.     

Claviceps arundinis identification and its role in the die-back syndrome of Phragmites australis populations in central Italy

Common reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. is one of the most widely distributed angiosperms with important ecological functions. In recent decades, it has been affected by a severe decline known as reed die-back syndrome (RDBS), the causal factors of which are still under investigation. Among the biotic factors that influence the dynamic of the reed population, the role of microorganisms is still poorly understood. During surveys carried out on P. australis populations in Central Italy, Claviceps-like sclerotia were detected: is Claviceps infection related to P. australis sexual reproduction and seed production? Could Claviceps infection be involved in the RDBS? These are the questions that we address. We characterized the sclerotia at the morphological, molecular, and chemical level and we demonstrated that they belong to Claviceps arundinis Pa?outová &; M. Kola?ík. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. arundinis on P. australis in Italy. Furthermore, the association of C. arundinis with RDBS was evaluated considering a set of macromorphological traits generally related to RDBS, such as P. australis clumping habit, culm height and diameter. No correlation was seen between the occurrence of C. arundinis and the declining status of reed populations.     

The linear mitochondrial plasmid pClK1 of the phytopathogenic fungus Claviceps purpurea may code for a DNA polymerase and an RNA polymerase

Summary Plasmid pClK1, a linear mitochondrial plasmid of Claviceps purpurea, was completely sequenced. The sequence contains two long open reading frames (ORF1, 3291 bp; ORF2, 2910 bp), and at least four smaller ORFs. The potential polypeptide derived from ORF1 shows homology to the family B type DNA polymerases. The product of ORF2 has significant homology to the mitochondrial RNA polymerase of yeast and RNA polymerases from bacteriophages. ORF1 and ORF2 show homology to URF3 and URF1 of the maize plasmids S1 and S2, respectively. No homology to any published protein sequence was found for the smaller ORFs. The origin of the terminal protein attached to the 5 ends of pClK1 remains open; several alternatives for its origin are discussed. The sequence data as a whole confirm the virus-like character of pClK1 already postulated from structural properties. Thus pClK1 together with S plasmids of maize and several other linear plasmids make up a distinct class of DNA species of plants and fungi probably derived from a common virus-like ancestor.     

Development of a PCR-based mating-type assay for Clavicipitaceae

A new controlled production system to target heterologous proteins to cytoplasm or extracellular medium is described for Lactococcus lactis NCDO2118. It is based on the use of a xylose-inducible lactococcal promoter, P(xylT). The capacities of this system to produce cytoplasmic and secreted proteins were tested using the Staphylococcus aureus nuclease gene (nuc) fused or not to the lactococcal Usp45 signal peptide. Xylose-inducible nuc expression is tightly controlled and resulted in high-level and long-term protein production, and correct targeting either to the cytoplasm or to the extracellular medium. Furthermore, this expression system is versatile and can be switched on or off easily by adding either xylose or glucose, respectively. These results confirm the potential of this expression system as an alternative and useful tool for the production of proteins of interest in L. lactis.     

Agalactia in Mares fed with grain contaminated with Claviceps purpurea

This article reports an outbreak of intoxication of female horses with Claviceps purpurea in southern Brazil. The outbreak affected twelve pregnant mares which were fed with black oat (Avena strigosa) during the pre-delivery period. Underdevelopment of the mammary gland in the pre-delivery period resulting in post-delivery agalactia was the most pronounced finding. These mares delivered weak and unviable foals, which showed no suckling reflex and died within a few hours of birth. Laboratory analysis of oat samples fed to the animals resulted in the identification of Claviceps purpurea sclerotia. The fungus was identified in 0.22% of the examined seeds. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The role of citrate on the oxidative metabolism of submerged cultures of Claviceps purpurea 129

In submerged cultures of Claviceps purpurea citrate utilization was stopped when the pool phosphate concentration decreased to 0.44–0.55 mmol per g of mycelial protein. The absence of citrate in the medium resulted in a 50% decrease of biomass, cessation of the alkaloid (agro-, elymo-, chanoclavine) synthesis, formation of a central large vacuole, cell enlargement and medium acidification by lactate. Citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase gradually disappeared. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was not detectable. The activities of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase increased by one or two orders of magnitude higher than in control culture (with 80 mM citrate). Substrate competition on the pyruvate level is discussed.     

50mL-管摇床培养暨24孔板法筛选麦角菌突变株

麦角菌原生质体用０．３ｍｇ／ｍＬ亚硝基胍（ＮＴＧ）分别处理２０,４０,６０和８０ｍｉｎ。随机挑取ＮＴＧ处理后的原生质体再生单菌落共８０个,分别接种到５０ｍＬ离心管（内装１０ｍＬ液体培养基）中,在２４℃,２２０ｒ／ｍｉｎ摇床上培养１２ｄ。在紫外灯（２５４ｎｍ）下选出４６株荧光相对较中的培养物在２４孔板上作Ｖａｎ Ｕｒｋ蓝色反应分析。挑选９株呈深蓝色反应的菌株作ＨＰＬＣ分析,其结果与２４孔板法有明显的