Responses in the mycelial growth of Aspergillus niger isolates to arsenic contaminated environments and their resistance to exogenic metal stress

Fungal Endophytes of Alnus incana ssp. rugosa and Alnus alnobetula ssp. crispa and Their Potential to Tolerate Heavy Metals and to Promote Plant Growth

Soil contamination by metals is of particular interest, given that their retention times within the profile can be indefinite. Thus, phytostabilization can be viewed as a means of limiting metal toxicity in soils. Due to their ability to grow on contaminated soils, alders have repeatedly been used as key species in phytostabilization efforts. Alder ability to grow on contaminated sites stems, in part, from its association with microbial endophytes. This work emphasizes the fungal endophytes populations associated with Alnus incana ssp. rugosa and Alnus alnobetula ssp. crispa (previously A. viridis ssp. crispa) under a phytostabilization angle. Fungal endophytes were isolated from alder trees that were growing on or near disturbed environments; their tolerances to Cu, Ni, Zn, and As, and acidic pH (4.3, 3, and 2) were subsequently assessed. Cryptosporiopsis spp. and Rhizoscyphus spp. were identified as fungal endophytes of Alnus for the first time. When used as inoculants for alder, some isolates promoted plant growth, while others apparently presented antagonistic relationships with the host plant. This study reports the first step in finding the right fungal endophytic partners for two species of alder used in phytostabilization of metal-contaminated mining sites.

Role of Aspergillus niger acrA in arsenic resistance and its use as the basis for an arsenic biosensor

Arsenic contamination of groundwater sources is a major issue worldwide, since exposure to high levels of arsenic has been linked to a variety of health problems. Effective methods of detection are thus greatly needed as preventive measures. In an effort to develop a fungal biosensor for arsenic, we first identified seven putative arsenic metabolism and transport genes in Aspergillus niger, a widely used industrial organism that is generally regarded as safe (GRAS). Among the genes tested for RNA expression in response to arsenate, acrA, encoding a putative plasma membrane arsenite efflux pump, displayed an over 200-fold increase in gene expression in response to arsenate. We characterized the function of this A. niger protein in arsenic efflux by gene knockout and confirmed that AcrA was located at the cell membrane using an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) fusion construct. Based on our observations, we developed a putative biosensor strain containing a construct of the native promoter of acrA fused with egfp. We analyzed the fluorescence of this biosensor strain in the presence of arsenic using confocal microscopy and spectrofluorimetry. The biosensor strain reliably detected both arsenite and arsenate in the range of 1.8 to 180 μg/liter, which encompasses the threshold concentrations for drinking water set by the World Health Organization (10 and 50 μg/liter).

Direct effects of non-antifungal agents used in cancer chemotherapy and organ transplantation on the development and virulence of Candida and Aspergillus species

Conventional antineoplastic, novel immunosuppressive agents and antibiotics used in cancer treatment can directly affect the growth, development and virulence of Candida and Aspergillus species. Cytotoxic and cisplatin compounds have anti-Candida activity and may be synergistic with antifungal drugs; they also inhibit Candida and Aspergillus filamentation/conidation and effect increased virulence in vitro. Glucocorticoids enhance Candida adherence to epithelial cells, germination in serum and in vitro secretion of phospholipases and proteases, as well as growth of A. fumigatus. Calcineurin and target of rapamycin inhibitors perturb Candida and Aspergillus morphogenesis, stress responses and survival in serum, reduce azole tolerance in Candida, but yield conflicting in vivo data. Inhibition of candidal heat shock protein 90 and candidal-specific histone deacetylase represent feasible therapeutic approaches for candidiasis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors inhibit fungal cell entry into epithelial cells and phagocytosis. Quinolone and other antibiotics may augment activity of azole and polyene agents. The correlation of in vitro effects with clinically meaningful in vivo systems is warranted. 

Isolates of Comamonas spp. exhibiting catalase and peroxidase activities and diversity of their responses to oxidative stress

For survival isolates of Comamonas testosteroni CCM 1931, C. testosteroni K3, C. terrigena N3H or N1C and C. terrigena CCM 2409, selected largely from polluted environments, the production of catalase and dianisidine-peroxidase activity was important. Electrophoretic resolution of cell-free extracts of aerobically grown strains in Luria-Bertani medium during the exponential phase revealed distinctive expression of catalatic and peroxidatic activities detected with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (DAB). The protection of isolates from 20 or 40 mM H(2)O(2) stress was characterized with a considerable diversity in catalase and peroxidase responses that resulted from hydroperoxidase's variant of original isolates, indicating also a selective pressure of environment. Results indicate catalase to be important for adaptation of cultures to high concentration of 60mM H(2)O(2). The greatest appreciable differences in sensitivity to toxic effect of H(2)O(2) (20 or 40 mM) treatment between individual isolates and their adapted variants during the growth were observed until the middle of exponential phase. Isolates exhibited diversity in catalases responses to possible contaminants o-or p-phenylenediamine (PDA) as well. Only positional isomer p-PDA (1 or 2mM) stimulated catalase activity unlike from isomer o-PDA in C. terrigena N3H cells. The study can contribute to understanding of bacterial antioxidative enzymatic responses in the presence of possible physiological stress resulting mainly from environmental pollutants.

Screening of bacterial isolates from polluted soils exhibiting catalase and peroxidase activity and diversity of their responses to oxidative stress

For the survival of individual isolates of gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas putida, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus megaterium, in an environment polluted with crude oil products, the production of catalases exhibiting both catalase and dianisidine-peroxidase activity is important. Electrophoretic resolution of cell-free extracts of aerobically grown strains in Luria-Bertani medium during exponential phase revealed distinctive expression of catalatic and peroxidatic activities detected with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride. A considerable diversity in microbial catalase and peroxidase responses to 20 or 40 mM H(2)O(2) stress, resulted from hydroperoxidase's variant of original isolates, indicating an environmental selective pressure. However, catalase was important for the adaptation of cultures to high concentration of 60 mM H(2)O(2). Appreciable differences in the sensitivity to toxic effect of H(2)O(2) (20 or 40 mM) treatment between individual isolates and their adapted variants during growth were observed until the middle of exponential phase, but they were insignificant at the entry to stationary phase. Isolates also exhibited a considerable diversity in catalases responses to phenolic contaminants 1 and 2 mM o- or p-phenylenediamine. Catalase activity of bacterium P. putida was visibly stimulated only by p-phenylenediamine and not by its positional isomer o-PDA. This study contributes to a better understanding of the role catalases play in bacterial responses to a polluted environment.

Tolerance of arsenate-induced stress in Aspergillus niger, a possible candidate for bioremediation

The arsenate tolerance limit in wild-type Aspergillus niger was determined. Because of its high tolerance, toxic effects of arsenate concentrations ranging from 25 to 100mg/L were investigated in regard to growth, intracellular thiols, proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of wild-type A. niger. Cellular arsenate uptake was analyzed. Activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) were assayed. Growth of A. niger increased at 25mg/L arsenate, and it survived up to 100mg/L. MDA, intracellular thiol and proline contents increased up to a certain level. Activities of GR, SOD and CAT declined following a rise at low concentration(s); SDH activity decreased gradually with increased arsenate stress. Results indicated that A. niger had high arsenate uptake potential and could tolerate oxidative stress by manipulating its anti-oxidative defense mechanism, a property that may be exploited for removal of arsenate from contaminated aqua-environment.

Assessing the effect of disturbances on ectomycorrhiza diversity

Ectomycorrhiza (ECM) communities can be described on a species level or on a larger scale at an ecosystem level. Here we show that the species level approach of successional processes in ECM communities is not appropriate for understanding the diversity patterns of ECM communities at contaminated sites. An ecosystem based approach improves predictability since different biotic and abiotic factors are included. However, it still does not take into account the hierarchical structure of the ecosystem. We suggest that diversity patterns of ECMs communities in forests can best be investigated at three levels. This hypothetical approach for investigation can be tested at sites of secondary succession in areas contaminated with metals. Once the diversity patterns are appropriately described by a hierarchical ecosystem approach, to the species level is used to explain these patterns by populational and ecotoxicological mechanisms.