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Silva DF, Mazza Rodrigues JL, Erikson C, Silva AMM, Huang L, Araujo VLVP, Matteoli FP, Mendes LW, Araujo ASF, Pereira APA, Melo VMM, Cardoso EJBN. Grazing exclusion-induced changes in soil fungal communities in a highly desertified Brazilian dryland. Microbiol Res 2024; 285:127763. [PMID: 38805979 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Soil desertification poses a critical ecological challenge in arid and semiarid climates worldwide, leading to decreased soil productivity due to the disruption of essential microbial community processes. Fungi, as one of the most important soil microbial communities, play a crucial role in enhancing nutrient and water uptake by plants through mycorrhizal associations. However, the impact of overgrazing-induced desertification on fungal community structure, particularly in the Caatinga biome of semiarid regions, remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the changes in both the total fungal community and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community (AMF) across 1. Natural vegetation (native), 2. Grazing exclusion (20 years) (restored), and 3. affected by overgrazing-induced degradation (degraded) scenarios. Our assessment, conducted during both the dry and rainy seasons in Irauçuba, Ceará, utilized Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene sequencing via Illumina® platform. Our findings highlighted the significant roles of the AMF families Glomeraceae (∼71% of the total sequences) and Acaulosporaceae (∼14% of the total sequences) as potential key taxa in mitigating climate change within dryland areas. Moreover, we identified the orders Pleosporales (∼35% of the total sequences) and Capnodiales (∼21% of the total sequences) as the most abundant soil fungal communities in the Caatinga biome. The structure of the total fungal community differed when comparing native and restored areas to degraded areas. Total fungal communities from native and restored areas clustered together, suggesting that grazing exclusion has the potential to improve soil properties and recover fungal community structure amid global climate change challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo F Silva
- Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Soil Science Department, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Soil EcoGenomics Laboratory, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Jorge L Mazza Rodrigues
- Soil EcoGenomics Laboratory, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christian Erikson
- Soil EcoGenomics Laboratory, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Antonio M M Silva
- Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Soil Science Department, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laibin Huang
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Victor L V P Araujo
- Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Soil Science Department, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Filipe P Matteoli
- Laboratory of Microbial Bioinformatic, Faculty of Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas W Mendes
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Elke J B N Cardoso
- Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Soil Science Department, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tehrani AM, Berijani N, Hajiketabi S, Samadi M. Tracking bioaerosol exposure among municipal solid waste workers using hematological and inflammatory biomarkers. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 352:124124. [PMID: 38723706 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
High levels of bioaerosols may exist in the air of municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities, constituting a significant occupational hazard for workers. In this study, we investigated the potential association between exposure to bioaerosols and inflammatory biomarkers among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) at both the landfill site and the municipal solid waste transfer station (MSWTS), in comparison to a control group without exposure. Air sampling was conducted at six points around the landfill, two points at the MSWTS, and one point in a public park (as a control area) during the spring and summer of 2019. The results of our study revealed that airborne pathogens were highly prevalent at the sampling points, especially in the active zone and leachate collection pond. Aspergillus species were the predominant fungal species detected in this study, with the highest occurrence observed for Aspergillus flavus (83.3%), Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus (75.0%). Furthermore, Staphylococcus species accounted for over 75% of the total bacterial bioaerosols detected across all study areas. The blood test results of workers revealed a significant increase in platelets (PLT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to the control group. Conversely, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) in the exposed subjects exhibited a decreasing trend compared to the control group. These findings suggest a potential association between exposure to bioaerosols, particularly in the vicinity of open dumpsites, and elevated levels of hematologic and inflammatory markers in circulation. Furthermore, the influence of smoking status and confounding factors appears to be significant in both the control and exposure groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Mazaheri Tehrani
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Sajjad Hajiketabi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mohammadtaghi Samadi
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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Strader MB, Saha AL, Fernandes C, Sharma K, Hadiwinarta C, Calheiros D, Conde-de-Oliveira G, Gonçalves T, Slater JE. Distinct proteomes and allergen profiles appear across the life-cycle stages of Alternaria alternata. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024:S0091-6749(24)00410-X. [PMID: 38663817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternaria alternata is associated with allergic respiratory diseases, which can be managed with allergen extract-based diagnostics and immunotherapy. It is not known how spores and hyphae contribute to allergen content. Commercial allergen extracts are manufactured by extracting proteins without separating the different forms of the fungus. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine differences between spore and hyphae proteomes and how allergens are distributed in Aalternata. METHODS Data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry was used to quantitatively compare the proteomes of asexual spores (nongerminating and germinating) with vegetative hyphae. RESULTS We identified 4515 proteins in nongerminating spores, germinating spores, and hyphae; most known allergens are more abundant in nongerminating spores. On comparing significant protein fold-change differences between nongerminating spores and hyphae, we found that 174 proteins were upregulated in nongerminating spores and 80 proteins in hyphae. Among the spore proteins are ones functionally involved in cell wall synthesis, responding to cellular stress, and maintaining redox balance and homeostasis. On comparing nongerminating and germinating spores, 25 proteins were found to be upregulated in nongerminating spores and 54 in germinating spores. Among the proteins specific to germinating spores were proteases known to be virulence factors. One of the most abundant proteins in the spore proteome is sialidase, which has not been identified as an allergen but may be important in the pathogenicity of this fungus. Major allergen Alt a 1 is present at low levels in spores and hyphae and appears to be largely secreted into growth media. CONCLUSIONS Spores and hyphae express overlapping but distinct proteomes. Most known allergens are found more abundantly in nongerminating spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Brad Strader
- Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md.
| | - Aishwarya L Saha
- Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md
| | - Chantal Fernandes
- University of Coimbra, CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, FMUC - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md
| | - Christian Hadiwinarta
- Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md
| | - Daniela Calheiros
- University of Coimbra, CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, FMUC - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Conde-de-Oliveira
- University of Coimbra, CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, FMUC - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Gonçalves
- University of Coimbra, CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, FMUC - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jay E Slater
- Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md
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Son YE, Park HS. Coordination of two regulators SscA and VosA in Aspergillus nidulans conidia. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 171:103877. [PMID: 38447800 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2024.103877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Airborne fungal spores are a major cause of fungal diseases in humans, animals, and plants as well as contamination of foods. Previous studies found a variety of regulators including VosA, VelB, WetA, and SscA for sporogenesis and the long-term viability in Aspergillus nidulans. To gain a mechanistic understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms in asexual spores, here, we focused on the relationship between VosA and SscA using comparative transcriptomic analysis and phenotypic studies. The ΔsscA ΔvosA double-mutant conidia have lower spore viability and stress tolerance compared to the ΔsscA or ΔvosA single mutant conidia. Deletion of sscA or vosA affects chitin levels and mRNA levels of chitin biosynthetic genes in conidia. In addition, SscA and VosA are required for the dormant state of conidia and conidial germination by modulating the mRNA levels of the cytoskeleton and development-associated genes. Overall, these results suggest that SscA and VosA play interdependent roles in governing spore maturation, dormancy, and germination in A. nidulans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Eun Son
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrative Biology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
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Tastassa AC, Sharaby Y, Lang-Yona N. Aeromicrobiology: A global review of the cycling and relationships of bioaerosols with the atmosphere. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168478. [PMID: 37967625 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Airborne microorganisms and biological matter (bioaerosols) play a key role in global biogeochemical cycling, human and crop health trends, and climate patterns. Their presence in the atmosphere is controlled by three main stages: emission, transport, and deposition. Aerial survival rates of bioaerosols are increased through adaptations such as ultra-violet radiation and desiccation resistance or association with particulate matter. Current research into modern concerns such as climate change, global gene transfer, and pathogenicity often neglects to consider atmospheric involvement. This comprehensive review outlines the transpiring of bioaerosols across taxa in the atmosphere, with significant focus on their interactions with environmental elements including abiotic factors (e.g., atmospheric composition, water cycle, and pollution) and events (e.g., dust storms, hurricanes, and wildfires). The aim of this review is to increase understanding and shed light on needed research regarding the interplay between global atmospheric phenomena and the aeromicrobiome. The abundantly documented bacteria and fungi are discussed in context of their cycling and human health impacts. Gaps in knowledge regarding airborne viral community, the challenges and importance of studying their composition, concentrations and survival in the air are addressed, along with understudied plant pathogenic oomycetes, and archaea cycling. Key methodologies in sampling, collection, and processing are described to provide an up-to-date picture of ameliorations in the field. We propose optimization to microbiological methods, commonly used in soil and water analysis, that adjust them to the context of aerobiology, along with other directions towards novel and necessary advancements. This review offers new perspectives into aeromicrobiology and calls for advancements in global-scale bioremediation, insights into ecology, climate change impacts, and pathogenicity transmittance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel C Tastassa
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Yehonatan Sharaby
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Naama Lang-Yona
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel.
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Matha AR, Xie X, Lin X. Ergosterol Is Critical for Sporogenesis in Cryptococcus neoformans. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:106. [PMID: 38392778 PMCID: PMC10890046 DOI: 10.3390/jof10020106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes, both bacteria and fungi, produce spores to survive stressful conditions. Spores produced by the environmental fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans serve as both surviving and infectious propagules. Because of their importance in disease transmission and pathogenesis, factors necessary for cryptococcal spore germination are being actively investigated. However, little is known about nutrients critical for sporogenesis in this pathogen. Here, we found that ergosterol, the main sterol in fungal membranes, is enriched in spores relative to yeasts and hyphae. In C. neoformans, the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway (EBP) is upregulated by the transcription factor Sre1 in response to conditions that demand elevated ergosterol biosynthesis. Although the deletion of SRE1 enhances the production of mating hyphae, the sre1Δ strain is deficient at producing spores even when crossed with a wild-type partner. We found that the defect of the sre1Δ strain is specific to sporogenesis, not meiosis or basidium maturation preceding sporulation. Consistent with the idea that sporulation demands heightened ergosterol biosynthesis, EBP mutants are also defective in sporulation. We discovered that the overexpression of some EBP genes can largely rescue the sporulation defect of the sre1Δ strain. Collectively, we demonstrate that ergosterol is a critical component in cryptococcal preparation for sporulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber R Matha
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Xie
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Were E, Viljoen A, Rasche F. Iron necessity for chlamydospore germination in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4. Biometals 2023; 36:1295-1306. [PMID: 37380939 PMCID: PMC10684721 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-023-00519-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium wilt disease of banana, caused by the notorious soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4), is extremely difficult to manage. Manipulation of soil pH or application of synthetic iron chelators can suppress the disease through iron starvation, which inhibits the germination of pathogen propagules called chlamydospores. However, the effect of iron starvation on chlamydospore germination is largely unknown. In this study, scanning electron microscopy was used to assemble the developmental sequence of chlamydospore germination and to assess the effect of iron starvation and pH in vitro. Germination occurs in three distinct phenotypic transitions (swelling, polarized growth, outgrowth). Outgrowth, characterized by formation of a single protrusion (germ tube), occurred at 2 to 3 h, and a maximum value of 69.3% to 76.7% outgrowth was observed at 8 to 10 h after germination induction. Germination exhibited plasticity with pH as over 60% of the chlamydospores formed a germ tube between pH 3 and pH 11. Iron-starved chlamydospores exhibited polarized-growth arrest, characterized by the inability to form a germ tube. Gene expression analysis of rnr1 and rnr2, which encode the iron-dependent enzyme ribonucleotide reductase, showed that rnr2 was upregulated (p < 0.0001) in iron-starved chlamydospores compared to the control. Collectively, these findings suggest that iron and extracellular pH are crucial for chlamydospore germination in Foc TR4. Moreover, inhibition of germination by iron starvation may be linked to a different mechanism, rather than repression of the function of ribonucleotide reductase, the enzyme that controls growth by regulation of DNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans Were
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Altus Viljoen
- Department of Plant Pathology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Frank Rasche
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany.
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Seekles SJ, van den Brule T, Punt M, Dijksterhuis J, Arentshorst M, Ijadpanahsaravi M, Roseboom W, Meuken G, Ongenae V, Zwerus J, Ohm RA, Kramer G, Wösten HAB, de Winde JH, Ram AFJ. Compatible solutes determine the heat resistance of conidia. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2023; 10:21. [PMID: 37957766 PMCID: PMC10644514 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-023-00168-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asexually developed fungal spores (conidia) are key for the massive proliferation and dispersal of filamentous fungi. Germination of conidia and subsequent formation of a mycelium network give rise to many societal problems related to human and animal fungal diseases, post-harvest food spoilage, loss of harvest caused by plant-pathogenic fungi and moulding of buildings. Conidia are highly stress resistant compared to the vegetative mycelium and therefore even more difficult to tackle. RESULTS In this study, complementary approaches are used to show that accumulation of mannitol and trehalose as the main compatible solutes during spore maturation is a key factor for heat resistance of conidia. Compatible solute concentrations increase during conidia maturation, correlating with increased heat resistance of mature conidia. This maturation only occurs when conidia are attached to the conidiophore. Moreover, conidia of a mutant Aspergillus niger strain, constructed by deleting genes involved in mannitol and trehalose synthesis and consequently containing low concentrations of these compatible solutes, exhibit a sixteen orders of magnitude more sensitive heat shock phenotype compared to wild-type conidia. Cultivation at elevated temperature results in adaptation of conidia with increased heat resistance. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed two putative heat shock proteins to be upregulated under these conditions. However, conidia of knock-out strains lacking these putative heat shock proteins did not show a reduced heat resistance. CONCLUSIONS Heat stress resistance of fungal conidia is mainly determined by the compatible solute composition established during conidia maturation. To prevent heat resistant fungal spore contaminants, food processing protocols should consider environmental conditions stimulating compatible solute accumulation and potentially use compatible solute biosynthesis as a novel food preservation target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd J Seekles
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tom van den Brule
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Punt
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mark Arentshorst
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Ijadpanahsaravi
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Winfried Roseboom
- Mass Spectrometry of Biomolecules, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gwendolin Meuken
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Véronique Ongenae
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jordy Zwerus
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robin A Ohm
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gertjan Kramer
- Mass Spectrometry of Biomolecules, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Han A B Wösten
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes H de Winde
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arthur F J Ram
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Microbial Sciences, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Tomić A, Šovljanski O, Erceg T. Insight on Incorporation of Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Substances in Biopolymer-Based Active Packaging. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1473. [PMID: 37760769 PMCID: PMC10525543 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing interest in microbiological food safety requires the development of sensitive and reliable analyses and technologies for preserving food products' freshness and quality. Different types of packaging systems are one of the solutions for controlling microbiological activity in foods. During the last decades, the development of biopolymer-based active packaging with essential oil incorporation systems has resulted in technologies with exceptional application potential, primarily in the food industry. There is no doubt that this principle can facilitate food status monitoring, reduce food waste, extend the shelf life, improve the overall quality of food, or indicate a larger problem during the storage, production, and distribution of foodstuffs. On the other hand, most antimicrobial packaging systems are in the development phase, while the sensitivity, selectivity, complexity, and, above all, safety of these materials are just some of the essential questions that need to be answered before they can be widely used. The incorporation of essential oils as antimicrobial substances in biopolymer-based active packaging holds significant promise for enhancing food safety, extending shelf life, and offering more sustainable packaging solutions. While challenges exist, ongoing research and innovation in this field are likely to lead to the development of effective and environmentally friendly packaging systems with enhanced antimicrobial properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olja Šovljanski
- Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.T.); (T.E.)
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Segers FJ, Dijksterhuis J, Giesbers M, Debets AJ. Natural folding of airborne fungal spores: a mechanism for dispersal and long-term survival? FUNGAL BIOL REV 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Tetz V, Kardava K, Krasnov K, Vecherkovskaya M, Tetz G. Antifungal activity of a novel synthetic polymer M451 against phytopathogens. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1176428. [PMID: 37275130 PMCID: PMC10235499 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi are the predominant causal agents of plant diseases. Available fungicides have substantial disadvantages, such as being insufficiently effective owing to intrinsic tolerance and the spread of antifungal resistance accumulating in plant tissues, posing a global threat to public health. Therefore, finding a new broad-spectrum fungicide is a challenge to protect plants. We studied the potency of a novel antimicrobial agent, M451, a 1,6-diaminohexane derivative, against different phytopathogenic fungi of the Ascomycota, Oomycota, and Basidiomycota phyla. M451 exhibited significant antifungal activity with EC50 values from 34-145 μg/mL. The minimal fungicidal concentration against Fusarium oxysporum ranged from 4 to 512 μg/mL depending on the exposure times of 5 min to 24 h. M451 has the highest activity and significantly lower exposure times compared to different polyene, azole, and phenylpyrrole antifungals. The conidial germination assay revealed that M451 induced 99 and 97.8% inhibition against F. oxysporum within 5 min of exposure to 5,000 and 500 μg/mL, respectively. Germ tube elongation, spore production, and spore germination were also significantly inhibited by M451 at concentrations of ≥50 μg/mL. Based on the broad spectrum of antifungal effects across different plant pathogens, M451 could be a new chemical fungicide for plant disease management.
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Seekles SJ. The breaking of fungal spore dormancy: A coordinated transition. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002077. [PMID: 37083593 PMCID: PMC10121016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from dormant spore to germling has been topic of study and debate. A recent discovery in PLOS Biology shows that chaperone Hsp42 plays a crucial role in resolubilizing the proteome during dormancy breaking, although a role of trehalose cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd Johan Seekles
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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13
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Biosynthesis and characterization of yellow pigment from Aspergillus nidulans strain JAS3 isolated from Thirumullavaram, Indian Ocean and its therapeutic activity against clinical pathogens. Biologia (Bratisl) 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-023-01337-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
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14
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Janošík L, Sochorová Z, Eckstein J, Vega M, Koukol O. Ascospore morphology of bryophilous Pezizales is closely associated with the place of infection and host ecology. FUNGAL ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2022.101200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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15
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What's New in Prevention of Invasive Fungal Diseases during Hospital Construction and Renovation Work: An Overview. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020151. [PMID: 36836266 PMCID: PMC9966904 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The goal of the overview was to give insight into the recent data of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) associated with construction and renovation in healthcare settings as well as the recent evidence about available prevention and infection control measures. The number of studies describing IFD outbreaks associated with construction or renovation is on the rise again. Applying adequate prevention measures is still a challenge not just for healthcare workers but also for architects and construction workers as well. The role of multidisciplinary teams in the planning and monitoring of prevention measures cannot be overemphasized. Dust control is an inevitable part of every prevention plan. HEPA filters are helpful in the prevention of fungal outbreaks in hematologic patients, but further studies are needed to clarify the extent in which they contribute as specific control measures. The cut-off value for a "threating" level of fungal spore contamination still remains to be defined. The value of antifungal prophylaxis is difficult to assess because other preventive measures are simultaneously applied. Recommendations are still based on few meta-analyses, a large number of descriptive reports, and the opinion of respective authorities. Outbreak reports in the literature are a valuable resource and should be used for education as well as for preparing outbreak investigations.
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16
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Liu H, Zhang K, Jang YO, Qiao Z, Jin J, Thi Dao TN, Koo B, Park CO, Shin Y. Homobifunctional imidoester-modified zinc nano-spindle attenuated hyphae growth of Aspergillus against hypersensitivity responses. iScience 2023; 26:105922. [PMID: 36866037 PMCID: PMC9971823 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi cause various forms of invasive fungal disease (IFD), and fungal sensitization can contribute to the development of asthma, asthma severity, and other hypersensitivity diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we introduce a facile and controllable approach, using homobifunctional imidoester-modified zinc nano-spindle (HINS), for attenuating hyphae growth of fungi and reducing the hypersensitivity response complications in fungi-infected mice. To extend the study of the specificity and immune mechanisms, we used HINS-cultured Aspergillus extract (HI-AsE) and common agar-cultured Aspergillus extract (Con-AsE) as the refined mouse models. HINS composites within the safe concentration range inhibited the hyphae growth of fungi but also reduce the number of fungal pathogens. Through the evaluation of lung and skin tissues from the mice, asthma pathogenesis (lung) and the hypersensitivity response (skin) to invasive aspergillosis were least severe in HI-AsE-infected mice. Therefore, HINS composites attenuate asthma and the hypersensitivity response to invasive aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Liu
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - KeLun Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yoon Ok Jang
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Zhen Qiao
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jie Jin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Thuy Nguyen Thi Dao
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Bonhan Koo
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Ook Park
- Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Corresponding author
| | - Yong Shin
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea,Corresponding author
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17
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Li X, Gu N, Ye Y, Lan H, Peng F, Peng G. Intense pulsed light for inactivating planktonic and biofilm molds in food. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1104875. [PMID: 36687621 PMCID: PMC9846768 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that about a quarter of the world's agriculture products is unable to be consumed each year because of mold contamination, resulting in incalculable economic losses. Despite modern food technology and the various preservation techniques available, the problem of mold contamination of food is still not adequately controlled. In this study, we simulated the biofilm formed by Aspergillus niger and Penicillium glaucum in liquid and solid food in 96 well cell culture plates and polycarbonate membrane models, respectively, and investigated the fungicidal effect of IPL on planktonic and biofilm molds at three different capacitance parameters at room and refrigerator temperatures. The results show that IPL can achieve fungicidal rates of over 99% for planktonic molds and over 90% for biofilm molds, and that the smaller the capacitance, the more frequent the irradiation required to achieve the same fungicidal rate. In addition, temperature, A. niger or Penicillium glaucum have no effect on the fungicidal effect of IPL. We believe that IPL is a promising non-thermal physical sterilization technique for fungal inhibition on food surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejie Li
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, Engineering Research Center of Starch and Vegetable Protein Processing Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China,Research Institute for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nixuan Gu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, Engineering Research Center of Starch and Vegetable Protein Processing Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China,Research Institute for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanrui Ye
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Yanrui Ye, ✉
| | - Haifeng Lan
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang Peng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Gongyong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,Gongyong Peng, ✉
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18
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Slavin YN, Bach H. Mechanisms of Antifungal Properties of Metal Nanoparticles. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:nano12244470. [PMID: 36558323 PMCID: PMC9781740 DOI: 10.3390/nano12244470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The appearance of resistant species of fungi to the existent antimycotics is challenging for the scientific community. One emergent technology is the application of nanotechnology to develop novel antifungal agents. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results as an alternative to classical antimycotics. This review summarizes and discusses the antifungal mechanisms of metal NPs, including combinations with other antimycotics, covering the period from 2005 to 2022. These mechanisms include but are not limited to the generation of toxic oxygen species and their cellular target, the effect of the cell wall damage and the hyphae and spores, and the mechanisms of defense implied by the fungal cell. Lastly, a description of the impact of NPs on the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles is discussed.
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Wagner R, Montoya L, Gao C, Head JR, Remais J, Taylor JW. The air mycobiome is decoupled from the soil mycobiome in the California San Joaquin Valley. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4962-4978. [PMID: 35933707 PMCID: PMC9624177 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key force in the assembly of fungal communities and the air is the dominant route of dispersal for most fungi. Understanding the dynamics of airborne fungi is important for determining their source and for helping to prevent fungal disease. This understanding is important in the San Joaquin Valley of California, which is home to 4.2 million people and where the airborne fungus Coccidioides is responsible for the most important fungal disease of otherwise healthy humans, coccidioidomycosis. The San Joaquin Valley is the most productive agricultural region in the United States, with the principal crops grown therein susceptible to fungal pathogens. Here, we characterize the fungal community in soil and air on undeveloped and agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley using metabarcoding of the internal transcribed spacer 2 variable region of fungal rDNA. Using 1,002 individual samples, we report one of the most extensive studies of fungi sampled simultaneously from air and soil using modern sequencing techniques. We find that the air mycobiome in the San Joaquin Valley is distinct from the soil mycobiome, and that the assemblages of airborne fungi from sites as far apart as 160 km are far more similar to one another than to the fungal communities in nearby soils. Additionally, we present evidence that airborne fungi in the San Joaquin Valley are subject to dispersal limitation and cyclical intra-annual patterns of community composition. Our findings are broadly applicable to understanding the dispersal of airborne fungi and the taxonomic structure of airborne fungal assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Wagner
- Department of Plant & Microbial BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Liliam Montoya
- Department of Plant & Microbial BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cheng Gao
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jennifer R. Head
- Division of EpidemiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Justin Remais
- Division of Environmental Health SciencesUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - John W. Taylor
- Department of Plant & Microbial BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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20
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Living Fungi in an Opencast Limestone Mine: Who Are They and What Can They Do? J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8100987. [DOI: 10.3390/jof8100987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Opencast limestone mines or limestone quarries are considered challenging ecosystems for soil fungi as they are highly degraded land with specific conditions, including high temperature, prolonged sunlight exposure, and a lack of organic matter, moisture, and nutrients in soil. In such ecosystems, certain fungi can survive and have a crucial function in maintaining soil ecosystem functions. Unfortunately, we know very little about taxonomic diversity, potential functions, and the ecology of such fungi, especially for a limestone quarry in a tropical region. Here, we characterized and compared the living soil fungal communities in an opencast limestone mine, including mining site and its associated rehabilitation site (9 months post-rehabilitation), with the soil fungal community in a reference forest, using the amplicon sequencing of enrichment culture. Our results showed that living fungal richness in the quarry areas was significantly lower than that in the reference forest, and their community compositions were also significantly different. Living fungi in the mining sites mostly comprised of Ascomycota (Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes) with strongly declined abundance or absence of Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota. After nine months of rehabilitation, certain taxa were introduced, such as Hypoxylon spp. and Phellinus noxius, though this change did not significantly differentiate fungal community composition between the mining and rehabilitation plots. The majority of fungi in these plots are classified as saprotrophs, which potentially produce all fifteen soil enzymes used as soil health indicators. Network analysis, which was analyzed to show insight into complex structures of living fungal community in the limestone quarry, showed a clear modular structure that was significantly impacted by different soil properties. Furthermore, this study suggests potential taxa that could be useful for future rehabilitation.
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Ghosh AK, Singh R, Reddy S, Singh S, Rudramurthy SM, Kaur H, Choudhary H, Chakrabarti A. Evaluation of environmental Mucorales contamination in and around the residence of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:953750. [PMID: 36118044 PMCID: PMC9478190 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.953750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionRecently, India witnessed an unprecedented surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases. In addition to patient management issues, environmental Mucorales contamination possibly contributed to the outbreak. A recent study evaluated environment contamination by Mucorales in the hospital setting. However, a considerable number of CAM patients were never admitted to a hospital before the development of the disease. The present study, therefore, planned to evaluate Mucorales contamination of patients’ residences.MethodsThe residential environment of 25 patients with CAM living in north India was surveyed. Air samples were collected from indoor and immediate outdoor vicinity of the patients’ residence and cultured on Dichloran Rose–Bengal Chloramphenicol (DRBC) agar with benomyl for selective isolation of Mucorales. Surface swab samples were also collected from the air coolers fitted in those residences and cultured on DRBC agar. The isolates were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was employed to evaluate the genetic relatedness of the environmental and patients’ clinical isolates.ResultsThe median spore count (mean ± SD, cfu/m3) of Mucorales in the air of patients’ bedrooms was significantly higher than in the air in other rooms in those residences (3.55 versus 1.5, p = 0.003) or the air collected directly from the front of the air cooler (p < 0.0001). The Mucorales spore count in the environment did not correlate with either ventilation of the room or hygiene level of the patients’ residences. Rhizopus arrhizus was isolated from the environment of all patients’ residences (n = 25); other Mucorales species isolated were Cunninghamella bertholletiae (n = 14), Rhizopus microsporus (n = 6), Rhizopus delemar (n = 6), Syncephalastrum racemosum (n = 1), Lichtheimia corymbifera (n = 1), and Mucor racemosus (n = 1). Genetic relatedness was observed between 11 environmental isolates from the patients’ bedrooms and respective clinical isolates from patients.DiscussionThe study supported the view that the patients might have acquired Mucorales from the home environment during the post-COVID-19 convalescence period. Universal masking at home during patients’ convalescence period and environmental decontamination could minimize exposure in those susceptible patients.
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22
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Yang J, Masoudi A, Li H, Gu Y, Wang C, Wang M, Yu Z, Liu J. Microbial community structure and niche differentiation under different health statuses of Pinus bungeana in the Xiong'an New Area in China. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:913349. [PMID: 36118200 PMCID: PMC9481298 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.913349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pinus bungeana is a native but endangered plant species in China, with high ornamental value and adaptability to drought and cold. The relationship between the soil community structure and endophytic microbes in the tissues of P. bungeana under different health statuses is poorly understood. In this study, the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities of P. bungeana under different health statuses were compared and analyzed in the Xiong'an New Area. Using high-throughput deep sequencing [16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA] techniques, the effect of the health status of P. bungeana on the microbial communities in bulk soil, rhizospheric soil, roots, stems, and leaves was determined in this study. We observed that the diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities of the aboveground parts (stems and leaves) of healthy P. bungeana plants was much higher than that of the unhealthy plants. However, the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in the belowground parts (bulk soil, rhizospheric soil, and roots) showed almost no difference in microbial community richness, indicating that the possible cause of illness was transmitted in a “top-down” manner. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the microbial diversity and community structure in different ecological niches of P. bungeana (P < 0.01). Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla, while Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota were the predominant fungal phyla. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that soil organic matter (SOM), total phosphorous (TP), total potassium (TK), total nitrogen (TN), water content (WC), power of hydrogen (pH), total carbon (TC), and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) were significantly correlated with the composition of the microbial communities. Altogether, these results provide a scientific basis for further studies on the mechanism underlying the “aboveground–underground” microbial interactions in plantation forests, which can aid in promoting the healthy and sustainable development of the Millennium Xiulin forest in the Xiong'an New Area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Abolfazl Masoudi
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hao Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yifan Gu
- School of Geographic Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Can Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Min Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhijun Yu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- *Correspondence: Zhijun Yu
| | - Jingze Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Jingze Liu
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Batool W, Liu C, Fan X, Zhang P, Hu Y, Wei Y, Zhang SH. AGC/AKT Protein Kinase SCH9 Is Critical to Pathogenic Development and Overwintering Survival in Magnaporthe oryzae. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080810. [PMID: 36012798 PMCID: PMC9410157 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary inoculum that survives overwintering is one of the key factors that determine the outbreak of plant disease. Pathogenic resting structures, such as chlamydospores, are an ideal inoculum for plant disease. Puzzlingly, Magnaporthe oryzae, a devastating fungal pathogen responsible for blast disease in rice, hardly form any morphologically changed resting structures, and we hypothesize that M. oryzae mainly relies on its physiological alteration to survive overwintering or other harsh environments. However, little progress on research into regulatory genes that facilitate the overwintering of rice blast pathogens has been made so far. Serine threonine protein kinase AGC/AKT, MoSch9, plays an important role in the spore-mediated pathogenesis of M. oryzae. Building on this finding, we discovered that in genetic and biological terms, MoSch9 plays a critical role in conidiophore stalk formation, hyphal-mediated pathogenesis, cold stress tolerance, and overwintering survival of M. oryzae. We discovered that the formation of conidiophore stalks and disease propagation using spores was severely compromised in the mutant strains, whereas hyphal-mediated pathogenesis and the root infection capability of M. oryzae were completely eradicated due to MoSch9 deleted mutants’ inability to form an appressorium-like structure. Most importantly, the functional and transcriptomic study of wild-type and MoSch9 mutant strains showed that MoSch9 plays a regulatory role in cold stress tolerance of M. oryzae through the transcription regulation of secondary metabolite synthesis, ATP hydrolyzing, and cell wall integrity proteins during osmotic stress and cold temperatures. From these results, we conclude that MoSch9 is essential for fungal infection-related morphogenesis and overwintering of M. oryzae.
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Novel Treatment Approach for Aspergilloses by Targeting Germination. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080758. [PMID: 35893126 PMCID: PMC9331470 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Germination of conidia is an essential process within the Aspergillus life cycle and plays a major role during the infection of hosts. Conidia are able to avoid detection by the majority of leukocytes when dormant. Germination can cause severe health problems, specifically in immunocompromised people. Aspergillosis is most often caused by Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) and affects neutropenic patients, as well as people with cystic fibrosis (CF). These patients are often unable to effectively detect and clear the conidia or hyphae and can develop chronic non-invasive and/or invasive infections or allergic inflammatory responses. Current treatments with (tri)azoles can be very effective to combat a variety of fungal infections. However, resistance against current azoles has emerged and has been increasing since 1998. As a consequence, patients infected with resistant A. fumigatus have a reported mortality rate of 88% to 100%. Especially with the growing number of patients that harbor azole-resistant Aspergilli, novel antifungals could provide an alternative. Aspergilloses differ in defining characteristics, but germination of conidia is one of the few common denominators. By specifically targeting conidial germination with novel antifungals, early intervention might be possible. In this review, we propose several morphotypes to disrupt conidial germination, as well as potential targets. Hopefully, new antifungals against such targets could contribute to disturbing the ability of Aspergilli to germinate and grow, resulting in a decreased fungal burden on patients.
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Ramšak B, Kück U. The Penicillium chrysogenum tom1 Gene a Major Target of Transcription Factor MAT1-1-1 Encodes a Nuclear Protein Involved in Sporulation. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:937023. [PMID: 37746180 PMCID: PMC10512297 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.937023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Fungal mating-type loci (MAT) encode transcription factors (TFs) MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1, which govern sexual reproduction as well as other developmental processes. In Penicillium chrysogenum, the major producer of the beta-lactam antibiotic penicillin, a recent chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis identified 254 genes as direct targets of MAT1-1-1, many of which encode thus far uncharacterized proteins. Here, we characterized one of the major targets of MAT1-1-1, the tom1 gene, which encodes a protein highly conserved within the group of Eurotiomycetes fungi. Using fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated binding of MAT1-1-1 to the tom1 promoter by reporter gene analysis. Extensive electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) further showed that the promoter sequence of tom1 is bound in vitro by both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1. This indicated an interaction between the two TFs, which was verified by yeast two-hybrid analysis. The sequence of tom1 carries a nuclear localization sequence, and indeed its nuclear localization was verified by fluorescence microscopy. The in vivo function of tom1 was investigated using tom1 deletion strains, as well as a complementing strain where the wild-type tom1 gene was reintroduced. We found a clear sporulation defect in the deletion strain, which became more evident when the fungi were grown at an elevated temperature of 31°C.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Fakultät für Biologie und Biotechnologie, Bochum, Germany
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Martín-Escolano J, Marín C, Rosales MJ, Tsaousis AD, Medina-Carmona E, Martín-Escolano R. An Updated View of the Trypanosoma cruzi Life Cycle: Intervention Points for an Effective Treatment. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1107-1115. [PMID: 35652513 PMCID: PMC9194904 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Chagas disease (CD)
is a parasitic, systemic, chronic, and often
fatal illness caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma
cruzi. The World Health Organization classifies CD as the
most prevalent of poverty-promoting neglected tropical diseases, the
most important parasitic one, and the third most infectious disease
in Latin America. Currently, CD is a global public health issue that
affects 6–8 million people. However, the current approved treatments
are limited to two nitroheterocyclic drugs developed more than 50
years ago. Many efforts have been made in recent decades to find new
therapies, but our limited understanding of the infection process,
pathology development, and long-term nature of this disease has made
it impossible to develop new drugs, effective treatment, or vaccines.
This Review aims to provide a comprehensive update on our understanding
of the current life cycle, new morphological forms, and genetic diversity
of T. cruzi, as well as identify intervention points
in the life cycle where new drugs and treatments could achieve a parasitic
cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martín-Escolano
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, E41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Clotilde Marín
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - María J. Rosales
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Encarnación Medina-Carmona
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
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van den Brule T, Punt M, Seekles SJ, Segers FJ, Houbraken J, Hazeleger WC, Ram AF, Wösten HA, Zwietering MH, Dijksterhuis J, den Besten HM. Intraspecific variability in heat resistance of fungal conidia. Food Res Int 2022; 156:111302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Custer GF, Bresciani L, Dini-Andreote F. Ecological and Evolutionary Implications of Microbial Dispersal. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:855859. [PMID: 35464980 PMCID: PMC9019484 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.855859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is simply defined as the movement of species across space and time. Despite this terse definition, dispersal is an essential process with direct ecological and evolutionary implications that modulate community assembly and turnover. Seminal ecological studies have shown that environmental context (e.g., local edaphic properties, resident community), dispersal timing and frequency, and species traits, collectively account for patterns of species distribution resulting in either their persistence or unsuccessful establishment within local communities. Despite the key importance of this process, relatively little is known about how dispersal operates in microbiomes across divergent systems and community types. Here, we discuss parallels of macro- and micro-organismal ecology with a focus on idiosyncrasies that may lead to novel mechanisms by which dispersal affects the structure and function of microbiomes. Within the context of ecological implications, we revise the importance of short- and long-distance microbial dispersal through active and passive mechanisms, species traits, and community coalescence, and how these align with recent advances in metacommunity theory. Conversely, we enumerate how microbial dispersal can affect diversification rates of species by promoting gene influxes within local communities and/or shifting genes and allele frequencies via migration or de novo changes (e.g., horizontal gene transfer). Finally, we synthesize how observed microbial assemblages are the dynamic outcome of both successful and unsuccessful dispersal events of taxa and discuss these concepts in line with the literature, thus enabling a richer appreciation of this process in microbiome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon F Custer
- Department of Plant Science and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Luana Bresciani
- Department of Plant Science and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Francisco Dini-Andreote
- Department of Plant Science and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Quijada L, Matočec N, Kušan I, Tanney JB, Johnston PR, Mešić A, Pfister DH. Apothecial Ancestry, Evolution, and Re-Evolution in Thelebolales (Leotiomycetes, Fungi). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11040583. [PMID: 35453781 PMCID: PMC9026407 DOI: 10.3390/biology11040583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Leotiomycetes is one of the most speciose classes of the phylum Ascomycota (Fungi). Its species are mainly apothecioid, paraphysate, and possess active ascospore discharge. Thelebolales are a distinctive order of the Leotiomycetes class whose members have mostly closed ascomata, evanescent asci, and thus passively dispersed ascospores. Within the order, a great diversity of peridia have evolved as adaptations to different dispersal strategies. The genus Thelebolus is an exceptional case of ascomatal evolution within the order. Its species are the most diverse in functional traits, encompassing species with closed ascomata and evanescent asci, and species with open ascomata, active ascospore discharge, and paraphyses. Open ascomata were previously suggested as the ancestral state in the genus, these ascomata depend on mammals and birds as dispersal agents. In our work, we used morphological and phylogenetic methods, as well as the reconstruction of ancestral traits for ascomatal type, asci dehiscence, the presence or absence of paraphyses, and ascospore features to explore evolution within Thelebolales. We demonstrate the apothecial ancestry in Thelebolales and propose a new hypothesis about the evolution of the open ascomata in Thelebolus involving a process of re-evolution where the active dispersal of ascospores appears independently twice within the order. A new family, Holwayaceae, is proposed within Thelebolales, comprising three genera: Holwaya, Patinella, and Ramgea. Abstract Closed cleistothecia-like ascomata have repeatedly evolved in non-related perithecioid and apothecioid lineages of lichenized and non-lichenized Ascomycota. The evolution of a closed, darkly pigmented ascoma that protects asci and ascospores is conceived as either an adaptation to harsh environmental conditions or a specialized dispersal strategy. Species with closed ascomata have mostly lost sterile hymenial elements (paraphyses) and the capacity to actively discharge ascospores. The class Leotiomycetes, one of the most speciose classes of Ascomycota, is mainly apothecioid, paraphysate, and possesses active ascospore discharge. Lineages with closed ascomata, and their morphological variants, have evolved independently in several families, such as Erysiphaceae, Myxotrichaceae, Rutstroemiaceae, etc. Thelebolales is a distinctive order in the Leotiomycetes class. It has two widespread families (Thelebolaceae, Pseudeurotiaceae) with mostly closed ascomata, evanescent asci, and thus passively dispersed ascospores. Within the order, closed ascomata dominate and a great diversity of peridia have evolved as adaptations to different dispersal strategies. The type genus, Thelebolus, is an exceptional case of ascomatal evolution within the order. Its species are the most diverse in functional traits, encompassing species with closed ascomata and evanescent asci, and species with open ascomata, active ascospore discharge, and paraphyses. Open ascomata were previously suggested as the ancestral state in the genus, these ascomata depend on mammals and birds as dispersal agents. In this scheme, species with closed ascomata, a lack of paraphyses, and passive ascospore discharge exhibit derived traits that evolved in adaptation to cold ecosystems. Here, we used morphological and phylogenetic methods, as well as the reconstruction of ancestral traits for ascomatal type, asci dehiscence, the presence or absence of paraphyses, and ascospore features to explore evolution within Thelebolales. We demonstrate the apothecial ancestry in Thelebolales and propose a new hypothesis about the evolution of the open ascomata in Thelebolus, involving a process of re-evolution where the active dispersal of ascospores appears independently twice within the order. We propose a new family, Holwayaceae, within Thelebolales, that retains the phenotypic features exhibited by species of Thelebolus, i.e., pigmented capitate paraphyses and active asci discharge with an opening limitation ring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Quijada
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, The Farlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
- Correspondence: (L.Q.); (I.K.)
| | - Neven Matočec
- Laboratory for Biological Diversity, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (N.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Ivana Kušan
- Laboratory for Biological Diversity, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (N.M.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (L.Q.); (I.K.)
| | - Joey B. Tanney
- Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 Burnside Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5, Canada;
| | - Peter R. Johnston
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1072, New Zealand;
| | - Armin Mešić
- Laboratory for Biological Diversity, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (N.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Donald H. Pfister
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, The Farlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
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van den Brandhof JG, Wösten HAB. Risk assessment of fungal materials. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2022; 9:3. [PMID: 35209958 PMCID: PMC8876125 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-022-00134-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable fungal materials have a high potential to replace non-sustainable materials such as those used for packaging or as an alternative for leather and textile. The properties of fungal materials depend on the type of fungus and substrate, the growth conditions and post-treatment of the material. So far, fungal materials are mainly made with species from the phylum Basidiomycota, selected for the mechanical and physical properties they provide. However, for mycelium materials to be implemented in society on a large scale, selection of fungal species should also be based on a risk assessment of the potential to be pathogenic, form mycotoxins, attract insects, or become an invasive species. Moreover, production processes should be standardized to ensure reproducibility and safety of the product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen G van den Brandhof
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Han A B Wösten
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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31
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Dang Y, Wei Y, Batool W, Sun X, Li X, Zhang SH. Contribution of the Mitochondrial Carbonic Anhydrase (MoCA1) to Conidiogenesis and Pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:845570. [PMID: 35250959 PMCID: PMC8891501 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.845570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The interconversion of CO2 and HCO3− catalyzed by carbonic anhydrases (CAs) is a fundamental biochemical process in organisms. During mammalian–pathogen interaction, both host and pathogen CAs play vital roles in resistance and pathogenesis; during planta–pathogen interaction, however, plant CAs function in host resistance but whether pathogen CAs are involved in pathogenesis is unknown. Here, we biologically characterized the Magnaporthe oryzae CA (MoCA1). Through detecting the DsRED-tagged proteins, we observed the fusion MoCA1 in the mitochondria of M. oryzae. Together with the measurement of CA activity, we confirmed that MoCA1 is a mitochondrial zinc-binding CA. MoCA1 expression, upregulated with H2O2 or NaHCO3 treatment, also showed a drastic upregulation during conidiogenesis and pathogenesis. When MoCA1 was deleted, the mutant ΔMoCA1 was defective in conidiophore development and pathogenicity. 3,3′-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining indicated that more H2O2 accumulated in ΔMoCA1; accordingly, ATPase genes were downregulated and ATP content decreased in ΔMoCA1. Summarily, our data proved the involvement of the mitochondrial MoCA1 in conidiogenesis and pathogenesis in the rice blast fungus. Considering the previously reported HCO3− transporter MoAE4, we propose that MoCA1 in cooperation with MoAE4 constitutes a HCO3− homeostasis-mediated disease pathway, in which MoCA1 and MoAE4 can be a drug target for disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuejia Dang
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wajjiha Batool
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xicen Sun
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoqian Li
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shi-Hong Zhang
- Center for Extreme-Environmental Microorganisms, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Shi-Hong Zhang,
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Abstract
The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is a typical filamentous fungus and has been used for pest biocontrol. Conidia are the main active agents of fungal pesticides; however, we know little about conidial developmental mechanisms and less about maturation mechanisms. We found that a Zn2Cys6 transcription factor of B. bassiana (named BbCmr1) was mainly expressed in late-stage conidia and was involved in conidium maturation regulation. Deletion of Bbcmr1 impaired the conidial cell wall and resulted in a lower conidial germination rate under UV (UV), heat shock, H2O2, Congo red (CR) and SDS stresses compared to the wild type. Transcription levels of the genes associated with conidial wall components and trehalose synthase were significantly reduced in the ΔBbcmr1 mutant. Further analysis found that BbCmr1 functions by upregulating BbWetA, a well-known transcription factor in the central development of BrlA-AbaA-WetA. The expression of Bbcmr1 was positively regulated by BbBrlA. These results indicated that BbCmr1 played important roles in conidium maturation by interacting with the central development pathway, which provided insight into the conidial development networks in B. bassiana. IMPORTANCE Conidium maturation is a pivotal event in conidial development and affects fungal survival ability under various biotic/abiotic stresses. Although many transcription factors have been reported to regulate conidial development, we know little about the molecular mechanism of conidium maturation. Here, we demonstrated that the transcription factor BbCmr1 of B. bassiana was involved in conidium maturation, regulating cell wall structure, the expression of cell wall-related proteins, and trehalose synthesis. BbCmr1 orchestrated conidium maturation by interplaying with the central development pathway BrlA-AbaA-WetA. BbBrlA positively regulated the expression of Bbcmr1, and the latter positively regulated BbwetA expression, which forms a regulatory network mediating conidial development. This finding was critical to understand the molecular regulatory networks of conidial development in B. bassiana and provided avenues to engineer insect fungal pathogens with high-quality conidia.
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Frerichs AB, Huang M, Ortiz SC, Hull CM. Methods for Manipulating Cryptococcus Spores. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 8:jof8010004. [PMID: 35049944 PMCID: PMC8779225 DOI: 10.3390/jof8010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Spores are essential for the long-term survival of many diverse organisms, due to their roles in reproduction and stress resistance. In the environmental human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus, basidiospores are robust cells with the ability to cause disease in animal models of infection. Here we describe methods for producing and purifying Cryptococcus basidiospores in quantities sufficient for large-scale analyses. The production of high numbers of pure spores has facilitated the development of new assays, including quantitative germination assays, and enabled transcriptomic, proteomic, and virulence studies, leading to discoveries of behaviors and properties unique to spores and spore-mediated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B. Frerichs
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (A.B.F.); (M.H.); (S.C.O.)
| | - Mingwei Huang
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (A.B.F.); (M.H.); (S.C.O.)
| | - Sébastien C. Ortiz
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (A.B.F.); (M.H.); (S.C.O.)
| | - Christina M. Hull
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (A.B.F.); (M.H.); (S.C.O.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Correspondence:
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Courtine D, Zhang X, Ewbank JJ. Increased Pathogenicity of the Nematophagous Fungus Drechmeria coniospora Following Long-Term Laboratory Culture. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:778882. [PMID: 37744153 PMCID: PMC10512298 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.778882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Domestication provides a window into adaptive change. Over the course of 2 decades of laboratory culture, a strain of the nematode-specific fungus Drechmeria coniospora became more virulent during its infection of Caenorhabditis elegans. Through a close comparative examination of the genome sequences of the original strain and its more pathogenic derivative, we identified a small number of non-synonymous mutations in protein-coding genes. In one case, the mutation was predicted to affect a gene involved in hypoxia resistance and we provide direct corroborative evidence for such an effect. The mutated genes with functional annotation were all predicted to impact the general physiology of the fungus and this was reflected in an increased in vitro growth, even in the absence of C. elegans. While most cases involved single nucleotide substitutions predicted to lead to a loss of function, we also observed a predicted restoration of gene function through deletion of an extraneous tandem repeat. This latter change affected the regulatory subunit of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Remarkably, we also found a mutation in a gene for a second protein of the same, protein kinase A, pathway. Together, we predict that they result in a stronger repression of the pathway for given levels of ATP and adenylate cyclase activity. Finally, we also identified mutations in a few lineage-specific genes of unknown function that are candidates for factors that influence virulence in a more direct manner.
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Penicillium roqueforti conidia induced by L-amino acids can germinate without detectable swelling. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2021; 115:103-110. [PMID: 34800185 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-021-01686-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Penicillium roqueforti is used for the production of blue-veined cheeses but is a spoilage fungus as well. It reproduces asexually by forming conidia. Germination of these spores can start the spoilage process of food. Germination is typically characterized by the processes of activation, swelling and germ tube formation. Here, we studied nutrient requirements for germination of P. roqueforti conidia. To this end, > 300 conidia per condition were monitored in time using an oCelloScope imager and an asymmetric model was used to describe the germination process. Spores were incubated for 72 h in NaNO3, Na2HPO4/NaH2PO4, MgSO4 and KCl with 10 mM glucose or 10 mM of 1 out of the 20 proteogenic amino acids. In the case of glucose, the maximum number of spores (Pmax) that had formed germ tubes was 12.7%, while time needed to reach 0.5 Pmax (τ) was about 14 h. Arginine and alanine were the most inducing amino acids with a Pmax of germ tube formation of 21% and 13%, respectively, and a τ of up to 33.5 h. Contrary to the typical stages of germination of fungal conidia, data show that P. roqueforti conidia can start forming germ tubes without a detectable swelling stage.
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The Heterotrimeric Transcription Factor CCAAT-Binding Complex and Ca 2+-CrzA Signaling Reversely Regulate the Transition between Fungal Hyphal Growth and Asexual Reproduction. mBio 2021; 12:e0300721. [PMID: 34781745 PMCID: PMC8593669 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03007-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The life cycle of filamentous fungi generally comprises hyphal growth and asexual reproduction. Both growth and propagation processes are critical for invasion growth, spore dissemination, and virulence in fungal pathogens and for the production of secondary metabolites or for biomass accumulation in industrial filamentous fungi. The CCAAT-binding complex (CBC) is a heterotrimeric transcription factor comprising three subunits, HapB, HapC, and HapE, and is highly conserved in fungi. Previous studies revealed that CBC regulates sterol metabolism by repressing several genes in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In the present study, we found dysfunction of CBC caused the abnormal asexual reproduction (conidiation) in submerged liquid culture. CBC suppresses the activation of the brlA gene in the central regulatory pathway for conidiation combined with its upstream regulators fluG, flbD, and flbC by binding to the 5'-CCAAT-3' motif within conidiation gene promoters, and lack of CBC member HapB results in the upregulation of these genes. Furthermore, when the expression of brlA or flbC is repressed, the submerged conidiation does not happen in the hapB mutant. Interestingly, deletion of HapB leads to enhanced transient cytosolic Ca2+ levels and activates conidiation-positive inducer Ca2+-CrzA modules to enhance submerged conidiation, demonstrating that CrzA works with CBC as a reverse regulator of fungal conidiation. To the best of our knowledge, the finding of this study is the first report for the molecular switch mechanism between vegetative hyphal growth and asexual development regulated by CBC, in concert with Ca2+-CrzA signaling in A. fumigatus. IMPORTANCE A precisely timed switch between vegetative hyphal growth and asexual development is a crucial process for the filamentous fungal long-term survival, dissemination, biomass production, and virulence. However, under the submerged culture condition, filamentous fungi would undergo constant vegetative growth whereas asexual conidiation rarely occurs. Knowledge about possible regulators is scarce, and how they could inhibit conidiation in liquid culture is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that the transcription factor heterotrimeric CBC dominantly maintains vegetative growth in liquid-submerged cultures by directly suppressing the conidiation-inductive signal. In contrast, calcium and the transcription factor CrzA, are positive inducers of conidiation. Our new insights into the CBC and Ca2+-CrzA regulatory system for transition control in the submerged conidiation of A. fumigatus may have broad repercussions for all filamentous fungi. Moreover, our elucidation of the molecular mechanism for submerged conidiation may support new strategies to precisely control vegetative growth and asexual conidiation in aspergilli used in industry.
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Polozsányi Z, Kaliňák M, Babjak M, Šimkovič M, Varečka Ľ. How to enter the state of dormancy? A suggestion by Trichoderma atroviride conidia. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:934-949. [PMID: 34649680 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It is generally accepted that conidia, propagules of filamentous fungi, exist in the state of dormancy. This state is defined mostly phenomenologically, e.g., by germination requirements. Its molecular characteristics are scarce and are concentrated on the water or osmolyte content, and/or respiration. However, a question of whether conidia are metabolic or ametabolic forms of life cannot be answered on the basis of available experimental data. In other words, are mature conidia open thermodynamic systems as are mycelia, or do they become closed upon the transition to the dormant state? In this article, we present observations which may help to define the transition of freshly formed conidia to the putative dormant forms using measurements of selected enzyme activities, 1H- and 13C-NMR and LC-MS-metabolomes, and 14C-bicarbonate or 45Ca2+ inward transport. We have found that Trichoderma atroviride and Aspergillus niger conidia arrest the 45Ca2+ uptake during the development stopping thereby the cyclic (i.e., bidirectional) Ca2+ flow existing in vegetative mycelia and conidia of T. atroviride across the cytoplasmic membrane. Furthermore, we have found that the activity of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase was rendered completely inactive after 3 weeks from the conidia formation unlike of other central carbon metabolism enzymes. This may explain the loss of conidial respiration. Finally, we found that conidia take up the H14CO3- and convert it into few stable compounds within 80 d of maturation, with minor quantitative differences in the extent of this process. The uptake of H13CO3- confirmed these observation and demonstrated the incorporation of H13CO3- even in the absence of exogenous substrates. These results suggest that T. atroviride conidia remain metabolically active during first ten weeks of maturation. Under these circumstances, their metabolism displays features similar to those of chemoautotrophic microorganisms. However, the Ca2+ homeostasis changed from the open to the closed thermodynamic state during the early period of conidial maturation. These results may be helpful for studying the conidial ageing and/or maturation, and for defining the conidial dormant state in biochemical terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Polozsányi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Kaliňák
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matej Babjak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Šimkovič
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ľudovít Varečka
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Song D, Cao Y, Xia Y. Transcription Factor MaMsn2 Regulates Conidiation Pattern Shift under the Control of MaH1 through Homeobox Domain in Metarhizium acridum. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100840. [PMID: 34682261 PMCID: PMC8541488 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth pattern of filamentous fungi can switch between hyphal radial polar growth and non-polar yeast-like cell growth depending on the environmental conditions. Asexual conidiation after radial polar growth is called normal conidiation (NC), while yeast-like cell growth is called microcycle conidiation (MC). Previous research found that the disruption of MaH1 in Metarhizium acridum led to a conidiation shift from NC to MC. However, the regulation mechanism is not clear. Here, we found MaMsn2, an Msn2 homologous gene in M. acridum, was greatly downregulated when MaH1 was disrupted (ΔMaH1). Loss of MaMsn2 also caused a conidiation shift from NC to MC on a nutrient-rich medium. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that MaH1 could bind to the promoter region of the MaMsn2 gene. Disrupting the interaction between MaH1 and the promoter region of MaMsn2 significantly downregulated the transcription level of MaMsn2, and the overexpression of MaMsn2 in ΔMaH1 could restore NC from MC of ΔMaH1. Our findings demonstrated that MaMsn2 played a role in maintaining the NC pattern directly under the control of MaH1, which revealed the molecular mechanisms that regulated the conidiation pattern shift in filamentous fungi for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Song
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yueqing Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yuxian Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (Y.X.)
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Impact of the physiological state of fungal spores on their inactivation by active chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. Food Microbiol 2021; 100:103850. [PMID: 34416954 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2021.103850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed at assessing the impact of the physiological state of fungal spores on inactivation by sodium hypochlorite, 0.1% and 0.2% active chlorine, and 3% hydrogen peroxide. In this context, two physiological states were compared for 4 fungal species (5 strains). The first physiological state corresponded to fungal spores produced at 0.99 aw and harvested using an aqueous solution (laboratory conditions), while the second one corresponded to fungal spores produced under a moderate water stress (0.95 aw) and dry-harvested (mechanical harvesting without use of any water, mimicking food plant conditions). Aspergillus flavus "food plant" conidia were more resistant to all tested fungicide molecules than the "laboratory" ones. The same phenomenon was observed for Penicillium commune UBOCC-A-116003 conidia treated with hydrogen peroxide. However, this isolate did not exhibit any inactivation difference between "laboratory" and "food plant" conidia treated with sodium hypochlorite. Similarly, the physiological state of Cladosporium cladosporioides conidia did not impact the efficacy of the tested biocides. P. commune UBOCC-A-112059 "food plant" and "laboratory" conidia were more resistant to hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, respectively. As for Mucor circinelloides, "laboratory" spores were more resistant to all disinfectant than the "food plant" ones. Noteworthy, regardless of the physiological state, all M. circinelloides and C. cladosporioides conidia were inactivated for 5 min treatment at 0.2% active chlorine and for 2.5 min treatment at 0.1% active chlorine, while the conidia of all the other species remained viable for these treatments. The obtained data indicate that the efficacy of disinfectant molecules depends not only on the encountered fungal species and its intraspecific diversity but also on the spore physiological state.
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Ma H, Yang J, Chen X, Jiang X, Su Y, Qiao S, Zhong G. Deep convolutional neural network: a novel approach for the detection of Aspergillus fungi via stereomicroscopy. J Microbiol 2021; 59:563-572. [PMID: 33779956 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-021-1013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fungi of the genus Aspergillus are ubiquitously distributed in nature, and some cause invasive aspergillosis (IA) infections in immunosuppressed individuals and contamination in agricultural products. Because microscopic observation and molecular detection of Aspergillus species represent the most operator-dependent and time-intensive activities, automated and cost-effective approaches are needed. To address this challenge, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to investigate the ability to classify various Aspergillus species. Using a dissecting microscopy (DM)/stereomicroscopy platform, colonies on plates were scanned with a 35× objective, generating images of sufficient resolution for classification. A total of 8,995 original colony images from seven Aspergillus species cultured in enrichment medium were gathered and autocut to generate 17,142 image crops as training and test datasets containing the typical representative morphology of conidiophores or colonies of each strain. Encouragingly, the Xception model exhibited a classification accuracy of 99.8% on the training image set. After training, our CNN model achieved a classification accuracy of 99.7% on the test image set. Based on the Xception performance during training and testing, this classification algorithm was further applied to recognize and validate a new set of raw images of these strains, showing a detection accuracy of 98.2%. Thus, our study demonstrated a novel concept for an artificial-intelligence-based and cost-effective detection methodology for Aspergillus organisms, which also has the potential to improve the public's understanding of the fungal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haozhong Ma
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jinshan Yang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiaolu Chen
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xinyu Jiang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Yimin Su
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Shanlei Qiao
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Guowei Zhong
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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Abundant Small Protein ICARUS Inside the Cell Wall of Stress-Resistant Ascospores of Talaromyces macrosporus Suggests a Novel Mechanism of Constitutive Dormancy. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7030216. [PMID: 33802751 PMCID: PMC8002430 DOI: 10.3390/jof7030216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascospores of Talaromyces.macrosporus belong to the most stress resistant eukaryotic cells and show a constitutive dormancy, i.e., no germination occurs in the presence of rich growth medium. Only an extreme trigger as very high temperature or pressure is able to evoke synchronized germination. In this study, several changes within the thick cell wall of these cells are observed after a heat treatment: (i.) a change in its structure as shown with EPR and X-ray diffraction; (ii.) a release of an abundant protein into the supernatant, which is proportional to the extent of heat activation; (iii.) a change in the permeability of the cell wall as judged by fluorescence studies in which staining of the interior of the cell wall correlates with germination of individual ascospores. The gene encoding the protein, dubbed ICARUS, was studied in detail and was expressed under growth conditions that showed intense ascomata (fruit body) and ascospore formation. It encodes a small 7–14 kD protein. Blast search exhibits that different Talaromyces species show a similar sequence, indicating that the protein also occurs in other species of the genus. Deletion strains show delayed ascomata formation, release of pigments into the growth medium, higher permeability of the cell wall and a markedly shorter heat activation needed for activation. Further, wild type ascospores are more heat-resistant. All these observations suggest that the protein plays a role in dormancy and is related to the structure and permeability of the ascospore cell wall. However, more research on this topic is needed to study constitutive dormancy in other fungal species that form stress-resistant ascospores.
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Chance or Necessity-The Fungi Co-Occurring with Formica polyctena Ants. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12030204. [PMID: 33670956 PMCID: PMC7997191 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary There are about 13,800 species of ants living around the world, but only some of them have been extensively studied in the context of their non−antagonistic relationships with fungi. The best−known example is the symbiosis between leaf−cutting ants and fungi serving them as food. Others include the relationship between ants living in carton nests in the trees’ canopy with fungi increasing the durability of the nest. Do ants utilize fungi in the northern hemisphere and cooler climatic zone? This question is still open. Our goal was to study the less−obvious interactions between ants and common fungi in temperate climates. In our study, we characterized the mycobiota of the surroundings of Formica polyctena ants. We identified nearly 600 strains and investigated their taxonomic affinity. The most abundant fungi in F. polyctena nests are strains belonging to Penicillium—a genus well−known as an antibiotic producer. Other common and widespread fungi related to Penicillium, such as the toxin−producing Aspergillus species, were isolated very rarely. Additionally, the high diversity and high frequency of Penicillium colonies isolated from ants in this study suggest that certain representatives of this genus may be adapted to survive in ant nests, or that they are preferentially sustained by the insects. Abstract Studies on carton nesting ants and domatia−dwelling ants have shown that ant–fungi interactions may be much more common and widespread than previously thought. Until now, studies focused predominantly on parasitic and mutualistic fungi–ant interactions occurring mostly in the tropics, neglecting less−obvious interactions involving the fungi common in ants’ surroundings in temperate climates. In our study, we characterized the mycobiota of the surroundings of Formica polyctena ants by identifying nearly 600 fungal colonies that were isolated externally from the bodies of F. polyctena workers. The ants were collected from mounds found in northern and central Poland. Isolated fungi were assigned to 20 genera via molecular identification (ITS rDNA barcoding). Among these, Penicillium strains were the most frequent, belonging to eight different taxonomic sections. Other common and widespread members of Eurotiales, such as Aspergillus spp., were isolated very rarely. In our study, we managed to characterize the genera of fungi commonly present on F. polyctena workers. Our results suggest that Penicillium, Trichoderma, Mucor, Schwanniomyces and Entomortierella are commonly present in F. polyctena surroundings. Additionally, the high diversity and high frequency of Penicillium colonies isolated from ants in this study suggest that representatives of this genus may be adapted to survive in ant nests environment better than the other fungal groups, or that they are preferentially sustained by the insects in nests.
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Transcriptomic, Protein-DNA Interaction, and Metabolomic Studies of VosA, VelB, and WetA in Aspergillus nidulans Asexual Spores. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03128-20. [PMID: 33563821 PMCID: PMC7885118 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03128-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce a vast number of asexual spores that act as efficient propagules. Due to their infectious and/or allergenic nature, fungal spores affect our daily life. Aspergillus species produce asexual spores called conidia; their formation involves morphological development and metabolic changes, and the associated regulatory systems are coordinated by multiple transcription factors (TFs). In filamentous fungi, asexual development involves cellular differentiation and metabolic remodeling leading to the formation of intact asexual spores. The development of asexual spores (conidia) in Aspergillus is precisely coordinated by multiple transcription factors (TFs), including VosA, VelB, and WetA. Notably, these three TFs are essential for the structural and metabolic integrity, i.e., proper maturation, of conidia in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To gain mechanistic insight into the complex regulatory and interdependent roles of these TFs in asexual sporogenesis, we carried out multi-omics studies on the transcriptome, protein-DNA interactions, and primary and secondary metabolism employing A. nidulans conidia. RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses have revealed that the three TFs directly or indirectly regulate the expression of genes associated with heterotrimeric G-protein signal transduction, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, spore wall formation and structural integrity, asexual development, and primary/secondary metabolism. In addition, metabolomics analyses of wild-type and individual mutant conidia indicate that these three TFs regulate a diverse array of primary metabolites, including those in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, certain amino acids, and trehalose, and secondary metabolites such as sterigmatocystin, emericellamide, austinol, and dehydroaustinol. In summary, WetA, VosA, and VelB play interdependent, overlapping, and distinct roles in governing morphological development and primary/secondary metabolic remodeling in Aspergillus conidia, leading to the production of vital conidia suitable for fungal proliferation and dissemination.
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Batool W, Shabbir A, Lin L, Chen X, An Q, He X, Pan S, Chen S, Chen Q, Wang Z, Norvienyeku J. Translation Initiation Factor eIF4E Positively Modulates Conidiogenesis, Appressorium Formation, Host Invasion and Stress Homeostasis in the Filamentous Fungi Magnaporthe oryzae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:646343. [PMID: 34220879 PMCID: PMC8244596 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.646343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Translation initiation factor eIF4E generally mediates the recognition of the 5'cap structure of mRNA during the recruitment of the ribosomes to capped mRNA. Although the eIF4E has been shown to regulate stress response in Schizosaccharomyces pombe positively, there is no direct experimental evidence for the contributions of eIF4E to both physiological and pathogenic development of filamentous fungi. We generated Magnaporthe oryzae eIF4E (MoeIF4E3) gene deletion strains using homologous recombination strategies. Phenotypic and biochemical analyses of MoeIF4E3 defective strains showed that the deletion of MoeIF4E3 triggered a significant reduction in growth and conidiogenesis. We also showed that disruption of MoeIF4E3 partially impaired conidia germination, appressorium integrity and attenuated the pathogenicity of ΔMoeif4e3 strains. In summary, this study provides experimental insights into the contributions of the eIF4E3 to the development of filamentous fungi. Additionally, these observations underscored the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the translational regulatory machinery in phytopathogenic fungi during pathogen-host interaction progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wajjiha Batool
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ammarah Shabbir
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lili Lin
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaomin Chen
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qiuli An
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiongjie He
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shu Pan
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuzun Chen
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qinghe Chen
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zonghua Wang
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zonghua Wang,
| | - Justice Norvienyeku
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant-Microbe Interaction, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Justice Norvienyeku, ;
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Diversity of Airborne Fungi at Pepper Plantation Lembah Bidong, Kuala Terengganu. BORNEO JOURNAL OF RESOURCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.33736/bjrst.2683.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Piper nigrum L. is well-known as the king of spices and widely used in various field such as food and medicines. In Malaysia, 98% of pepper production comes from the state of Sarawak. The National Commodity Policy (2011-2020) targets to increase the pepper plantation area from the current 16,331 ha to 20,110 ha by year 2020. However, pepper diseases remain as a major challenge in the pepper industry. A great number of airborne fungi pathogen may contribute to a significant economic loss in pepper production. Therefore, this study aims to morphologically identify the diversity of fungi obtained from air-borne samples in a pepper planation that are capable of causing pepper plant diseases. This experiment was conducted at a pepper plantation near Lembah Bidong, Kuala Terengganu. An Andersen spore sampler was used to collect the fungi spores. Culture based identification were then made. The study resulted in the identification of four genus of fungi such as Fusarium sp, Fusarium semictectum Fusarium oxysporum, Curvularia sp., Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma sp. (Ascomycetes). Further molecular identification will confirm the species of fungal pathogens and more understanding of their population as well as severity.
Keywords: Pepper, Piper nigrum L., air-borne, fungi, Andersen spore sampler
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Sahu MK, Kaushik K, Das A, Jha H. In vitro and in silico antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of rhizospheric fungus Talaromyces purpureogenus isolate-ABRF2. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s40643-020-00303-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe present study evaluated the potential biological activities of rhizospheric fungi isolated from the Achanakmar Biosphere Reserve, India. Fungus, Talaromyces purpureogenus isolate-ABRF2 from the soil of the Achanakmar biosphere was characterized by using morphological, biochemical and molecular techniques. Fungus was screened for the production of secondary metabolites using a specific medium. The metabolites were extracted using a suitable solvent and each fraction was subsequently evaluated for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative and anti-aging properties. The ethanolic extract depicted the highest antioxidant activity with 83%, 79%, 80% and 74% as assessed by ferric reducing power, 2,2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic and phosphomolybdenum assays, respectively. Similarly, ethanolic extracts depicted marked antimicrobial activity as compared with standard antibiotics and antifungal agents as well as demonstrated significant antiproliferative property against a panel of mammalian cancer cell lines. Furthermore, different fractions of the purified ethanolic extract obtained using adsorption column chromatography were evaluated for antiproliferative property and identification of an active metabolite in the purified fraction using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques yielded 3-methyl-4-oxo-pentanoic acid. Thus, the present study suggests that the active metabolite 3-methyl-4-oxo-pentanoic acid extracted from Talaromyces purpureogenus isolate-ABRF2 has a potential antiproliferative, anti-aging, and antimicrobial therapeutic properties that will be further evaluated using in vivo studies in future.
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van Tilburg Bernardes E, Gutierrez MW, Arrieta MC. The Fungal Microbiome and Asthma. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:583418. [PMID: 33324573 PMCID: PMC7726317 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.583418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a group of inflammatory conditions that compromises the airways of a continuously increasing number of people around the globe. Its complex etiology comprises both genetic and environmental aspects, with the intestinal and lung microbiomes emerging as newly implicated factors that can drive and aggravate asthma. Longitudinal infant cohort studies combined with mechanistic studies in animal models have identified microbial signatures causally associated with subsequent asthma risk. The recent inclusion of fungi in human microbiome surveys has revealed that microbiome signatures associated with asthma risk are not limited to bacteria, and that fungi are also implicated in asthma development in susceptible individuals. In this review, we examine the unique properties of human-associated and environmental fungi, which confer them the ability to influence immune development and allergic responses. The important contribution of fungi to asthma development and exacerbations prompts for their inclusion in current and future asthma studies in humans and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik van Tilburg Bernardes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mackenzie W Gutierrez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Marie-Claire Arrieta
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Alvarenga VO, Gonzales-Barron U, do Prado Silva L, Cadavez V, Sant'Ana AS. Using extended Bigelow meta-regressions for modelling the effects of temperature, pH, °Brix on the inactivation of heat resistant moulds. Int J Food Microbiol 2020; 338:108985. [PMID: 33334619 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The management of Heat Resistant Moulds (HRMs) is considered a great challenge for the juice fruit industry. Neosartorya, Byssochlamys and Talaromyces are three out of the main genera isolated from fruit juices that show great resistance to heat treatments. Several inactivation parameters can be found in the literature, however all of them were carried out in specific food matrices and using diverse inactivation methods. Thus, this meta-analysis study synthesizes the thermal resistance parameters of the three HRMs by adjusting extended Bigelow-based meta-regression models to data on inactivation experiments conducted in different liquid media. The meta-analytical data, extracted from publications between 1969 and 2017, was composed of decimal reduction time (D), inactivation method, temperature of inactivation, pH, °Brix, age of spores, and type of medium (model, juice, concentrates). Pooled D* values (D at 90 °C, pH 3.5 and 12° Brix) were estimated for B. fulva (1.95 min; 95% CI: 1.21-3.11 min), Talaromyces (4.03 min; 95% CI: 3.43-4.74 min), Neosartorya (0.5.35 min; 95% CI: 4.10-7.08 min), and B. nivea (10.32 min; 95% CI: 5.81-18.4 min). It was found that increasing the soluble solids in concentrates tends to cause a lower decrease in the heat resistance of Neosartorya and Talaromyces than increasing the soluble solids in model liquid or juices (p = 0.001; 0.012). In general, the screw-capped tubes and three neck round inactivation methods render higher D* values (p < 0.05) than the thermal death tubes, the polyethylene bag and the capillary methods. Spores of Talaromyces (overall zpH = 7.56; 95% CI: 5.13-13.5) and Neosartorya (overall zpH = 7.07; 95% CI: 5.04-10.8) appear to be more thermal sensitive to a decrease in medium pH than spores of Byssochlamys (overall zpH = 4.34; 95% CI: 3.20-6.73). The meta-regression models presented in this study can be valuable for estimating pooled inactivation kinetic parameters to be used by the fruit juice industry in the management of thermal processes and in the determination of shelf-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verônica O Alvarenga
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP - Brazil; Department of Food, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ursula Gonzales-Barron
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Leonardo do Prado Silva
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP - Brazil
| | - Vasco Cadavez
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Anderson S Sant'Ana
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP - Brazil.
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Cai F, Gao R, Zhao Z, Ding M, Jiang S, Yagtu C, Zhu H, Zhang J, Ebner T, Mayrhofer-Reinhartshuber M, Kainz P, Chenthamara K, Akcapinar GB, Shen Q, Druzhinina IS. Evolutionary compromises in fungal fitness: hydrophobins can hinder the adverse dispersal of conidiospores and challenge their survival. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2610-2624. [PMID: 32632264 PMCID: PMC7490268 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0709-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fungal evolutionary biology is impeded by the scarcity of fossils, irregular life cycles, immortality, and frequent asexual reproduction. Simple and diminutive bodies of fungi develop inside a substrate and have exceptional metabolic and ecological plasticity, which hinders species delimitation. However, the unique fungal traits can shed light on evolutionary forces that shape the environmental adaptations of these taxa. Higher filamentous fungi that disperse through aerial spores produce amphiphilic and highly surface-active proteins called hydrophobins (HFBs), which coat spores and mediate environmental interactions. We exploited a library of HFB-deficient mutants for two cryptic species of mycoparasitic and saprotrophic fungi from the genus Trichoderma (Hypocreales) and estimated fungal development, reproductive potential, and stress resistance. HFB4 and HFB10 were found to be relevant for Trichoderma fitness because they could impact the spore-mediated dispersal processes and control other fitness traits. An analysis in silico revealed purifying selection for all cases except for HFB4 from T. harzianum, which evolved under strong positive selection pressure. Interestingly, the deletion of the hfb4 gene in T. harzianum considerably increased its fitness-related traits. Conversely, the deletion of hfb4 in T. guizhouense led to the characteristic phenotypes associated with relatively low fitness. The net contribution of the hfb4 gene to fitness was found to result from evolutionary tradeoffs between individual traits. Our analysis of HFB-dependent fitness traits has provided an evolutionary snapshot of the selective pressures and speciation process in closely related fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, A1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Renwei Gao
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingyue Ding
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | - Siqi Jiang
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | - Civan Yagtu
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, A1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hong Zhu
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | | | - Komal Chenthamara
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, A1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Günseli Bayram Akcapinar
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, A1060, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Qirong Shen
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China.
| | - Irina S Druzhinina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China.
- Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China.
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, A1060, Vienna, Austria.
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Son YE, Park HS. Genome Wide Analysis Reveals the Role of VadA in Stress Response, Germination, and Sterigmatocystin Production in Aspergillus nidulans Conidia. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8091319. [PMID: 32872591 PMCID: PMC7565415 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In the Aspergillus species, conidia are asexual spores that are infectious particles responsible for propagation. Conidia contain various mycotoxins that can have detrimental effects in humans. Previous study demonstrated that VadA is required for fungal development and spore viability in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In the present study, vadA transcriptomic analysis revealed that VadA affects the mRNA expression of a variety of genes in A. nidulans conidia. The genes that were primarily affected in conidia were associated with trehalose biosynthesis, cell-wall integrity, stress response, and secondary metabolism. Genetic changes caused by deletion of vadA were related to phenotypes of the vadA deletion mutant conidia. The deletion of vadA resulted in increased conidial sensitivity against ultraviolet stress and induced germ tube formation in the presence and absence of glucose. In addition, most genes in the secondary metabolism gene clusters of sterigmatocystin, asperfuranone, monodictyphenone, and asperthecin were upregulated in the mutant conidia with vadA deletion. The deletion of vadA led to an increase in the amount of sterigmatocystin in the conidia, suggesting that VadA is essential for the repression of sterigmatocystin production in conidia. These results suggest that VadA coordinates conidia maturation, stress response, and secondary metabolism in A. nidulans conidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Eun Son
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea;
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea;
- Department of Integrative Biology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-53-950-5751
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