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Zhao X, Zhai L, Chen J, Zhou Y, Gao J, Xu W, Li X, Liu K, Zhong T, Xiao Y, Yu X. Recent Advances in Microfluidics for the Early Detection of Plant Diseases in Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains Caused by Bacteria, Fungi, and Viruses. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 38875493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
In the context of global population growth expected in the future, enhancing the agri-food yield is crucial. Plant diseases significantly impact crop production and food security. Modern microfluidics offers a compact and convenient approach for detecting these defects. Although this field is still in its infancy and few comprehensive reviews have explored this topic, practical research has great potential. This paper reviews the principles, materials, and applications of microfluidic technology for detecting plant diseases caused by various pathogens. Its performance in realizing the separation, enrichment, and detection of different pathogens is discussed in depth to shed light on its prospects. With its versatile design, microfluidics has been developed for rapid, sensitive, and low-cost monitoring of plant diseases. Incorporating modules for separation, preconcentration, amplification, and detection enables the early detection of trace amounts of pathogens, enhancing crop security. Coupling with imaging systems, smart and digital devices are increasingly being reported as advanced solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingzi Zhai
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
- Department of Food Science & Technology, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 2, Singapore 117542, Singapore
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WG, The Netherlands
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiuhe Gao
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxiao Xu
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaixu Liu
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Zhong
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao 999078, People's Republic of China
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Yu
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, People's Republic of China
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Tong Z, Meng D, Zhang W, Jin L, Yi X, Dong X, Sun M, Chu Y, Duan J. Mechanism Insights into the Enantioselective Bioactivity and Fumonisin Biosynthesis of Mefentrifluconazole to Fusarium verticillioides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 38607803 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of maize ear rot caused by Fusarium verticillioides (F. verticillioides) poses a threat to the yield and quality of maize. Mefentrifluconazole enantiomers appear to have strong stereoselective activity against F. verticillioides and cause differences in fumonisin production. We evaluated the stereoselective activity of mefentrifluconazole enantiomers by determining inhibition of the strain, hyphae, and conidia. Strain inhibition by R-(-)-mefentrifluconazole was 241 times higher than S-(+)-mefentrifluconazole and 376 times higher in conidia inhibition. For the mechanism of the enantioselective bioactivity, R-mefentrifluconazole had stronger binding to proteins than S-(+)-mefentrifluconazole. Under several concentration conditions, the fumonisin concentration was 1.3-24.9-fold higher in the R-(-)-mefentrifluconazole treatment than in the S-(+)-mefentrifluconazole treatment. The R-enantiomer stimulated fumonisin despite a higher bioactivity. As the incubation time increased, the stimulation of the enantiomers on fumonisin production decreased. R-(-)-Mefentrifluconazole stimulated higher fumonisin production in F. verticillioides at 25 °C compared to 30 °C. This study established a foundation for the development of high-efficiency and low-risk pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Tong
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - DanDan Meng
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - WenYu Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - XiaoTong Yi
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Xu Dong
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - MingNa Sun
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yue Chu
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
| | - JinSheng Duan
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pesticide Resistance Management on Grain and Vegetable Pests, Hefei 230031, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei 230031, China
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Richter F, Calonne-Salmon M, van der Heijden MGA, Declerck S, Stanley CE. AMF-SporeChip provides new insights into arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal asymbiotic hyphal growth dynamics at the cellular level. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1930-1946. [PMID: 38416560 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00859b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic associations with the majority of land plants and deliver a wide range of soil-based ecosystem services. Due to their conspicuous belowground lifestyle in a dark environment surrounded by soil particles, much is still to be learned about the influence of environmental (i.e., physical) cues on spore germination, hyphal morphogenesis and anastomosis/hyphal healing mechanisms. To fill existing gaps in AMF knowledge, we developed a new microfluidic platform - the AMF-SporeChip - to visualise the foraging behaviour of germinating Rhizophagus and Gigaspora spores and confront asymbiotic hyphae with physical obstacles. In combination with timelapse microscopy, the fungi could be examined at the cellular level and in real-time. The AMF-SporeChip allowed us to acquire movies with unprecedented visual clarity and therefore identify various exploration strategies of AMF asymbiotic hyphae. We witnessed tip-to-tip and tip-to-side hyphal anastomosis formation. Anastomosis involved directed hyphal growth in a "stop-and-go" manner, yielding visual evidence of pre-anastomosis signalling and decision-making. Remarkably, we also revealed a so-far undescribed reversible cytoplasmic retraction, including the formation of up to 8 septa upon retraction, as part of a highly dynamic space navigation, probably evolved to optimise foraging efficiency. Our findings demonstrated how AMF employ an intricate mechanism of space searching, involving reversible cytoplasmic retraction, branching and directional changes. In turn, the AMF-SporeChip is expected to open many future frontiers for AMF research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Richter
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Maryline Calonne-Salmon
- Laboratory of Mycology, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marcel G A van der Heijden
- Agroecology and Environment Research Division, Agroscope, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stéphane Declerck
- Laboratory of Mycology, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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Aryal P, Hefner C, Martinez B, Henry CS. Microfluidics in environmental analysis: advancements, challenges, and future prospects for rapid and efficient monitoring. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1175-1206. [PMID: 38165815 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00871a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices have emerged as advantageous tools for detecting environmental contaminants due to their portability, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and rapid response capabilities. These devices have wide-ranging applications in environmental monitoring of air, water, and soil matrices, and have also been applied to agricultural monitoring. Although several previous reviews have explored microfluidic devices' utility, this paper presents an up-to-date account of the latest advancements in this field for environmental monitoring, looking back at the past five years. In this review, we discuss devices for prominent contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, nutrients, microorganisms, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), etc. We cover numerous detection methods (electrochemical, colorimetric, fluorescent, etc.) and critically assess the current state of microfluidic devices for environmental monitoring, highlighting both their successes and limitations. Moreover, we propose potential strategies to mitigate these limitations and offer valuable insights into future research and development directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Aryal
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
| | - Claire Hefner
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
| | - Brandaise Martinez
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
| | - Charles S Henry
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
- Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Microbial-Based Products to Control Soil-Borne Pathogens: Methods to Improve Efficacy and to Assess Impacts on Microbiome. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11010224. [PMID: 36677516 PMCID: PMC9867489 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial-based products (either as biopesticide or biofertilizers) have a long history of application, though their use is still limited, mainly due to a perceived low and inconsistent efficacy under field conditions. However, their efficacy has always been compared to chemical products, which have a completely different mechanism of action and production process, following the chemical paradigm of agricultural production. This paradigm has also been applied to regulatory processes, particularly for biopesticides, making the marketing of microbial-based formulations difficult. Increased knowledge about bioinocula behavior after application to the soil and their impact on soil microbiome should foster better exploitation of microbial-based products in a complex environment such as the soil. Moreover, the multifunctional capacity of microbial strains with regard to plant growth promotion and protection should also be considered in this respect. Therefore, the methods utilized for these studies are key to improving the knowledge and understanding of microbial-based product activity and improving their efficacy, which, from farmers' point of view, is the parameter to assess the usefulness of a treatment. In this review, we are thus addressing aspects related to the production and formulation process, highlighting the methods that can be used to evaluate the functioning and impact of microbial-based products on soil microbiome, as tools supporting their use and marketing.
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Itani A, Shida Y, Ogasawara W. A microfluidic device for simultaneous detection of enzyme secretion and elongation of a single hypha. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1125760. [PMID: 36937311 PMCID: PMC10020217 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1125760] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi grow through elongation of their apical region by exocytosis and secrete enzymes that can be of commercial or industrial importance. Their hyphae exhibit extensive branching, making it difficult to control hyphal growth for observation and analysis. Therefore, although hyphal morphology and productivity are closely related, the relationship between the two has not yet been clarified. Conventional morphology and productivity studies have only compared the results of macro imaging of fungal pellets cultured in bulk with the averaged products in the culture medium. Filamentous fungi are multicellular and their expression differs between different hyphae. To truly understand the relationship between morphology and productivity, it is necessary to compare the morphology and productivity of individual hyphae. To achieve this, we developed a microfluidic system that confines hyphae to individual channels for observation and investigated the relationship between their growth, morphology, and enzyme productivity. Furthermore, using Trichoderma reesei, a potent cellulase-producing fungus, as a model, we developed a cellulase detection assay with 4-MUC substrate to detect hyphal growth and enzyme secretion in a microfluidic device in real time. Using a strain that expresses cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) fused with AcGFP1, we compared fluorescence from the detection assay with GFP fluorescence intensity, which showed a strong correlation between the two. These results indicate that extracellular enzymes can be easily detected in the microfluidic device in real time because the production of cellulase is synchronized in T. reesei. This microfluidic system enables real-time visualization of the dynamics of hypha and enzymes during carbon source exchange and the quantitative dynamics of gene expression. This technology can be applied to many biosystems from bioenergy production to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Itani
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Yosuke Shida
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yosuke Shida,
| | - Wataru Ogasawara
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
- Wataru Ogasawara,
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Richter F, Bindschedler S, Calonne-Salmon M, Declerck S, Junier P, Stanley CE. Fungi-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for single-cell studies on fungi. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6674677. [PMID: 36001464 PMCID: PMC9779915 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac039] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review highlights new advances in the emerging field of 'Fungi-on-a-Chip' microfluidics for single-cell studies on fungi and discusses several future frontiers, where we envisage microfluidic technology development to be instrumental in aiding our understanding of fungal biology. Fungi, with their enormous diversity, bear essential roles both in nature and our everyday lives. They inhabit a range of ecosystems, such as soil, where they are involved in organic matter degradation and bioremediation processes. More recently, fungi have been recognized as key components of the microbiome in other eukaryotes, such as humans, where they play a fundamental role not only in human pathogenesis, but also likely as commensals. In the food sector, fungi are used either directly or as fermenting agents and are often key players in the biotechnological industry, where they are responsible for the production of both bulk chemicals and antibiotics. Although the macroscopic fruiting bodies are immediately recognizable by most observers, the structure, function, and interactions of fungi with other microbes at the microscopic scale still remain largely hidden. Herein, we shed light on new advances in the emerging field of Fungi-on-a-Chip microfluidic technologies for single-cell studies on fungi. We discuss the development and application of microfluidic tools in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, as well as in-depth biological studies having significance for ecology and general natural processes. Finally, a future perspective is provided, highlighting new frontiers in which microfluidic technology can benefit this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Richter
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Saskia Bindschedler
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maryline Calonne-Salmon
- Laboratory of Mycology, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Declerck
- Laboratory of Mycology, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pilar Junier
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Corresponding author: Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. E-mail:
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Zhu X, Wang K, Yan H, Liu C, Zhu X, Chen B. Microfluidics as an Emerging Platform for Exploring Soil Environmental Processes: A Critical Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:711-731. [PMID: 34985862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Investigating environmental processes, especially those occurring in soils, calls for innovative and multidisciplinary technologies that can provide insights at the microscale. The heterogeneity, opacity, and dynamics make the soil a "black box" where interactions and processes are elusive. Recently, microfluidics has emerged as a powerful research platform and experimental tool which can create artificial soil micromodels, enabling exploring soil processes on a chip. Micro/nanofabricated microfluidic devices can mimic some of the key features of soil with highly controlled physical and chemical microenvironments at the scale of pores, aggregates, and microbes. The combination of various techniques makes microfluidics an integrated approach for observation, reaction, analysis, and characterization. In this review, we systematically summarize the emerging applications of microfluidic soil platforms, from investigating soil interfacial processes and soil microbial processes to soil analysis and high-throughput screening. We highlight how innovative microfluidic devices are used to provide new insights into soil processes, mechanisms, and effects at the microscale, which contribute to an integrated interrogation of the soil systems across different scales. Critical discussions of the practical limitations of microfluidic soil platforms and perspectives of future research directions are summarized. We envisage that microfluidics will represent the technological advances toward microscopic, controllable, and in situ soil research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Huicong Yan
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Baoliang Chen
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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Bedekovic T, Brand AC. Microfabrication and its use in investigating fungal biology. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:569-577. [PMID: 34592794 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Advances in microfabrication technology, and its increasing accessibility, allow us to explore fungal biology as never before. By coupling molecular genetics with fluorescence live-cell imaging in custom-designed chambers, we can now probe single yeast cell responses to changing conditions over a lifetime, characterise population heterogeneity and investigate its underlying causes. By growing filamentous fungi in complex physical environments, we can identify cross-species commonalities, reveal species-specific growth responses and examine physiological differences relevant to diverse fungal lifestyles. As affordability and expertise broadens, microfluidic platforms will become a standard technique for examining the role of fungi in cross-kingdom interactions, ranging from rhizosphere to microbiome to interconnected human organ systems. This review brings together the perspectives already gained from studying fungal biology in microfabricated systems and outlines their potential in understanding the role of fungi in the environment, health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Bedekovic
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Alexandra C Brand
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Hopke A, Mela A, Ellett F, Carter-House D, Peña JF, Stajich JE, Altamirano S, Lovett B, Egan M, Kale S, Kronholm I, Guerette P, Szewczyk E, McCluskey K, Breslauer D, Shah H, Coad BR, Momany M, Irimia D. Crowdsourced analysis of fungal growth and branching on microfluidic platforms. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257823. [PMID: 34587206 PMCID: PMC8480888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal hyphal growth and branching are essential traits that allow fungi to spread and proliferate in many environments. This sustained growth is essential for a myriad of applications in health, agriculture, and industry. However, comparisons between different fungi are difficult in the absence of standardized metrics. Here, we used a microfluidic device featuring four different maze patterns to compare the growth velocity and branching frequency of fourteen filamentous fungi. These measurements result from the collective work of several labs in the form of a competition named the "Fungus Olympics." The competing fungi included five ascomycete species (ten strains total), two basidiomycete species, and two zygomycete species. We found that growth velocity within a straight channel varied from 1 to 4 μm/min. We also found that the time to complete mazes when fungal hyphae branched or turned at various angles did not correlate with linear growth velocity. We discovered that fungi in our study used one of two distinct strategies to traverse mazes: high-frequency branching in which all possible paths were explored, and low-frequency branching in which only one or two paths were explored. While the high-frequency branching helped fungi escape mazes with sharp turns faster, the low-frequency turning had a significant advantage in mazes with shallower turns. Future work will more systematically examine these trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Hopke
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alex Mela
- Fungal Biology Group and Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Felix Ellett
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Derreck Carter-House
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Jesús F. Peña
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Sophie Altamirano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Brian Lovett
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Martin Egan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Shiv Kale
- Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ilkka Kronholm
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Paul Guerette
- Bolt Threads Inc., Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - Edyta Szewczyk
- Bolt Threads Inc., Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - Kevin McCluskey
- Bolt Threads Inc., Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - David Breslauer
- Bolt Threads Inc., Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - Hiral Shah
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India
| | - Bryan R. Coad
- School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Michelle Momany
- Fungal Biology Group and Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DI); (MM)
| | - Daniel Irimia
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DI); (MM)
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Baranger C, Pezron I, Lins L, Deleu M, Le Goff A, Fayeulle A. A compartmentalized microsystem helps understanding the uptake of benzo[a]pyrene by fungi during soil bioremediation processes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 784:147151. [PMID: 33895515 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrophobic organic soil contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are poorly mobile in the aqueous phase and tend to sorb to the soil matrix, resulting in low bioavailability. Some filamentous fungi are efficient in degrading this kind of pollutants. However, the mechanism of mobilization of hydrophobic compounds by non-motile microorganisms such as filamentous fungi needs investigations to improve pollutant bioavailability and bioremediation efficiency. Usual homogeneous media for microbial growth in the lab are poorly suited to model the soil, which is a compartmentalized and heterogeneous habitat. A microfluidic device was designed to implement a compartmentalization of the fungal inoculum and the source of the pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) as a deposit of solid crystals in order to gain a further insight into the mechanisms involved in the access to the contaminant and its uptake in soils. Thus in this device, two chambers are connected by an array of parallel microchannels that are wide enough to allow individual hyphae to grow through them. Macro-cultures of Talaromyces helicus in direct contact with BaP have shown its uptake and intracellular storage in lipid bodies despite the low propensity of BaP to cross aqueous phases as shown by simulation. Observations of T. helicus in the microfluidic device through laser scanning confocal microscopy indicate preferential uptake of BaP at a close range and through contact with the cell wall. However faint staining of some hyphae before contact with the deposit also suggests an extracellular transport phenomenon. Macro-culture filtrates analyses have shown that T. helicus releases extracellular non-lipidic surface-active compounds able to lower the surface tension of culture filtrates to 49.4 mN/m. Thus, these results highlight the significance of active mechanisms to reach hydrophobic contaminants before their uptake by filamentous fungi in compartmentalized micro-environments and the potential to improve them through biostimulation approaches for soil mycoremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Baranger
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, ESCOM, TIMR (Integrated Transformations of Renewable Matter), Centre de Recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319 - 60 203 Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Isabelle Pezron
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, ESCOM, TIMR (Integrated Transformations of Renewable Matter), Centre de Recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319 - 60 203 Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Laurence Lins
- TERRA Research Center, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics at Interfaces, SFR Condorcet, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Passage des Déportés, 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Magali Deleu
- TERRA Research Center, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics at Interfaces, SFR Condorcet, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Passage des Déportés, 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Anne Le Goff
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, CNRS, Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319 - 60 203 Compiègne Cedex, France.
| | - Antoine Fayeulle
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, ESCOM, TIMR (Integrated Transformations of Renewable Matter), Centre de Recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319 - 60 203 Compiègne Cedex, France.
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Sun Y, Tayagui A, Sale S, Sarkar D, Nock V, Garrill A. Platforms for High-Throughput Screening and Force Measurements on Fungi and Oomycetes. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12060639. [PMID: 34070887 PMCID: PMC8227076 DOI: 10.3390/mi12060639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi and oomycetes give rise to a significant number of animal and plant diseases. While the spread of these pathogenic microorganisms is increasing globally, emerging resistance to antifungal drugs is making associated diseases more difficult to treat. High-throughput screening (HTS) and new developments in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) platforms promise to aid the discovery of urgently required new control strategies and anti-fungal/oomycete drugs. In this review, we summarize existing HTS and emergent LOC approaches in the context of infection strategies and invasive growth exhibited by these microorganisms. To aid this, we introduce key biological aspects and review existing HTS platforms based on both conventional and LOC techniques. We then provide an in-depth discussion of more specialized LOC platforms for force measurements on hyphae and to study electro- and chemotaxis in spores, approaches which have the potential to aid the discovery of alternative drug targets on future HTS platforms. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of the technical developments required to improve the uptake of these platforms into the general laboratory environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Sun
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Ayelen Tayagui
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Sale
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Debolina Sarkar
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Volker Nock
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (V.N.); (A.G.)
| | - Ashley Garrill
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; (Y.S.); (A.T.); (S.S.); (D.S.)
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (V.N.); (A.G.)
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Abstract
Tip-growing fungal cells maintain cell polarity at the apical regions and elongate by de novo synthesis of the cell wall. Cell polarity and tip growth rate affect mycelial morphology. Tip-growing fungal cells maintain cell polarity at the apical regions and elongate by de novo synthesis of the cell wall. Cell polarity and tip growth rate affect mycelial morphology. However, it remains unclear how both features act cooperatively to determine cell shape. Here, we investigated this relationship by analyzing hyphal tip growth of filamentous fungi growing inside extremely narrow 1 μm-width channels of microfluidic devices. Since the channels are much narrower than the diameter of hyphae, any hypha growing through the channel must adapt its morphology. Live-cell imaging analyses revealed that hyphae of some species continued growing through the channels, whereas hyphae of other species often ceased growing when passing through the channels, or had lost apical polarity after emerging from the other end of the channel. Fluorescence live-cell imaging analyses of the Spitzenkörper, a collection of secretory vesicles and polarity-related proteins at the hyphal tip, in Neurospora crassa indicates that hyphal tip growth requires a very delicate balance of ordered exocytosis to maintain polarity in spatially confined environments. We analyzed the mycelial growth of seven fungal species from different lineages, including phytopathogenic fungi. This comparative approach revealed that the growth defects induced by the channels were not correlated with their taxonomic classification or with the width of hyphae, but, rather, correlated with the hyphal elongation rate. This report indicates a trade-off between morphological plasticity and velocity in mycelial growth and serves to help understand fungal invasive growth into substrates or plant/animal cells, with direct impact on fungal biotechnology, ecology, and pathogenicity.
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