Secondary metabolites from Penicillium corylophilum isolated from damp buildings

New Hydroxyphenylacetic Acids and α-Pyrone Derivative from the Deep-Sea Cold Seep Sediment-Derived Fungus Penicillium corylophilum CS-682

Two pairs of new enantiomeric hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, (±)-corylophenols A and B ((±)-1 and (±)-2), a new α-pyrone analogue, corylopyrone A (3), and six andrastin-type meroterpenoids (4-9) were isolated and identified from the deep-sea cold-seep sediment-derived fungus Penicillium corylophilum CS-682. Their structures and stereo configurations were determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis of NMR and MS data, chiral HPLC analysis, J-based configuration analysis, and quantum chemical calculations of ECD, specific rotation, and NMR (with DP4+ probability analysis). Compound 3 showed inhibitory activity against some strains of pathogenic bacteria.

Draft Genome Sequences of Fungi Isolated from the International Space Station during the Microbial Tracking-2 Experiment

As part of the Microbial Tracking-2 study, 94 fungal strains were isolated from surfaces on the International Space Station, and whole-genome sequences were assembled. Characterization of these draft genomes will allow evaluation of microgravity adaption, risks to human health and spacecraft functioning, and biotechnological applications of fungi.

Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Smopex-234® as Valuable Catalysts for the Synthesis of Heterocycles

Supported catalysts are important tools for developing green-economy-based processes. Palladium nanoparticles (NPs) that are immobilized on two fibers developed as metal scavengers (i.e., Smopex®-234 and Smopex®-111, 1% w/w) have been prepared and tested in copper-free cyclocarbonylative Sonogashira reactions. Their catalytic activity has been compared with that of a homogeneous catalyst (i.e., PdCl2(PPh3)2). Pd/Smopex®-234 showed high activity and selectivity in the synthesis of functionalized heterocycles, such as phthalans and isochromans, even when working with a very low amount of palladium (0.2–0.5 mol%). The extension of Pd/Smopex®-234 promoted cyclocarbonylative reactions to propargyl and homopropargyl amides afforded the corresponding isoindoline and dihydrobenzazepine derivatives. A preliminary test on Pd NPs leaching into the solution (1.7 × 10−3 mg) seems to indicate that, at the end of the reaction, almost all of the active metal is present on the fiber surface.

Classification of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces and related genera (Eurotiales): An overview of families, genera, subgenera, sections, series and species

The Eurotiales is a relatively large order of Ascomycetes with members frequently having positive and negative impact on human activities. Species within this order gain attention from various research fields such as food, indoor and medical mycology and biotechnology. In this article we give an overview of families and genera present in the Eurotiales and introduce an updated subgeneric, sectional and series classification for Aspergillus and Penicillium. Finally, a comprehensive list of accepted species in the Eurotiales is given. The classification of the Eurotiales at family and genus level is traditionally based on phenotypic characters, and this classification has since been challenged using sequence-based approaches. Here, we re-evaluated the relationships between families and genera of the Eurotiales using a nine-gene sequence dataset. Based on this analysis, the new family Penicillaginaceae is introduced and four known families are accepted: Aspergillaceae, Elaphomycetaceae, Thermoascaceae and Trichocomaceae. The Eurotiales includes 28 genera: 15 genera are accommodated in the Aspergillaceae (Aspergillago, Aspergillus, Evansstolkia, Hamigera, Leiothecium, Monascus, Penicilliopsis, Penicillium, Phialomyces, Pseudohamigera, Pseudopenicillium, Sclerocleista, Warcupiella, Xerochrysium and Xeromyces), eight in the Trichocomaceae (Acidotalaromyces, Ascospirella, Dendrosphaera, Rasamsonia, Sagenomella, Talaromyces, Thermomyces, Trichocoma), two in the Thermoascaceae (Paecilomyces, Thermoascus) and one in the Penicillaginaceae (Penicillago). The classification of the Elaphomycetaceae was not part of this study, but according to literature two genera are present in this family (Elaphomyces and Pseudotulostoma). The use of an infrageneric classification system has a long tradition in Aspergillus and Penicillium. Most recent taxonomic studies focused on the sectional level, resulting in a well-established sectional classification in these genera. In contrast, a series classification in Aspergillus and Penicillium is often outdated or lacking, but is still relevant, e.g., the allocation of a species to a series can be highly predictive in what functional characters the species might have and might be useful when using a phenotype-based identification. The majority of the series in Aspergillus and Penicillium are invalidly described and here we introduce a new series classification. Using a phylogenetic approach, often supported by phenotypic, physiologic and/or extrolite data, Aspergillus is subdivided in six subgenera, 27 sections (five new) and 75 series (73 new, one new combination), and Penicillium in two subgenera, 32 sections (seven new) and 89 series (57 new, six new combinations). Correct identification of species belonging to the Eurotiales is difficult, but crucial, as the species name is the linking pin to information. Lists of accepted species are a helpful aid for researchers to obtain a correct identification using the current taxonomic schemes. In the most recent list from 2014, 339 Aspergillus, 354 Penicillium and 88 Talaromyces species were accepted. These numbers increased significantly, and the current list includes 446 Aspergillus (32 % increase), 483 Penicillium (36 % increase) and 171 Talaromyces (94 % increase) species, showing the large diversity and high interest in these genera. We expanded this list with all genera and species belonging to the Eurotiales (except those belonging to Elaphomycetaceae). The list includes 1 187 species, distributed over 27 genera, and contains MycoBank numbers, collection numbers of type and ex-type cultures, subgenus, section and series classification data, information on the mode of reproduction, and GenBank accession numbers of ITS, beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) gene sequences.

Fungal Diversity of Deteriorated Sparkling Wine and Cork Stoppers in Catalonia, Spain

Filamentous fungi are rarely reported as responsible for spoiling wine. Cork taint was detected in sparkling wine; therefore, we investigated fungal contamination as a possible cause of organoleptic alteration. Spoiled wine was filtered and membranes were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The cork stoppers used for sealing bottles were cut and also plated onto PDA. Fungal strains were phenotypically characterized and molecularly identified by sequencing of a fragment of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) and (occasionally) by other additional molecular markers. Twenty-seven strains were isolated and sixteen species were identified, all of them belonging to the phylum Ascomycota. The fungi isolated from wine were three species of Aspergillus section Nidulantes, a species of Penicillium section Exicaulis and Beauveria bassiana. Candida patagonica was isolated from both sort of samples, and the fungi isolated from cork stoppers were Altenaria alternata and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Surprisingly, most of the taxa recovered from the cork stoppers and/or wine were new to the science: a new genus (Dactylodendron) and seven new species belonging to the genera Cladophialophora, Dactylodendron, Kirschsteiniothelia, Rasamsonia, and Talaromyces. Future studies could let us know if these fungi would be able to produce compounds responsible for cork taint.

Diversity of xerotolerant and xerophilic fungi in honey

Fungi can colonize most of the substrata on Earth. Honey, a sugary food produced by bees (and other insects) has been studied little in terms of its fungal diversity. We have surveyed and evaluated the presence of xerotolerant and xerophilic fungi in a set of honey bee samples collected from across Spain. From 84 samples, a total of 104 fungal strains were isolated, and morphologically and phylogenetically characterized. We identified 32 species distributed across 16 genera, most of them belonging to the ascomycetous genera Aspergillus, Bettsia, Candida, Eremascus, Monascus, Oidiodendron, Penicillium, Skoua, Talaromyces and Zygosaccharomyces. As a result of this survey, eight new taxa are proposed: i.e. the new family Helicoarthrosporaceae, two new genera, Helicoarthrosporum and Strongyloarthrosporum in Onygenales; three new species of Eurotiales, Talaromyces affinitatimellis, T. basipetosporus, and T. brunneosporus; and two new species of Myxotrichaceae, Oidiodendron mellicola, and Skoua asexualis.

Metabolites of Trichoderma species isolated from damp building materials

Buildings that have been flooded often have high concentrations of Trichoderma spores in the air while drying. Inhaled spores and spore and mycelial fragments contain large amounts of fungal glucan and natural products that contribute to the symptoms associated with indoor mould exposures. In this study, we considered both small molecules and peptaibol profiles of T. atroviride, T. koningiopsis, T. citrinoviride, and T. harzianum strains obtained from damp buildings in eastern Canada. Twenty-residue peptaibols and sorbicillin-derived metabolites (1–6) including a new structure, (R)-vertinolide (1), were characterized from T. citrinoviride. Trichoderma koningiopsis produced several koninginins (7–10), trikoningin KA V, and the 11-residue lipopeptaibols trikoningin KB I and trikoningin KB II. Trichoderma atroviride biosynthesized a mixture of 19-residue trichorzianine-like peptaibols, whereas T. harzianum produced 18-residue trichokindin-like peptaibols and the 11-residue harzianin HB I that was subsequently identified from the studied T. citrinoviride strain. Two α-pyrones, 6-pentyl-pyran-2-one (11) and an oxidized analog (12), were produced by both T. atroviride and T. harzianum. Aside from exposure to low molecular weight natural products, inhalation of Trichoderma spores and mycelial fragments may result in exposure to membrane-disrupting peptaibols. This investigation contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the biologically active natural products produced by fungi commonly found in damp buildings.

Inflammation-associated gene expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages induced by toxins from fungi common on damp building materials

Most fungi that grow on damp building materials produce low molecular weight compounds, some of which are known to be toxic. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to some metabolites of fungi common on damp building materials would result in time-, dose-, and compound-specific responses in the production of various chemokines by RAW 264.7 cells. Cell cultures were exposed to a 10^-7M or 10^-8M metabolite dose for 2, 4, 8 or 24h. Metabolite concentrations used were based on those that might be expected in alveolar macrophages due to inhalation exposure from living or working in a damp building. Compared to controls, exposure provoked significant time-, dose- and compound-specific responses manifest as differentially elevated secretion of three of nine cytokines tested in culture supernatant of treated cells. The greatest number of cytokines produced in response to the metabolites tested were in andrastin A-treated cells (GM-CSF, TGFβ1, Tnf-α) followed by koninginin A (TGFβ1 and Tnf-α) and phomenone (GM-CSF, TGFβ1). Chaetoglobosin A, chaetomugilin D and walleminone exposures each resulted in significant time-specific production of Tnf-α only. This investigation adds to a body of evidence supporting the role of low molecular weight compounds from damp building materials as pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Along with fungal glucan and chitin, these compounds contribute to the non-allergy based respiratory outcomes for people living and working in damp buildings.

A phylogenetic revision of Penicillium sect. Exilicaulis, including nine new species from fynbos in South Africa

A survey of the fynbos biome in South Africa resulted in the isolation of 61 Penicillium species from Protea repens infructescences, air, and soil samples. Fourteen of these belong to Penicillium sect. Exilicaulis and therefore we considered it an opportunity to re-evaluate the taxonomy of the section. Phylogenetic comparisons of the ITS, β-tubulin, calmodulin and RPB2 gene regions of the 76 section Exilicaulis species, revealed 52 distinct species, including nine new species from fynbos. Morphological comparisons confirmed the novelty for most of these, however, new species closely related to P. rubefaciens did not show significant or consistent morphological differences and we thus placed a bias on phylogenetic data applying the Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition (GCPSR) concept. In this paper we describe the nine new species and update the accepted species list and resolve synonyms in the section. Importantly, we reveal that P. citreosulfuratum is the correct name for the clade previously considered to represent P. toxicarium fide Serra et al. (2008). The nine new species are: Penicillium atrolazulinum, P. consobrinum, P. cravenianum, P. hemitrachum, P. pagulum, P. repensicola, P. momoii, P. subturcoseum, and P. xanthomelinii spp. nov.