Contribution to the pathogenic fungi on woody plants in North Korea

Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 299 (2) ◽  
pp. 185 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATARÍNA PASTIRČÁKOVÁ ◽  
HYEON-DONG SHIN

This paper presents the first checklist of pathogenic fungi on woody plants in North Korea. The checklist enumerates 146 species of fungi belonging to 79 genera, growing on 108 host plants belonging to 58 genera and 35 families. Two hosts and 57 fungal species represent first records in North Korea.

Author(s):  
Nicole C Soal ◽  
Martin H A Coetzee ◽  
Magriet A van der Nest ◽  
Almuth Hammerbacher ◽  
Brenda D Wingfield

Abstract Fungal species of the Ceratocystidaceae grow on their host plants using a variety of different lifestyles, from saprophytic to highly pathogenic. Although many genomes of fungi in the Ceratocystidaceae are publicly available, it is not known how the genes that encode catechol dioxygenases (CDOs), enzymes involved in the degradation of phenolic plant defence compounds, differ among members of the Ceratocystidaceae. The aim of this study was therefore to identify and characterize the genes encoding CDOs in the genomes of Ceratocystidaceae representatives. We found that genes encoding CDOs are more abundant in pathogenic necrotrophic species of the Ceratocystidaceae and less abundant in saprophytic species. The loss of the CDO genes and the associated 3-oxoadipate catabolic pathway appears to have occurred in a lineage-specific manner. Taken together, this study revealed a positive association between CDO gene copy number and fungal lifestyle in Ceratocystidaceae representatives.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Soal ◽  
Martin HA Coetzee ◽  
Magriet A van der Nest ◽  
Almuth Hammerbacher ◽  
Brenda Wingfield

Fungal species of the Ceratocystidaceae grow on their host plants using a variety of different lifestyles, from saprophytic to highly pathogenic. Although many genomes of fungi in the Ceratocystidaceae are publicly available, it is not known how the genes that encode catechol dioxygenases (CDOs), enzymes involved in the degradation of phenolic plant defence compounds, differ among members of the Ceratocystidaceae. The aim of this study was therefore to identify and characterize the genes encoding CDOs in the genomes of Ceratocystidaceae representatives. We found that genes encoding CDOs are more abundant in pathogenic necrotrophic species of the Ceratocystidaceae and less abundant in saprophytic species. The loss of the CDO genes and the associated 3-oxoadipate catabolic pathway appears to have occurred in a lineage-specific manner. Taken together, this study revealed a positive association between CDO gene copy number and fungal lifestyle in Ceratocystidaceae representatives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Johannes Delgado-Ospina ◽  
Junior Bernardo Molina-Hernández ◽  
Clemencia Chaves-López ◽  
Gianfranco Romanazzi ◽  
Antonello Paparella

Background: The role of fungi in cocoa crops is mainly associated with plant diseases and contamination of harvest with unwanted metabolites such as mycotoxins that can reach the final consumer. However, in recent years there has been interest in discovering other existing interactions in the environment that may be beneficial, such as antagonism, commensalism, and the production of specific enzymes, among others. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the different fungi species involved in cocoa production and the cocoa supply chain. In particular, it examines the presence of fungal species during cultivation, harvest, fermentation, drying, and storage, emphasizing the factors that possibly influence their prevalence in the different stages of production and the health risks associated with the production of mycotoxins in the light of recent literature. Key findings and conclusion: Fungi associated with the cocoa production chain have many different roles. They have evolved in a varied range of ecosystems in close association with plants and various habitats, affecting nearly all the cocoa chain steps. Reports of the isolation of 60 genera of fungi were found, of which only 19 were involved in several stages. Although endophytic fungi can help control some diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, climate change, with increased rain and temperatures, together with intensified exchanges, can favour most of these fungal infections, and the presence of highly aggressive new fungal genotypes increasing the concern of mycotoxin production. For this reason, mitigation strategies need to be determined to prevent the spread of disease-causing fungi and preserve beneficial ones.


Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asiya Gusa ◽  
Sue Jinks-Robertson

Genome rearrangements and ploidy alterations are important for adaptive change in the pathogenic fungal species Candida and Cryptococcus, which propagate primarily through clonal, asexual reproduction. These changes can occur during mitotic growth and lead to enhanced virulence, drug resistance, and persistence in chronic infections. Examples of microevolution during the course of infection were described in both human infections and mouse models. Recent discoveries defining the role of sexual, parasexual, and unisexual cycles in the evolution of these pathogenic fungi further expanded our understanding of the diversity found in and between species. During mitotic growth, damage to DNA in the form of double-strand breaks (DSBs) is repaired, and genome integrity is restored by the homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining pathways. In addition to faithful repair, these pathways can introduce minor sequence alterations at the break site or lead to more extensive genetic alterations that include loss of heterozygosity, inversions, duplications, deletions, and translocations. In particular, the prevalence of repetitive sequences in fungal genomes provides opportunities for structural rearrangements to be generated by non-allelic (ectopic) recombination. In this review, we describe DSB repair mechanisms and the types of resulting genome alterations that were documented in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The relevance of similar recombination events to stress- and drug-related adaptations and in generating species diversity are discussed for the human fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (22) ◽  
pp. 8681
Author(s):  
Nicolò Orsoni ◽  
Francesca Degola ◽  
Luca Nerva ◽  
Franco Bisceglie ◽  
Giorgio Spadola ◽  
...  

As key players in biotic stress response of plants, jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives cover a specific and prominent role in pathogens-mediated signaling and hence are promising candidates for a sustainable management of phytopathogenic fungi. Recently, JA directed antimicrobial effects on plant pathogens has been suggested, supporting the theory of oxylipins as double gamers in plant-pathogen interaction. Based on these premises, six derivatives (dihydrojasmone and cis-jasmone, two thiosemicarbazonic derivatives and their corresponding complexes with copper) have been evaluated against 13 fungal species affecting various economically important herbaceous and woody crops, such as cereals, grapes and horticultural crops: Phaeoacremonium minimum, Neofusicoccum parvum, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Fomitiporia mediterranea, Fusarium poae, F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae,F. sporotrichioides, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia solani,Sclerotinia spp. and Verticillium dahliae. The biological activity of these compounds was assessed in terms of growth inhibition and, for the two mycotoxigenic species A. flavus and F. sporotrichioides, also in terms of toxin containment. As expected, the inhibitory effect of molecules greatly varied amongst both genera and species; cis-jasmone thiosemicarbazone in particular has shown the wider range of effectiveness. However, our results show that thiosemicarbazones derivatives are more effective than the parent ketones in limiting fungal growth and mycotoxins production, supporting possible applications for the control of pathogenic fungi.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun-Zhi Liu ◽  
Xia Yan ◽  
Xi-Xiang Tang ◽  
Jin-Guo Lin ◽  
Ying-Kun Qiu

Fusarium solani H915 is a fungus derived from mangrove sediments. From its ethyl acetate extract, a new alkenoic acid, fusaridioic acid A (1), three new bis-alkenoic acid esters, namely, fusariumester A1 (2), A2 (3) and B (4), together with three known compounds (5–7), were isolated. The structures of the new compounds were comprehensively characterized by high resolution electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Additionally, the antifungal activities against tea pathogenic fungi Pestalotiopsis theae and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were studied. The new compound, 4, containing a β-lactone ring, exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against P. theae, with an MIC of 50 μg/disc. Hymeglusin (6), a typical β-lactone antibiotic and a terpenoid alkaloid, equisetin (7), exhibited potent inhibitory activities against both fungal species. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their effects on zebrafish embryo development. Equisetin clearly imparted toxic effect on zebrafish even at low concentrations. However, none of the alkenoic acid derivatives exhibited significant toxicity to zebrafish eggs, embryos, or larvae. Thus, the β-lactone containing alkenoic acid derivatives from F. solani H915 are low in toxicity and are potent antifungal agents against tea pathogenic fungi.


1966 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Nielsen

An unidentified volatile substance, released by smut fungi, their host plants, and facultative pathogenic fungi, changed the germination type from sporidial to mycelial in Ustilago kolleri, U. avenae, U. hordei, and U. nigra. Imidazole caused similar changes. U. maydis did not respond to either the gas or imidazole. These compounds increase sexual affinity, which is expressed by fusion of compatible promycelial cells. The gas and similarly acting solid compounds seem to be responsible for the change in germination type of spores that germinate on host tissue or in the soil, thereby immediately initiating the parasitic dikaryophase. The importance of high sexual affinity for the maintenance of the dikaryophase of smut fungi both on artificial media and in the host is discussed.


Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhonghua Ma ◽  
Themis J. Michailides

Botryosphaeria panicle and shoot blight of pistachio, caused by Fusicoccum sp. is a destructive disease in California. In this study, a pair of group-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers BDI and BDII, was developed for identification of Fusicoccum sp. from pistachio and other hosts in California based on the sequences of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The primers amplified a 356-bp DNA fragment for all 73 tested isolates of Fusicoccum sp. collected from pistachio and other hosts throughout California in different years, but not for the other 33 fungal species isolated from pistachio and the eight isolates of Fusicoccum sp. obtained from pistachio trees in Greece. The PCR assay using this pair of primers was sensitive enough to detect 5 pg of genomic DNA of Fusicoccum sp. A simple DNA extraction procedure was developed that led to the rapid identification of Fusicoccum sp. from pistachio and other host plants in California.


2003 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianzhong Sun ◽  
James R. Fuxa ◽  
Gregg Henderson

Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was used as “bait” to isolate pathogenic fungi from soil. Ninety soil samples were collected from woodlands and pastures in the vicinities of Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles, LA, from which six Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin and nine Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin isolates were obtained. Numbers of fungal isolates from the three sampling locations did not differ, but more isolates were found in woodlands than in pastures. Median lethal doses (LD50s) of these fungal species to C. formosanus were interspersed, indicating that fungal isolates rather than species had the greatest effect on virulence. Among nine Louisiana and two USDA isolates of B. bassiana, LD50s ranged from 4.95 × 103 to 4.96 × 105 conidia/termite, a difference of 100×. LD50s of six Louisiana and four USDA isolates of M. anisopliae ranged from 7.89 × 103 to 1.22 × 105 conidia/termite. Survival time also was used to compare virulence; M. anisopliae infections caused significantly shorter host survival times than B. bassiana. In vitro growth characteristics were significantly correlated with virulence against termites, suggesting that the characteristics of a fungus growing on agar might contribute to estimating the fungal virulence in vivo.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Lopes Damasceno ◽  
Rafael Aparecido dos Santos ◽  
Amir Horiquini Barbosa ◽  
Luciana Assirati Casemiro ◽  
Regina Helena Pires ◽  
...  

Fungi can cause various diseases, and some pathogenic fungi have been detected in the water of dental equipment. This environment offers suitable conditions for fungal biofilms to emerge, which can facilitate mycological contamination. This study verified whether the water employed in the dental units of two dental clinics at the University of Franca was contaminated with fungi. This study also evaluated the ability of the detected fungi to form biofilms. The high-revving engine contained the largest average amount of fungi, 14.93 ± 18.18 CFU/mL. The main fungal species verified in this equipment belonged to the generaAspergillusspp.,Fusariumspp.,Candidaspp., andRhodotorulaspp. Among the isolated filamentous fungi, only one fungus of the genusFusariumspp. did not form biofilms. As for yeasts, all theCandidaspp. isolates grew as biofilm, but none of theRhodotorulaspp. isolates demonstrated this ability. Given that professionals and patients are often exposed to water and aerosols generated by the dental procedure, the several fungal species detected herein represent a potential risk especially to immunocompromised patients undergoing dental treatment. Therefore, frequent microbiological monitoring of the water employed in dental equipment is crucial to reduce the presence of contaminants.


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