Symbiotic Relationships of Fungi with Plants

2019 ◽  
pp. 217-229
Keyword(s):  
Symbiotic Relationships

STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS OF HUMAN INTESTINAL MICROBIOME IN DIFFERENT CLIMATIC AND ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF ST. PETERSBURG

2020 ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Bugero N.V. ◽  
Ilyina N.A. ◽  
Aleksandrova S.M.
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Quantitative Changes ◽  
Micro Organisms

In order to understand the structure and dynamics of symbiotic relationships of human intestinal biotope micro-organisms, taxonomic constancy indices, the degree of contagion of the biocenosis under study and floristic significance were investigated, which made it possible to detect qualitative and quantitative changes in the microecology of the biotope being studied in persons living in different ecologically heterogeneous territories of Saint Petersburg. The contagiosity index estimated the distribution of species in space. Persons living in the ecologically disadvantaged Kirov district of the city have been found to show a reliable increase in this indicator for the obligate microflora: bifido and lacto bacteria, intestinal columns and bacteroids, compared to the resort district, which is considered a relatively favourable area for residence. On the contrary, there has been a reliable decrease in this indicator in the group of opportunistic micro-organisms (fungi of the genus Candida, staphylococcus, clostridium, etc.), resulting in the liberation of ecological niches successfully occupied by transient flora. This ratio reveals an imbalance of participation in the horizontal structure of the intestine ecosystem of the main symbiotes and representatives of the transient flora. To analyse the structure of symbiotic relationships, the constancy indices that form the microflora of the individuals of the groups studied were investigated. The analysis of the data obtained suggested that the dominant species in both groups were optional-anaerobic bifido and lactobacteria and oblique-anaerobic bacteroids. It should be noted, however, that in the residents of the dysfunctional Kirovsky district, against the background of the reduced constancy of the normal flora, opportunistic micro-organisms have entered. The floral significance index was also declining in the obligate flora of this group and increased for opportunistic species. Thus, the study of the environmental characteristics of the intestinal biotope using different ecological parameters for persons living in different technogenic load regions of St. Petersburg has shown that in the Kirov district with an unfavourable environmental situation there are compensated qualitative and quantitative changes in the intestinal microbiocenosis, resulting in a change in the hierarchy in the overall structure of micro-organisms.

scholarly journals Genome Reduction and Secondary Metabolism of the Marine Sponge-Associated Cyanobacterium Leptothoe

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Despoina Konstantinou ◽  
Rafael V. Popin ◽  
David P. Fewer ◽  
Kaarina Sivonen ◽  
Spyros Gkelis
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Genome Reduction ◽  
Extracellular Polysaccharides ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Genes Encoding

Sponges form symbiotic relationships with diverse and abundant microbial communities. Cyanobacteria are among the most important members of the microbial communities that are associated with sponges. Here, we performed a genus-wide comparative genomic analysis of the newly described marine benthic cyanobacterial genus Leptothoe (Synechococcales). We obtained draft genomes from Le. kymatousa TAU-MAC 1615 and Le. spongobia TAU-MAC 1115, isolated from marine sponges. We identified five additional Leptothoe genomes, host-associated or free-living, using a phylogenomic approach, and the comparison of all genomes showed that the sponge-associated strains display features of a symbiotic lifestyle. Le. kymatousa and Le. spongobia have undergone genome reduction; they harbored considerably fewer genes encoding for (i) cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, proteins, and amino acid biosynthesis; (ii) DNA repair; (iii) antioxidant enzymes; and (iv) biosynthesis of capsular and extracellular polysaccharides. They have also lost several genes related to chemotaxis and motility. Eukaryotic-like proteins, such as ankyrin repeats, playing important roles in sponge-symbiont interactions, were identified in sponge-associated Leptothoe genomes. The sponge-associated Leptothoe stains harbored biosynthetic gene clusters encoding novel natural products despite genome reduction. Comparisons of the biosynthetic capacities of Leptothoe with chemically rich cyanobacteria revealed that Leptothoe is another promising marine cyanobacterium for the biosynthesis of novel natural products.

scholarly journals Fungal-Fungal Interactions in Leaf-Cutting Ant Agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunshine A. Van Bael ◽  
Catalina Estrada ◽  
William T. Wcislo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Tropical Plants ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Symbiotic Fungi ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Many organisms participate in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, yet studies of symbioses typically have focused on the reciprocal costs and benefits within a particular host-symbiont pair. Recent studies indicate that many ecological interactions involve alliances of symbionts acting together as mutualistic consortia against other consortia. Such interacting consortia are likely to be widespread in nature, even if the interactions often occur in a cryptic fashion. Little theory and empirical data exist concerning how these complex interactions shape ecological outcomes in nature. Here, we review recent work on fungal-fungal interactions between two consortia: (i) leaf-cutting ants and their symbiotic fungi (the latter grown as a food crop by the former) and (ii) tropical plants and their foliar endophytes (the cryptic symbiotic fungi within leaves of the former). Plant characteristics (e.g., secondary compounds or leaf physical properties of leaves) are involved in leaf-cutting ant preferences, and a synthesis of published information suggests that these plant traits could be modified by fungal presence. We discuss potential mechanisms for how fungal-fungal interactions proceed in the leaf-cutting ant agriculture and suggest themes for future research.

Characterizing population structure of coral-associated fauna from mesophotic and shallow habitats in the Caribbean

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Veglia ◽  
Nicholas M. Hammerman ◽  
Carlos R. Rivera Rosaly ◽  
Matthew Q. Lucas ◽  
Alexandra Galindo Estronza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Harpacticoid Copepod ◽  
Coi Gene ◽  
Mitochondrial Coi ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Harpacticoid Copepods ◽  
Obligate Symbiont

Symbiotic relationships are a common phenomenon among marine invertebrates, forming both obligatory and facultative dependencies with their host. Here, we investigate and compare the population structure of two crustacean species associated with both shallow and mesophotic ecosystems: an obligate symbiont barnacle (Ceratoconcha domingensis), of the coral Agaricia lamarcki and a meiobenthic, free-living harpacticoid copepod (Laophontella armata). Molecular analyses of the Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) gene revealed no population structure between mesophotic and shallow barnacle populations within south-west Puerto Rico (ΦST = 0.0079, P = 0.33). The absence of population structure was expected due to the pelagic naupliar larvae of the barnacles and the connectivity patterns exhibited by the coral itself within the same region. Laophontella armata exhibited significant structure based on the mitochondrial COI gene between the mesophotic reef ecosystem of El Seco, Puerto Rico and mangrove sediments of Curaçao (ΦST = 0.2804, P = 0.0). The El Seco and Curaçao copepods shared three COI haplotypes despite the obligatory benthic development of harpacticoid copepods and the geographic distance between the two locations. Three other COI haplotypes from El Seco exhibited higher than expected (up to 7%) intra-species variability, potentially representing three new cryptic species of harpacticoid copepods or rare, deeply divergent lineages of L. armata. This result is evidence for the urgent need of a deeper investigation into the meiofauna diversity associated with mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), arguably the most diverse metazoan component of MCEs.

scholarly journals The Coevolution of Plants and Microbes Underpins Sustainable Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1036
Author(s):  
Dongmei Lyu ◽  
Levini A. Msimbira ◽  
Mahtab Nazari ◽  
Mohammed Antar ◽  
Antoine Pagé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Terrestrial Environments

Terrestrial plants evolution occurred in the presence of microbes, the phytomicrobiome. The rhizosphere microbial community is the most abundant and diverse subset of the phytomicrobiome and can include both beneficial and parasitic/pathogenic microbes. Prokaryotes of the phytomicrobiome have evolved relationships with plants that range from non-dependent interactions to dependent endosymbionts. The most extreme endosymbiotic examples are the chloroplasts and mitochondria, which have become organelles and integral parts of the plant, leading to some similarity in DNA sequence between plant tissues and cyanobacteria, the prokaryotic symbiont of ancestral plants. Microbes were associated with the precursors of land plants, green algae, and helped algae transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments. In the terrestrial setting the phytomicrobiome contributes to plant growth and development by (1) establishing symbiotic relationships between plant growth-promoting microbes, including rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, (2) conferring biotic stress resistance by producing antibiotic compounds, and (3) secreting microbe-to-plant signal compounds, such as phytohormones or their analogues, that regulate aspects of plant physiology, including stress resistance. As plants have evolved, they recruited microbes to assist in the adaptation to available growing environments. Microbes serve themselves by promoting plant growth, which in turn provides microbes with nutrition (root exudates, a source of reduced carbon) and a desirable habitat (the rhizosphere or within plant tissues). The outcome of this coevolution is the diverse and metabolically rich microbial community that now exists in the rhizosphere of terrestrial plants. The holobiont, the unit made up of the phytomicrobiome and the plant host, results from this wide range of coevolved relationships. We are just beginning to appreciate the many ways in which this complex and subtle coevolution acts in agricultural systems.

scholarly journals Species Diversity and Secondary Metabolites of Sarcophyton-Associated Marine Fungi

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3227
Author(s):  
Yuanwei Liu ◽  
Kishneth Palaniveloo ◽  
Siti Aisyah Alias ◽  
Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Marine Fungi ◽  
Indole Alkaloids ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soft Corals ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Bioactive Secondary Metabolites

Soft corals are widely distributed across the globe, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, with Sarcophyton being one of the most abundant genera. To date, there have been 50 species of identified Sarcophyton. These soft corals host a diverse range of marine fungi, which produce chemically diverse, bioactive secondary metabolites as part of their symbiotic nature with the soft coral hosts. The most prolific groups of compounds are terpenoids and indole alkaloids. Annually, there are more bio-active compounds being isolated and characterised. Thus, the importance of the metabolite compilation is very much important for future reference. This paper compiles the diversity of Sarcophyton species and metabolites produced by their associated marine fungi, as well as the bioactivity of these identified compounds. A total of 88 metabolites of structural diversity are highlighted, indicating the huge potential these symbiotic relationships hold for future research.

scholarly journals Postinoculation Protozoan Establishment and Association Patterns of Methanogenic Archaea in the Ovine Rumen

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (14) ◽  
pp. 4609-4618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Ohene-Adjei ◽  
Ronald M. Teather ◽  
Michael Ivan ◽  
Robert J. Forster
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Methanogenic Archaea ◽  
Type A ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Association Patterns ◽  
Clone Libraries ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Association patterns between archaea and rumen protozoa were evaluated by analyzing archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from ovine rumen inoculated with different protozoa. Five protozoan inoculation treatments, fauna free (negative control), holotrich and cellulolytic protozoa, Isotricha and Dasytricha spp., Entodinium spp., and total fauna (type A) were tested. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, quantitative PCR, and phylogenetic analysis to evaluate the impact of the protozoan inoculants on the respective archaeal communities. Protozoan 18S ribosomal DNA clone libraries were also evaluated to monitor the protozoal population that was established by the inoculation. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that archaeal clones associated with the fauna-free, the Entodinium, and the type A inoculations clustered primarily with uncultured phylotypes. Polyplastron multivesiculatum was the predominant protozoan strain established by the holotrich and cellulolytic protozoan treatment, and this resulted predominantly in archaeal clones affiliated with uncultured and cultured methanogenic phylotypes (Methanosphaera stadtmanae, Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, and Methanobacterium bryantii). Furthermore, the Isotricha and Dasytricha inoculation treatment resulted primarily in archaeal clones affiliated with Methanobrevibacter smithii. This report provides the first assessment of the influence of protozoa on archaea within the rumen microbial community and provides evidence to suggest that different archaeal phylotypes associate with specific groups of protozoa. The observed patterns may be linked to the evolution of commensal and symbiotic relationships between archaea and protozoa in the ovine rumen environment. This report further underscores the prevalence and potential importance of a rather large group of uncultivated archaea in the ovine rumen, probably unrelated to known methanogens and undocumented in the bovine rumen.

scholarly journals Towards a network-based view of effective entrepreneurial ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Scott ◽  
Mathew Hughes ◽  
Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ◽  
Relational Development ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems ◽  
Critical Junctures ◽  
Cyclical Process ◽  
Over Time

AbstractWe conceptualize entrepreneurial ecosystems as fundamentally reliant on networks and explore how and under what conditions inter-organizational networks lead an entrepreneurial ecosystem to form and evolve. It is widely accepted that entrepreneurial ecosystems possess a variety of symbiotic relationships. Research has focused considerable efforts in refining the structure and content of resources found within these networked relationships. However, merely focusing on actor-level characterizations dilutes the notion that social relationships change and are complex. There has been little conceptual treatment of the behavioral and governance factors that underpin how quality interactions composing an entrepreneurial ecosystem develop and change over time. In response, we provide a longitudinal ethnographic study examining how ecosystems are managed and evolve in their relational configurations and governance at critical junctures. Using mixed methods and data collected over 3 years, we reveal a cyclical process of relational development central to the initiation, development, and maintenance phases of a valuable entrepreneurial ecosystem. We contribute to a conceptualization of effective ecosystems as reliant on networks, we reveal the behavior and governance characteristics at play in the entrepreneurial ecosystem during each phase of its evolution.

scholarly journals Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and the Challenges to Its Extension to Nonlegumes

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (13) ◽  
pp. 3698-3710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Mus ◽  
Matthew B. Crook ◽  
Kevin Garcia ◽  
Amaya Garcia Costas ◽  
Barney A. Geddes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Biological Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Crop Plants ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Mutualistic Relationship ◽  
Interest In Research ◽  
Biological Nitrogen ◽  
Developed World

ABSTRACTAccess to fixed or available forms of nitrogen limits the productivity of crop plants and thus food production. Nitrogenous fertilizer production currently represents a significant expense for the efficient growth of various crops in the developed world. There are significant potential gains to be had from reducing dependence on nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture in the developed world and in developing countries, and there is significant interest in research on biological nitrogen fixation and prospects for increasing its importance in an agricultural setting. Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of atmospheric N2to NH3, a form that can be used by plants. However, the process is restricted to bacteria and archaea and does not occur in eukaryotes. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is part of a mutualistic relationship in which plants provide a niche and fixed carbon to bacteria in exchange for fixed nitrogen. This process is restricted mainly to legumes in agricultural systems, and there is considerable interest in exploring whether similar symbioses can be developed in nonlegumes, which produce the bulk of human food. We are at a juncture at which the fundamental understanding of biological nitrogen fixation has matured to a level that we can think about engineering symbiotic relationships using synthetic biology approaches. This minireview highlights the fundamental advances in our understanding of biological nitrogen fixation in the context of a blueprint for expanding symbiotic nitrogen fixation to a greater diversity of crop plants through synthetic biology.

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