Actividad antimicrobiana de hongos endofíticos aislados de Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl

Natural products produced from endophyte fungi have a broad spectrum of biological activity and can be grouped into several categories. Antimicrobials constitute an important group of therapeutic agents, which can be produced and obtained from living organisms. The main objective of this study is to investigate the endophytic fungi and the leaves of Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl as elicitors, aiming at the production of bioactive substances with antimicrobial properties. The extracts were prepared from 19 fungi isolated from the leaves of B. suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl, used as a biotic elicitor. The extracts were obtained by fermentation in a submerged medium with the addition of leaves from its dry leaves, and the antimicrobial activity of its extracts was evaluated using the agar diffusion method. The results showed that 57% of the endophytic fungi showed antimicrobial activity after fermentation with the elicitor. It was observed that the antimicrobial activity was increased compared to control cultures. The leaves of B. suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl presented bioactives that stimulated the production of a substance with antimicrobial activity by endophytic fungi, the study of such compounds showed promise to clarify the application potential of these bioactives.

Diversity of endophytic bacteria and microfungi in Syzygium cumini fruit from West Java, Indonesia

Rossiana N, Fathurrohim MF, Indrawati I. 2021. Diversity of endophytic bacteria and microfungi in Syzygium cumini fruit from West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3943-3948. Syzygium cumini L. Skells is a native evergreen tropical tree in Southeast Asia belong to the Myrtaceae family, known as the Java plum, jambul, jambolan, jamblang, or jamun. The bacterial and fungal endophytes associated with fruit have not been determined and functionally characterized. The endophytic microbes live inside the surface-sterilized fruits and have no visibly harmful effects on the plants. The purposes of the study were to isolate, characterize, and determine the diversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi in S. cumini fruit. The endophytes from S. cumini fruit were observed morphologically for identification. The result of isolation and identification showed there are four bacterial isolate endophytes (B. cereus, B. subtilis, B. megaterium, and Bacillus sp.) and four fungal endophytes (Candida guilliermondii, Penicillium sp., Mycelia sterilia, and Aspergillus sp.) isolated from S. cumini fruit. Keywords:Biodiversity, Bacterial endophyte, Fungi endophyte, Jamblang

Drought in the forest breaks plant–fungi interactions

Drought in the forest is not only a prolonged state of water shortage, but also an occasion where interactions between plants and fungi are affected. Water efficiency accelerates a range of pathologies in interactions between organisms, influencing the ecosystems and their interacting biological components. This study focuses on the role of mycorrhizal and endophyte fungi in alleviating the effects of soil water shortage, and on the impact of their altered activity during drought on the health of trees. The issues presented here show the fundamental role of the mycorrhizal mycelium and the mechanism of water transport to the plant in the course of other phenomena (withering, pathogenesis, endophytes biology) that occur in trees under influence of drought, with particular attention on managed coniferous stands. Conclusions resulting from published information on this topic emphasize the negative impact of soil moisture deficiency on the ectomycorrhizal fungi functioning and, in contrast, on the promotion of the growth of some endophytes, pathogens and hemi-parasitic mistletoes (Viscum spp.).

Role of Cocoa Clones and Endophyte Fungi in controlling VSD Disease in the Field

The fungus Ceratobasidium theobromae is the cause of vascular streak dieback (VSD) in cocoa. VSD disease can cause death in susceptible clones by more than 59%. The use of resistant cocoa clones and endophytic fungi can be an alternative for VSD disease control. The research objective was to evaluate cocoa clones and endophytic fungi to control VSD in the field. The experimental design used was a randomized block design with a factorial pattern. The first factor was cocoa clones, which consisted of clones 45 (K1) and 25 (K2), and the second factor was several types of endophytic fungi. The results showed an interaction between cacao clones and endophytic fungi isolates on the height and number of cocoa leaves. The two cacao clones tested could be naturally infected by C. theobromae without endophytic fungi, with disease incidence of VSD 5, 21% in K1, and 5.75% in K2. The two cocoa clones treated with endophytic fungi, i.e., Paecilomyces sp. EP1, Paecilomyces sp. EP2 and Paecilomyces sp. EP1 + Trichoderma sp.) did not show symptoms of VSD until 20 weeks after planting.

Carbon for nutrient exchange between Lycopodiella inundata and Mucoromycotina fine root endophytes is unresponsive to high atmospheric CO2

Non-vascular plants associating with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) and Mucoromycotina ‘fine root endophyte’ (MFRE) fungi derive greater benefits from their fungal associates under higher atmospheric [CO2] (a[CO2]) than ambient; however, nothing is known about how changes in a[CO2] affect MFRE function in vascular plants. We measured movement of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) between the lycophyte Lycopodiella inundata and Mucoromycotina fine root endophyte fungi using 33P-orthophosphate, 15 N-ammonium chloride and 14CO2 isotope tracers under ambient and elevated a[CO2] concentrations of 440 and 800 ppm, respectively. Transfers of 33P and 15 N from MFRE to plants were unaffected by changes in a[CO2]. There was a slight increase in C transfer from plants to MFRE under elevated a[CO2]. Our results demonstrate that the exchange of C-for-nutrients between a vascular plant and Mucoromycotina FRE is largely unaffected by changes in a[CO2]. Unravelling the role of MFRE in host plant nutrition and potential C-for-N trade changes between symbionts under different abiotic conditions is imperative to further our understanding of the past, present and future roles of plant-fungal symbioses in ecosystems.

Test Of The Effectiveness Of Antagonic Fungi In The Control Of Colletotrichum Mushrooms In Tomato Plants (Lycopersicum esculentum L.). In Vitro

This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of several antagonistic fungi (Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., Gliocladium sp., And Rhizopus sp) in controlling the pathogenic Colletotrichumsp. fungi from tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). in vitro. The research was carried out for 2 (two) months at the Laboratory of Pest and Plant Disease Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Mulawarman University. This research was compiled using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 4 (four) treatments, namely Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., Gliocladium sp., And Rhizopus sp. Each treatment was repeated 10 times. Data analysis using Analysis of variance and if the results are obtained significantly different then further tested using the Least Significant Difference. The results showed that the most effective antagonistic fungus suppressed the growth of the pathogen Colletotrichum sp. is Gliocladium sp. and Trichoderma sp., meanwhile the antagonist fungus Rhizopus sp., which is less effective in suppressing the growth of the fungus Colletotrichum sp., and the fungus Penicillium sp., are the most ineffective fungi in suppressing the growth of the pathogenic Colletotrichum sp. Key words: Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., Gliocladium sp., And Rhizopus sp., Colletotrichum sp., Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) Keywords :Pyricularia oryza Cav., Endophyte fungi, Antagonistic mechanim

Endophytic Fungi as Potential Biological Control Agents against Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Alentejo Region

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are the most widespread fungal diseases, affecting grapevines in all the major growing regions of the world, and their complete eradication is still not possible. Aiming to search alternatives to avoid the spread and high incidence of these diseases, the present work intended to molecularly identify the grapevine endophytic community, the phytopathogenic fungi associated with GTDs in vineyards within the Alentejo region, and to test potential antagonist microorganisms as biological control candidates against GTDs-associated fungi. Grapevine endophytic community showed a wide variety of fungi in GTDs’ asymptomatic and symptomatic plants, nine of them previously described as GTDs-associated fungi. GTDs prevalent fungi identified in symptomatic plants were Diaporthe sp., Neofusicoccum sp., and H. viticola. Almost all these fungi were also detected in asymptomatic plants, which shows the importance of investigating the interactions of fungal communities and confirms the need for early diagnosis of these diseases. Direct inhibition antagonism tests were performed among identified endophytes and GTDs phytopathogenic fungi, and all the endophyte fungi showed potential as biocontrol agents. Our findings suggest that endophytes are promising candidates for their use in biological control due to their antagonistic activity against the mycelia growth of some GTDs-associated fungi.