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Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition) Feb 2022Asparagine is one of the precursors of acrylamide and toxic fungal secondary metabolites, both carcinogenic compounds. In the present study, the optimal conditions to...
Asparagine is one of the precursors of acrylamide and toxic fungal secondary metabolites, both carcinogenic compounds. In the present study, the optimal conditions to deplete asparagine by (L1 and L8) from potato and wheat flour matrices were investigated. Through a colorimetric plate-assay with phenol red as indicator dye, both strains demonstrated to be able to produce L-asparaginase from 20 ∘C to 30 ∘C for L1 and only at 20 ∘C for L8 strain starting from 48 h of incubation. The ability of both yeasts to reduce asparagine content in potato and wheat flour was studied by spectrophotometric assay. Both strains showed a great ability to totally reduce asparagine at 20 ∘C after 15 min of incubation in potato homogenate, conversely in wheat flour, the highest reduction was detected after a longer exposition time (60 min). As known, L1 and L8 diamine asparaginase to aspartic acid. For this reason, both amino acids were tested to verify the antifungal effect against (Rs1) and (F3) mycelial growth Asparagine (120 mg/L) increased Rs1 and F3 mycelial growth respectively by 4.4% and 18.9%; conversely, aspartic acid significantly inhibited both respectively by 8.2% and 12.0%.
Topics: Asparaginase; Asparagine; Aspartic Acid; Flour; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Triticum
PubMed: 35320910
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbe1401006 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Enhancement of the natural defenses of a plant by beneficial microorganisms, i.e., endophytic bacteria and fungi or fertilizers such as copper phosphonates, could result...
Enhancement of the natural defenses of a plant by beneficial microorganisms, i.e., endophytic bacteria and fungi or fertilizers such as copper phosphonates, could result in a potential alternative strategy against verticillium wilt of olive tree (). In this study, two beneficial microorganisms (the fungus AP08 and the bacterium PAB-024) and a phosphonate salt copper phosphite (CuPh) were evaluated for their effectiveness as host resistance inducers against in olive. To this end, 6-month-old healthy olive plants of the susceptible cultivar Picual were treated by foliar or root applications by spraying 15 ml per plant or by irrigation with 350 ml per plant of the dilutions of each product (CuPh: 3 or 10 ml l, respectively; PAB-024: 10 UFC ml; AP08: 10 UFC ml). Treatments were conducted weekly from 2 weeks before inoculation to 10 days after inoculation. A cornmeal-water-sand mixture (1:2:9; w:v:w) colonized by was used for plant inoculation. Additionally, treated and noninoculated, nontreated and inoculated, and nontreated and noninoculated plants were included for comparative purposes. Disease severity progress and shoot fresh weight were assessed. Parameters involved in plant resistance were monitored through determination and quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) response (HO), and evaluation of hormones was done by gene expression analysis. and CuPh were the most effective in disease reduction by foliar or root application, respectively. Plants treated with CuPh showed significantly higher shoot fresh weight compared to the other treatments. ROS was significantly enhanced in plants treated with PAB-024 compared to the rest of treatments and control. With regard to the evaluation of hormones, high levels of salicylic acid were detected on leaves from all treatment combinations, but without significant enhancements compared to the nontreated control. Regarding the gene expression related to salicylic acid, only the gene has shown a strong enhancement in the treatment with . On the other hand, a strong accumulation of jasmonic acid and jasmonic acid-isoleucine in plants treated with was observed in all the tissues analyzed and also in the roots of plants treated with and CuPh.
PubMed: 35283881
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.831794 -
Medical Mycology Case Reports Jun 2022Phaeohyphomycosis refers to uncommon infections due to a large group of heterogeneous organisms called "dematiaceous fungi". Here, we report a rare case of subcutaneous...
Phaeohyphomycosis refers to uncommon infections due to a large group of heterogeneous organisms called "dematiaceous fungi". Here, we report a rare case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in an immunocompetent carpenter, presenting as multiple verrucous and confluent papulo-nodules of the right leg, and likely due to traumatic inoculation. The pathogenic fungal species was identified as , according to macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics of the colonies. Surgical excision of the entire lesion and adjunctive antifungal therapy was curative.
PubMed: 35242507
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2022.02.003 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2022The effect of olive () stem extract (OSE) on the viability of conidia of , the causal agent of Verticillium wilt of olive (VWO), is not yet well understood. Thus, the...
The effect of olive () stem extract (OSE) on the viability of conidia of , the causal agent of Verticillium wilt of olive (VWO), is not yet well understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of the olive genotype (cultivar resistance) and the interaction between olive cultivars and biocontrol treatments on the effect of OSE on conidial germination of by sensitivity tests. To this end, OSE from cultivars Frantoio, Arbequina, and Picual, respectively tolerant, moderately susceptible, and highly susceptible to , were tested alone or after treatments with biological control agents (BCAs) and commercial products efficient at reducing the progress of VWO. strain AP08, sp. strain ColPat-375, and strain PAB-24 were considered as BCAs. Aluminium lignosulfonate (IDAI Brotaverd), copper phosphite (Phoscuprico), potassium phosphite (Naturfos), and salicylic acid were selected as commercial products. Our results indicate that the influence of biological treatments against the pathogen depends on the genotype, since the higher the resistance of the cultivar, the lower the effect of the treatments on the ability of OSE to inhibit the germination of conidia. In 'Picual', the BCA PAB024 and copper phosphite were the most effective treatments in inhibiting conidia germination by the OSE. This work represents a first approach to elucidate the role of cultivar and biological treatments in modifying the effect on the pathogen of the endosphere content of olive plants.
PubMed: 35214890
DOI: 10.3390/plants11040554 -
Toxins Jan 2022Fungal endophytes occurring in grapevine ( L.) are usually important sources of various compounds with biological activities with great potential for use in agriculture....
Fungal endophytes occurring in grapevine ( L.) are usually important sources of various compounds with biological activities with great potential for use in agriculture. Nevertheless, many species isolated from this plant belong to the genera , , or all of which are well-known to produce mycotoxins. Our study is focused on the assessment of the toxinogenic potential of fungal endophytes isolated from vineyards in the Czech Republic. In total, 20 endophytic fungal species were cultivated in wine must, and 57 mycotoxins of different classes were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. As a result, alternariol, tentoxin, meleagrin, roquefortine C, gliotoxin, and verruculogen were detected in the culture medium, of which verruculogen followed by gliotoxin were the most frequent (present in 90 and 40% of samples, respectively) and most concentrated (up to thousands ng/mL). The alternaria mycotoxins alternariol and tentoxin were detected not only in sp. cultures, but traces of these mycotoxins were also quantified in the and cultures. Meleagrin and roquefortine C were detected in and gliotoxin was detected in sp., sp., , , and , and verruculogen was quantified in 99% of endophytic isolates investigated. The potential of endophytes to produce mycotoxins should be carefully checked, specifically in cases where they are intended for the purpose of growing.
Topics: Endophytes; Fungi; Mycotoxins; Plant Growth Regulators; Vitis
PubMed: 35202094
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14020066 -
Plant Disease Jan 2022Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai cv. cuiguan), is widely grown in Zhejiang province of China. In April 2019, symptoms consisting of small black, round leaf spots and...
Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai cv. cuiguan), is widely grown in Zhejiang province of China. In April 2019, symptoms consisting of small black, round leaf spots and blight flower petals were observed on over 30 % of 'Cuiguan' pear trees in an orchard (ca. 0.8 ha) near Cixi city, Zhejiang province, China. Initially, leaf spots were observed on leaf petioles, which, with time, enlarged and coalesced into necrotic streaks (1-2 cm) along the length of the petioles. Irregularly, reddish brown spots developed on flower petals, which hastened their senescence. Additional symptoms included round, black spots on leaves (2-3 mm in diameter) and necrosis of shoot tips. Symptomatic tissues from petals, petioles and leaves were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). After five days of incubation at 26 °C, slimy fungal colonies (48×48 mm) with pinkish to orange-colored mycelia and with regular annulations were isolated from all tissues. After 10 days, cultured were shiny and dark brown in the center. The color of conidia ranged from hyaline to dark brown. Hyaline conidia were blastic, unicellular, ellipsoidal, smooth, with lengths that ranged from 11.03 to 27.14 (avg. 18.38) μm, and widths that ranged from 3.45 to 8.86 (avg. 6.04) μm (n = 50). Dark brown conidia were 1 to 2 celled, 10.89 to 26.03 (avg. 17.41) μm in length and 4.26 to 12.15 (avg. 6.94) μm in width (n = 50), and a slight septal constriction. Conidiogenous cells were clavate, hyaline, eseptate and top smoothly with 3-11 spores. Indistinct scars remained when the conidia dislodge from the conidiogenous cells. Single spore isolation was used to obtain pure cultures. Mycelia and conidia were scraped from cultures and DNA was extracted using Ezup Column Fungi Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Sangon Biotech). Amplified PCR products from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region ITS1F/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), the partial 28S rDNA (LSU) NL1/NL4 (Boekhout et al. 1995), the β-tubulin (TUB) gene Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass & Donaldson 1995) and the partial elongase gene (ELO) ELO2-F/ELO2-R (Zalar et al. 2008) were sequenced (Tsingke Biotechnology Co., Hangzhou, Zhejiang). A blast search (GenBank Accession No. MT107050, OK485685, OK631951, OK631950) showed 99% Aureobasidium pullulans reference isolate CBS584.75 and EXF-150, which was consistent with the morphological data (Cene et al. 2014). Three-yr-old seedlings from 'Cuiguan' pears were spray with conidial suspension (106 conidia/ml) on the both sides of leaves without wounding. In a greenhouse (26 °C, natural light), six inoculated plants and three noninoculated plants (sprayed with sterile distilled water) enclosed in plastic bags to maintain humidity for 72 h. At 5 days after inoculation, shoot tips blackened and began to wilt. At 15 days after inoculation, symptoms similar to those on the original sample developed on inoculated petioles and leaves, whereas the control plants remained healthy. No symptoms were observed on leaves that were mature at the time of inoculation. Aureobasidium pullulans var. pullulans was reisolated from all inoculated plant. Overall, this disease shortened the life of pear flowers and reduced fruit set. To our knowledge, A. pullulans var. pullulans has not previously been reported as a pathogen of P. pyrifolia.
PubMed: 35100838
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-10-21-2367-PDN -
Veterinaria Italiana Jul 2021A case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a dog with an ulcerative lesion on the right limb during a post-operative period of castration was described for the first...
A case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a dog with an ulcerative lesion on the right limb during a post-operative period of castration was described for the first time. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the fungal colonies growth on the Sabouraud‑dextrose agar were detailed. The fungus was identified as Aureobasidium pullulans on the basis of the phenotypic analysis, which was confirmed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region of rDNA. The patient might have acquired the infection through traumatic inoculation by environmental contact, along with the immunological condition during the stressful period of postoperative. The spontaneous remission of the lesion was observed in five weeks without antifungal treatment. This work highlights the importance of considering the pathogenic potential of this environmental fungus and the need of including it in the differential diagnosis of cutaneous lesions in dogs.
Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Ascomycota; Aureobasidium; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Phaeohyphomycosis
PubMed: 34971512
DOI: 10.12834/VetIt.1821.9620.3 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2021Global reports on multidrug resistance (MDR) and life-threatening pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and have stimulated researchers to explore new antimicrobials that are... (Review)
Review
Global reports on multidrug resistance (MDR) and life-threatening pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and have stimulated researchers to explore new antimicrobials that are eco-friendly and economically viable. In this context, biodegradable polymers such as nisin, chitin, and pullulan play an important role in solving the problem. Pullulan is an important edible, biocompatible, water-soluble polymer secreted by that occurs ubiquitously. It consists of maltotriose units linked with α-1,6 glycosidic bonds and is classed as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. Pullulan is known for its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor activities when incorporated with other additives such as antibiotics, drugs, nanoparticles, and so on. Considering the importance of its antimicrobial activities, this polymer can be used as a potential antimicrobial agent against various pathogenic microorganisms including the multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Moreover, pullulan has ability to synthesize biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are remarkably efficacious against pathogenic microbes. The pullulan-based nanocomposites can be applied for wound healing, food packaging, and also enhancing the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. In this review, we have discussed biosynthesis of pullulan and its role as antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agent. Pullulan-based films impregnated with different antimicrobials such as AgNPs, chitosan, essential oils, and so on, forming nanocomposites have also been discussed as natural alternatives to combat the problems posed by pathogens.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Antifungal Agents; COVID-19; Chitin; Chitosan; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Food Packaging; Glucans; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Nanocomposites; Nisin; Polymers; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34948392
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413596 -
Genes To Cells : Devoted To Molecular &... Feb 2022The diversity and ecological contribution of the fungus kingdom in the marine environment remain understudied. A recent survey in the Atlantic (Woods Hole, MA, USA)...
The diversity and ecological contribution of the fungus kingdom in the marine environment remain understudied. A recent survey in the Atlantic (Woods Hole, MA, USA) brought to light the diversity and unique biological features of marine fungi. The study revealed that black yeast species undergo an unconventional cell division cycle, which has not been documented in conventional model yeast species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast). The prevalence of this unusual property is unknown. Here, I collected and identified 65 marine fungi species across 40 genera from the surface ocean water, sediment, and the surface of macroalgae (seaweeds) in the Pacific (Sugashima, Toba, Japan). The Sugashima collection largely did not overlap with the Woods Hole collection and included several unidentifiable species, further illustrating the diversity of marine fungi. Three black yeast species were isolated, two of which were commonly found in Woods Hole (Aureobasidium pullulans and Hortaea werneckii). Surprisingly, their cell division mode was dependent on cell density, and the previously reported unconventional division mode was reproduced only at a certain cell density. For all three black yeast species, cells underwent filamentous growth with septations at low cell density and immediately formed buds at high cell density. At intermediate cell density, two black yeasts (H. werneckii and an unidentifiable species) showed rod cells undergoing septation at the cell equator. In contrast, all eight budding yeast species showed a consistent division pattern regardless of cell density. This study suggests the plastic nature of the growth/division mode of marine-derived black yeast.
Topics: Ascomycota; Cell Count; Japan; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Schizosaccharomyces; Yeasts
PubMed: 34932251
DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12916 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jan 2022In this pilot clinical study, we report the beneficial effects of beta glucans derived from two strains AFO-202 and N-163 of a black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans on the... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Beneficial effects of novel aureobasidium pullulans strains produced beta-1,3-1,6 glucans on interleukin-6 and D-dimer levels in COVID-19 patients; results of a randomized multiple-arm pilot clinical study.
OBJECTIVE
In this pilot clinical study, we report the beneficial effects of beta glucans derived from two strains AFO-202 and N-163 of a black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans on the biomarkers for cytokine storm and coagulopathy in COVID-19 patients.
METHODS
A total of 24 RT-PCR positive COVID-19 patients were recruited and randomly divided into three groups (Gr): Gr. 1 control (n = 8) - Standard treatment; Gr. 2: Standard treatment + AFO-202 beta glucan (n = 8); and Gr. 3, Standard treatment + combination of AFO-202 and N-163 beta glucans (n = 8) for 30 days.
RESULTS
There was no mortality or requirement of ventilation of the subjects in any of the groups. There was a decrease in D-Dimer values (751 ng/ml to 143.89 ng/ml) and IL-6 values (7.395-3.16 pg/ml) in Gr. 1 in 15 days but the levels increased to abnormal levels on day 30 (D-Dimer: 202.5 ng/ml; IL-6 55.37 pg/ml); which steadily decreased up to day 30 in groups 2 (D-dimer: 560.99 ng/dl to 79.615; IL-6: 26.18-3.41 pg/ml) and 3 (D-dimer: 1614 ng/dl to 164.25 ng/dl; IL-6: 6.25-0.5 pg/ml). The same trend was observed with ESR. LCR and LeCR increased while NLR decreased significantly in Gr. 3. CD4 + and CD8 + T cell count showed relatively higher increase in Gr.3. There was no difference in CRP within the groups.
CONCLUSION
As these beta glucans are well known food supplements with a track record for safety, larger multi-centric clinical studies are recommended to validate their use as an adjunct in the management of COVID-19 and the ensuing long COVID-19 syndrome.
Topics: Aureobasidium; Biomarkers; COVID-19; Complementary Therapies; Cytokine Release Syndrome; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Interleukin-6; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment Outcome; beta-Glucans; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 34840031
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112243