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Polymers May 2024The impact of methyl salicylate (MeSA) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in chitosan (CS)/Gum Arabic (GA) mixture on physio-chemical characteristics and antioxidant status...
The impact of methyl salicylate (MeSA) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in chitosan (CS)/Gum Arabic (GA) mixture on physio-chemical characteristics and antioxidant status during the postharvest ripening of green tomato fruits was studied. CS/GA-MeSA at a 1 mM formulation was the best treatment to retard firmness and titratable acidity (TA) losses. Moreover, this formulation retarded pigmentation progress where it had the lowest significant values of total carotenes (TCs) and lycopene (LYP) contents until the 15th day of the storage period, as well as efficiently faced the rise in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Moreover, peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities of tomatoes treated with CS/GA-SNP at 2 mM were significantly better than that of control in the primary stages of storage. CS/GA-SNP at a 2 mM formulation showed an extremely high significant content of total polyphenol (TP) in the early stage of storage, while CS/GA and CS/GA-MeSA at 1 and 2 mM accumulated higher significant TP contents than uncoated fruits at the late stage of storage. All formulations were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the polymer formulations exhibited strong antifungal activity against and as major pathogens of postharvest tomatoes. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations for the mycelia of both fungi treated by CS/GA-MeSA at 2 mM revealed serious ultrastructural damage, including distortion of the cell wall and cell membrane and degradation of cytoplasmic organelles.
PubMed: 38891464
DOI: 10.3390/polym16111518 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jun 2024The aim of this paper was to evaluate the degree of mycological air contamination and determine the taxonomic diversity of airborne fungi residing in the air of 20...
The aim of this paper was to evaluate the degree of mycological air contamination and determine the taxonomic diversity of airborne fungi residing in the air of 20 different animal facilities in a zoological garden. The concentrations of fungi in the zoological garden were measured using a MAS-100 air sampler. The collected microorganisms were identified using the combination of molecular and morphological methods. The fungal concentration ranged from 50 to 3.65 × 10 CFU/m during the whole study. The quantitative analysis of the fungal aerosol showed that the obtained concentration values were lower than the recommended permissible limits (5 × 10 CFU/m for fungi). Environmental factors, including temperature and relative humidity, exerted a varying effect on the presence and concentration of isolated fungi. Relative humidity was shown to correlate positively with the concentration of fungal spores in the air of the facilities studied (rho = 0.57, p < 0.0021). In parallel, no significant correlation was established between temperature and total fungal concentration (rho = - 0.1, p < 0.2263). A total of 112 fungal strains belonging to 50 species and 10 genera were isolated. Penicillium was the dominant genera, including 58.9% of total fungal strains, followed by Aspergillus 25.89%, Cladosporium 3.57%, Talaromyces 3.57%, Mucor 1.78%, Schizophyllum 1.78%, Syncephalastrum 0.89%, Alternaria 0.89%, Absidia 0.89%, and Cunninghamella 0.89%. Our preliminary studies provide basic information about the fungal concentrations, as well as their biodiversity in zoological garden. Further studies are needed to generate additional data from long-term sampling in order to increase our understanding of airborne fungal composition in the zoological garden.
PubMed: 38890249
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33926-2 -
Archives of Virology Jun 2024The genus Alternaria comprises many important fungal pathogens that infect a wide variety of organisms. In this report, we present the discovery of a new double-stranded...
The genus Alternaria comprises many important fungal pathogens that infect a wide variety of organisms. In this report, we present the discovery of a new double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus called Alternaria botybirnavirus 2 (ABRV2) from a phytopathogenic strain, XC21-21C, of Alternaria sp. isolated from diseased tobacco leaves in China. The ABRV2 genome consists of two dsRNA components, namely dsRNA1 and dsRNA2, with lengths of 6,162 and 5,865 base pairs (bp), respectively. Each of these genomic dsRNAs is monocistronic, encoding hypothetical proteins of 201.6 kDa (P1) and 2193.3 kDa (P2). ABRV2 P1 and P2 share 50.54% and 63.13% amino acid sequence identity with the corresponding proteins encoded by dsRNA1 of Alternaria botybirnavirus 1 (ABRV1). Analysis of its genome organization and phylogenetic analysis revealed that ABRV2 is a new member of the genus Botybirnavirus.
Topics: Alternaria; Nicotiana; Phylogeny; Genome, Viral; Fungal Viruses; Plant Diseases; RNA, Viral; RNA, Double-Stranded; China; Double Stranded RNA Viruses; Plant Leaves; Viral Proteins
PubMed: 38888750
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06072-w -
Plant Disease Jun 2024Datura stramonium L.(jimson weed) is an invasive weed in agricultural fields and a medicinal plant. In April 2022, a leaf disease on D. stramonium was observed in...
Datura stramonium L.(jimson weed) is an invasive weed in agricultural fields and a medicinal plant. In April 2022, a leaf disease on D. stramonium was observed in Zhanjiang (21.17 N, 110.18 E), Guangdong province, China. Early symptoms were small yellow spots on leaves. Later, the spots gradually expanded and turned becoming necrotic with a clear yellow halo and a white center. The disease incidence in the field was 85% (n = 50, about 1 ha). Twenty diseased leaves were collected from the field. The margin of the diseased tissues was cut into 2 mm × 2 mm pieces, surface disinfected with 75% ethanol and 2% sodium hypochlorite for 30 and 60 s, respectively, and rinsed twice with sterile water before isolation. The tissues were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 28 ℃. After 2-day incubation, grayish fungal colonies appeared on the PDA, then pure cultures were produced by transferring hyphal tips to new PDA plates. Single-spore isolation method was used to recover pure cultures for three isolates (DSAC-1, DSAC-2, and DSAC-3). The isolates were morphologically identical . They colonies were gray to brownish black. Conidiophores were branched, brown. Conidia were brown, long ellipsoid, had 4-12 transverse and 0-3 longitudinal septa; measured within 67.5-127.8 (average = 105.6) × 12.5-27.8 (average = 20.4) µm (n = 30). Apical beak was longer than conidia body. measured within 40.5-423.5 (average = 365.2) × 2.5-5.8 (average = 3.2) µm (n = 30). Based on morphological characteristics, the three isolates were identified as Alternaria crassa (Sacc.) Rands (Simmons 2007). Molecular identification was performed using the colony polymerase chain reaction method with MightyAmp DNA Polymerase (Takara-Bio, Dalian, China) (Lu et al. 2012) to amplify internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) and translation elongation factor (TEF1) with primers of ITS1/ITS4, GDF1/GDR1, RPB2-5F2/fRPB2-7cR, and EF-1α-F/EF-1α-R, respectively (Walther et al. 2013; Woudenberg et al. 2015; Nishikawa and Nakashima. 2020). Amplicons of the isolates were sequenced and submitted to GenBank (ITS, ON430524-ON430526; GAPDH, ON500656-ON500658; RPB2, ON500659-ON500661; TEF1, ON500662-ON500664). The sequences were 100% identical with those of Alternaria crassa strain CBS 116647 upon BLAST analysis. The sequences were also concatenated for phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood. The isolates clustered with A. crassa (CBS 116647, CBS 116648, CBS CBS-110.38, and CBS_103.18 ). Thus, the fungus associated with leaf yellow spot on D. stramonium was identified as A. crassa. Pathogenicity tests were conducted in a greenhouse at 24 ℃-30 ℃ with 80% relative humidity using 3 isolates. Individual plants were grown in pots (n = 5, 1 month old). The unwounded leaflets were inoculated using three isolates (DSAC-1, DSAC-2, and DSAC-3). The fungal mycelium on 5 mm-diameter PDA plugs were placed faced down to the leaves. Sterile PDA was used for mock inoculated comtrols.. The test was performed three times. Disease symptoms were observed on the leaves after 7 days, whereas the controls remained healthy. The pathogen was re-isolated from infected leaves and was morphologically identical to the original isolates, fulfilling Koch's postulates. A. crassa was reported causing leaf spot on D. stramonium in Algeria (Nabahat et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this report is the first report of A. crassa causing leaf yellow spot on D. stramonium in China. This pathogen possesses potential biocontrol properties on the invasive weed, while this study also provides an important reference for the control of the disease of the medicinal plant.
PubMed: 38885028
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-08-23-1494-PDN -
Mycologia Jun 2024Species in sections and are commonly isolated from agricultural crops and a variety of other plant hosts. With the increasing appreciation that species from these two...
Species in sections and are commonly isolated from agricultural crops and a variety of other plant hosts. With the increasing appreciation that species from these two sections are often the dominant taxa recovered from important cereal crops, the need for improved understanding of their biodiversity and taxonomy has grown. Given that morphological characteristics and existing molecular markers are not sufficient for distinguishing among species, we expanded the genomic resources for these sections to support research in biosystematics and species diagnostics. Whole genome assemblies for 22 strains were generated, including the first genomes from section or strains sampled from Canada, which significantly increases the number of publicly released genomes, particularly for section . We performed comprehensive phylogenomic analyses of all available genomes (n = 39) and present the first robust phylogeny for these taxa. The segregation of the two sections was strongly supported by genomewide data, and multiple lineages were detected within each section. We then provide an overview of the biosystematics of these groups by analyzing two standard molecular markers from the largest sample of section and strains studied to date. The patterns of relative diversity suggest that, in many cases, multiple species described based on minor morphological differences may actually represent different strains of the same species. A list of candidate loci for development into new informative molecular markers, which are diagnostic for sections and lineages, was created from analyses of phylogenetic signals from individual genes across the entire genome.
PubMed: 38884943
DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2354149 -
MycoKeys 2024Sunflower ( L.) is a widely cultivated, fast-growing crop known for its seeds and oil, with substantial ecological and economic importance globally. However, it faces...
Sunflower ( L.) is a widely cultivated, fast-growing crop known for its seeds and oil, with substantial ecological and economic importance globally. However, it faces challenges from leaf diseases caused by species, which threaten its yield. Three small-spored species were isolated from leaf spot and blight symptoms on sunflower in Myanmar. All the species were determined based on morphological characterization and a multi-locus phylogenetic assessment of seven genes, including the internal transcribed spacer of rDNA region (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (), RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2), translation elongation factor 1-α (), major allergen gene (), endopolygalacturonase gene (), and an anonymous gene region (OPA10-2). The results introduced two new species, and , and a known species of , firstly reported from sunflower.
PubMed: 38883863
DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.105.123790 -
ACS Omega Jun 2024A highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ethoxyformylmethylene oxindole with iminoesters has been achieved using the Cu(I)-(,p)-Ph Phosferrox catalytic...
Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Spirohydroindoles by Ethoxyformylmethylene Oxindole and Iminoester 1,3-Dipole Cycloaddition: An Examination of Associated Biological Activities.
A highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ethoxyformylmethylene oxindole with iminoesters has been achieved using the Cu(I)-(,p)-Ph Phosferrox catalytic system, generating a series of chiral spiro[pyrrolidin-3,3'-oxindole] compounds with four consecutive stereocenters, including a spirocycle quaternary center (71%-99% yield, up to >20:1 dr and 95:5 er). The compounds exhibited good inhibitory activity against (), (), and ().
PubMed: 38882071
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00051 -
BMC Plant Biology Jun 2024Plants can retain atmospheric particulate matter (PM) through their unique foliar microstructures, which has a profound impact on the phyllosphere microbial communities....
BACKGROUND
Plants can retain atmospheric particulate matter (PM) through their unique foliar microstructures, which has a profound impact on the phyllosphere microbial communities. Yet, the underlying mechanisms linking atmospheric particulate matter (PM) retention by foliar microstructures to variations in the phyllosphere microbial communities remain a mystery. In this study, we conducted a field experiment with ten Ulmus lines. A series of analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing, were applied to examine the relationship between foliar surface microstructures, PM retention, and phyllosphere microbial diversity of Ulmus L.
RESULTS
We characterized the leaf microstructures across the ten Ulmus lines. Chun exhibited a highly undulated abaxial surface and dense stomatal distribution. Langya and Xingshan possessed dense abaxial trichomes, while Lieye, Zuiweng, and Daguo had sparsely distributed, short abaxial trichomes. Duomai, Qingyun, and Lang were characterized by sparse stomata and flat abaxial surfaces, whereas Jinye had sparsely distributed but extensive stomata. The mean leaf retention values for total suspended particulate (TSP), PM, PM, PM, and PM were 135.76, 6.60, 20.10, 90.98, and 13.08 µg·cm, respectively. Trichomes substantially contributed to PM retention, while larger undulations enhanced PM retention, as evidenced by positive correlations between PM and abaxial trichome density and between PM and the adaxial raw microroughness values. Phyllosphere microbial diversity patterns varied among lines, with bacteria dominated by Sediminibacterium and fungi by Mycosphaerella, Alternaria, and Cladosporium. Redundancy analysis confirmed that dense leaf trichomes facilitated the capture of PM-associated fungi, while bacteria were less impacted by PM and struggled to adhere to leaf microstructures. Long and dense trichomes provided ideal microhabitats for retaining PM-borne microbes, as evidenced by positive feedback loops between PM, trichome characteristics, and the relative abundances of microorganisms like Trichoderma and Aspergillus.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on our findings, a three-factor network profile was constructed, which provides a foundation for further exploration into how different plants retain PM through foliar microstructures, thereby impacting phyllosphere microbial communities.
Topics: Plant Leaves; Particulate Matter; Microbiota; Ulmus; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Bacteria; Biodiversity
PubMed: 38880875
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05232-z -
Chemosphere Jun 2024The present study examines indoor air pollution in health facilities, focusing on compounds from various sources, such as industrial products, healthcare activities and...
The present study examines indoor air pollution in health facilities, focusing on compounds from various sources, such as industrial products, healthcare activities and building materials. It assesses chemical and microbiological concentrations in two public hospitals, two public healthcare centres, and one public health laboratory in Spain. Measurements included indoor air quality, microbiological contaminants, ambient parameters and non-target analysis across ten different locations. Outdoor air quality was also assessed in the surroundings of the hospitals. The results showed that around 350 substances were tentatively identified at a high confidence level, with over 50 % of compounds classified as of high toxicological risk. Three indoor and 26 outdoor compounds were fully confirmed with standards. These confirmed substances were linked to medical, industrial and agricultural activities. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) results revealed that CO, CO, formaldehyde (HCHO), O and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) showed average values above the recommended guideline levels in at least one of the evaluated locations. Moreover, maximum concentrations detected for CO, HCHO, O and TVOCs in hospitals surpassed those previously reported in the literature. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in three air environments, corresponding to COVID-19 patient areas. Fungi and bacteria concentrations were acceptable in all assessed locations, identifying different fungi genera, such as Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Botrytis.
PubMed: 38880262
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142615 -
Food Chemistry Jun 2024As one of the most typical pathogens in fruit postharvest diseases, Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) can produce Alternaria toxins (ATs) aggravating fruit decay and...
As one of the most typical pathogens in fruit postharvest diseases, Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) can produce Alternaria toxins (ATs) aggravating fruit decay and harming human health. In this study, ATs (tenuazonic acid, alternariol monomethyl ether, and alternariol) production was inhibited effectively by 200 and 8000 mg/L MF (methyl ferulate) in vitro and in vivo. 1-Octen-3-ol and 3-octanol were the potential iconic volatile organic compounds of ATs (R > 0.99). MF induced oxidative stress, resulting in physiological and metabolic disorders, membrane lipid oxidation and cell damage. It decreased precursors and energy supply by disturbing amino acid metabolism, ABC transporters, citrate cycle, pentose and glucuronate interconversions to regulate ATs synthesis. MF down-regulated the genes related to ATs synthesis (PksJ, AaTAS1, and OmtI), transport (AaMFS1 and MFS), and pathogenicity to affect ATs production and virulence. This study provided a theoretical basis for the control of ATs production.
PubMed: 38878540
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140060