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Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Plant-endophytic microbes affect plant growth, development, nutrition, and resistance to pathogens. However, how endophytic microbial communities change in different...
Plant-endophytic microbes affect plant growth, development, nutrition, and resistance to pathogens. However, how endophytic microbial communities change in different strawberry plant compartments after pathogen infection has remained elusive. In this study, 16S and internal transcribed spacer rRNA amplicon sequencing were used to systematically investigate changes in the bacterial and fungal diversity and composition in the endophytic compartments (roots, stems, and leaves) of healthy strawberries and strawberries with wilt, respectively. The analysis of the diversity, structure, and composition of the bacterial and fungal communities revealed a strong effect of pathogen invasion on the endophytic communities. The bacterial and fungal community diversity was lower in the -infected endophytic compartments than in the healthy samples. The relative abundance of certain bacterial and fungal genera also changed after wilt infection. The relative abundance of the beneficial bacterial genera , , , , , and , as well as fungal genera , , , and , were higher in the healthy samples than in the wilt samples. The relative abundance of in the infected samples was significantly higher than that in the healthy samples, consistent with the field observations and culture isolation results for strawberry wilt. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the isolation, identification, and control of strawberry wilt disease.
PubMed: 38140478
DOI: 10.3390/plants12244153 -
Biology Dec 2023Environmental pollutants such as toxic heavy metals and oxygen-demanding solids are generated by leather manufacturing. In most tanneries, wastewaters are treated with...
Environmental pollutants such as toxic heavy metals and oxygen-demanding solids are generated by leather manufacturing. In most tanneries, wastewaters are treated with physico-chemical methods but overly high levels of pollutants remain in surface waters. The efficiency of tanning wastewater treatment with conventional techniques was evaluated in four tanneries in Saudi Arabia. It was observed that the wastewaters contained high amounts of pollutants, needing further treatment. We isolated microorganisms from the wastewaters and carried out experiments to treat the effluents with different bacteria, fungi, and their consortia. We hypothesized that a consortium of microorganisms is more efficient than the single microorganisms in the consortium. The efficiency of five single bacterial and five fungal species from different genera was tested. In a consortium experiment, the efficiency of nine bacterial-fungal consortia was studied. The bacterium and the fungus sp. were the most efficient in the single-microbe treatment. In the consortium treatment, the consortium of these two was the most efficient at treating the effluent. The factory wastewater treatment reduced total dissolved solids (TDS) from 1885 mg/L to 880 mg/L. treatment reduced TDS to 150 mg/L and sp. to 140 mg/L. The consortium of these two reduced TDS further to 80 mg/L. Moreover, the factory treatment reduced BOD from 943 mg/L to 440 mg/L, to 75 mg/L, and sp. 70 mg/L. The consortium reduced BOD further to 20 mg/L. The total heavy-metal concentration (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb) was reduced by the factory treatment from 43 μg/L to 26 μg/L and by the consortium to 0.2 μg/L. The collagen concentration that was studied using hydroxyproline assay decreased from 120 mg/L to 39 mg/L. It was shown that the consortium of the bacterium and the fungus sp. was more efficient in reducing the pollutants than the single species. The consortium reduced almost all parameters to below the environmental regulation limit for wastewater discharge to the environment in Saudi Arabia. The consortium should be studied further as an additional treatment to the existing conventional tannery wastewater treatments.
PubMed: 38132333
DOI: 10.3390/biology12121507 -
AMB Express Dec 2023Most antibiotics now used in clinical practice are cephalosporins. Acremonium (A.) chrysogenum W42-I is an intermediate strain out of W42 strain improvement program...
Most antibiotics now used in clinical practice are cephalosporins. Acremonium (A.) chrysogenum W42-I is an intermediate strain out of W42 strain improvement program whose productivity is above that of the wild-type strain to produce the broad-spectrum antibacterial cephalosporin C (CPC). As a result, fermentation process optimization is considered because it offers the ideal environment for strains to reach their full potential. Our research aimed to combine a rational design to regulate the fermentation process environment and culture media as well as to develop mutants with high productivity. Different media were tested to obtain maximum CPC production. To maximize the production of CPC, some environmental parameters were experimentally optimized via the Box-Behnken design used for response surface methodology (RSM). There were 17 tests conducted, and each experiment's reaction was recorded. Improvement of the CPC production was further achieved via mutagenesis using gamma radiation. Results revealed that a pH of 4, an incubation period of 4 days, and an inoculum size of 1% v/v using the optimized media (CPC2) were the optimum conditions for enhancing the CPC production by 4.43-fold. In addition, gamma irradiation further enhanced production to reach 3.46-fold using an optimum dose of 2 KGy. In conclusion, in comparison to initial production levels, CPC production increased 4.43-fold because of nutritional and environmental optimization. The mutant AC8 demonstrated a roughly 3.46-fold increase in activity against its parent type. Moreover, subsequent AC8 mutant culture demonstrated excellent genetic stability.
PubMed: 38079030
DOI: 10.1186/s13568-023-01645-5 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Nov 2023It is a rare case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium spp infection. (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
It is a rare case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium spp infection.
CASE PRESENTATION
Symptoms of Acremonium infection peritonitis are hidden and atypical, leucocytes in ascites are moderately elevated, and general bacterial culture difficulty obtains positive results. In this report, a patient with peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis caused by Acremonium species was successfully treated without catheter removal in our hospital. The organism species was cultured from a catheter and PD effluent fluid. The patient's peritonitis did not relapse within 6 months.
CONCLUSIONS
Once a patient on peritoneal dialysis was infected with fungal peritonitis, the outcome was usually to remove the tube and stop peritoneal dialysis. In this case, our experience is that using a catheter-salvage therapy method, we can successfully cure PD-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium sp.
Topics: Humans; Acremonium; Catheters; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; Peritonitis
PubMed: 38064384
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.17679 -
BMC Veterinary Research Dec 2023Acremonium terricola is used in the feed of dairy animals to promote growth and control diseases. However, the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola on...
Dietary supplementation with Acremonium terricola culture alters the gut microbial structure and improves the growth performance, antioxidant status, and immune function of weaning piglets.
BACKGROUND
Acremonium terricola is used in the feed of dairy animals to promote growth and control diseases. However, the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola on the gut microbial structure of weaning piglets remain poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with A. terricola culture (ATC) on the growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and gut environment of weaning piglets. Sixty piglets were fed a basal diet supplemented with 1 g ATC/kg of basal diet (experimental group). Another 60 piglets did not receive ATC (control group). The intervention lasted for 20 days.
RESULTS
The experimental group had higher daily weight gain and feed efficiency than did the control group. Significant increases were noted in the levels of serum insulin (P = 0.0018), insulin-like growth factor (P = 0.0018), triiodothyronine (P = 0.0031), immunoglobulin A (P < 0.0001), immunoglobulin M (P = 0.001), immunoglobulin G (P = 0.0001), and interferon γ (P < 0.0001) in the experimental group compared with the levels in the control group. Furthermore, ATC supplementation significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Shuttleworthia, Succinivibrio, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, and Paludibacter but increased that of Phascolarctobacterium, Megasphaera, Faecalibacterium, and Prevotella in the experimental group compared with that in the control group. Notably, ATC supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (P < 0.05), which is involved in anti-inflammatory activities, gut barrier enhancement, and butyrate production.
CONCLUSIONS
Dietary supplementation with ATC may improve the growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and fecal microflora of weaning pigs.
Topics: Animals; Swine; Antioxidants; Weaning; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Dietary Supplements; Diet; Immunity; Animal Feed
PubMed: 38053083
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03778-y -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023Safe drinking water is a constant challenge due to global environmental changes and the rise of emerging pathogens-lately, these also include fungi. The fungal presence...
Safe drinking water is a constant challenge due to global environmental changes and the rise of emerging pathogens-lately, these also include fungi. The fungal presence in water greatly varies between sampling locations. Little is known about fungi from water in combination with a selection of materials used in water distribution systems. Our research was focused on five water plants located in the Pannonian Plain, Slovenia. Sampled water originated from different natural water sources and was subjected to different cleaning methods before distribution. The average numbers of fungi from natural water, water after disinfection, water at the first sampling point in the water network, and water at the last sampling point were 260, 49, 64, and 97 CFU/L, respectively. Chlorination reduced the number of fungi by a factor of 5, but its effect decreased with the length of the water network. The occurrence of different fungi in water and on materials depended on the choice of material. The presence of the genera , , , , and was mostly observed on cement, while , , , and prevailed on metals. Plastic materials were more susceptible to colonization with basidiomycetous fungi. Opportunistically pathogenic fungi were isolated sporadically from materials and water and do not represent a significant health risk for water consumers. In addition to cultivation data, physico-chemical features of water were measured and later processed with machine learning methods, revealing the sampling location and water cleaning processes as the main factors affecting fungal presence and richness in water and materials in contact with water.
PubMed: 37998891
DOI: 10.3390/jof9111086 -
BMC Biology Oct 2023Melanin plays important roles in morphological development, survival, host-pathogen interactions and in the virulence of phytopathogenic fungi. In Verticillum dahliae,...
BACKGROUND
Melanin plays important roles in morphological development, survival, host-pathogen interactions and in the virulence of phytopathogenic fungi. In Verticillum dahliae, increases in melanin are recognized as markers of maturation of microsclerotia which ensures the long-term survival and stress tolerance, while decreases in melanin are correlated with increased hyphal growth in the host. The conserved upstream components of the VdCmr1-regulated pathway controlling melanin production in V. dahliae have been extensively identified, but the direct activators of this pathway are still unclear.
RESULTS
We identified two genes encoding conserved C2H2-type zinc finger proteins VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 adjacent to VdPKS9, a gene encoding a negative regulator of both melanin biosynthesis and microsclerotia formation in V. dahliae. Both VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 were induced during microsclerotia development and were involved in melanin deposition. Their localization changed from cytoplasmic to nuclear in response to osmotic pressure. VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 act as modulators of microsclerotia melanization in V. dahliae, as confirmed by melanin biosynthesis inhibition and supplementation with the melanin pathway intermediate scytalone in albino strains. The results indicate that VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 participate in melanin biosynthesis by positively regulating VdCmr1. Based on the results obtained with yeast one- and two-hybrid (Y1H and Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) systems, we determined the melanin biosynthesis relies on the direct interactions among VdZFP1, VdZFP2 and VdCmr1, and these interactions occur on the cell walls of microsclerotia. Additionally, VdZFP1 and/or VdZFP2 mutants displayed increased sensitivity to stress factors rather than alterations in pathogenicity, reflecting the importance of melanin in stress tolerance of V. dahliae.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results revealed that VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 positively regulate VdCmr1 to promote melanin deposition during microsclerotia development, providing novel insight into the regulation of melanin biosynthesis in V. dahliae.
Topics: Melanins; Fungal Proteins; Verticillium; Ascomycota; Zinc Fingers; Plant Diseases
PubMed: 37904147
DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01697-w -
Microorganisms Oct 2023We have performed a characterization of cultivated haloalkalitolerant fungi from the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake in order to assess their biodiversity and...
We have performed a characterization of cultivated haloalkalitolerant fungi from the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake in order to assess their biodiversity and antimicrobial activity. This saline, slightly alkaline lake is known as a source of therapeutic sulfide mud used in sanatoria of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, Russia. Though data on bacteria and algae observed in this lake are available in the literature, data on fungi adapted to the conditions of the lake are lacking. The diversity of haloalkalitolerant fungi was low and represented by ascomycetes of the genera , , , , , , , , , and . Most of the fungi were characterized by moderate alkaline resistance, and they tolerated NaCl concentrations up to 10% /. The analysis of the antimicrobial activity of fungi showed that 87.5% of all strains were active against , and 39.6% were also determined to be effective against . The majority of the strains were also active against and , about 66.7% and 62.5%, respectively. These studies indicate, for the first time, the presence of polyextremotolerant fungi in the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake, which probably reflects their involvement in the formation of therapeutic muds.
PubMed: 37894245
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102587 -
Marine Drugs Sep 2023Marine natural products are well-recognized as potential resources to fill the pipeline of drug leads to enter the pharmaceutical industry. In this circumstance,... (Review)
Review
Marine natural products are well-recognized as potential resources to fill the pipeline of drug leads to enter the pharmaceutical industry. In this circumstance, marine-derived fungi are one of the unique sources of bioactive secondary metabolites due to their capacity to produce diverse polyketides and peptides with unique structures and diverse biological activities. The present review covers the peptides from marine-derived fungi reported from the literature published from January 1991 to June 2023, and various scientific databases, including Elsevier, ACS publications, Taylor and Francis, Wiley Online Library, MDPI, Springer, Thieme, Bentham, ProQuest, and the Marine Pharmacology website, are used for a literature search. This review focuses on chemical characteristics, sources, and biological and pharmacological activities of 366 marine fungal peptides belonging to various classes, such as linear, cyclic, and depsipeptides. Among 30 marine-derived fungal genera, isolated from marine macro-organisms such as marine algae, sponges, coral, and mangrove plants, as well as deep sea sediments, species of were found to produce the highest number of peptides (174 peptides), followed by (23 peptides), (22 peptides), (18 peptides), (18 peptides), (17 peptides), and (12 peptides). The cytotoxic activity against a broad spectrum of human cancer cell lines was the predominant biological activity of the reported marine peptides (32%), whereas antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and various enzyme inhibition activities ranged from 7% to 20%. In the first part of this review, the chemistry of marine peptides is discussed and followed by their biological activity.
Topics: Humans; Aspergillus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Peptides; Biological Products; Aquatic Organisms; Fungi
PubMed: 37888445
DOI: 10.3390/md21100510 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023Fungi produce surface-active proteins, among which hydrophobins are the most characterized and attractive also for their ability to form functional amyloids. Our most...
Fungi produce surface-active proteins, among which hydrophobins are the most characterized and attractive also for their ability to form functional amyloids. Our most recent findings show that these abilities are shared with other classes of fungal proteins. Indeed, in this paper, we compared the characteristics of a class I hydrophobin (Vmh2 from ) and an unknown protein (named PAC3), extracted from the marine fungal strain which does not belong to the same protein family based on its sequence features. They both proved to be good biosurfactants, stabilizing emulsions in several conditions (concentration, pH, and salinity) and decreasing surface tension to a comparable value to that of some synthetic surfactants. After that, we observed for both Vmh2 and PAC3 the formation of giant fibers without the need for harsh conditions or long incubation time, a remarkable ability herein reported for the first time.
Topics: Cysteine; Fungal Proteins; Membrane Proteins; Pleurotus; Salinity
PubMed: 37762146
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813843