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World Journal of Microbiology &... Dec 2022Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential elements that are necessary for plant development and growth. However, the availability of soluble forms of P for plants in the...
Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential elements that are necessary for plant development and growth. However, the availability of soluble forms of P for plants in the soils is limited, because a large proportion of it is bound to soil constituents. Thus, the concentration of P available to plants at any time is very low and, moreover, its availability depends on the soil pH. As a solution, phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) are employed that render inorganic P available to plants in soluble form. Thus far, research into PSMs has been insufficient, and only few such organisms have been considered for exploitation as microbial fertilizer strains. The characteristics of plant growth promotion with the plant-PSMs coculture system remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we report on the isolate Rhodosporidium paludigenum JYC100 that exhibits good performance for solubilizing calcium phosphate. We found that it can be regulated by the amount of soluble phosphate. Furthermore, R. paludigenum JYC100 promotes plant growth under specific conditions (P deficiency, but with insoluble phosphate) in different media and soil pots. In contrast, the yeast Aureobasidium pullulans JYC104 exhibited weak phosphate-solubilizing capacities and no plant growth-promoting ability. Compared to control plants, the biomass, shoot height, and cellular inorganic P content of plants increased in plants cocultivated with R. paludigenum JYC100. In addition, histochemical GUS and qRT-PCR assays of phosphate starvation-induced (PSI) genes showed that the transcript levels of these PSI genes are decreased in the plants cocultured with R. paludigenum JYC100. These findings reflect the unique ability of R. paludigenum JYC100 to convert insoluble P compounds to plant-available P, thereby leading to growth promotion. Our study results highlight the use of yeasts as potential substitutes for inorganic phosphate fertilizers to meet the P demands of plants, which may eventually improve yields in sustainable agricultures.
Topics: Phosphates; Plant Development; Yeasts; Soil; Plants; Biological Products; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 36565394
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03498-9 -
Swiss Medical Weekly Dec 2022We report on a case of probable invasive Auerobasidium spp. pulmonary infection in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with...
We report on a case of probable invasive Auerobasidium spp. pulmonary infection in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin B monotherapy, with transition to orally administered isavuconazole. This case shows an atypical initial radiological presentation with diffuse ground-glass opacities, as previously demonstrated in cases of Aureobasidium spp. hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Moreover this case further highlights the difficulties associated with the diagnosis and complexity in the management of Aureobasidium spp. infections.
Topics: Humans; Antifungal Agents; Aureobasidium; Phaeohyphomycosis; Lung
PubMed: 36509420
DOI: 10.57187/smw.2022.40011 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2022Herein, we present a method for producing water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPs) by co-culture fermentation of straw and shrimp shells. The chitin-degrading strain was...
Herein, we present a method for producing water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPs) by co-culture fermentation of straw and shrimp shells. The chitin-degrading strain was isolated and genotypically identified as the non-pathogen sp. LYM-1 in this study. sp. LYM-1 and 2012 could coexist without antagonism. WSPs concentrations were higher in co-culture fermentations of sp. LYM-1 and 2012 (PsL/AP-WSPs) compared to monocultures (PsL-WSPs and AP-WSPs). FTIR was used to examine the polysaccharide properties of three WSP fractions. The monosaccharide compositions of three WSPs fractions were primarily composed of mannose, ribose, glucosamine, glucose, galactose, and arabinose with varying molecular weights and molar ratios according to HPLC analysis. PsL/AP-WSPs showed better scavenging effects on DPPH, ABTS, and OH free radicals, demonstrating the application potential of PsL/AP-WSPs from straw and shrimp shells. The maximum yield obtained under optimum conditions (fermentation time of 6 days, temperature of 31°C, inoculum concentration of 10% (w/v), and inoculum composition of 2:1) was 5.88 ± 0.40 mg/mL, based on the PsL/AP-WSPs production optimization by orthogonal design. The results suggest that an environmentally friendly approach for WSPs production from agro-food wastes straw and shrimp shells was developed.
PubMed: 36479299
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1047932 -
Journal of Infection and Public Health Jan 2023To investigate the dematiaceous fungal profile of patients with ocular mycoses attending a tertiary eye care hospital in Coimbatore, India METHODS: The identification of...
PURPOSE
To investigate the dematiaceous fungal profile of patients with ocular mycoses attending a tertiary eye care hospital in Coimbatore, India METHODS: The identification of dematiaceous fungus based on their morphology, their genotypes, and the measurement of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) using microdilution method of routinely used antifungal drugs were all compared.
RESULTS
A total of 148 dematiaceous fungi were isolated during a study period of 27 months. Isolates were confirmed as Curvularia spp. (n = 98), Exserohilum spp. (n = 32), Alternaria spp. (n = 14), Exophiala spp. (n = 2), Cladosporium sp. (n = 1) and Aureobasidium sp. (n = 1). Out of 50 well grown isolates characterized genotypically based on the amplification and sequencing of the ITS region of the ribosomal RNA gene cluster and subsequent BLAST analysis, Curvularia lunata (n = 24), C. aeria (n = 1), C. spicifera (n = 8), C. hawaiiensis (n = 1), C. maydis (n = 2), C. papendorfii (n = 2), C. geniculata (n = 3), C. tetramera (n = 2) and Exs. rostratum (n = 7) were identified. In vitro antifungal susceptibilities of the most tested dematiaceous isolates showed that voriconazole had a MIC of 0.25 μg ml, while amphotericin B had a MIC of 0.25 μg ml for Curvularia spp. and Alternaria spp.
CONCLUSION
Voriconazole proved to be the most effective drug against the pigmented filamentous fungi, followed by amphotericin B, itraconazole and econazole.
Topics: Humans; Antifungal Agents; Amphotericin B; Voriconazole; Phylogeny; Eye Infections, Fungal; Fungi; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 36459708
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.11.018 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Endophytic fungi are microorganisms with the ability to colonize plants for the entire or at least a significant part of their life cycle asymptomatically, establishing...
Endophytic fungi are microorganisms with the ability to colonize plants for the entire or at least a significant part of their life cycle asymptomatically, establishing a plant-fungus association. They play an important role in balancing ecosystems, as well as benefiting host through increasing plant growth, and protecting the host plants from abiotic and biotic stresses using various strategies. In the present study, endophytic fungi were isolated from wild and endemic apple cultivars, followed by characterizing their antifungal effect against . To characterize the endophytic fungi, 417 fungal strains were separated from 210 healthy fruit, leaf, and branch samples collected from the north of Iran. Among the purified fungal isolates, 33 fungal genera were identified based on the morphological characteristics, of which 38 species were detected according to the morphological features and molecular data of ITS, , and genomic regions (related to the genus). The results represented that most of the endophytic fungi belonged to Ascomycota (67.8%), 31.4% of isolates were mycelia sterilia, while the others were Basidiomycota (0.48%) and Mucoromycota (0.24%). Additionally, , , and were determined as the dominant genera. The antifungal properties of the identified isolates were evaluated against to determine the release of media-permeable metabolites, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chitinase, and cellulase as antifungal mechanisms, as well as producing phosphate solubilisation as growth-promoting effect. Based on the results of metabolite and VOC tests, the six isolates of GO13S1, 55S2, 61S2, 7F2, 2S1 and 3 L2 were selected for greenhouse tests. Further, 55S2 and 61S2 could solubilize inorganic phosphate. All isolates except 3 L2 exhibited cellulase activity, while chitinase activity was observed in 2S1, 3 L2, and 61S2. Finally, 55S2 and 2S1 completely controlled the disease on the apple seedling leaves under greenhouse conditions.
PubMed: 36419433
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1024001 -
Mycobiology 2022Oomycete pathogens that belong to the genus cause devastating diseases in solanaceous crops such as pepper, potato, and tobacco, resulting in crop production losses...
Oomycete pathogens that belong to the genus cause devastating diseases in solanaceous crops such as pepper, potato, and tobacco, resulting in crop production losses worldwide. Although the application of fungicides efficiently controls these diseases, it has been shown to trigger negative side effects such as environmental pollution, phytotoxicity, and fungicide resistance in plant pathogens. Therefore, biological control of -induced diseases was proposed as an environmentally sound alternative to conventional chemical control. In this review, progress on biological control of the soilborne oomycete plant pathogens, , and , infecting pepper, potato, and tobacco is described. Bacterial (e.g., and ) and fungal (e.g., and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) agents, and yeasts (e.g., , , and ) have been reported as successful biocontrol agents of pathogens. These microorganisms antagonize spp. antimicrobial compounds with inhibitory activities against mycelial growth, sporulation, and zoospore germination. They also trigger plant immunity-inducing systemic resistance several pathways, resulting in enhanced defense responses in their hosts. Along with plant protection, some of the microorganisms promote plant growth, thereby enhancing their beneficial relations with host plants. Although the beneficial effects of the biocontrol microorganisms are acceptable, single applications of antagonistic microorganisms tend to lack consistent efficacy compared with chemical analogues. Therefore, strategies to improve the biocontrol performance of these prominent antagonists are also discussed in this review.
PubMed: 36404903
DOI: 10.1080/12298093.2022.2136333 -
Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology Mar 2023The current petroleum chemical methods for fumaric acid production can cause heavy pollution and global warming. In this study, the engineered strains of var. were...
The current petroleum chemical methods for fumaric acid production can cause heavy pollution and global warming. In this study, the engineered strains of var. were found to be suitable for green fumaric acid producer. Removal and complementation of the relevant genes showed only the ornithine-urea cycle (OUC) was involved in high level fumarate biosynthesis which was controlled by the Ca signaling pathway. Removal of both the gene encoding glucose oxidase and the gene encoding the polyketide synthase for 3,5-dihydroxydecanoic acid biosynthesis and overexpression of the gene encoding pyruvate carboxylase made the strain e-PYC produce 88.1 ± 4.3 g/L of fumarate at flask level and 93.9 ± 0.8 g/L of fumarate during the fed-batch fermentation. As a yeast-like fungal strain, it was very easy to cultivate var. DH177 and their mutants in the bioreactor and to edit its genomic DNAs to enhance fumarate production. It was found that 2 mol of CO could be fixed during a maximal theoretical yield of 2 mol of fumarate per mole of glucose consumed in the OUC. Therefore, the OUC-mediated fumarate biosynthesis pathway in var. was a green and eco-friendly process for the global sustainable development and carbon neutrality.
PubMed: 36381963
DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.10.004 -
Drug Delivery Dec 2022Drug distribution relies heavily on polymers, which also offer a variety of benefits like controlled release, targeted release, prolonged release, etc. Due to their low... (Review)
Review
Drug distribution relies heavily on polymers, which also offer a variety of benefits like controlled release, targeted release, prolonged release, etc. Due to their low toxicity and great safety, biodegradable polymers are highly preferred. The exopolysaccharide known as pullulan is generated from a fungus known as . It has many different qualities, including biodegradability, appropriate adhesion, antioxidant, film-forming capacity, blood compatibility, mucosal adhesion, etc. However, its application in the pharmaceutical industry is restricted by its insolubility in organic solvents, mechanical characteristics, and lack of macromolecule-carrying ability groups. This review provides an overview of the modifications made to pullulan, including periodate oxidation, etherification, esterification, sulfation, urethane derivatization, PEG incorporation, and cationization, to enhance its solubility in organic solvents, mechanical properties, pH sensitivity, drug delivery, anticoagulant, and antimicrobial properties. Pullulan has nine active hydroxyl groups in its structure that react chemically that can be used for physicochemical modification to produce pullulan derivatives. A key area of pullulan research has been pullulan modification, which has demonstrated enhanced solubility, pH-sensitive targeting, broadened horizons for delivery systems, anticoagulation, and antibacterial properties.
Topics: Glucans; Drug Delivery Systems; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polymers; Solvents
PubMed: 36369833
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2022.2144544 -
Microorganisms Nov 2022The aim of this study was to investigate fungal communities associated with leaves and roots of healthy-looking and declining U. glabra trees. The study was expected to...
The aim of this study was to investigate fungal communities associated with leaves and roots of healthy-looking and declining U. glabra trees. The study was expected to demonstrate whether and how the diversity and composition of fungal communities change in these functional tissues following the infection by Dutch elm disease-causing fungi. The study sites included six U. glabra sites in Lithuania, where leaves and roots were sampled. DNA was isolated from individual samples, amplified using ITS2 rRNA as a marker, and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The sequence analysis showed the presence of 32,699 high-quality reads, which following clustering, were found to represent 520 non-singleton fungal taxa. In leaves, the fungal species richness was significantly higher in healthy-looking trees than in diseased ones (p < 0.05). In roots, a similar comparison showed that the difference was insignificant (p > 0.05). The most common fungi in all samples of roots were Trichocladium griseum (32.9%), Penicillium restrictum (21.2%), and Unidentified sp. 5238_7 (12.6%). The most common fungi in all samples of leaves were Trichomerium sp. 5238_8 (12.30%), Aureobasidium pullulans (12.03%), Cladosporium sp. 5238_5 (11.73%), and Vishniacozyma carnescens (9.86%). The results showed that the detected richness of fungal taxa was higher in samples collected from healthy-looking trees than from diseased ones, thereby highlighting the negative impact of the Dutch elm disease on the overall fungal diversity.
PubMed: 36363820
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10112228 -
BMC Genomic Data Nov 2022Zalaria sp. Him3 was reported as a novel fructooligosaccharides (FOS) producing yeast. However, Zalaria spp. have not been widely known and have been erroneously...
BACKGROUND
Zalaria sp. Him3 was reported as a novel fructooligosaccharides (FOS) producing yeast. However, Zalaria spp. have not been widely known and have been erroneously classified as a different black yeast, Aureobasidium pullulans. In this study, de novo genome assembly and analysis of Zalaria sp. Him3 was demonstrated to confirm the existence of a potential enzyme that facilitates FOS production and to compare with the genome of A. pullulans.
RESULTS
The genome of Zalaria sp. Him3 was analyzed; the total read bases and total number of reads were 6.38 Gbp and 42,452,134 reads, respectively. The assembled genome sequence was calculated to be 22.38 Mbp, with 207 contigs, N50 of 885,387, L50 of 10, GC content of 53.8%, and 7,496 genes. g2419, g3120, and g3700 among the predicted genes were annotated as cellulase, xylanase, and β-fructofuranosidase (FFase), respectively. When the read sequences were mapped to A. pullulans EXF-150 genome as a reference, a small amount of reads (3.89%) corresponded to the reference genome. Phylogenetic tree analysis, which was based on the conserved sequence set consisting of 2,362 orthologs in the genome, indicated genetic differences between Zalaria sp. Him3 and Aureobasidium spp.
CONCLUSION
The differences between Zalaria and Aureobasidium spp. were evident at the genome level. g3700 identified in the Zalaria sp. Him3 likely does not encode a highly transfructosyl FFase because the motif sequences were unlike those in other FFases involved in FOS production. Therefore, strain Him3 may produce another FFase. Furthermore, several genes with promising functions were identified and might elicit further interest in Zalaria yeast.
Topics: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Phylogeny; Ascomycota; beta-Fructofuranosidase
PubMed: 36357835
DOI: 10.1186/s12863-022-01094-2