-
Virulence Feb 2014The fungal genus Alternaria contains many destructive plant pathogens, including Alternaria brassicicola, which causes black spot disease on a wide range of Brassicaceae... (Review)
Review
The fungal genus Alternaria contains many destructive plant pathogens, including Alternaria brassicicola, which causes black spot disease on a wide range of Brassicaceae plants and which is routinely used as a model necrotrophic pathogen in studies with Arabidopsis thaliana. During host infection, many fungal proteins that are critical for disease progression are processed in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi system and secreted in planta. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an essential part of ER protein quality control that ensures efficient maturation of secreted and membrane-bound proteins in eukaryotes. This review highlights the importance of the UPR signaling pathway with respect to the ability of A. brassicicola to efficiently accomplish key steps of its pathogenic life cycle. Understanding the pathogenicity mechanisms that fungi uses during infection is crucial for the development of new antifungal therapies. Therefore the UPR pathway has emerged as a promising drug target for plant disease control.
Topics: Alternaria; Arabidopsis; Brassicaceae; Fungal Proteins; Plant Diseases; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 24189567
DOI: 10.4161/viru.26772 -
Plant Signaling & Behavior Dec 2022(), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, is widely used because of its important pharmacological activities. However, the endophytic fungi that promote flavonoid...
(), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, is widely used because of its important pharmacological activities. However, the endophytic fungi that promote flavonoid accumulation in remain unclear. Therefore, we analyzed the endophytic fungal community of and screened the endophytic fungi that might promote flavonoid synthesis in . ITS1/ITS4Blast was used to identify the endophytic fungi in . In total, 687 strains were identified in 57 genera. The dominant genus in the leaves and stems was and that in the roots was was the dominant genus in collected from all sites and in wild and cultivated . Alpha diversity indexes indicated more abundant endophytic fungi in samples from Chengde, the genuine producing area of , than in those from other sites. Beta diversity index analysis indicated that plants with closer geographical relationships showed more similar endophytic fungal community profiles. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that baicalin, wogonoside, wogonin, and oroxylin A contents were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of . Overall, the results indicate the importance of geographical factors in influencing the endophytic fungal community of and suggest that the presence of spp. might contribute to flavonoid synthesis in
Topics: Alternaria; Endophytes; Flavonoids; Fungi; Mycobiome; Plant Roots; Scutellaria baicalensis
PubMed: 35531979
DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2068834 -
Biodegradation Jun 2024To date, enumerable fungi have been reported to participate in the biodegradation of several notorious plastic materials following their isolation from soil of... (Review)
Review
To date, enumerable fungi have been reported to participate in the biodegradation of several notorious plastic materials following their isolation from soil of plastic-dumping sites, marine water, waste of mulch films, landfills, plant parts and gut of wax moth. The general mechanism begins with formation of hydrophobin and biofilm proceding to secretion of specific plastic degarding enzymes (peroxidase, hydrolase, protease and urease), penetration of three dimensional substrates and mineralization of plastic polymers into harmless products. As a result, several synthetic polymers including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane and/or bio-degradable plastics have been validated to deteriorate within months through the action of a wide variety of fungal strains predominantly Ascomycota (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium spp.). Understanding the potential and mode of operation of these organisms is thus of prime importance inspiring us to furnish an up to date view on all the presently known fungal strains claimed to mitigate the plastic waste problem. Future research henceforth needs to be directed towards metagenomic approach to distinguish polymer degrading microbial diversity followed by bio-augmentation to build fascinating future of waste disposal.
Topics: Plastics; Polyurethanes; Polymers; Polyethylene; Biodegradation, Environmental; Alternaria
PubMed: 37665521
DOI: 10.1007/s10532-023-10053-2 -
Viruses Sep 2022Alternaria alternata botybirnavirus 1 (AaBRV1) was isolated from a strain of , causing watermelon leaf blight in our previous research. The effect of AaBRV1 on the...
Alternaria alternata botybirnavirus 1 (AaBRV1) was isolated from a strain of , causing watermelon leaf blight in our previous research. The effect of AaBRV1 on the phenotype of its host fungus, however, was not determined. In the present study, a novel strain of AaBRV1 was identified in strain TJ-NH-51S-4, the causal agent of cotton Alternaria leaf spot, and designated as AaBRV1-AT1. A mycovirus AaBRV1-AT1-free strain TJ-NH-51S-4-VF was obtained by protoplast regeneration, which eliminated AaBRV1-AT1 from the mycovirus AaBRV1-AT1-infected strain TJ-NH-51S-4. Colony growth rate, spore production, and virulence of strain TJ-NH-51S-4 were greater than they were in TJ-NH-51S-4-VF, while the sensitivity of strain TJ-NH-51S-4 to difenoconazole, as measured by the EC, was lower. AaBRV1-AT1 was capable of vertical transmission via asexual spores and horizontal transmission from strain TJ-NH-51S-4 to strain XJ-BZ-5-1 (another strain of ) through hyphal contact in pairing cultures. A total of 613 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in a comparative transcriptome analysis between TJ-NH-51S-4 and TJ-NH-51S-4-VF. Relative to strain TJ-NH-51S-4-VF, the number of up-regulated and down-regulated DEGs in strain TJ-NH-51S-4 was 286 and 327, respectively. Notably, the expression level of one DEG-encoding cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase and four DEGs encoding siderophore iron transporters were significantly up-regulated. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of hypervirulence and reduced sensitivity to difenoconazole induced by AaBRV1-AT1 infection in .
Topics: Alternaria; Siderophores; RNA Viruses; Sterols; Iron
PubMed: 36298649
DOI: 10.3390/v14102093 -
Microbiological Research Oct 2021Bacillus subtilis is ubiquitous and capable of producing various metabolites, which make the bacterium a good candidate as a biocontrol agent for managing plant...
Bacillus subtilis is ubiquitous and capable of producing various metabolites, which make the bacterium a good candidate as a biocontrol agent for managing plant diseases. In this study, a phyllosphere bacterium B. subtilis PMB102 isolated from tomato leaf was found to inhibit the growth of Alternaria brassicicola ABA-31 on PDA and suppress Alternaria leaf spot on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa). The genome of PMB102 (Accession no. CP047645) was completely sequenced by Nanopore and Illumina technology to generate a circular chromosome of 4,103,088 bp encoding several gene clusters for synthesizing bioactive compounds. PMB102 and the other B. subtilis strains from different sources were compared in pangenome analysis to identify a suite of conserved genes involved in biocontrol and habitat adaptation. Two predicted gene products, surfactin and fengycin, were extracted from PMB102 culture filtrates and verified by LC-MS/MS. The antifungal activity of fengycin was tested on A. brassicicola ABA-31 in bioautography to inhibit hyphae growth, and in co-culturing assays to elicit the formation of swollen hyphae. Our data revealed that B. subtilis PMB102 suppresses Alternaria leaf spot by the production of antifungal metabolites, and fengycin plays an important role to inhibit the vegetative growth of A. brassicicola ABA-31.
Topics: Alternaria; Antifungal Agents; Bacillus subtilis; Chromatography, Liquid; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 34284299
DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126815 -
Journal of Clinical Pathology Feb 2007This is the first description of solitary phaeohyphomycosis affecting the mucosal surface. The lesion developed in the inferior lip of a 57-year-old woman. After...
This is the first description of solitary phaeohyphomycosis affecting the mucosal surface. The lesion developed in the inferior lip of a 57-year-old woman. After surgical resection, histopathological examination evidenced characteristic brownish fungal structures within granulomatous-purulent inflammation. Amplification and sequencing of rDNA obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue identified Alternaria species, as the causative agent.
Topics: Alternaria; Female; Humans; Lip Diseases; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa; Mycoses
PubMed: 17264246
DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2005.035808 -
Genetica Apr 2022Meloidogyne incognita (Root-knot nematode) and Alternaria alternata (fungus) were among the dominant parasites of the medicinal plant Withania somnifera. Despite the...
Meloidogyne incognita (Root-knot nematode) and Alternaria alternata (fungus) were among the dominant parasites of the medicinal plant Withania somnifera. Despite the fatal nature of their infection, a comprehensive study to explore their evolution and adaptation is lacking. The present study elucidates evolutionary and codon usage bias analysis of W. somnifera (host plant), M. incognita (root-knot nematode) and A. alternata (fungal parasite). The results of the present study revealed a weak codon usage bias prevalent in all the three organisms. Based on the nucleotide analysis, genome of W. somnifera and M. incognita was found to be A-T biased while A. alternata had GC biased genome. We found high similarity of CUB pattern between host and its nematode pathogen as compared to the fungal pathogen. Inclusively, both the evolutionary forces influenced the CUB in host and its associated pathogens. However, neutrality plot indicated the pervasiveness of natural selection on CUB of the host and its pathogens. Correspondence analysis revealed the dominant effect of mutation on CUB of W. somnifera and M. incognita while natural selection was the main force affecting CUB of A. alternata. Taken together the present study would provide some prolific insight into the role of codon usage bias in the adaptability of pathogens to the host's environment for establishing parasitic relationship.
Topics: Alternaria; Animals; Codon Usage; Tylenchoidea; Withania
PubMed: 35419766
DOI: 10.1007/s10709-022-00154-w -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Sep 2022Airborne fungi can pose serious health concerns in humans; however, the area-specific abundance and composition of airborne fungal microbiota discharged from composting...
Airborne fungi can pose serious health concerns in humans; however, the area-specific abundance and composition of airborne fungal microbiota discharged from composting facilities remain unclear. In the present study, we collected air samples from composting, packaging, office, and downwind areas of four commercial composting facilities. The characteristics of airborne fungi, including pathogen/allergen-containing genera, and their corresponding human exposure in different areas of composting facilities were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and ddPCR. High fungal concentrations and richness were detected in the air of the packaging area. In all four areas, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota were observed to be the primary fungal phyla, with Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus as the consistently dominant fungal genera. A large number of endemic airborne fungi were found in the composting and packaging areas, which also shared the most common airborne fungi as well as pathogen/allergen-containing genera. The packaging area contributed substantially to airborne fungi in the office and downwind areas. Area-specific human exposure to broad airborne fungal compositions was revealed, especially regarding the pathogen/allergen-containing genera. Current results provide valuable data for a comprehensive understanding of area-specific airborne fungi in composting facilities and highlight the importance of assessing the inhaled exposure to airborne fungi in evaluating their following health risks.
Topics: Air Microbiology; Allergens; Alternaria; Aspergillus; Composting; Fungi; Humans
PubMed: 36007318
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113991 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020is the causal agent of leaf blight (ALB) in carrot () crops around the world. However, to date, has received limited attention in its production of phytotoxic...
is the causal agent of leaf blight (ALB) in carrot () crops around the world. However, to date, has received limited attention in its production of phytotoxic metabolites. In this investigation, the bioassay-guided isolation of the extract from liquid cultures of resulted in the isolation of two metabolites identified as -acetylorcinol () and -hydroxybenzoic acid (), based on their spectroscopic data and results from chemical correlation reactions. Testing of both metabolites in different assays showed an important phytotoxic activity for -hydroxybenzoic acid () when tested in the leaf-spot assay on parsley (), in the leaf infiltration assay on tobacco () and marigold (), and in the immersion assay on parsley and parsnip () leaves. Quantification of the two metabolites in the crude extract of kept at different times showed that -hydroxybenzoic acid () is one of the first metabolites to be synthesized by the pathogen, suggesting that this salicylic acid derivative could play an important role in the pathogenicity of the fungus.
Topics: Alternaria; Metabolome; Piperazine; Plant Leaves; Secondary Metabolism; Toxins, Biological
PubMed: 32887350
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25174003 -
Toxins Jan 2023Large amounts of processing tomato are grown in Xinjiang, China. Tomato black spot disease, caused by spp., and the produced alternaria toxins in tomato products are...
Large amounts of processing tomato are grown in Xinjiang, China. Tomato black spot disease, caused by spp., and the produced alternaria toxins in tomato products are posing risks to human health. In this study, we isolated a rhizospheric bacterium, XJ-BV2007, from tomato () fields, which we identified as . We found that this bacterium has a strong antagonistic effect against and reduces the accumulation of alternaria toxins in tomatoes. According to the antifungal activity of the bacteria-free filtrate, we revealed that XJ-BV2007 suppresses by the production of antifungal metabolites. Combining semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, we employed UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis and the Oxford cup experiment to find that fengycin plays an important role in inhibiting . This paper firstly reported that efficiently controls tomato black spot disease and mycotoxins caused by . XJ-BV2007 may provide an alternative biocontrol strain for the prevention of tomato black spot disease.
Topics: Humans; Tenuazonic Acid; Alternaria; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Antifungal Agents; Lactones; Toxins, Biological; Solanum lycopersicum
PubMed: 36668873
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010053