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At least 1,351 records · Page 75Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Microcolonial fungi from antique marbles in Perge/Side/Termessos (Antalya/Turkey).

In this study rock surfaces of archaeological sites in Antalya were investigated with a focus on black fungi for the first time. Black, meristematic fungi were isolated from surfaces of antique marble monuments in Antalya (Side, Perge, Termessos). Their morphology was characterized, their diversity was documented and the taxonomy and phylogeny of new isolates was clarified based on molecular methods, that is, by sequencing parts of the small ribosomal subunit (18S) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. From a total of around 250 samples 99 different fungal strains were isolated. In most of 99 strains the rDNA sequencing data and the lack of homologies in "Genbank" gave strong evidence that these strains have to be described as new species/subspecies and/or genera. All of them, however, clustered within the ascomycete orders of Dothideales, Chaetothyriales, and Pleosporales. Field studies show that these organisms cause color changes, black spots, crater shaped lesions as well as chipping and exfoliation of the rock surfaces in Antalya and thus they have to be regarded as a serious threat to the antique cultural heritage in Turkey.

Archaeology↗
PubMed2005

Degradation of nitrocellulose by fungi.

Three lignocellulolytic fungi, Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Coprinus cinereus, and two cellulolytic fungi Trichoderma reesei and Chaetomium elatum were tested for their ability to degrade nitrocellulose. They were provided with different carbon and nitrogen sources in liquid cultures. Nitrocellulose (N content above 12%) was added as nitrogen source (in solution in acetone) alongside amino acids or as sole N source. Either starch or carboxy-methyl cellulose were provided as carbon sources. After 28 days of growth the highest decrease of nitrocellulose was observed with Chaetomium elatum when up to 43% was degraded in a medium containing nitrocellulose as the only nitrogen source. Coprinus cinereus caused a 37% decrease of nitrocellulose when provided with amino acids and starch as co-substrate. In cultures of Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma reesei, only 10%-22% decrease of nitrocellulose was measured in all media. In the presence of nitrocellulose with N content below 12% supplied as 3 mm pellets as the only carbon source, or with nitrocellulose with carboxy-methyl cellulose, the release of nitrite and nitrate from liquid cultures of Chaetomium elatum was measured. Between 6 and 9 days of growth in these media, an increase in both nitrite and nitrate was observed with a loss in weight of nitrocellulose up to 6% achieved after 34 days. The physical nature of the NC pellets may have reduced the rate of degradation in comparison with supplying NC in solution in the cultures.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2006

Effects of polluting soil with cassava mill effluent on the bacteria and fungi populations of a soil cultivated with maize.

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of application of cassava mill effluent on bacteria and fungi types and population in a soil grown to maize (Zea Mays L.) Microbial populations were determined before pollution of soil with cassava mill effluent, six weeks after pollution with effluent and at the end of the experiment. Results obtained showed that bacteria and fungi populations increased with time as rates of pollution increased. It was also observed that some bacteria present in the soil at the beginning of the experiment and up to the sixth week after pollution with effluent became extinct at the end of the experiment.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Keratinophilic fungi isolated from hospital dust and soils of public places at Gulbarga, India.

Keratinophilic fungi were isolated from corridor dust of 11 hospitals and soils of 21 public places using a hair baiting technique. A total of 41 species belonging to 24 genera were recovered. Among the dermatophytes and related species, Microsporum gypseum was predominant, followed by Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, M. nanum and Ch. tropicum. Other species were represented by 32 species belonging to 21 genera. Most of the species isolated are known to be agents of human and animal infection or have been isolated from human and animal lesions. The fungi observed here are discussed in relation to their global distribution.

Dermatomycoses↗
PubMed1986

Association of fungi with extended-wear soft contact lenses.

Fungi were isolated from 11 extended-wear soft contact lenses. In two cases, fungi had penetrated through the contact lens and the same fungus was cultured from corneal ulcers. In four cases, fungal growth on and in the soft contact lens matrix was associated with conjunctivitis and punctate fluorescein staining of the corneal epithelium.

Contact Lenses↗
PubMed1989

Pneumocystis carinii: sequence from ribosomal RNA implies a close relationship with fungi.

Pneumocystis carinii is the etiologic agent of a lethal pneumonia which occurs in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other immunocompromised hosts. The basic biochemical and genetic characteristics of P. carinii are poorly understood and its taxonomic classification as a protozoan is uncertain. To address the taxonomic question, a method was developed for the extraction of total RNA from P. carinii. Denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis showed the two ribosomal RNA species of P. carinii to be similar in size to those of other lower eukaryotes, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three portions of the small ribosomal RNA of P. carinii were sequenced by reverse transcription from oligonucleotide primers. Three hundred seventy-two nucleotides of sequence were obtained. The sequence derived from P. carinii RNA contained regions that previous phylogenetic studies have shown to be highly variable among species, as well as regions that are highly conserved. Comparison of the P. carinii sequence to corresponding sequences of organisms from other taxa showed the P. carinii sequence to be more similar to sequences from the fungi (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Neurospora crassa, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus diffuens) than to protozoan sequences. These data suggest that P. carinii is more closely related to fungi than to protozoa.

Acanthamoeba↗
PubMed1987

High level of complexity of small nuclear RNAs in fungi and plants.

The complexity of the trimethylguanosine-capped, small nuclear RNA (snRNA) populations in a number of organisms has been examined using immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional gels. From the fungi Aspergillus nidulans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, over 30 major snRNAs can be resolved. The most abundant of these correspond to the putative analogues of vertebrate U1, U2, U4 and U5, which have been reported to be precipitated by anti-Sm antibodies, but other snRNAs are little less abundant than the major Sm-precipitable species. A similarly high level of complexity of snRNAs is detected in pea plants. In Candida albicans, the snRNAs are somewhat less numerous (about 22 major species) and are substantially less abundant than those of the above fungi, features shared with another budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ten species of human snRNA have been reported; on two-dimensional gels, a number of additional snRNAs can be resolved from human cells. Each fungus, as well as pea plants, contains snRNAs substantially larger than any reported from vertebrates or detected in the human RNA used here. It appears that many eukaryotes contain substantially more species of snRNA than was previously believed.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1991

Lichen-forming fungi: potential sources of novel metabolites.

The challenge for today's pharmaceutical industry lies in the discovery and development of new, pharmacologically active molecules. Metabolites produced by microorganisms, and fungi in particular, are a resource for which the therapeutic potential has been recognized, but one that remains largely unexplored and unexploited. Approximately 20% of all known fungal species are obligate symbionts in lichens; this major group of fungi has been long neglected by mycologists, and overlooked by industry.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed1993

Heat resistance of fungi from soil.

The survival of fungi from soil samples has been investigated after exposure to temperatures of 60, 70, 80 and 90 degrees C in Sabouraud agar. The least resistant fungi surviving 60 degrees C for 60 min were the Aspergillus (A.) niger group, Chaetomium spp, Penicillium spp, and Scytalidium lignicola. None of these survived 70 degrees C for 10 min. The next group surviving 70 degrees C for 60 min included the A. glaucus group, Byssochlamys nivea, Dichotomomyces cejpii, Gelasinospora spp, Rhizoctonium spp, and Talaromyces flavus; they did not survive 80 degrees C for 10 min. At 80 degrees C for 60 min, survival was seen for Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Eupenicillium baarnense and Ulocladium spp; they did not survive 10 min at 90 degrees C. Acremonium sclerotigenum, Aspergillus ochraceus, Botryotrichum piluliferum, Byssochlamys fulva, Gilmaniella humicola, Neosartorya fischeri, Nodulisporium sp. and Talaromyces avellaneus survived heat treatment at 90 degrees C for 10 min and longer time with the two last being the most resistant. The phenomen of activation of dormant spores by thermal shock was not apparent.

Food Handling↗
PubMed1991

Proteolytic events in the processing of secreted proteins in fungi.

Secreted heterologous proteins have been found to be produced much less efficiently by fungi than secreted homologous ones. This could be due, at least in part, to proteolytic cleavage by site-specific endoproteases of the secretory pathway, similar to the yeast KEX2 protease and the mammalian dibasic endoproteinases found in secretory pathways. Mature secreted fungal proteins may be protected from such cleavage due to the absence of cleavable sites in exposed regions. A comparison of the dipeptide distributions of 33 secreted and 34 cytoplasmic proteins from fungal producers of extracellular enzymes indicated a significant bias for some doublets, including the basic dipeptides Lys-Arg, Arg-Arg and Arg-Lys which have also been demonstrated to be KEX2 substrates. Other combinations were also found to be rare in secreted proteins, which could indicate either a broader specificity of the considered endopeptidase, or the presence either in the secretory organelles or among the secreted proteins of additional proteases with different specificities. Experimental evidence that the Lys-Arg site is processed in Tolypocladium geodes was provided by cloning a synthetic prosequence upstream of a phleomycin resistance (Sh ble) gene and analyzing the N-terminus of the corresponding protein purified from the culture supernatant. This system also provides a tool for further studies of specific proteases of fungi.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Vegetative incompatibility in filamentous fungi: het genes begin to talk.

Somatic or vegetative incompatibility is widespread in filamentous fungi. It prevents the coexistence of genetically different nuclei within a common cytoplasm. Cloning the het genes that control this process has been achieved in several species. This has provided essential information on the function of the genes in the biology of fungi and has also led to the formulation of models that may explain similar phenomena in other organisms.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1989

Oropharyngeal colonisation with fungi and gram-negative rods in patients treated with radiotherapy of the head and neck.

Twenty-five patients treated for malignant conditions of the head and neck were investigated for the development of oral radiation mucositis as well as oropharyngeal colonisation with fungi and Gram-negative bacilli. The colonisation rate of the patients increased from 20% to 80% during therapy. The patients were colonised mainly with fungi, but also to a lesser extent with Gram-negative bacilli. During radiotherapy free volatile fatty acids in saliva were determined by direct gas-liquid chromatography. The amounts of acetic, butyric and propionic acid decreased during radiotherapy and remained at low levels 6 months after therapy. Radiation induced mucositis was observed in 28% of the patients after 1 week of irradiation. After 3 weeks of therapy all patients showed varying grades of mucositis. In seven of the 19 survivors (36%) erythema was still present 6 months after radiotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Phylogenetic implications of the microbody-lipid globule complex in zoosporic fungi.

Chytridiomycetous fungal zoospores contain a unique and intricate association of organelles, the 'microbody-lipid globule complex' (MLC). The spatial arrangement of organelles in the MLC appears important in the utilization of lipid globules for energy, but in addition, the structural association of organelles in the MLC reveals phylogenetic trends within this diverse group of organisms. Variations in the structure of the MLC correlate well with current phylogenetic concepts of aquatic fungi, yet suggest new relationships among these posteriorly uniflagellate zoospores. Based upon the organization of organelles in the MLC, 4 basic patterns of MLCs can be recognized, and these correspond to the 4 orders of Chytridiomycetes. The MLC in its simplest form consists of a microbody appressed to the edge of a lipid globule. In more highly organized MLCs, mitochondria subtend the microbody and a cisterna surmounts one side of the lipid globule. The organization and structure is still more complex in other MLCs where ER is elaborated into a tubular network of membranes or where small microbodies or mitochondria fuse into 'giant' organelles. The structural organization of the MLC provides an additional criterion by which the phylogeny of awuatic fungi can be evaluated.

Fungi↗
PubMed1988

Growth and survival of rumen fungi.

The life cycle and growth kinetics of an anaerobic rumen fungus (Neocallimastix R1) in liquid and solid media are described, together with its response to light, temperature and oxygen. These results are discussed in relation to the survival of rumen fungi in saliva and faeces of sheep, and the possible routes for the transfer of anaerobic fungi between ruminants. The thallus and life cycle of Neocallimastix R1 are compared with those of aerobic chytrids.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1988

The fermentative characteristics of anaerobic rumen fungi.

Substrate utilization and fermentation characteristics of rumen fungi of the genus Neocallimastix are described. Preliminary observations on the removal of monosaccharides from plant cell walls and the effect of fermentation products on growth of Neocallimastix sp. (isolate R1) are presented. The properties of rumen fungi are discussed in relation to their role in the rumen.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1988

Sugar and polysaccharide fermentation by rumen anaerobic fungi from Australia, Britain and New Zealand.

Nine strains of anaerobic fungi, assigned to the genera Neocallimastix and Piromonas, have been isolated from samples of ruminal digesta obtained from sheep and cattle in temperate Australia. Two strains of Sphaeromonas were also isolated from sheep. The patterns of utilization of mono-, oligo- and polysaccharides were determined for these fungi, four Neocallimastix spp. from Britain and New Zealand, and two Piromonas spp. from Britain. All 17 strains utilized cellobiose, fructose, gentiobiose, glucose and lactose. The seven Neocallimastix spp., whether from sheep or cattle, also fermented cellulose, glycogen, inulin, maltose, raffinose, starch, sucrose, xylan and xylose. Both Sphaeromonas isolates also fermented xylan and xylose. The eight Piromonas strains displayed a diversity in carbohydrate utilization, and could not be formed into a cohesive group. The metabolic endproducts of one strain each of Neocallimastix, Sphaeromonas and Piromonas were determined. They all produced acetate, formate, D(-)-lactate, ethanol and CO2 during glucose fermentation.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1989

Implications for evolution of nuclear structures of animals, plants, fungi and protoctists.

The evolutionary variations of nuclear structure of animals, plants, fungi and protoctists were studied with electron microscopy by using techniques preferentially staining ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles and chromatin. A remarkable similarity in the general morphological features of the RNP particles and chromatin arrangement is found in animals, plants and fungi. Important variations of these features were found in protoctists. These observations suggest that major evolutionary changes in the nuclear structure predate the acquisition of plastids by the ancestors of green plants. Once evolved, the nuclear structural pattern is conserved in plants and animals. Among protoctists studied, Kinetoplastida, Cryptomonadida and Volvocida have RNP particles and chromatin arrangement resembling those of plants and animals. These similarities may indicate a common ancestor. Important differences in the nuclear structure among Euglenida, Amebida, Cryptomonadida, Volvocida and Kinetoplastida support the view that Sarcomastigophora is a polyphyletic taxon. For the same reason Kinetoplastida and Euglenida must not be grouped in a monophyletic taxon. We propose that the variations of RNP particles may be related to the initial evolution of post-transcriptional processing.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Cuticle degrading proteases from insect moulting fluid and culture filtrates of entomopathogenic fungi.

Insects degrade their own cuticle during moulting, a process which is catalysed by a complex mixture of enzymes. Entomopathogenic fungi infect the insect host by penetration of the cuticle, utilizing enzymatic and/or physical mechanisms. Protein is a major component of insect cuticle and a major recyclable resource for the insect and, therefore, represents a significant barrier to the invading fungus. To this end, both insects and entomopathogenic fungi produce a variety of cuticle degrading proteases. The aim of this paper is to review these proteases and to highlight their similarities, with particular reference to the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, and the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae.

Animals↗