Search Results (23)

There is an urgent demand for sustainable agricultural practices that minimize environmental impacts and reduce the reliance on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Endophytes represent a largely untapped resource of beneficial microorganisms with multiple potential applications as natural biocontrol agents and promoters of plant growth and development. This paper aimed at identifying new fungal strains and performing a series of preliminary in vitro screenings to evaluate their potential use for plant-growth promotion and antifungal activity. A total of 102 fungal endophytes were isolated from different plant tissues of seven wild relatives of barley (Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus sterilis, Elymus farctus, Elymus repens, Leymus arenarius and Lolium perenne) that were sourced from 22 contrasting wild habitats. Fungal endophytes were isolated using standard culture-based methods and identified via DNA barcoding of the nrITS marker. Based on a literature search, a sub-group of endophytes were selected and evaluated for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis, ammonia production and phosphorous (P) solubilization. From these, 15 endophytes were also tested for antifungal activity against Ramularia collo-cygni, Pyrenophora teres, and Gaeumannomyces tritici. All the endophytes were positive for ammonia production at variable rates, but no P solubilization nor IAA synthesis without L-tryptophan were observed. On the contrary, five promising isolates (2 Daldinia concentrica, Metapochonia suchlasporia, Chaetomium sp., and Ophiocordyceps sinensis) had mean pathogen growth inhibition rates above 80%, compared to the untreated negative controls. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first published report that investigates natural antagonism against Ramularia collo-cygni and expands the list of endophytic strains with natural antagonism on the tested cereal pathogens. Results are discussed in the context of endophytes application to barley cultivation within the European regulatory framework. Full article

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), an invasive species, is well-known for its rapid growth, strong reproductive potential, and high stress tolerance. The evolutionary distinctiveness and strong ecological adaptability of Ambrosia have enabled the endophytic fungi that coevolved with it to become valuable microbial resources. In this study, one of the endophytic fungi isolated from ragweed was named strain V3. Strain V3 was identified as Chaetomium sp. (Ascomycota) based on morphological characteristics and molecular analyses. The strain V3 promotes tomato growth by significantly increasing plant height, root length, the number of lateral roots, and chlorophyll content, effectively enhancing photosynthesis and consequently improving fruit yield. Meanwhile, compared to the control, tomato fruits inoculated with strain V3 exhibited significantly higher levels of vitamin C (VC) and lycopene, indicating a notable enhancement in fruit quality. Additionally, strain V3 is capable of producing phytohormones, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA₃), and zeatin, and of regulating the expression of tomato auxin response factor (ARF) genes. This study demonstrates that strain V3 has the potential to promote tomato plant growth. Full article

Whether consecutive annual incorporation of rice straw can enrich straw-decomposing microorganisms, and what common and distinct dominant straw-degrading microbial populations exist in soils under long-term rice straw incorporation across different regions of Fujian Province, remain relatively unexplored. To address this, soil samples were collected from rice cultivation areas with consecutive straw incorporation located in different geographical directions within Fujian Province. A straw burial pot experiment was conducted, and high-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the bacterial and fungal community compositions in these soils. Furthermore, the degradation potential of the soil microbial communities towards rice straw was determined. The results revealed that the dominant bacterial phyla associated with straw degradation across the four treatments were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi, while the dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. At the genus level, the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial genus, Bacillus, showed a positive correlation with the straw degradation rate but a negative correlation with soil pH. In contrast, the dominant fungal genera, Zopfiella and Chaetomium, were positively correlated with both the straw degradation rate and soil pH. Furthermore, a strain designated PC1 was isolated and screened from the PC treatment samples. Sequencing of the rDNA-ITS region identified PC1 as Chaetomium sp. The degradation rate of rice straw by strain PC1 reached 49.13%, which was higher than the degradation rate observed in the PC treatment in the pot burial experiment. This finding provides a theoretical foundation for the potential application of efficient lignin-degrading fungi in field-scale straw degradation. Full article

Lycium barbarum L. (goji berry), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, depends heavily on nitrogen input to maintain productivity. Nitrogen application also profoundly influences rhizosphere microbial dynamics, which are critical for soil health and plant performance. This study aimed to investigate how the rhizosphere fungal community responds to nitrogen input and explore the potential role of beneficial fungi (e.g., Chaetomium) in goji berry rhizosphere enrichment. A field experiment with four nitrogen levels (0, 53.82, 67.62, and 80.73 g·N m⁻²·year⁻¹, designated as N0, N1, N2, and N3) was conducted to analyze the fungal community structure in the rhizosphere of goji berry using ITS rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The results showed that nitrogen input significantly altered the rhizosphere fungal community composition and diversity. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Mantel tests indicated that soil electrical conductivity, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen were key environmental factors driving the fungal communities’ shifts. Notably, specific fungal genera, including Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Gibberella, Fusarium, Pyxidiophora, Acaulium, and Lophotrichus, exhibited differential enrichment across nitrogen levels. In particular, Chaetomium was significantly enriched under the conventional nitrogen treatment (N2), a strain of Chaetomium sp. LC101 was successfully isolated from the goji berry rhizosphere, and its functional roles were verified via pot experiments. Inoculation with Chaetomium sp. LC101 significantly promoted goji berry growth, with the most pronounced effects observed under N0 treatments, root fresh weight, root vitality, and leaf chlorophyll content increased by up to 55.10%, 15.69%, and 43.27%, respectively, compared to non-inoculated controls. Additionally, Chaetomium sp. LC101 regulated rhizosphere nitrogen transformation by enhancing urease, nitrite reductase, and polyphenol oxidase activities while inhibiting nitrate reductase activity. These findings demonstrate that Chaetomium responds sensitively to nitrogen input, with enrichment under moderate nitrogen levels, and acts as a beneficial rhizosphere fungus by promoting plant growth and regulating nitrogen cycling. This study provides novel insights for nitrogen management in the goji berry industry, where synergistic regulation via “nitrogen reduction combined with microbial inoculation” can reduce nitrogen loss, improve yield and quality through functional fungi, and contribute to ecological sustainability. Full article

Nine chaetoglobosins (1–9) including five previously undescribed ones (1–5) were obtained from the culture broth of an endophytic fungus (Chaetomium sp. UJN-EF006) isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. The structures of these fungal metabolites were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, single crystal X-ray crystallography, and electronic circular dichroism. To accelerate the development of novel fungicides, all of the isolated chaetoglobosins were evaluated for their antifungal activity against two crop pathogens, Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The assay results revealed that chaetoglobosins 2, 6, 7, and 9 possessed a significant fungicidal effect against B. cinerea, with EC₅₀ values all below 10 μg/mL. Particularly, the most potent compound, 7, was 175- and 96-fold as active as the commercially available fungicides carbendazim (EC₅₀ 70.11 μg/mL) and azoxystrobin (EC₅₀ 39.02 μg/mL), respectively. A further observation under scanning electron microscope indicated that compound 2 could markedly impair the fungal hyphae of B. cinerea. The study demonstrates that the chaetoglobosins had excellent in vitro antifungal activities against B. cinerea. Full article

We studied the occurrence of endophytic fungi and bacteria in the roots of F. gigantea, a woodland perennial grass common throughout Europe and temperate Asia. The taxonomic assignment was carried out according to the isolate’s colony and cytological species morphotype characteristics and confirmed by the assessment of the standard DNA sequences, ITS, RPB2, SSU, and TEF1-a for fungi and 16S rDNA for bacteria. Our study has shown that F. gigantea roots are the habitat to a wide range of fungi and bacteria. The occurrence of fungal structures was determined in ~40% of the roots examined by Trypan Blue staining. In a surface-sterile root-cutting culture on PDA medium, we obtained isolates of six endophytic fungi species: four members of Ascomycota—Alternaria alternata, Cadophora fastigiata, Chaetomium funicola, and Microdochium bolleyi—and two of Basidiomycota—Coprinellus sp. and Sistotrema brinkmannii. In addition, we report bacteria co-occurring endophytically in the roots of this grass. The Firmicutes group was the most prevalent, consisting of four Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria taxa. The isolates were identified as Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus sp., Lysinibacillus sp., and Priestia aryabhattai. Moreover, two Gram-negative bacteria were detected—Kosakonia sp. (Proteobacteria) and Pedobacter sp. (Bacteroidetes). Thus, applying the isolate-culture approach, we identified a set of microorganisms in the roots of a typical grass native to the deciduous forest floor. The functional roles of these endophytes are diverse, and many of them, saprotrophs and decomposers of wood and plant debris, are linked to the decomposition of organic matter. This is the first detailed report on fungal and bacterial endophytes inhabiting the roots of F. gigantea. This study fills in a research gap on endophytes associated with the below-ground parts of Festuca spp., hitherto extensively studied for Epichloë/Neotyphodium associations in their foliar parts. Full article

Microbial colonization plays a relevant role in the biodegradation and biodeterioration of cultural and natural heritage, representing a revealing problem in conservation strategy. In this study, the essential oil (EO) and hydro-alcoholic extract (HAE) of Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae), an aromatic perennial plant, representative of the Mediterranean basin, growing spontaneously and cultivated all over the world, were analysed. Natural products, such as essential oil and hydro-alcoholic extract, have strong antiseptic and antimicrobial properties and are ad hoc applied for the sustainable conservation of Erithryna caffra (Fabaceae). The main taxa revealed in the damaging of these arboreal heritage, are Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp. and Terribacillus sp. (as bacteria), Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp. and Chaetomium sp. (as fungi). GS-MS analysis identified carvacrol, thymol and their biosynthetic precursors γ-terpinene and p-cymene, as main components, and the antimicrobial efficiency assayed by in vitro methods (Agar Dish Diffusion, Well Plate Diffusion). In this study, by combining the application/exposure of both HAE and EO, the bacterial and fungal colonies development has been in vitro countered. The results confirm the possible use of plant products as a valid alternative to the traditional synthetic chemical biocides, with full respect to the environment. Full article

Rhizospheric fungi of medicinal plants are important sources for discovering novel and valuable secondary metabolites with potential pharmaceutical applications. In our research, five new dichlororesorcinols (1–5) and five known metabolites (6–10) were separated from the secondary metabolites of Chaetomium sp. SYP-F6997, which was isolated from the rhizospheric soil of Panax notoginseng. The identification of these compounds was confirmed using various spectroscopic techniques including ESI-MS, UV, IR, NMR and ECD analyses. These findings highlight the potential of rhizospheric fungi as a rich source of novel bioactive compounds. In addition, chiral HPLC was used to successfully separate the enantiomers compound 4 and compound 5, and TDDFT-ECD/optical rotation calculations were used to test their absolute configurations. This is the first report of compounds 1–10 from the genus Chaetomium, and the first report of compounds 1–5 and 7 from the family Chaetomiaceae. We proposed plausible biosynthetic pathways for dichlororesorcinols 1–6 based on their analogous carbon skeleton. These findings provide insights into the biosynthesis of these compounds and expand our understanding of the secondary metabolites produced by Chaetomium sp. SYP-F6997. To evaluate their potential as therapeutic agents, we investigated the cytotoxic activity of all the isolated metabolites against cell lines H9, HL-60, K562, THP-1 and CEM using the MTT method. The new compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against H9 and CEM, with IC50 values lower than 10 µM. To further explore the potential mechanisms of action, we performed molecular docking studies to investigate the interactions between compounds 1 and 2 with the potential target ERK2. Our results demonstrate that the compounds exhibited strong binding abilities and formed H-bond interactions with ERK2, providing support for their potent antitumor activities and promising potential as lead molecules for the development of antitumor therapeutics. Full article

Sport facilities represent extreme indoor environments due to intense cleaning and disinfection. The aim of this study was to describe the composition of the cultivated microbiota in dust samples collected in sport facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A dust sample is defined as the airborne dust sedimented on 0.02 m² within 28 d. The results show that the microbial viable counts in samples of airborne dust (n = 9) collected from seven Finnish sport facilities during the pandemic contained a high proportion of pathogenic filamentous fungi and a low proportion of bacteria. The microbial viable counts were between 14 CFU and 189 CFU per dust sample. In seven samples from sport facilities, 20–85% of the microbial viable counts were fungi. Out of 123 fungal colonies, 47 colonies belonged to the potentially pathogenic sections of Aspergillus (Sections Fumigati, Nigri, and Flavi). Representatives of each section were identified as Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. tubingensis. Six colonies belonged to the genus Paecilomyces. In six samples of dust, a high proportion (50–100%) of the total fungal viable counts consisted of these potentially pathogenic fungi. A total of 70 isolates were considered less likely to be pathogenic, and were identified as Aspergillus section Nidulantes, Chaetomium cochliodes and Penicillium sp. In the rural (n = 2) and urban (n = 7) control dust samples, the microbial viable counts were >2000 CFU and between 44 CFU and 215 CFU, respectively, and consisted mainly of bacteria. The low proportion of bacteria and the high proportion of stress tolerant, potentially pathogenic fungi in the dust samples from sport facilities may reflect the influence of disinfection on microbial communities. Full article

This paper presents the effect of water extracts from the leaves of various Mentha spp. on the growth of selected fungi causing the gray decay of wood. The study determined which of the Mentha spp. extracts used had the best effect on inhibiting the development of fungi on various substrates including pine wood. The best results in the complete inhibition of fungi growth on an agar medium were obtained for the M. × piperita ‘Almira’ extract. Biocidal properties were not achieved on wood samples, although it was noticed that at doses of extracts of 600 g/m² and higher, the growth of fungi in the initial stages of cultivation was clearly inhibited. Chemical substances in the obtained extracts were characterized by gas chromatography. Oxygen monoterpenes were the dominant group of substances, substances belonging to sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, monoterpene hydrocarbons containing oxygen sesquiterpenes, and one substance belonging to non-terpene hydrocarbons were also identified. Full article

Endophytic fungi live in inter-cellular spaces of healthy plant tissues without causing any apparent symptoms of diseases for the host plant. Some fungal endophytes help their plant hosts to survive under biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we collected healthy mango leaves at the Honghe mango plantations (Yunnan Province) in the winter. A total of 34 different fungal endophytic strains were isolated, and their phylogenetic placements were estimated based on the ITS gene. Members of genus Chaetomium were the dominant fungal endophytes (26%). Common bacterial plant pathogens (Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae) and fungal plant pathogens (Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum) were selected to test the antagonism of the fungal endophytes isolated from mango leaves through co-cultivation in vitro assay. Three strains of Chaetomium sp. viz. KUNCC22-0749, UNCC22-10750, and KUNCC22-10752 showed great inhibition against two bacterial pathogens viz. Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae, and Alternaria sp. KUNCC22-10760, Chaetomium sp. KUNCC22-10749, Daldinia sp. KUNCC22-10744, and Rosellinia sp. KUNCC22-10751 also showed great to moderate antagonistic effects against two fungal pathogens viz. Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum. Full article

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of bioformulations based on endophytic fungi to control apple scab and Valsa canker disease in two orchards in the Aurès region (Algeria). In both orchards, the results showed that the treatment of senescent apple leaves by invert emulsions containing Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Chaetomium globosum harmed the ascogenesis of winter forms of Venturia inaequalis by reducing the number of ascospore-ejecting asci, the number of morphologically mature asci, and a considerable increase in the immature asci number. This antifungal activity was more essential in soil-incorporated leaves, showing the importance of the combination of treatments with cultural practices to efficiently control the apple scab disease. Furthermore, the disease incidence decreased by 52.63% and 50.68% in R’haouat and Bouhmama orchards, respectively. Moreover, the treatment of Valsa ceratosperma cankers with a biogel containing the endophytic yeast Metschnikowia sp. led to wound healing varying from 43.52% and 87.97% after 120 days but remained more considerable than conventional treatment with Folicur (tebuconazol). The current results open real opportunities concerning the implementation of eco-friendly and potent apple protection systems. Full article

Lipases (EC 3.1.1.3) are hydrolases that catalyze triglycerides hydrolysis in free fatty acids and glycerol. Among the microorganisms that produce lipolytic enzymes, the entophytic fungi stand out. We evaluated 32 fungi of different genera, Pestalotiopsis, Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Penicillium, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, Chaetomium, Mucor, Botryodiplodia, Xylaria, Curvularia, Neocosmospora and Verticillium, isolated from Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaizeiro) from the Brazilian Amazon for lipase activity. The presence of lipase was evidenced by the deposition of calcium crystals. The endophytic Pestalotiopsis sp. (31) and Aspergillus sp. (24) with Pz 0.237 (++++) and 0.5 (++++), respectively, were the ones that showed the highest lipolytic activity in a solid medium. Lipase activity was rated in liquid medium, in a different range of temperatures (°C), pH and time (days). The values obtained in the production of lipase by the endophytic fungi were 94% for Pestalotiopsis sp. (31) and 93.87% for Aspergillus sp. (24). Therefore, it is emphasized that the endophytic fungus isolated the E. oleracea palm may be a potential candidate to produce enzymes of global commercial interest. Full article

Background: Nanopore sequencing (NS) is a third-generation sequencing technology capable of generating reads of long sequences. In this study, we used NS to investigate nasal mycology in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods: Nasal cavities of 13 CRS patients were individually irrigated with 20 mL of distilled water. The irrigant was forcefully blown by the patient into a basin. The collected fluid was placed into a centrifuge tube and processed using the method of Ponikau et al. The collected specimens were used for traditional fungal culture and sequenced for total DNA using NS. Results: Traditional fungal culture successfully grew fungi in the specimens of 11 (84.6%) patients. Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. were found in four (30.8%) patients, Cladosporium sp. in three (23.1%) patients, and Candida albicans, Mucor sp. and Chaetomium sp. in one patient. NS revealed fungi abundance ranged from 81 to 2226, with the Shannon species diversity ranging from 1.094 to 1.683 at the genus level. Malassezia sp. was sequenced in 13 patients, Aspergillus sp. in 12 (92.3%) patients, Candida albicans in 11 (84.6%) patients, and Penicillium sp. in 10 (76.9%) patients. Conclusion: Our results showed that NS was sensitive and fast in detecting nasal fungi in CRS patients. Full article

The plant Pseudowintera colorata is well known for its antimicrobial and medicinal properties and is endemic to New Zealand. Using PCR-Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), we investigated the factors influencing the composition of endophytic fungal communities in P. colorata from ten distinct sites across New Zealand. Our results showed that plant organs of P. colorata influenced the diversity and richness of endophytic fungi (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). In addition, plant maturity and its interactions revealed that endophytic fungal communities formed discrete clusters in leaves, stems, and roots of mature and immature P. colorata plants (PERMANOVA; p = 0.002, p = 0.001 and p = 0.039, respectively). For identifying isolates with biocontrol potential, dual culture tests were set up against four different phytopathogenic fungi. Isolates with high activity (zone of inhibition > 10 mm) were sequenced and identified as Trichoderma harzianum, Pezicula neosporulosa, Fusariumtricinctum, Metarhizium sp., and Chaetomium sp. Applying selected endophytic fungi (n = 7) as soil drenchers significantly increased the growth of P. colorata seedlings and produced more internodes. Seedling shoots treated with Trichoderma sp. PRY2BA21 were 2.2 × longer (8.36 cm) than the untreated controls (3.72 cm). Our results elucidate the main plant factors influencing fungal community composition and demonstrate a role for endophytic fungi in P. colorata growth and further demonstrate that medicinal plants are a rich source of endophytes with potential as biocontrol agents. Full article