Three New Reports of Trichoderma in Algeria: T. atrobrunneum, (South) T. longibrachiatum (South), and T. afroharzianum (Northwest).

Sadika Haouhach,Abouamama Sidaoui,Noureddine Karkachi,Bouchra Oguiba,Isabel Chamorro,Mebrouk Kihal,Enrique Monte

doi:10.3390/microorganisms8101455

Abstract

The genus Trichoderma (Hypocreaceae, Ascomycota) consists of globally distributed fungi. In Algeria, few studies have explored the diversity of this genus, and in the majority of works identification is based on phenotypic characters. Here, nine Trichoderma strains were collected from Algeria in different locations, namely: seven in the south and two in the northwest. Also, we used 17 reference strains that were taken from the NCBI database for the phylogeny analysis. Our study is based on an integrated approach using micro and macro phenotypic characters and multiple DNA analysis (internal transcribed spacer (ITS): ITS1–4 region; translation elongation factor 1: tef1 gene). Our study reports, for the first time, three species of Trichoderma in Algeria, namely: T. atrobrunneum (south), T. longibrachiatum (south), and T. afroharzianum (northwest). It is noteworthy that T. atrobrunneum is a species previously described in European Mediterranean countries, and its presence in the soil of southern Algeria indicates that the diversity of the geographic environments and different climates of Algeria offers the possibility for the survival of diverse Trichoderma species. Knowledge on the diversity of these fungi may contribute to their future exploitation in biotechnological applications and to the biological control of plant diseases.

Highlights

The ascomycetous genus Trichoderma is one of the most important filamentous fungi frequently found in agricultural habitats because of their ability to colonize the rhizosphere and to progress in different soils from distinct geographic areas [1,2]
Trichoderma spp. have the potential to produce a huge array of fungal cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDE), such as glucanases, chitinases, and proteases [5]; secondary metabolites with antibiotic activity, such as pyrones, trichothecenes, polyketides, and peptaibols [6,7]; and a high number of genes encoding chaperones and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that provide them with a great environmental opportunity to repair cell damage, facilitate nutrition, perform detoxification work, and compete in the soil [8]
The aim of this study is to identify novel Algerian Trichoderma species based on the morphological characterization described by Bisset [31,32], as well as the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor1 gene sequence alignment [33]

Summary

Introduction

The ascomycetous genus Trichoderma (teleomorph: Hypocrea) is one of the most important filamentous fungi frequently found in agricultural habitats because of their ability to colonize the rhizosphere and to progress in different soils from distinct geographic areas [1,2]. Trichoderma spp. are good competitors in the rhizosphere as they have the particularity of tolerating high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [9] and can induce ROS production for their own propose, which in turn facilitates the CWDE activity against pathogens [10]. These traits connect the mycoparasitism and the strategies to make it happen, as in the ancestral lifestyle of Trichoderma [8]. Comparative genomics studies have suggested that, in a subsequent evolutionary event, the Trichoderma lifestyle changed towards root colonization, endophytism, and the beneficial and stable relationships with plants [11]

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