Accumulation Of Oxalic Acid Research Articles

Role of organic acids in the formation of the ionic composition in developing glycophyte leaves

The ionic composition in the leaves of some glycophyte plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Lycopersicon esculentum L., and Amaranthus cruentus L.) was studied during leaf development. Plants were grown in a stationary hydroponic culture; a growth medium contained equimolar concentrations of inorganic ions (NO 3 − , Cl−, SO 4 2− , H2PO 4 − , K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+) equal to 5 mg-equiv./l for each ion. In the juvenile leaf, the main ions were K+ and water-soluble anions of organic acids represented mainly by di-and tricarboxylic acids in kidney bean and tomato and oxalic acid in amaranth. An increase in the total amount of organic anions, coinciding with the accumulation of bivalent cations, was registered in leaves of glycophytes during their development. Mature and senescing leaves of tomato and kidney bean accumulated mainly di-and tricarboxylic acid salts with the prevalence of Ca2+ ions. In amaranth leaves, the formation of water-insoluble (acid-soluble) oxalate pool containing Ca2+ ions (mature leaves) or Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions (senescing leaves) was registered. The priority role of the metabolism of organic acids in the formation of the ionic composition of glycophyte leaves during their development is discussed. It is supposed that the species-specific ionic composition of glycophyte leaves at different developmental stages is due mainly to the pattern of carbon metabolism causing the accumulation either of di-and tricarboxylic acids or oxalic acid.

The effect of CaCl2 on growth rate, wood decay and oxalic acid accumulation in Serpula lacrymans and related brown-rot fungi

AbstractThe dry rot fungus,Serpula lacrymans, is one of the most destructive copper-tolerant fungi causing timber decay in buildings in temperate regions. Calcium and oxalic acid have been shown to play important roles in the mechanism of wood decay. The effect of calcium on growth and decay was evaluated for 12 strains ofS. lacrymansand compared to five brown-rot fungi. This was done by treating copper citrate (CC)-treated Southern yellow pine (SYP) wood with a CaCl2solution and estimating the decay rate and amount of soluble oxalic acid in an ASTM soil block test. Decay byS. lacrymanswas found to be significantly inhibited by treatment with CaCl2in the presence of copper. In addition, calcium showed no effect on two strains ofS. lacrymansand oneSerpula himantioidesstrain in non-copper-treated SYP wood blocks. The growth rate ofS. lacrymanswas not affected on malt extract agar containing CaCl2. In summary, a marked decrease was observed in the decay capacity ofS. lacrymansin pine treated with CC+CaCl2. The amount of soluble oxalic acid was measured in CC-treated blocks and blocks also treated with CaCl2. Of the comparative brown-rot fungi, bothAntrodia vaillantii(TFFH 294) andPostia placenta(Mad 698) displayed notable wood decay despite CaCl2treatment, while the remaining strains were inhibited.

Influence of different nitrogen sources and levels on ion content of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitate)

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different nitrogen (N) sources and levels on ion content in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitate ’Yalova‐1'). In the process of ion uptake by plants, electro‐neutrality is maintained both by the plant and the nutrient medium in which the plant is grown. N fertiliser not only affects yield but also the quality of the plant. Nitrates convert to nitrite in plant tissues which may cause health problems in infants and also form carcinogenic substances. Higher doses of nitrites change haemoglobin to methaemoglobin and this inhibits the transport of blood oxygen in the human body. Increased rates of N fertilisers also cause the accumulation of oxalic acid in vegetables. Oxalic acid causes acute toxicity if taken with calcium (Ca) and this forms stones in the kidney. Cabbage plants were grown in field conditions with five N fertiliser types, four doses and three replications. The treatments of N consisted of: no added fertiliser; 100, 200, and 400 kg N ha−1 as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulphate, and farmyard manure. The results demonstrate that plant head weight was generally greater when mineral fertiliser rather than organic fertiliser was supplied to plants. In the 400 kg N ha−1 treatment as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea, and farmland manure application, plant yields were 66%, 61%, 40%, 49%, and 44% higher than with no added fertiliser, respectively. When the data were subjected to multiple regression analysis, effects of ammonium nitrate fertiliser application at 342 kg N ha−1 on plant yields (3333 g plant−1) were higher than that of other fertiliser applications. With increasing NO3– nutrition, the bulk of anion charge appeared as organic anion accumulation in the plants. The increase in organic anion accumulation was paralleled by an increase in cation concentration (K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+). Total inorganic anion levels (NO3–, SO4 2–, H2PO4–, Cl–) were relatively constant. The effects of increasing NO3– nutrition in stimulating organic anion accumulation such as glutamate, malate, and oxalate were far greater than ammonium and the other nutrient forms. Nitrate content of plants increased with the increasing N application, especially with nitrate fertiliser. The increases observed in the plant were highest in the plots with potassium nitrate applied and lowest in plots with no added fertiliser treatment. The results also indicated that farmyard manure was much more suitable than mineral fertilisers for plant quality according to lower total N, nitrate, and oxalic acid contents of cabbage plants. However, ammonium sulphate application at the rate of 250 kg N ha−1 was the most suitable fertiliser application rate for plant quality according to lower risk yields of plants (2650 g plant−1) for human nutrition.

Relationship between oxalic acid and the metabolism of ß-N-oxalyl-α,ß-diaminopropionic acid (ODAP) in grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.)

Lathyrus sativits L., a member of the annual Leguminosae family, is not only resistant to drought and cold, but also to many plant diseases, insect pests, and barrenness. Moreover, it is highly nutritive and hence an ideal forage crop. However, the seeds of Lathyrus sativus contain P-N-oxalyl-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid (ODAP), the main element causing lathyrism. Previous studies indicated that ODAP could form from the oxalylation Of L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid (DAPA), while DAPA synthesis needed the participation of oxalyl-Co-A resulting from the combination of oxalic acid and Co-A; i.e., oxalic acid is one of the precursors of ODAP biosynthesis. Glycolate oxidase (GO), generally existing in the leaves of the C, plant, can catalyze not only the transformation of glycolic acid to glyoxalic acid, but also that of glyoxalic acid to oxalic acid. This study investigated the relationship between the change of oxalic acid and the accumulation of ODAP in different organs at different development stages of grass pea treated with exogenous oxalic acid, butyl hydroxybutynoate (BHB, inhibitor of GO synthesis), and under water stress; evaluated the relationship between the adversity and the accumulation of oxalic acid and ODAP; and provided a new strategy for selecting grass pea with environment-tolerance and low toxicity.

Coupling enhanced water solubilization with cyclodextrin to indirect electrochemical treatment for pentachlorophenol contaminated soil remediation

This study undertakes to examine, at laboratory scale, the technical feasibility, mechanisms and performances provided by coupling the enhanced flushing abilities of cyclodextrin solutions for pentachlorophenol (PCP) removal from contaminated soil with indirect electrochemical treatment for the final disposal of soil extract solutions containing high PCP loads (0.77 mmol L −1). The hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) solution increased the aqueous concentration of PCP in soil extract effluents to as much as 3.5 times the concentrations obtained during the water flush of the soil. PCP was treated with electrochemically generated Fenton's reagent in an aqueous medium. The increase in PCP water solubility in the presence of HPCD is balanced by the corresponding decrease in PCP degradation rate under indirect electrochemical treatment. This is due to the high carbon content (HPCD and dissolved natural organic matter) in the soil extract solutions, which compete for the non-selective hydroxyl radical reaction to PCP. However, our results indicate that HPCD has a beneficial effect on the degradation rates of PCP. This relative improvement in PCP degradation could be explained by the formation of the ternary complex (PCP-cyclodextrin-iron) which may direct hydroxyl reaction to PCP and which would, in any case, justify the use of a Fenton -like process for the final treatment of soil extract solutions. Total disappearance of PCP and 90% abatement of the chemical oxygen demand were achieved within an 11 h electrolysis treatment time. Elucidation of the PCP degradation pathway indicates that after successive PCP hydroxylations, oxidative opening of the PCP aromatic ring quickly occurred, leading to small unstable non-chlorinated or partially chlorinated short chain carboxylic acids, such as monochloroacetic and dichloromaleic acid. Determination of the concentration of these acids shows that indirect electrochemical treatment leads to oxalic acid accumulation in aqueous solutions treated. A decrease in toxicity was observed at the end of the treatment time.

Relationship between production of hydroxyl radicals and degradation of wood, crystalline cellulose, and a lignin-related compound or accumulation of oxalic acid in cultures of brown-rot fungi

The degradation of wood, filter paper cellulose, and a lignin-substructure model, was measured in cultures of seven fungi usually regarded as brown-rot fungi. Hydroxyl radical production and the accumulation of oxalic acid in the cultures were also measured. Four of the fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Tyromyces palustris, Laetiporus sulphureus, and Postia placenta, were typical brown-rot fungi, in that they preferentially degraded and eliminated the polysaccharides in wood and produced large amounts of hydroxyl radical. The rates of hydroxyl radical generation in cultures of the four fungi were directly proportional to the degradation rates of wood, cellulose, and the lignin-related compound, and inversely proportional to the amount of oxalic acid in the cultures. Two of the fungi, Daedalea dickinsii and Lentinus lepideus, did not degrade any of the substrates significantly and produced very little hydroxyl radical. Coniophora puteana had the highest rate of cellulose degradation, but did not degrade wood or the lignin model significantly and produced only negligible amounts of hydroxyl radical. These results indicate that brown-rot fungi produce large amounts of hydroxyl radical for the degradation of wood and crystalline cellulose.

Erratum to: Bioremediation of CCA-treated wood by brown-rot fungi Fomitopsis palustris, Coniophora puteana, and Laetiporus sulphureus

This study evaluated oxalic acid accumulation and bioremediation of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood by three brown-rot fungi Fomitopsis palustris, Coniophora puteana, and Laetiporus sulphureus. The fungi were first cultivated in a fermentation broth to accumulate oxalic acid. Bioremediation of CCA-treated wood was then carried out by leaching of heavy metals with oxalic acid over a 10-day fermentation period. Higher amounts of oxalic acid were produced by F. palustris and L. sulphureus compared with C. puteana. After 10-day fermentation, oxalic acid accumulation reached 4.2 g/l and 3.2 g/l for these fungi, respectively. Fomitopsis palustris and L. sulphureus exposed to CCA-treated sawdust for 10 days showed a decrease in arsenic of 100% and 85%, respectively; however, C. puteana remediation removed only 18% arsenic from CCA-treated sawdust. Likewise, chromium removal in F. palustris and L. sulphureus remediation processes was higher than those for C. puteana. This was attributed to low oxalic acid accumulation. These results suggest that F. palustris and L. sulphureus remediation processes can remove inorganic metal compounds via oxalic acid production by increasing the acidity of the substrate and increasing the solubility of the metals.

Subchronic toxicity of ethylene glycol in Wistar and F-344 rats related to metabolism and clearance of metabolites.

Ethylene glycol (CAS RN 107-21-1) can cause kidney toxicity via the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in a variety of species, including humans. Numerous repeated dose studies conducted in rats have indicated that male rats are more susceptible than female rats. Furthermore, subchronic and chronic studies using different dietary exposure regimens have indicated that male Wistar rats may be more sensitive to renal toxicity than male Fischer-344 (F-344) rats. This study was conducted to compare the toxicity of ethylene glycol in the two strains of rats under identical exposure conditions and to evaluate the potential contribution of toxicokinetic differences to strain sensitivity. Ethylene glycol was mixed in the diet at concentrations to deliver constant target dosage levels of 0, 50, 150, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day for 16 weeks to groups of 10 male Wistar and 10 male F-344 rats based on weekly group mean body weights and feed consumption. Kidneys were examined histologically for calcium oxalate crystals and pathology. Samples of blood, urine, and kidneys from satellite animals exposed to 0, 150, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day for 1 or 16 weeks were analyzed for ethylene glycol, glycolic acid, and oxalic acid. Treatment of Wistar rats at 1000 mg/kg/day resulted in the death of two rats; in addition, at 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day, group mean body weights were decreased compared to control throughout the 16 weeks. In F-344 rats exposed at 1000 mg/kg/day and in Wistar rats receiving 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day, there were lower urine specific gravities, higher urine volumes, and increased absolute and relative kidney weights. In both strains of rats treated at 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day, some or all treated animals had increased calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney tubules and crystal nephropathy. The effect was more severe in Wistar rats than in F-344 rats. Accumulation of oxalic acid in the kidneys of both strains of rats was consistent with the dose-dependent and strain-dependent toxicity. As the nephrotoxicity progressed over the 16 weeks, the clearance of ethylene glycol and its metabolites decreased, exacerbating the toxicity. Benchmark dose analysis indicated a BMDL05 for kidney toxicity in Wistar rats of 71.5 mg/kg/day; nearly fourfold lower than in F-344 rats (285 mg/kg/day). This study confirms that the Wistar rat is more sensitive to ethylene glycol-induced renal toxicity than the F-344 rat and indicates that metabolism or clearance plays a role in the strain differences.

Bioremediation of CCA-treated wood by brown-rot fungi Fomitopsis palustris, Coniophora puteana, and Laetiporus sulphureus

This study evaluated oxalic acid accumulation and bioremediation of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood by three brown-rot fungi Fomitopsis palustris, Coniophora puteana, and Laetiporus sulphureus. The fungi were first cultivated in a fermentation broth to accumulate oxalic acid. Bioremediation of CCA-treated wood was then carried out by leaching of heavy metals with oxalic acid over a 10-day fermentation period. Higher amounts of oxalic acid were produced by F. palustris and L. sulphureus compared with C. puteana. After 10-day fermentation, oxalic acid accumulation reached 4.2 g/l and 3.2 g/l for these fungi, respectively. Fomitopsis palustris and L. sulphureus exposed to CCA-treated sawdust for 10 days showed a decrease in arsenic of 100% and 85%, respectively; however, C. puteana remediation removed only 18% arsenic from CCA-treated sawdust. Likewise, chromium removal in F. palustris and L. sulphureus remediation processes was higher than those for C. puteana. This was attributed to low oxalic acid accumulation. These results suggest that F. palustris and L. sulphureus remediation processes can remove inorganic metal compounds via oxalic acid production by increasing the acidity of the substrate and increasing the solubility of the metals.

MAPK regulation of sclerotial development in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is linked with pH and cAMP sensing.

Sclerotial development is fundamental to the disease cycle of the omnivorous broad host range fungal phytopathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. We have isolated a highly conserved homolog of ERK-type mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) from S. sclerotiorum (Smk1) and have demonstrated that Smk1 is required for sclerotial development. The smk1 transcription and MAPK enzyme activity are induced dramatically during sclerotiogenesis, especially during the production of sclerotial initials. When PD98059 (a specific inhibitor of the activation of MAPK by MAPK kinase) was applied to differentiating cultures or when antisense expression of smk1 was induced, sclerotial maturation was impaired. The smk1 transcript levels were highest under acidic pH conditions, suggesting that Smk1 regulates sclerotial development via a pH-dependent signaling pathway, involving the accumulation of oxalic acid, a previously identified pathogenicity factor that functions at least in part by reducing pH. Addition of cyclic AMP (cAMP) inhibited smk1 transcription, MAPK activation, and sclerotial development. Thus, S. sclerotiorum can coordinate environmental signals (such as pH) to trigger a signaling pathway mediated by Smk1 to induce sclerotia formation, and this pathway is negatively regulated by cAMP.

Occurrence and characterization of hypovirulence in the tan sclerotial isolate S10 of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Spontaneously-occurring hypovirulence in the tan sclerotial isolate S10 of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from sunflower in Canada was characterized and compared to another hypovirulent isolate Ep-1PN of S. sclerotiorum from eggplant in China. Hypovirulent isolates derived from S10 were purified by single hyphal tip isolations from colonies of S10 showing abnormal growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and tested for pathogenicity on leaves of canola (Brassica napus cv. 'Westar'). These abnormal isolates differed from the virulent isolate wtS10 derived from a normal colony of S10 by the reduced hyphal growth, induced production of abnormal hyphal branches, enhanced production of brown pigments, reduced sclerotial formation on PDA, reduced oxalic acid accumulation in potato dextrose broth, and reduced pathogenicity on canola. Vegetative transfers revealed that the hypovirulence phenotype of the hypovirulent isolate S10-2A-11 was stable. This preliminary in vitro transmission test indicated that the hypovirulence in the isolate S10-2A-11 was transmissible but at a lower rate than that of the hypovirulent isolate Ep-1PN. Double-stranded ribonucleic acids (dsRNAs) were detected in isolate Ep-1PN, but not in hypovirulent and virulent isolates derived from S10. The existence of dsRNA-free hypovirulence in S10 progenies suggests that another hypovirulence mechanism may exist in S. sclerotiorum.

Oxalic acid overproduction by copper-tolerant brown-rot basidiomycetes on southern yellow pine treated with copper-based preservatives

Accumulation of oxalic acid (OA) by brown-rot fungi and precipitation of copper oxalate crystals in wood decayed by copper-tolerant decay fungi has implicated OA in the mechanism of copper tolerance. Understanding the role of OA in copper tolerance is important due to an increasing reliance on copper-based wood preservatives. In this study, four copper-tolerant brown-rot fungi were evaluated for decay capacity and OA production in early stages of exposure to four waterborne copper-based wood preservatives (ammonical copper quat type B and D, ammonical copper citrate, and chromated copper arsenate, type C) and one oilborne copper-based wood preservative (oxine copper) in southern yellow pine blocks. Weight losses were less than 14% during the 4-week incubation. The presence of copper in waterborne preservatives uniformly stimulated OA production by the test fungi within 2 weeks of exposure of the treated blocks to test fungi; 66% to 93% more OA was produced in treated blocks than untreated controls. Oxine copper, a nickel-containing oilborne preservative, prevented both weight loss and OA production in all fungi tested.

Production of organic acids and oxalate decarboxylase in lignin-degrading white rot fungi

Intracellular oxalate decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.2) activity was screened in the mycelium of 12 white rot fungi. ODC activity was detected in the mycelial extracts of Dichomitus squalens, Phanerochaete sanguinea, Trametes ochracea, and Trametes versicolor (strain R/7) after addition of 5-mM oxalic acid to the liquid culture medium. In D. squalens, intracellular ODC activity increased six-fold with addition of oxalic acid. Production of extracellular organic acids by the four ODC-positive fungi was followed in liquid cultures and in solid state cultures of spruce wood chips by using HPLC and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The four ODC-positive fungi secreted oxalic acid both in liquid and solid state cultures showing different production patterns until the end of growth (31 days). Upon cultivation on solid spruce wood chips, manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity peaked simultaneously in these fungi with the accumulation of extracellular oxalic acid. In addition to oxalic acid, glyoxylic and formic acids were detected in the cultures of D. squalens.

Detection of metal-chelating compounds from wood-rotting fungi Trametes versicolorand Wolfiporia cocos

For many years, the wood decay process by fungi was associated almost exclusively with production of lignocellulolytic enzymes. However, recent studies by electron microscopy have shown that fungal enzymes are too large to penetrate into the cell wall at an early stage of decay. Thus, the hypothesis that low molecular mass agents may initiate the breakdown of both cellulose and lignin was proposed. The purpose of this work was to detect low molecular mass compounds, with metal-chelating capability, from liquid cultures of two wood-rot fungi. The brown-rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos produced the highest chrome azurol S (CAS) reaction, simultaneously reducing the pH of the malt extract medium. In contrast, the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor did not react with CAS and the pH remained approximately constant during the culture period. The presence of hydroxamate derivatives and oxalic acid was detected in extracts of low molecular mass of both fungi. Moreover, in W. cocos extracts, catecholate derivatives were also detected. Accumulation of oxalic acid was greater in W. cocos than in T. versicolor at the end of the culture period, and this might be responsible for the strong response from W. cocos in the CAS reaction.

PH signaling in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: identification of a pacC/RIM1 homolog.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum acidifies its ambient environment by producing oxalic acid. This production of oxalic acid during plant infection has been implicated as a primary determinant of pathogenicity in this and other phytopathogenic fungi. We found that ambient pH conditions affect multiple processes in S. sclerotiorum. Exposure to increasing alkaline ambient pH increased the oxalic acid accumulation independent of carbon source, sclerotial development was favored by acidic ambient pH conditions but inhibited by neutral ambient pH, and transcripts encoding the endopolygalacturonase gene pg1 accumulated maximally under acidic culture conditions. We cloned a putative transcription factor-encoding gene, pac1, that may participate in a molecular signaling pathway for regulating gene expression in response to ambient pH. The three zinc finger domains of the predicted Pac1 protein are similar in sequence and organization to the zinc finger domains of the A. nidulans pH-responsive transcription factor PacC. The promoter of pac1 contains eight PacC consensus binding sites, suggesting that this gene, like its homologs, is autoregulated. Consistent with this suggestion, the accumulation of pac1 transcripts paralleled increases in ambient pH. Pac1 was determined to be a functional homolog of PacC by complementation of an A. nidulans pacC-null strain with pac1. Our results suggest that ambient pH is a regulatory cue for processes linked to pathogenicity, development, and virulence and that these processes may be under the molecular regulation of a conserved pH-dependent signaling pathway analogous to that in the nonpathogenic fungus A. nidulans.

Correlation between oxalic acid production and copper tolerance in Wolfiporia cocos

The increased interest in copper-based wood preservatives has hastened the need for understanding why some fungi are able to attack copper-treated wood. Due in part to accumulation of oxalic acid by brown-rot fungi and visualization of copper oxalate crystals in wood decayed by known copper-tolerant decay fungi, oxalic acid has been implicated in copper tolerance by the formation of copper oxalate crystals. Nineteen isolates of the brown-rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos were evaluated for oxalic acid production and weight loss on wood treated with 1.2% copper citrate. Twelve of 19 isolates that caused moderate to high weight losses in copper citrate-treated wood produced low oxalic acid in liquid culture, whereas isolates with high oxalic acid production had low weight losses in treated wood. Seven W. cocos isolates demonstrated enhanced weight loss in Cu-treated wood. Wood weight loss was unaffected by the presence of copper citrate for two W. cocos isolates and weight loss was lower for 10 isolates compared to weight losses in untreated wood. Citrate did not significantly influence oxalic acid production in liquid culture. Previous hypotheses linking oxalic acid and copper tolerance were based upon observations of single isolates of Postia and Tyromyces. Although most isolates produced more oxalic acid in copper citrate-treated wood than in untreated wood, we found no statistical relationship between the amount of oxalic acid production in liquid culture or wood and copper tolerance in W. cocos. Production of oxalic acid does not seem to be the factor controlling copper tolerance in W. cocos. The diversity seen within W. cocos demonstrates that caution should be used when reporting results, so that generalizations are not based on the behavior of a single isolate.

Production of Polygalacturonase and Increase of Longitudinal Gas Permeability in Southern Pine by Brown-Rot and White-Rot Fungi

SummaryHydrolysis of bordered and pinoid pits may be a key event during colonization of wood by decay fungi. Although pits are numerous, studies of pectin-hydrolyzing enzymes in wood decay fungi are scarce, probably because of the relatively low content (less than 4 %) of pectin in wood and because of the primary focus on understanding the degradation of lignified components. Endopolygalacturonase (endo- PG) activity was estimated by cup-plate assay and viscosity reduction of pectin from liquid cultures of fifteen brown-rot and eight white-rot basidiomycetous fungi using sodium polypectate as the carbon source. Oxalic acid was estimated in liquid culture and related to mycelial weight of each fungus. Changes in longitudinal gas permeability of southern pine cores exposed to selected decay fungi in liquid culture were measured to determine the extent of hydrolysis of bordered pits. Twelve of fifteen brown-rot and six of eight white-rot fungi tested were positive for at least one of the polygalacturonase test methods. Accumulation of oxalic acid was detected in thirteen of fifteen brown-rot isolates and none of the white-rot fungi tested. Gas permeability of pine cores increased approximately fourfold among brown-rot fungi tested and eighteenfold among white-rot fungi tested. Scanning electron microscopy revealed bordered pit membrane hydrolysis in cores colonized by white-rot fungi, but only torus damage, weakening and tearing of the pit membranes, was observed in cores exposed to brown-rot fungi. We conclude that both brown- and white-rot decay fungi have the enzymatic capacity to hydrolyze pectin, damage bordered pit membranes, and increase wood permeability during colonization and incipient decay.

Increase in Endogenous and Exogenous Cyclic AMP Levels Inhibits Sclerotial Development in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Growth and development of a wild-type Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolate were examined in the presence of various pharmacological compounds to investigate signal transduction pathways that influence the development of sclerotia. Compounds known to increase endogenous cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in other organisms by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity (caffeine and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine) or by activating adenylate cyclase (NaF) reduced or eliminated sclerotial development in S. sclerotiorum. Growth in the presence of 5 mM caffeine correlated with increased levels of endogenous cAMP in mycelia. In addition, incorporation of cAMP into the growth medium decreased or eliminated the production of sclerotia in a concentration-dependent manner and increased the accumulation of oxalic acid. Inhibition of sclerotial development was cAMP specific, as exogenous cyclic GMP, AMP, and ATP did not influence sclerotial development. Transfer of developing cultures to cAMP-containing medium at successive time points demonstrated that cAMP inhibits development prior to or during sclerotial initiation. Together, these results indicate that cAMP plays a role in the early transition between mycelial growth and sclerotial development.

Production of organic acids by different white-rot fungi as detected using capillary zone electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis was used as an analytical method for the first time to determine organic acids accumulated by 15 white-rot fungi both in liquid and solid lignocellulose medium. Oxalic acid accumulation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium F1767 (ATCC 24725), Phlebia radiata 79 (ATCC 64658) and Ceriporiopsis sub-vermispora FP-90031-sp in the solid medium was maximal during the first and second weeks of growth. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998

Possible biochemical roles of oxalic acid as a low molecular weight compound involved in brown-rot and white-rot wood decays

Accumulation of oxalic acid in low nitrogen and high nitrogen nutrient cultures of brown-rot and white-rot fungi are compared with the previously reported findings on fungal production of oxalic acid. The enzymatic formation of oxalic acid from oxaloacetate and glyoxylate in brown-rot and white-rot fungi is described in comparison with other microorganisms. Possible biochemical roles of oxalic acid are discussed in relation to brown-rot and white-rot wood decays. In the brown-rot wood decay system, oxalic acid may serve as a proton source for enzymatic and non-enzymatic hydrolysis of carbohydrates and as a metal chelator. On the other hand, in the white-rot wood decay system, oxalic acid may play multiple roles, such as an inhibitior of lignin peroidases, an electron donor for producing NADH, which may be used for reduction of lignin derived quinones, a source of formate radicals to reduce dioxygen or ferric iron to yield superoxide anion radicals and ferrous iron, respectively, and a chelator for stabilization of manganic ions for lignin degradation. Similar roles of oxalic acid in other living organisms are also briefly described.