Fungal Material Research Articles

Turning food waste to antibacterial and biocompatible fungal chitin/chitosan monofilaments

Here, cell wall of a zygomycete fungus, Rhizopus delemar, grown on bread waste was wet spun into monofilaments. Using the whole cell wall material omits the common chitosan isolation and purification steps and leads to higher material utilization. The fungal cell wall contained 36.9% and 19.7% chitosan and chitin, respectively. Solid state NMR of the fungal cell wall material confirmed the presence of chitosan, chitin, and other carbohydrates. Hydrogels were prepared by ultrafine grinding of the cell wall, followed by addition of lactic acid to protonate the amino groups of chitosan, and subsequently wet spun into monofilaments. The monofilament inhibited the growth of Bacillus megaterium (Gram+ bacterium) and Escherichia coli (Gram- bacterium) significantly (92.2% and 99.7% respectively). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using an in vitro assay with human dermal fibroblasts, indicating no toxic inducement from exposure of the monofilaments. The antimicrobial and biocompatible fungal monofilaments, open new avenues for sustainable biomedical textiles from abundant food waste.

Evaluation of the Rate of Tympanic Membrane Perforation in Otomycosis

Introduction: Otomycosis (OM) is an external ear infection of fungi and sometimes associated with tympanic membrane perforation (TMP). In this study, we analyzed and discussed the rate of TMP in otomycotic patients with no other associated pathology. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 120 cases of OM were seen from August 2017 to April 2018 and microscopy with local cleaning was done. Fungal material was collected from all patients individually and sent for Gram staining and histopathological confirmation of fungus species and looked for TMP. Topical clotrimazole (1%) drops were given as empirical treatment with weekly microscopy and follow up to 12 weeks. Results: Eleven cases (9%) had tympanic perforation at the time of the first examination. In all cases with the TMPs, the causative organism was the Aspergillus species. Persistent TMP was present in 6 cases (5%). A total of three persistent TMPs required surgical intervention after 12 weeks. Conclusion: In OM, TMP is not infrequent and it requires careful examination especially under a microscope to identify it.

Application of Enzyme-Assisted Extraction for the Recovery of Natural Bioactive Compounds for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) involves the use of hydrolytic enzymes for the degradation of the cell wall or other cell components. This supports the diffusion of the solvent into the plant or fungal material, leading to easier elution of its metabolites. This technique has been gaining increasing attention, as it is considered an eco-friendly and cost-effective improvement on classical or modern extraction methods. Its promising application in improving the recovery of different classes of bioactive metabolites (e.g., polyphenols, carotenoids, polysaccharides, proteins, components of essential oil, and terpenes) has been reported by many scientific papers. This review summarises information on the theoretical aspects of EAE (e.g., the components of the cell walls and the types of enzymes used) and the most recent discoveries in the effective involvement of enzyme-assisted extraction of natural products (plants, mushrooms, and animals) for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Modern approach for complex treatment of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis

Introduction: Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis is associated with diseases of the maxillary teeth. The close anatomical relationship of these teeth with the floor of the maxillary sinus leads to violation of the integrity of its mucosa and creates prerequisites for the infection to pass into the sinus cavity. Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis is characterized by dental complaints and the typical symptoms of all rhinosinusitis. There is lack of consensus in the literature on the algorithm of behaviour in these cases. Aim: To recommend a contemporary algorythm of management in patients with odontogenic maxillary sinuitis, which is consistent with both the established rules for the treatment of rhinosinusitis and the individual characteristics of each clinical case. Materials and methods: For the period 2001-2021, 157 patients were treated at St. George University Hospital, after extraction of an upper tooth (4-6) or with symptoms of nasal breathing difficulties and unilateral whitish secretion with an unpleasant odour. All of them had a history of dental intervention and CT data for changes in the osteomeatal complex or „foreign bodies“ in the maxillary sinus. Results: All patients were discharged on the third day after admission in improved general condition without complaints. No late postoperative complications were observed. In 8 of the patients with sinuscopy, after the control CT examination, performed a month later, a second intervention was necessary for the extraction of residual fungal material. Conclusion: The treatment of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis involves interdisciplinary approach of otorhinolaryngologists and dental specialists. However, modern understanding of the functioning of the nasal cavities and the development of pathological processes in them help us to build and present an adequate concept for diagnosis and therapeutic behavior.

Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials

BackgroundFilamentous fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota are considered as an attractive source for the biotechnological production of composite materials. The ability of many basidiomycetes to accept residual lignocellulosic plant biomass from agriculture and forestry such as straw, shives and sawdust as substrates and to bind and glue together these otherwise loose but reinforcing substrate particles into their mycelial network, makes them ideal candidates to produce biological composites to replace petroleum-based synthetic plastics and foams in the near future.ResultsHere, we describe for the first time the application potential of the tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius for lab-scale production of mycelium composites. We used fine, medium and coarse particle fractions of hemp shives and rapeseed straw to produce a set of diverse composite materials and show that the mechanical materials properties are dependent on the nature and particle size of the substrates. Compression tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize composite material properties and to model their compression behaviour by numerical simulations. Their properties were compared amongst each other and with the benchmark expanded polystyrene (EPS), a petroleum-based foam used for thermal isolation in the construction industry. Our analyses uncovered that EPS shows an elastic modulus of 2.37 ± 0.17 MPa which is 4-times higher compared to the F. fomentarius composite materials whereas the compressive strength of 0.09 ± 0.003 MPa is in the range of the fungal composite material. However, when comparing the ability to take up compressive forces at higher strain values, the fungal composites performed better than EPS. Hemp-shive based composites were able to resist a compressive force of 0.2 MPa at 50% compression, rapeseed composites 0.3 MPa but EPS only 0.15 MPa.ConclusionThe data obtained in this study suggest that F. fomentarius constitutes a promising cell factory for the future production of fungal composite materials with similar mechanical behaviour as synthetic foams such as EPS. Future work will focus on designing materials characteristics through optimizing substrate properties, cultivation conditions and by modulating growth and cell wall composition of F. fomentarius, i.e. factors that contribute on the meso- and microscale level to the composite behaviour.

Efficacy of Endoscopic sinus surgery for associated with filling material of the maxillary sinus, simultaneous sinus-lifting and dental implantation

Objectives: Optimization of the sinus-lifting in patients with filling material in maxillary sinus cavity by a one-stage endonasal endoscopic elimination of the sinuspathology and carrying out a sinus-lifting. Materials and methods: A total of 28 patients (12 males and 16 females, the age was 31 to 64 years, from 2016 to 2022) with ridge defects in age group were selected for the study. All patients had a partially or totally edentulous atrophied posterior maxilla. All patients underwent a thorough clinical examination according to a generally accepted scheme.For sinus surgery, used endoscope is 4.0 mm diameter rigid endoscope (Karl Storz). The fungal material, and hypertrophic mucosa within the maxillary sinus were removed and sent for pathological analysis.Sinus lifting procedures were performed using a lateral window approach. A total of 34 sinus lifting procedures were performed, using a mixture of bovine bone, autogenous bone and PRP. According to our surgical procedure we performed in our patients 1 a 2 stage sinus lifting, 98 implants were inserted. Dental prosthetic rehabilitation was undertaken 5 months after implants insertion and submerged healing. Implant success was assessed clinically and radiographically. The height of the graft and bone density was measured 6th and 9th month after surgery using serial CT. The following parameters were assessed: failure of the augmentation procedure, implant failure, and vertical bone height. Results: Any intraoperative and postoperative complications, such asbleeding, membrane perforation, swelling, ecchymosis, pain, nasal bleeding, and infection, were recorded clinically and radiographically. Of the 98 implants placed in these 28 patients, 3 failed to osseointegrate. The CT examination showed the presence of dense bone around and above the implants. The implants appeared to be well integrated with no peri-implant bone loss. At 6 years follow up, excellent integration of grafted tissue, steady levels of bone around the implants and healthy peri-implant tissues were reported. Implants placed in the reconstructed areas were demonstrated to integrate normally, postoperative occlusal function and esthetics have been favorable. Conclusion: The method of simultaneous endonasal sanitation of the maxillary sinus, sinus-lifting, dental implantation, allows to reduce the probability of perforation of the membrane, significantly shortening the rehabilitation period of patients with insufficient bone tissue in the maxillary sinus. These methods led to simpler, more comfortable, lower risks of morbidity, more predictable compared to more invasive maxillary sinus augmentation

Large-scale robotic extrusion-based additive manufacturing with living mycelium materials

Environmental pollution and scarcity of natural resources have led to an increased interest in developing more sustainable materials. Mycelium material fabrication is an emerging bio-based and circular technology to produce materials ranging from foam to particleboard applications. In this process, organic waste streams – such as agricultural waste – are valorised, while biodegradable material is created at the end of its life cycle; a process fitting with the spirit of a circular economy. Up to now, mycelium composites have mostly been grown in moulds, by packing a substrate of lignocellulosic fibres with a fungal strain. This fabrication method restricts not only the size and geometry of the final product, but also the access to oxygen needed for the organism to grow in the centre of the material. Additive manufacturing can potentially overcome those limitations. To establish the groundwork of 3D printing with living mycelium material, this paper provides guidance regarding the technological requirements for 3D-printing fungal material. The purpose is to generate scientific insights on all relevant challenges, processes, production steps by disentangling interdependent process variables ranging from biocompatibility with the living organism, the robotic fabrication system and hardware, the determination of the printing parameter and the sterile printing process to rheological, biological, and geometric properties. Therefore, an extrusion system is developed specifically for robotic printing living biological material. Various manufacturing processes, such as the concentration of ingredients, impact of autoclaving, and time on the viscosity, extrusion pressure, toolpath geometry, the nozzle size, printing speed and mycelium growth, are investigated in detail. These parameters, combined with the rheological and biological behaviour of living material deposition led to the emergence of an experimental fabrication methodology, using a custom robotic manufacturing set-up.

The early fossil record of glomeromycete fungi: New data on spores associated with early tracheophytes in the Lower Devonian (Emsian; c. 400 Ma) of Gaspé (Quebec, Canada)

Fossil assemblages in the fluvial to coastal deposits of the Early Devonian Battery Point Formation (400–395 Ma; Gaspé Bay, Quebec, Canada) are among the most diverse occurrences of Early Devonian permineralized plants worldwide. The plants host microbial and fungal material, which was studied in cellulose acetate peels and thin sections. The fossil fungal material includes spores that show affinities to the Glomeromycotina, preserved in trimerophyte axes. The spores fall into two size categories, both characterized by complex wall layering and hyphal attachments. Spores in the small category (40–65 μm) occur in a single axis and exhibit few informative features. The most frequently occurring type is the large spores (90–240 μm) that are placed into the new species Glomites oqoti. These spores exhibit four wall layers (when well preserved), of which two are always present: a thick, dark layer and a thin, membranous layer. Several lines of circumstantial evidence suggest that the spores were metabolically active within their plant hosts at the time of fossilization and that the plants were alive at the time of colonization. These observations, along with comparisons with other fossil glomeromycetes and the life history traits of living glomeromycetes, suggest that G. oqoti held an endomycorrhizal role. The Battery Point Formation fossils represent the only Early Devonian glomeromycete occurrence documented outside the Rhynie Chert hot spring deposits. Their occurrence in fluvial-coastal environments and their putative mycorrhizal role suggest that glomeromycetes were relatively ubiquitous symbionts of tracheophytes, like their extant counterparts, by the Early Devonian.

Fungal Communities Vectored by Ips sexdentatus in Declining Pinus sylvestris in Ukraine: Focus on Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Ophiostomatoid Species.

Simple SummaryBark beetles serve as vectors to numerous tree pathogens, the most conspicuous guild of which are ophiostomatoid fungi. Most of these fungi are known to cause blue-stain discoloration of wood, and some of them are pathogenic to trees, in certain cases able to kill them. Over the last years, drought-induced stress and attacks by bark beetle Ips sexdentatus resulted in a massive dieback of Pinus sylvestris in Ukraine. Limited and fragmented knowledge is available as to which ophiostomatoid fungi in this geographic area are vectored by Ips sexdentatus, and their roles in tree dieback. It is known, though, that in different parts of Europe those fungal communities might significantly differ. This study represents the first and so far, the most extensive analysis of fungal associates of I. sexdentatus in eastern Europe accomplished combining different methods, using insect, plant, and fungal material, and reports a number of previously unknown insect-vectored pathogens of P. sylvestris. Increasing climate change-related disturbances to forests put reported findings in a broader geographical context.Drought-induced stress and attacks by bark beetle Ips sexdentatus currently result in a massive dieback of Pinus sylvestris in eastern Ukraine. Limited and fragmented knowledge is available on fungi vectored by the beetle and their roles in tree dieback. The aim was to investigate the fungal community vectored by I. sexdentatus and to test the pathogenicity of potentially aggressive species to P. sylvestris. Analysis of the fungal community was accomplished by combining different methods using insect, plant, and fungal material. The material consisted of 576 beetles and 96 infested wood samples collected from six sample plots within a 300 km radius in eastern Ukraine and subjected to fungal isolations and (beetles only) direct sequencing of ITS rDNA. Pathogenicity tests were undertaken by artificially inoculating three-to-four-year-old pine saplings with fungi. For the vector test, pine logs were exposed to pre-inoculated beetles. In all, 56 fungal taxa were detected, 8 exclusively by isolation, and 13 exclusively by direct sequencing. Those included nine ophiostomatoids, five of which are newly reported as I. sexdentatus associates. Two ophiostomatoid fungi, which exhibited the highest pathogenicity, causing 100% dieback and mortality, represented genera Graphium and Leptographium. Exposure of logs to beetles resulted in ophiostomatoid infections. In conclusion, the study revealed numerous I. sexdentatus-vectored fungi, several of which include aggressive tree pathogens.

Establishment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens – mediated genetic transformation of apple pathogen Marssonina coronaria using marker genes under the control of CaMV 35S promoter

Premature leaf fall of apple caused by Marssonina coronaria is economically very important apple disease and all the commercially available apple cultivars are susceptible to this disease. The non-availability of an efficient transformation system for this fungus hinders the functional genomics research. Herein, we report for the first time, the successful Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in apple leaf blotch fungus M. coronaria by transferring T-DNA harbouring the genes for hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt), β-glucuronidase (uidA) and green fluorescent protein (gfp) under the control of CaMV 35S promoter. The key factors that affect the transformation efficiency including type of recipient fungal material, acetosyringone concentration, the conditions for co-cultivation, Agrobacterium concentration, Agrobacterium strains and membrane types as support were investigated. The present results have recommended that 250 μM concentration of acetosyringone, 24 °C temperature and 48 h time, 0.5 OD600 of A. tumefaciens, EHA105 Agrobacterium strain and Whatman filter paper were the optimal co-cultivation conditions for the transformation of M. coronaria by using fragmented mycelia suspension and mycelial plugs. We observed that conidia were tedious to transform as compared to the fragmented mycelia and mycelial plugs of this slow growing fungus. These optimized parameters yielded 54 and 70 average transformants per 60 mycelial plugs and 104 fragmented mycelia, respectively. Fungal transformants were analysed for T-DNA integration, gus gene expression and gfp gene expression. Strong gus histochemical staining and green fluorescence expression indicated that the CaMV 35S promoter can drive gene expression in M. croronaria. Some mutants showed difference in the morphology of the colony as compared to the wild type control. This report will be very useful to inspect molecular basis of apple-M. coronaria interactions by deciphering the functional roles of various genes in this pathogenic fungus.

Poria cum Radix Pini Rescues Barium Chloride-Induced Arrhythmia by Regulating the cGMP-PKG Signalling Pathway Involving ADORA1 in Zebrafish.

The traditional Chinese medicine Poria cum Radix Pini (PRP) is a fungal medicinal material that has been proven to play an important role in the treatment of arrhythmia. However, the mechanism of its effect on arrhythmia is still unclear. In this study, network pharmacology and metabolomics correlation analysis methods were used to determine the key targets, metabolites and potential pathways involved in the effects of PRP on arrhythmia. The results showed that PRP can significantly improve cardiac congestion, shorten the SV-BA interval and reduce the apoptosis of myocardial cells induced by barium chloride in zebrafish. By upregulating the expression of the ADORA1 protein and the levels of adenosine and cGMP metabolites in the cGMP-PKG signalling pathway, PRP can participate in ameliorating arrhythmia. Therefore, we believe that PRP shows great potential for the treatment of arrhythmia.

A Rapid, in-Situ Minimally-Invasive Technique to Assess Infections with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in Bats

Emerging infectious diseases may become serious threats to wildlife, a prominent example being the white-nose disease (WND). In case of WND, the cold-loving fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans colonizes bats during hibernation, invades the skin and has already lead to the death of millions of bats in North America. P. destructans most likely originated from Europe, where it also causes lesions but without associated mortalities. However, it is still unclear how European bats cope with the fungus. Hence, it is important to have tools that precisely characterise disease progression. Because hibernation is a physiological state during which bats are vulnerable to disturbance, in-situ assessments of the clinical status should be carried out minimal-invasively to avoid detrimental impacts on bats. However, currently available disease assessment methods require handling/touching bats and are therefore invasive: i) UV-light trans-illumination of wing membranes to detect lesions and ii) a qPCR-based quantification of fungal material from wing membrane swabs. Since P. destructans (‘Pd') becomes visible on all furless skin with distinct distribution patterns, we investigated the use of visible symptoms to assess levels of infections without handling/touching bats. We introduce a technique which we termed ‘Visual Pd-score’ (a visual classification scheme), which can be applied without disturbing the animals. To assess its reliability, we used P. destructans infected greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) to compare the novel method with the two existing golden-standard techniques. Our results show that infection levels obtained from all three techniques are correlated. Importantly, the information carried by the Visual Pd-score is most similar to a composite index combining the information from the qPCR-based and UV-light quantification methods. We conclude that the Visual Pd-score represents a promising index to better characterise disease severity as it is simultaneously representative for fungal colonization and wing damage. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the applied techniques and conclude that the Visual Pd-score is particularly useful for routine hibernacula counts or large-scale P. destructans-surveillance. In combination with the lesion detection technique the new method is also applicable to immunological studies where both fungal colonization and associated damage have to be investigated, while qPCRs from swabs of all body parts are especially useful if it is necessary to detect cryptic infections, e.g. during the early hibernation period.

First Report of Gymnosporangium yamadae Causing Japanese Apple Rust on Crabapple (Malus spp.) in Ohio.

Japanese apple rust, caused by the heteroecious and demicyclic rust fungus Gymnosporangium yamadae Miyabe ex G. Yamada, can affect juniper (Juniperus spp.), where the telial stage of this disease occurs, and apple or crabapple (Malus spp.), where the aecial stage occurs (Yun, 2010). Leaf samples displaying symptoms and signs of rust disease were collected in August 2020 from 14 different crabapple cultivars ('Amerspirzam' [American Spirit®], 'Amsalzam' [American Salute™], 'Excazam' [Excalibur™], 'Guinzam' [Guinevere®], 'Hargozam' [Harvest Gold®], 'Mary Potter', 'Orange Crush', 'Prairie Maid', 'Professor Sprenger', 'Pumpkin Pie', 'Rawhide', 'Select A' [Firebird®], 'Shotizam' [Show Time™], 'Sinai Fire') in the crabapple research plot of Secrest Arboretum (Crablandia) in Wooster, OH. Samples displayed adaxial leaf lesions with brown necrotic centers surrounded by a red-yellow coloration, corresponding on the abaxial side to lesions containing brown-orange aecia, producing aeciospores, surrounded by a dark red-orange coloration (Supplemental Figure 1). One to multiple lesions were present per symptomatic leaf. DNA was extracted from symptomatic leaf tissue containing fungal material on all 14 cultivars using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIagen) and the D1/D2 region of the 28S rDNA was amplified using primers NL1 and NL4 (O'Donnell 1993) according to Dagar et al. (2011). GenBank BLAST sequence analysis of all 14 sequences resulted in 99.83-100% sequence identity to G. yamadae with with 99% query coverage (MN605735). Sequences from all samples were deposited in GenBank under Accession Nos. MW131119.2-131125.2 and MW131127.2-131132.2. Morphological features were characterized for the three representative cultivars 'Amerspirzam' (American Spirit®), 'Orange Crush' and 'Pumpkin Pie' (Supplemental Figure 2). Aecia were hypophyllous, roestelioid, with cornute, yellow-brown, peridia with lacerate sides. Peridial cells appeared yellow and were long-linear rhomboid, verrucose with long papillae, smooth outer walls and echinulate inner walls, measuring 45 - 78 × 16 - 27 µm (average 65 × 21 µm), 51 - 82 × 16 - 30 µm (average 66 × 23 µm), and 47 - 93 × 14 - 31 µm (average 64 × 24 µm), respectively (n=50 per cultivar). Aeciospores were globose, 20 - 26 × 18 - 24 µm (average 23 µm × 20 µm), 21 - 28 µm × 19 - 24 µm (average 24 µm × 21 µm), and 21 - 27 µm × 18 - 23 µm (average 23 µm × 21 µm), respectively, with a slightly coronate surface and dark yellow walls 1.6 - 2.7 µm (average 2 µm), 1.4 - 2.4 µm (average 2 µm), and 1.3 - 2.5 µm (average 1.8 µm) thick, respectively (n=50 per cultivar). The telia, known to occur on Juniperus spp., were not observed. Specimens from these three cultivars were deposited into the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI 923889, 923888, 923887). Japanese apple rust has been officially reported in parts of Eastern Asia and the Eastern United States and is also known to be present in parts of Far East Russia and Ontario, Canada (Yun et al., 2009; CAB International, 2008). This report constitutes the first confirmed instance of G. yamadae causing Japanese apple rust in Ohio. Because infected trees tend to be highly symptomatic, this disease poses a significant threat to the nursery and landscape industries as it can decrease the market value of ornamental varieties and affect yield and crop quality in varieties used for fruit production.

Faster Evaluation of Contaminated Surfaces for Mould Inspections by Tape Sampling

Taking a tape-lift sample is one of the main practices used by indoor environmental quality investigators for detecting whether mould structures (for example, spores and hyphae) have either settled onto or colonized the surface. Despite the popularity of the method, there can be significant inconsistency in how tape lifts are collected and evaluated. The common ASTM standard D7910-14: Practice for the Collection of Fungal Material from Surfaces by Tape Lift, describes the correct way to collect a tape-lift sample. Using ASTM D7658-17: Standard Test Method for Direct Microscopy of Fungal Structures from Tape, semi-quantitative results in percentage of infested area in a scale from 0 up to 5 are available only. In case histories or for mould removal control, the total cell count is needed. This cannot be realized by the ASTM method. Therefore, an innovative method is asked to combine the quickness of taping and the precision of total cell count. Our research team developed two methods to quickly and fully quantify the tape samples. Regarding the assessment criteria, the user can decide to operate with the 3-LINE method to achieve the highest precision or use the faster 3-STEP method for even better results. Therefore, an innovative method is asked to combine the quickness of taping and the precision of total cell count. The aim of the work is to develop two strategies to quickly and comprehensive quantify the tape samples.

Pleurocordyceps gen. nov. for a clade of fungi previously included in Polycephalomyces based on molecular phylogeny and morphology

AbstractSince the discovery of the Pleurocordyceps/ “Polycephalomyces” clade unaffiliated with the clades of Clavicipitaceae s. str., Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Cordycipitaceae of clavicipitaceous fungi, some taxa have been published and more fungal material relevant to the group have become available for further study. Here, a multigene phylogeny using nrSSU, nrLSU, tef1, rpb1, and rpb2 was constructed with some of the recently discovered additional taxa using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses (BI) to test and refine the current phylogenetic framework for Cordyceps s. lat. and other clavicipitaceous fungi. In addition to the well supported major Pleurocordyceps/“Polycephalomyces” clade revealed previously, another clade with newly added taxa referred to as “Polycephalomyces formosus‐like” from Japan was found to be sister to the Pleurocordyceps/“Polycephalomyces” clade. Extensive investigation revealed that strains named “P. formosus‐like” grouped in this new clade and do indeed represent the true P. formosus and that species previously included in the genus Polycephalomyces required a new generic name. Based on the phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics, including both sexual and asexual morphs when available, the new generic name Pleurocordyceps is introduced and relevant new combinations are made. A newly designated lectotype and a supporting epitype for P. formosus is selected and the circumscription of Polycephalomyces is discussed.

An approach to change the basic polymer composition of the milled Fomes fomentarius fruiting bodies

BackgroundChitin and its derivative chitosan are readily exploited, especially in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, biomedical, chemical, and textile industries. The biopolymers are currently recovered from the crustacean shells after purification from the large amount of proteins and minerals. The key problems are centered around a lot of chemical waste and allergenic potential of the heat-stable remaining proteins. Fungi can be considered as an alternative eco-friendlier source of the chitin and chitosan due to the lower level of inorganic materials and absence of the allergenic proteins.ResultsThe work presents a new chemical assay to change the composition of the milled Fomes fomentarius fruiting bodies. A gradual 13-fold increase of the chitin amount accompanied by 14-fold decrease of the glucan content was obtained after repetitive alkali-acidic treatment. Raw material contained mainly chitin with 30% degree of deacetylation. After the first and second alkali treatment, the polymer was defined as chitosan with comparable amounts of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and d-glucosamine units. The last treated samples showed an increase of the chitin amount to 80%, along with typical for the natural tinder fibers degree of deacetylation and three-dimensional fibrous hollow structure.ConclusionsA new approach allowed a gradual enrichment of the pulverized Fomes fomentarius fruiting bodies with chitin or chitosan, depending on the extraction conditions. High stability and fibrous structure of the fungal cell walls with a drastically increased chitin ratio let us suggest a possibility of the targeted production of the chitin-enriched fungal material biotechnologically under eco-friendly conditions.

Investigating the effects of Inonotus rickii extracts on the muscle contraction intensity

The aim of this study is to test the effect of aqueous, ethereal and alcoholic extracts of the fruit bodies of the wood-destroying fungus Inonotus rickii on locomotor activity resulting from contraction of both cross-striated and smooth muscles. The pharmacological activity of I. rickii raw materials was determined in vitro using the dose-response curve method (smooth muscles) and in experiments with oral intake of extracts (CNS-mediated effects on cross-lacing muscles). The aqueous extract of fungal material showed an increase in the motor activity of smooth muscles compared to standard caffeine, which indicates the ability of fungal extract to have a stimulating effect on the synapses. It was found that I. rickii extracts have an effect on smooth muscle contraction similar to the acetylcholine. It was shown that the greatest stimulating activity demonstrates an aqueous extract that may be a result of inhibitory effect of diethyl ether and ethanol on synapses. The described effects put on the agenda both the fractionation of active extracts and further experiments on the therapeutic applications of their described properties. As a field of possible application of this kind of substances can be considered the cardiovascular remodeling, the maintenance of smooth muscle tone during a number of surgical interventions, and the palliative cure of disseminated cancers.

Diversity of Microfossils, including Fungal Material, Associated with Early Tracheophytes in the Lower Devonian (Emsian) Battery Point Formation (Gaspé Bay, Quebec, Canada)

Premise of research. Fossil assemblages of the Battery Point Formation are among the most diverse occurrences of Early Devonian permineralized plants worldwide. The plant fossils host microbial, pu...

Molecular docking study on biomolecules isolated from endophytic fungi

Recently, growing interest has been devoted to the investigation of compounds with antimicrobial activity due to rising cases of resistance of microbes to known therapies. A reliable and versatile source of novel drug discovery was recently found among endophytic fungi. Hitherto, the research usually enclosed the in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity and chemical structure elucidation of biomolecules extracted from fungal material. Therefore, this research was designed as an extension to previous investigations of endophytic fungi growing on conifer needles by means of conducting a molecular docking study. The in silico methods were used with the main goal to make a contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction of biomolecules isolated from fungus Phomopsis species and eight different types of receptors that belong to usually multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. The results revealed valuable interactions with receptors 3G7B (Staphylococcus aureus?s gyrase B), 1F0K (1.9 ? structure of Escherichia coli?s transferase) and 1SHV (Klebsiella pneumoniae?s SHV-1 ?-lactamase) thus pointing out the receptors that trigger antibiotic response upon activation by the most potent compounds 325-3, 325-5, phomoenamide and phomol. These findings also recommended further discovery of novel potent and broadspectrum antibiotics based on the structure of selected molecules.

Inkjet 3D Printing of Polymers Resistant to Fungal Attachment.

Inkjet 3D printing is an additive manufacturing method that allows the user to produce a small batch of customized devices for comparative study versus commercial products. Here, we describe the use of a commercial 2D ink development system (Dimatix material printing) to manufacture small batches of 3D medical or other devices using a recently characterized fungal anti-attachment material. Such printed devices may resist problems that beset commercial medical products due to colonization by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. By sequentially introducing the cross-section bitmaps of the product's CAD model and elevating the print head height using the auto-clicking script, we were able to create complex self-support geometries with the 2D ink development system. The use of this protocol allows researchers to produce a small batch of specimens for characterization from only a few grams of raw material. Additionally, we describe the testing of manufactured specimens for fungal anti-attachment. In comparison with most commercial AM systems, which require at least a few hundred grams of ink for printing trials, our protocol is well suited for smaller-scale production in material studies.