Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Audrey Masi, Robert L. Mach, Astrid R. Mach-Aigner
Summary: The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is a key pathway in metabolic engineering, providing NADPH and playing a role in the production of various compounds in fungi. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PPP can lead to targeted engineering and improved performance in industrial fungal strains.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
M. Martinez, E. Gamez, N. Bellotti, C. Deya
Summary: The study demonstrates that alkyd/polysaccharide paints can effectively protect steel, with the type of pigment and PVC concentration playing crucial roles in the protection. Additionally, proper selection can prevent fungal growth in high humidity environments.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Isako Di Tomassi, Neha Chatterjee, Felipe H. Barrios-Masias, Qiuhong Zhou, Chunhao Gu, Andrew J. Margenot
Summary: The study found that arbuscular mycorrhizae could enhance the dissolution of struvite, increase plant phosphorus uptake, and enhance biomass. Compared to monoammonium phosphate, struvite had a slower dissolution rate, but when treated with arbuscular mycorrhizae, the efficiency of plant utilization of struvite was improved.
Article
Environmental Studies
Gouri Atapattu, Samuel Apori Obeng, Tara Battersby, Michelle Giltrap, Furong Tian
Summary: The microbial ecology of Irish wetlands is not well understood, but it is crucial for the development of effective rewetting schemes to restore and conserve peatlands. This study analyzed microbial populations in peatlands with different land-use types and found significant differences between cutaway and unimproved grassland. The study provides valuable baseline data for further research on bog microbiology and highlights the need to consider microbial interactions with environmental variables in different land-use types.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Da Tian, Xiaoru Zhang, Liyan Wang, Mingxue Han, Chaochun Zhang, Xinxin Ye
Summary: Lead (Pb) is a common heavy metal pollutant that poses a direct or indirect threat to human health. Apatite can immobilize Pb by forming pyromorphite (Pyro), but its effectiveness depends on the release of phosphorus (P). Phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) can secrete organic acid to enhance P release from apatite. This research reviews the potential pathway of strengthening Pb immobilization by PSF and apatite, while considering the limitations and promoting the development of these remediation technologies.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew Adamatzky
Summary: By analyzing the electrical activity of fungi, we found that the spike characteristics are species specific and spikes are often clustered into trains. We grouped these spikes into words and analyzed the linguistic and information complexity of fungal spiking activity. The distributions of fungal word lengths were found to match that of human languages, and species S. commune generated the most complex sentences.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Mu Su, Jiajie Mei, Gilberto de Oliveira Mendes, Da Tian, Limin Zhou, Shuijin Hu, Zhen Li
Summary: Red soils in subtropical regions are often deficient in available phosphorus, which is essential for plant growth. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) can release phosphorus from phosphate reservoirs, but their interactions with minerals in red soils are not fully understood. This study investigated the effects of Aspergillus niger, a phosphate-solubilizing fungus, on phosphorus dissolution in acidic and alkaline red soils. In the acidic soil, A. niger promoted phosphorus release and decreased the content of Fe/Al oxides. In the alkaline soil, phosphorus availability declined after A. niger addition due to the diminished function of PSMs and strong soil buffering.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Areesha Ahmad, Syed Faraz Moin, Iram Liaqat, Sadia Saleem, Faiz Muhammad, Talat Mujahid, Urooj Zafar
Summary: Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) were isolated from subtropical environmental samples. Among them, Aspergillus tubingensis was identified as the most efficient phosphate solubilizing strain. Combined activity of A. tubingensis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to increase the solubilization of phosphate.
GEOMICROBIOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Nehal M. Elekhtyar, Mamdouh M. A. Awad-Allah, Khalid S. Alshallash, Aishah Alatawi, Rana M. Alshegaihi, Reem A. Alsalmi
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of microbial and chemical phosphorus fertilizers on rice productivity in Egyptian soil. The results showed that combining 75% single super phosphate with the foliar spraying of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, phosphorus nanoparticles, and phosphoric acid gave the best results.
Article
Plant Sciences
Piotr Koczorski, Bliss Ursula Furtado, Marcin Golebiewski, Piotr Hulisz, Christel Baum, Martin Weih, Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz
Summary: The study revealed that the low availability of phosphorus in soil is mainly caused by the high iron content in the clay fraction that binds to phosphorus, making it unavailable. The level of plant association, plant genotype, and environmental conditions all have significant effects on the abundance and diversity of phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms in soil.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yuxuan Huang, Yulan Lin, Linping Zhang, Fei Wu, Yang Zhang, Shaohua Huang
Summary: This study found that co-inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can increase the phosphorus content and biomass accumulation of Camellia oleifera plants. Co-inoculation also increased the activities of phosphatase and phytase in the soil and the content of readily available phosphorus. Moreover, AMF colonization and hyphal density were positively correlated with water-extractable phosphorus and bicarbonate-extractable phosphorus, and negatively correlated with NaOH-Po content.
Article
Microbiology
Qixin Luo, Rui Hou, Xiaojing Shang, Si Li
Summary: In this study, DSEs with phosphate-solubilizing ability were found to promote blueberry plant growth and improve plant quality. These findings have significant implications for the practical application of blueberry cultivation.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Amandine Ducousso-Detrez, Robin Raveau, Joel Fontaine, Mohamed Hijri, Anissa Lounes-Hadj Sahraoui
Summary: This study explores the ecological characteristics of AMF in RP mining areas and finds that phosphorus concentration is an important factor affecting AMF community structure. Regression analysis also suggests the influence of land disturbance, ecosystem self-restoration, and AMF life history strategies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenjing Rui, Jing Ma, Ning Wei, Xiaoya Zhu, Zhifang Li
Summary: Phosphate is an essential mineral nutrient for plants. This study investigated the physiological changes and gene expression of phosphate transporter genes (PHTs) in tomato plants inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under different phosphate conditions. The results showed that the expression of the PHT1 gene family was significantly affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of inorganic phosphate transport under arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Yuqing Wu, Yongjie Liu, Erich Gulbins, Heike Grassme
Summary: Sphingolipids play crucial roles in regulating pathobiological processes such as cancer, inflammation, and infectious diseases. Unlike ceramide which promotes microbial infections, sphingosine has bactericidal effects and is an important natural defense component against bacterial pathogens in the respiratory tract. Recent studies suggest that the bactericidal effect of sphingosine may be due to bacterial membrane permeabilization and subsequent bacterial death.
Review
Microbiology
Matthias Kretschmer, Djihane Damoo, Armin Djamei, James Kronstad
Article
Microbiology
Linda C. Horianopoulos, Guanggan Hu, Melissa Caza, Kerstin Schmitt, Peter Overby, James D. Johnson, Oliver Valerius, Gerhard H. Braus, James W. Kronstad
Article
Microbiology
Gaurav Bairwa, Eddy Sanchez-Leon, Eunsoo Do, Won Hee Jung, James W. Kronstad
Review
Microbiology
Linda C. Horianopoulos, James W. Kronstad
Summary: Heat shock proteins play crucial roles in human fungal pathogens by assisting in protein folding, enhancing thermotolerance, and contributing to virulence and antifungal drug tolerance. These HSPs interact with each other to form a network that influences the elaboration of virulence factors and pathogenesis in fungal pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Jessica Starke, Rebekka Harting, Isabel Maurus, Miriam Leonard, Rica Bremenkamp, Kai Heimel, James W. Kronstad, Gerhard H. Braus
Summary: Differentiation, growth, and virulence of the vascular plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae rely on interconnected cellular signaling cascades, including the endoplasmic reticulum-associated unfolded protein response (UPR) and the MAPK pathway. Several potential targets within these pathways can be used to control fungal growth, supporting disease management of Verticillium dahliae.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Guanggan Hu, Linda Horianopoulos, Eddy Sanchez-Leon, Melissa Caza, Wonhee Jung, James W. Kronstad
Summary: Monothiol glutaredoxins, including Grx4, are crucial factors in regulating iron homeostasis and play essential roles in cell proliferation, cell wall integrity, and stress responses at elevated temperatures in Cryptococcus neoformans.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Braydon Black, Christopher Lee, Linda C. Horianopoulos, Won Hee Jung, James W. Kronstad
Article
Microbiology
Donghyeun Kim, Moonyong Song, Eunsoo Do, Yoojeong Choi, James W. Kronstad, Won Hee Jung
Summary: It was found that mutants of Cryptococcus neoformans lacking vacuolar functions exhibited increased vacuolar fragmentation, and high concentrations of metal ions, elevated temperature, and treatment with antifungal drugs also led to increased vacuolar fragmentation. These results indicate that fungal vacuoles fragment in response to oxidative stress.
Article
Cell Biology
Guanggan Hu, Erik Bakkeren, Melissa Caza, Linda Horianopoulos, Eddy Sanchez-Leon, Melanie Sorensen, Wonhee Jung, James W. Kronstad
Summary: Two Vam6/Vps39/TRAP1-domain proteins, Vps3 and Vam6, support the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans on haem. Loss of Vps3 and Vam6 influences the trafficking and expression of iron uptake proteins. Loss of Vps3 or Vam6 eliminates the ability of C. neoformans to cause disease in a mouse model of cryptococcosis.
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Linda C. Horianopoulos, Christopher W. J. Lee, Kerstin Schmitt, Oliver Valerius, Guanggan Hu, Melissa Caza, Gerhard H. Braus, James W. Kronstad
Summary: This study identifies a nuclear J domain protein, Dnj4, in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, demonstrating its role as a histone chaperone important for maintaining genome integrity and responding to DNA damage. Dnj4 regulates iron homeostasis and plays a crucial role in DNA damage response in C. neoformans. Additionally, Dnj4 functions as a conserved histone chaperone disrupting endogenous histone chaperoning machinery, suggesting its potential in understanding biological processes across different organisms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias Kretschmer, Djihane Damoo, Sherry Sun, Christopher W. J. Lee, Daniel Croll, Harry Brumer, James Kronstad
Summary: This study reveals that combinations of organic acids and glucose can trigger late-stage phenotypes associated with the biotrophic lifestyle in the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, including the expression of effectors and melanin formation. This response to combinations of nutrients may be a conserved feature of fungal biotrophy.
Article
Microbiology
Isabel Maurus, Miriam Leonard, Alexandra Nagel, Jessica Starke, James W. Kronstad, Rebekka Harting, Gerhard H. Braus
Summary: Verticillium dahliae, a vascular fungal pathogen, produces specific proteins in the xylem sap of the host plant, which are important for colonization of the plant vasculature and disease symptoms induction. Two hydrophobins, Vdh4 and Vdh5, were found to play specialized roles in the pathogenicity of V. dahliae against tomato plants, contributing to disease development at later colonization stages.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gustavo J. C. Freitas, Noelly Q. Ribeiro, Ludmila Gouveia-Eufrasio, Eluzia C. P. Emidio, Gabriele M. Guimaraes, Isabela C. Cesar, Tatiane A. Paixao, Jeferson B. S. Oliveira, Melissa Caza, James W. Kronstad, Daniel A. Santos
Summary: Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans are the main causes of cryptococcosis, and the current treatments for this invasive fungal infection, such as amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, and fluconazole, have limitations including toxicity and antifungal resistance. This study investigated the repurposing of antimalarial drugs (ATMs) for cryptococcosis treatment and found that ATMs not only inhibited fungal growth but also induced oxidative and nitrosative stresses, and altered fungal physiology. ATMs showed synergistic effects when combined with amphotericin B, reducing its fungicidal concentrations and toxicity to macrophages. Furthermore, the combination of halofantrine or amodiaquine with amphotericin B effectively reduced the lethality and fungal burden in murine cryptococcosis. These findings provide new perspectives for the use of ATMs against cryptococcosis and other fungal infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karen Thulasi Devendrakumar, Madeleine Goldstein, James Kronstad, Xin Li
Summary: Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a method that randomly inserts T-DNA into plant genomes, but this insertion may disrupt gene function. We report a phenomenon of reversion of intronic T-DNA mutant phenotypes, highlighting the need for caution when using such mutants and emphasizing the importance of using irreversible null mutants in genetic analysis.