Diversity of Plasmodial Myxomycetes From Anda Island, Pangasinan, Philippines

The unique life cycle and fascinating fruiting bodies of myxomycetes make them ideal model organisms for the study of cellular differentiation. Our research study then focuses on the diversity and abundance of myxomycetes found in Anda Island, Pangasinan in Northern Philippines. A total of 180 moist chambers were prepared from ground leaf litter and twigs collected from a 15 m2 quadrat within the study site. Twenty four species of myxomycetes belonging to 11 genera were collected and identified from the moist chambers: Arcyria (2), Collaria (1), Comatricha (1), Craterium (2), Diachea (1), Diderma (2), Didymium (1), Elaeomyxa (1), Perichaena (1), Physarum (11), and Stemonitis (1). Of all moist chambers, 55% yielded myxomycetes. Ground leaf litter (29%) yielded more myxomycetes than twigs (26%). Among the collected species, one for each of the genera Arcyria, Craterium, Diderma, and Physarum were recorded to be abundant. Interestingly, three species of myxomycetes are new records for the Philippines: Craterium microcarpum, Physarum decipiens and Elaeomyxa miyazakiensis. This is the first report of myxomycetes in Anda Island, Pangasinan, Philippines

Marine Dendryphiella-Spezies aus verschiedenen geographischen Lagen: ein integriertes, polyphasisches Verfahren zu ihrer Taxonomie und Physioökologie

The marine Dendryphiella species, D. arenaria and D. salina, were studied to determine their taxonomic and phylogenetic position as well as their genetic and phenotypic differences. Strains were isolated from various substrates in subtropical and temperate waters. Genomic DNA was extracted from strains of Dendryphiella and Scolecobasidium species and their gene sequences analyzed. Production of enzymes using cultural methods and API ZYM assay, as well as BIOLOG Phenotype MicroArrays were used to assess the ability of the Dendryphiella strains to utilize different substrata. Secondary metabolic profiles of their crude culture extracts were also detected by TLC and HPLC-DAD. Physiological responses to abiotic and biotic factors as well as their antimicrobial activities were also studied on the different D. arenaria and D. salina strains. Sequence analysis of the ITS 1 and 2, tef1 and rpb2 genes showed that the marine Dendryphiella strains formed two sister clades, which correspond to D. arenaria and D. salina. Both species belong to the family Pleosporaceae, with Pleospora spp. (anamorph Stemphylium spp.) as the next taxonomic relative. All Scolecobasidium species sequenced formed a distinct genetically isolated phylogenetic group outside of the class Loculoascomycetes, and thus, are not genetically related to Dendryphiella. The Dendryphiella species from different geographical locations exhibited similar enzyme and secondary metabolic profiles, but differed significantly in their carbon utilization profiles which can be used to discriminate not only the two species, but also sub-populations of D. arenaria and D. salina. All tested strains grew on the different investigated parameters demonstrating phenotypic plasticity, but optimally on culture medium with added marine salts, at pH values between 6.5 – 8.0 and at an incubation temperature of 25 oC. The culture extracts were antimicrobial, though production of the biologically active metabolites was strain specific.Die marinen Dendryphiella-Spezies D. arenaria und D. salina wurden untersucht, um ihre Taxonomie und Phylogenie so wie ihre genetischen und phänotypischen Unterschiede zu klären. Die Stämme wurden von subtropischen und gemäßigten Küstengebieten isoliert. Aus der genomischen DNA von Dendryphiella und Scolecobasidium - Spezies wurden Gene analysiert. Die Untersuchung von Enzymproduktion und Substratverwertung der Dendryphiella-Stämme erfolgte mit konventionellen Kultivierungsmethoden, API ZYM Assay sowie BIOLOG Phenotype MicroArrays. Die Profile der Sekundärmetabolite aus Kulturrohextrakten wurden mittels TLC und HPLC-DAD bestimmt. Verschiedene D. arenaria- und D. salina -Stämme wurden auf ihre physiologische Antwort auf die biotischen und abiotischen Faktoren sowie auf antimikrobielle Aktivitäten hin untersucht. Die Sequenzanalyse der ITS 1 und 2, tef1 und rpb2-Gene ergab, dass die marinen Dendryphiella – Stämme zwei Gruppen bilden, die zu D. salina und D. arenaria gehören. Sie gehören zur Familie der Pleosporaceae mit naher Verwandtschaft zu der Gattung Pleospora (Anamorph – Stemphylium spp). Alle sequenzierten Scolecobasidium–Spezies bilden eine phylogenetische Gruppe außerhalb der Loculoascomycetes-Klasse. Es besteht keine genetische Verwandtschaft zu Dendryphiella-Spezies. Die beiden Dendryphiella-Arten zeigen ähnliche Enzym- und Metabolitprofile. Sie unterscheiden sich jedoch signifikant in der Substratverwertung, was eine Differenzierung nicht nur der beiden untersuchten Spezies, sondern auch von geographischen Subpopulationen von D. arenaria und D. salina ermöglicht. Das Wachstum der Stämme unter den diversen Bedingungen weist auf ihre phänotypische Plastizität hin. Als optimal erweisen sich für die Pilzisolate ein Kulturmedium mit Meersalz, ein pH-Wert zwischen 6.5 – 8,0 sowie eine Temperatur von 25 °C. Die Kulturextrakte zeigen antimikrobielle Eigenschaften; die Produktion von biologisch aktiven Metaboliten ist jedoch stammspezifisch

Antibacterial, cytotoxic and trypanocidal activities of marine-derived fungi isolated from Philippine macroalgae and seagrasses

The occurrence and bioactivities of marine-derived fungi are evaluated in this paper. A total of 16 morphospecies of marine-derived fungi (MDF) were isolated from four host macroalgae and two seagrasses and identified as belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Sclerotinia, Thamnidium and Trichoderma, including five mycelia sterilia. Among these host organisms, the rhodophyte Laurencia intermedia harboured the highest number of isolated MDF. Selected MDF were then assayed and showed to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8-19 mm zone of inhibition) and Staphylococcus aureus (6-19 mm zone of inhibition), and were cytotoxic against the brine shrimp Artemia salina nauplii (LD50: 201.56-948.37 μg mL-1). The screening led to the selection of five of the most bioactive morphospecies, all belonging to the genus Aspergillus. These marine aspergilli were subjected to β-tubulin gene sequence analysis for species identification, and to mass production in different culture media with or without marine salts, and screening of the crude culture extracts for their cytotoxic and trypanocidal activities. Aspergillus tubingensis cultivated in potato dextrose broth with marine salt proved to be the most cytotoxic against P388 (IC50: 1028 ng mL-1) and HeLa (IC50: 1301 ng mL-1) cancer cells. On the other hand, A. fumigatus cultivated in malt extract broth without marine salt was shown to be the most potent against Trypanosoma congolense (IC50: 298.18 ng mL-1). Our study therefore showed that salinity may influence the bioactivities of some species of MDF

The Integrated Effect of Microbial Inoculants and Biochar Types on Soil Biological Properties, and Plant Growth of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Numerous reports confirm the positive effect of biochar application on soil properties and plant development. However, the interaction between root-associated beneficial microbes and different types of biochar is not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the plant growth of lettuce after the application of three types of biochar in loamy, sandy soil individually and in combination with plant-beneficial microbes. Furthermore, total microbial activity in rhizosphere soil of lettuce was measured by means of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase and enzyme activities linked to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. We used three types of biochar: (i) pyrolysis char from cherry wood (CWBC), (ii) pyrolysis char from wood (WBC), and (iii) pyrolysis char from maize (MBC) at 2% concentration. Our results showed that pyrolysis biochars positively affected plant interaction with microbial inoculants. Plant dry biomass grown on soil amended with MBC in combination with Klebsiella sp. BS13 and Klebsiella sp. BS13 + Talaromyces purpureogenus BS16aPP inoculants was significantly increased by 5.8% and 18%, respectively, compared to the control plants. Comprehensively, interaction analysis showed that the biochar effect on soil enzyme activities involved in N and P cycling depends on the type of microbial inoculant. Microbial strains exhibited plant growth-promoting traits, including the production of indole 3-acetic-acid and hydrogen cyanide and phosphate-solubilizing ability. The effect of microbial inoculant also depends on the biochar type. In summary, these findings provide new insights into the understanding of the interactions between biochar and microbial inoculants, which may affect lettuce growth and development.Peer Reviewe

Biodiversity, drug discovery, and the future of global health:Introducing the biodiversity to biomedicine consortium, a call to action

First paragraph: Looking to nature for medicine is nothing new – we have been doing it for tens of thousands of years and although modern pharmaceutical science has come a long way from those ancient roots, nature is and will always be an important source of useful compounds and inspiration. Dismissing nature in this regard is a huge mistake as evolution is the greatest problem solver and the myriad compounds produced by the immense variety of species we share the planet with have been honed by three billion years of trial and error. However, with every bit of habitat that disappears under the plough or concrete we impoverish nature and deprive ourselves of potential medicines.Additional co-authors: Uttam Babu Shrestha, Milica Pešić, Alexander Kagansk

Biodiversity, drug discovery, and the future of global health: Introducing the biodiversity to biomedicine consortium, a call to action

Looking to nature for medicine is nothing new – we have been doing it for tens of thousands of years and although modern pharmaceutical science has come a long way from those ancient roots, nature is and will always be an important source of useful compounds and inspiration. Dismissing nature in this regard is a huge mistake as evolution is the greatest problem solver and the myriad compounds produced by the immense variety of species we share the planet with have been honed by three billion years of trial and error. However, with every bit of habitat that disappears under the plough or concrete we impoverish nature and deprive ourselves of potential medicines

“Pick-up Lines”: A Fun Way to Facilitate Learning Microbiological Concepts

<p>Learning microbiology can be made fun by writing funny lines related to microbiology. Students were tasked to create their own pick-up lines and explain these based on their understanding of the basic concepts in microbiology.</p

Microbes for sustainable agriculture: Isolation and identification of beneficial soil- and plant-associated microorganisms

In soil, fungi are effective in the control of pathogens while bacteria can promote growth of plants through secretion of growth-promoting hormones. In this study, beneficial fungi and bacteria were isolated from bulk and rhizosphere soil samples, and from leaves, stems, and roots of romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) either as epiphytes or endophytes. The isolated microorganisms were tested for their ability to solubilize phosphate. Given the low amount of phosphorus in soil, the ability to acquire this mineral from the soil and share it with its host plants is an important trait that can enhance plant growth. From this study, one bacterium and seven fungal strains were capable of doing this task as evidenced by the clearing zones around colonies in Pikovskayas agar. Isolated soil- and plant-associated fungi were also tested for their ability to inhibit the growth of a plant pathogenic fungus. The dual-culture setups showed 30 of the 53 fungal strains exhibiting antagonistic activities. Of these, nine fungi positively inhibited the growth of Fusarium oxysporum. Identities of the beneficial microorganisms were confirmed through gene sequence analysis. This study showed the potential of soil- and plant- associated microorganisms as plant growth enhancer that can possibly be incorporated in soil amendments

Isolation and Characterization of Nickel-Tolerant Trichoderma Strains from Marine and Terrestrial Environments

Nickel contamination is a serious environmental issue that requires immediate action. In this study, 23 strains of Trichoderma were isolated from terrestrial and marine environments and identified using a polyphasic approach of morphological characterization and ITS gene sequence analysis. The Trichoderma strains were tested for their tolerance and biosorption of nickel. Our results showed the growth of all Trichoderma strains on Trichoderma Selective Medium (TSM) with 50–1200-ppm nickel, indicating their tolerance of this heavy metal even at a relatively high concentration. Six Trichoderma strains (three isolated from terrestrial substrates and three from marine substates) had the highest radial growth on TSM with 50-ppm Ni. Among these fungal isolates, Trichoderma asperellum (S03) isolated from soil exhibited the best growth after 2 days of incubation. For the biosorption of nickel, the accumulation or uptake efficiency by the six selected Trichoderma was determined in Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) supplemented with 50-ppm Ni using a Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The percent uptake efficiency of the three strains of T. asperellum (S03, S08, and LL14) was computed to be up to 66%, while Trichoderma virens (SG18 and SF22) and Trichoderma inhamatum (MW25) achieved up to 68% uptake efficiency. Observation of the Trichoderma strains with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) before and after the absorption of nickel showed very minimal damage on the hyphal and conidial surface morphology, but changes in the colonial characteristics were observed. Our study highlighted the potential of terrestrial and marine strains of Trichoderma for the bioremediation of nickel pollution