Arbuscular Mycorrhizas Alleviate Plant Stress : Analysis of Studies from South America

Fil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Department of Physics. Federal University of Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte; Minas Gerais; BrazilFil: Cabello, Marta Noemí. División Instituto Spegazzini. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Occurrence of Mycorrhizas in highland fields

Fil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Federal University of Ceará; BrazilFil: Cabello, Marta Noemí. División Instituto Spegazzini. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Essential belowground organisms for earth life but sensitive to a changing environment

Changes in the soil and environment rarely occur in isolation and new insights into their impacts on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in moderating ecosystems processes are needed. Any climate, soil and/or plant type change affects activity and biomass of extra radical mycelia of AMF and can consequently impact on the physiology of the host plant as well as on soil structure and rhizospheric microorganisms. Mycorrhizae have immediate access to plant root exudates and can alter the chemical composition and relative abundance of these exudates, which are a source of nutrients for many soil organisms. Thus, mycorrhizal symbiosis can directly and indirectly influence soil microbes, nutrient cycling and plant growth. Studies have revealed that AMF are cosmopolitan organisms which are present around the world and in particular in tropical dry forests, in temperate grasslands and in riparian forests. However, mycorrhizae formation is susceptible to environmental changes in both soils as well as in host plant populations. Due to the large number of factors affecting mycorrhizas the symbiosis is still little understood and it is not yet been efficiently used despite their enormous potentiality. This work explores the current research on the effects of environmental changes produced by human activities on the mycorrhizal symbioses, drawing on results mainly in agroecosystems and succession on disturbed ecosystems from Argentina and Brazil. Additionally, factors affecting indigenous mycorrhiza from different successional stages in the semiarid region of Brazil ecosystems and their possible role in the composition and stability of plant communities are discussed.Fil: Covacevich, Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Echeverría, Hernán E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei; Brasi

Microbial pigments

Among the natural sources, pigment producing microorganisms have potential to meet actual new defies. Natural colors develop the market tendencies of the product including associated features such as antioxidant, anticancer properties, to name just a few. Several microorganisms are promising for natural colors prospection due its increased management flexibility for cultivation. Most significant natural pigments produced by bacteria, algae and fungi were compiled. Nowadays, researchers continue to bio-explore for novel compounds from microbes and fungi obtaining several drugs which valuated the fungal bio-prospecting market. Moreover they have stressed the urgent need to search for sites and substrates with high fungal richness towards protection of fungal resources for unique compound detection. In this review, a general summary and most notorious reports on this topic are mentioned. Moreover, various sources of microbial pigments and the needs to explore their biological and medicinal properties like antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory are presented. The study also emphasizes upon key parameters to improve the bioactivity and production of microbial pigments for their commercial useFil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Rosa, Luiz Henrique. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Fernández, Natalia Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad de Bariloche. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Biotecnología; Argentin

Diversity and Benefits of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in Restored Riparian Plantations

Due to the increasing use of vegetation for fuel wood, cattle, agriculture, and due to population pressure that negatively affects biodiversity values, more plantations are needed to obtain a permanent vegetal cover. Attention has been paid to microbial interactions (arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM)) for management and inoculation. To evaluate the benefits of inoculation, the root colonization of inoculated seedlings, soil aggregation, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity were examined by two field treatments (fertilized with organic matter (OM) vs. fertilized with natural rock phosphate (P)). The preserved and experimental areas presented higher AMF spore number and richness (nine species) than the degraded areas. The addition of OM or P did not improve root colonization by AMF; however, it was a guarantee for a successful restoration as, in the restored fields, a high soil aggregation was found, in addition to a high root colonization, spore number, and richness of AMF. However, the undisturbed site presented the more prominent values. This study showed that AMF are important components in riparian areas, and it brings information for inoculant production in ecological restoration using mixed plantations, contributing to the establishment of mycorrhizal vegetation and soil aggregation that not only benefit AM plants, but also allow non-host plants in degraded areas

Native species for restoration and conservation of biodiversity in South America

Since for terrestrial ecosystems, land-use change probably will have the largest effect on biodiversity, research on native species of both plant and fungi have received more attention for restoration of degraded ecosystems and for mitigation of the expected effects on biodiversity. Very few studies in South America have pointed to the importance of the soil microbiological and biological processes influence upon biodiversity conservation of natural ecosystems. Research on the mycotrophy of plants is thus fundamental to the understanding of the ecophysiological characteristics and therefore for improve their conservation. The same applies for endangered vegetation, especially under extreme climatic and edaphic environmental conditions. Until recently, the role of native plant endophyte (and, also of symbiotic bacteria or fungi) had received little attention. Studies of aquatic plants, types of endophyte and dominant species colonizing plants offer new reports and point to the urgent need for further research. In paricular, reports of dark septate endophytes in roots of plants have received increasingly more attention as possible mutualistic. However, it must be kept in mind that symbiosis type is also influenced by environmental factors. Little is known about the soil biota and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi present in roots of most plant species also dominating in tropical dry forests and in the Andean region, which could help in dealing with the uncertainties in future climate and vegetation. Very few studies have been devoted to the consequences of the plant symbioses on the ecosystem function. The aim of this review is to explore currently available information on soil microbiology influencing biodiversity conservation of natural ecosystems and to speculate about the management of natural sites focusing on root symbioses. Case studies of the Brazilian dry forest/woodland and the Andean Puna are mentioned.Fil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Universidade Federal Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Lugo, Mónica Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Soares de Araújo, Francisca. Universidade Federal Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Ferrero, Marcela Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Menoyo, Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Steinaker, Diego Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional la Pampa-san Luis. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria San Luis. Agencia de Extension Rural Villa Mercedes.; Argentin

Cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides from plants: The future of antimicrobial therapy

There has been a spurt in the spread of microbial resistance to antibiotics due to indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry. It has been realized that conventional antibiotic therapy would be less effective in the coming decades and more emphasis should be given for the development of novel antiinfective therapies. Cysteine rich peptides (CRPs) are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that modulate the innate immune system of different life forms such as bacteria, protozoans, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. These are also expressed in several plant tissues in response to invasion by pathogens, and play a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth and development. The present work explores the importance of CRPs as potent antimicrobial agents, which can supplement and/or replace the conventional antibiotics. Different plant parts of diverse plant species showed the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which had significant structural and functional diversity. The plant-derived AMPs exhibited potent activity toward a range of plant and animal pathogens, protozoans, insects, and even against cancer cells. The cysteine-rich AMPs have opened new avenues for the use of plants as biofactories for the production of antimicrobials and can be considered as promising antimicrobial drugs in biotherapeutics