The need for a coordinated action to elucidate ecological occurrence and functions of endophytic fungal communities

Abstract Research concerning endophytic fungi has recently received a remarkable boost following a general trend to investigate and exploit biodiversity in all its forms, and because of the easier access to equipment and methods, which enables quicker identification procedures. The available data highlight that, besides the plant hosts, endophytes consistently interact with the other components of biocoenosis, and that the assortment of the microbial consortium is also to be considered on account of the reciprocal influence between the several species which are part of it. Unravelling these complex ecological relationships is fundamental because of possible translational applications, particularly regarding crop management. However, this requires that the available information concerning plant species, ecological contexts or functional categories of endophytes is examined fully. In this aim, a coordinated effort appears to be necessary to organise the current knowledge to increase the significance and the practical impact of new findings

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of the tetramic acid based natural product harzianic acid and its stereoisomers

Financial support for this project was provided by Cancer Research UK (Grant No. C21383/A6950)The bioactive natural product harzianic acid was prepared for the first time in just six steps (longest linear sequence) with an overall yield of 22%. The identification of conditions to telescope amide bond formation and a Lacey-Dieckmann reaction into one pot proved important. The three stereoisomers of harzianic acid were also prepared, providing material for comparison of their biological activity. While all of the isomers promoted root growth, improved antifungal activity was unexpectedly associated with isomers in the enantiomeric series opposite that of harzianic acid.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

La destitución del mito. Christa Wolf y la reescritura de la memoria histórica

The main aim of this essay is to go through Christa Wolf's literary itinerary through a perspective that I define as mythological destitution. From this standpoint, I analyze Wolf's four fundamental works. In the first —Divided Heaven— the author tests the concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, a re-elaboration of the past that allows us to overcome it. In the second —Patterns of Childhood— Wolf develops the analytical figure of what she calls phantastische Genauigkeit, a fictional exactness as the only possibility of accessing a collective historical memory. Finally, in Cassandra and Medea authentic historical reconstruction is identified with the deconstruction of male discourse about women. Europe stands at the core of all of these works: Cold War Europe, Nazi Europe, Europe in the original moment of its ideological foundation.En este ensayo se reconstruye el recorrido narrativo de Christa Wolf desde una perspectiva que propongo definir como destitución mitológica. Se fijan cuatro estaciones correspondientes con las cuatro novelas cruciales en la biografía literaria de la autora. La primera es El cielo partido, en la que Wolf trabaja con el concepto de Vergangenheitsbewältigung, es decir: una elaboración del pasado que permite su superación. La segunda es Muestra de infancia, en la que aparece la figura de la precisión fantástica, entendida como la única auténtica posibilidad de memoria histórica colectiva. Finalmente Casandra y Medea, donde este trabajo de rememoración encuentra su aplicación en la deconstrucción del discurso masculino sobre lo femenino. En el centro de cada una de estas estaciones está Europa: la Europa de la guerra fría, la Europa del nazismo, la Europa en su momento de fundación ideológica

Organic Amendments, Beneficial Microbes, and Soil Microbiota: Toward a Unified Framework for Disease Suppression

Organic amendments (OAs) and soilborne biocontrol agents or beneficial microbes (BMs) have been extensively studied and applied worldwide in most agriculturally important plant species. However, poor integration of research and technical approaches has limited the development of effective disease management practices based on the combination of these two bio-based strategies. Insights into the importance of the plant-associated microbiome for crop productivity, which can be modified or modulated by introducing OAs and/or BMs, are providing novel opportunities to achieve the goal of long-term disease control. This review discusses novel ways of functionally characterizing OAs and how they may be used to promote the effect of added biocontrol agents and/or beneficial soil microbiota to support natural suppressiveness of plant pathogens

Seismic behaviour of geotechnical structures

This paper deals with some fundamental considerations regarding the behaviour of geotechnical structures under seismic loading. First a complete definition of the earthquake disaster risk is provided, followed by the importance of performing site-specific hazard analysis. Then some suggestions are provided in regard to adequate assessment of soil parameters, a crucial point to properly analyze the seismic behaviour of geotechnical structures. The core of the paper is centered on a critical review of the analysis methods available for studying geotechnical structures under seismic loadings. All of the available methods can be classified into three main classes, including the pseudo-static, pseudo-dynamic and dynamic approaches, each of which is reviewed for applicability. A more advanced analysis procedure, suitable for a so-called performance-based design approach, is also described in the paper. Finally, the seismic behaviour of the El Infiernillo Dam was investigated. It was shown that coupled elastoplastic dynamic analyses disclose some of the important features of dam behaviour under seismic loading, confirmed by comparing analytical computation and experimental measurements on the dam body during and after a past earthquake

Effect of Selected Trichoderma Strains and Metabolites on Olive Drupes

Beneficial fungal strains of the genus Trichoderma are used as biofungicides and plant growth promoters. Trichoderma strains promote the activation of plant defense mechanisms of action, including the production of phenolic metabolites. In this work, we analyzed the effects of selected Trichoderma strains (T. asperellum KV906, T. virens GV41, and T. harzianum strains TH1, M10, and T22) and their metabolites (harzianic acid and 6-pentyl-α-pyrone) on drupes of young olive trees (4-year-old) cv. Carolea. This study used the untargeted analysis of drupe metabolome, carried out by LC–MS Q-TOF, to evaluate the phenolics profiles and target metabolomics approach to detect oleuropein and luteolin. The untargeted approach showed significant differences in the number and type of phenolic compounds in olive drupes after Trichoderma applications (by root dipping and drench soil irrigation method) compared to control. The levels of oleuropein (secoiridoid) and luteolin (flavonoid) varied according to the strain or metabolite applied, and in some cases, were less abundant in treated plants than in the control. In general, flavonoids’ levels were influenced more than secoiridoid production. The dissimilar aptitudes of the biological treatments could depend on the selective competence to cooperate with the enzymes involved in producing the secondary metabolites to defend plants by environmental stresses. Our results suggest that using selected fungi of the genus Trichoderma and their metabolites could contribute to selecting the nutraceutical properties of the olive drupe. The use of the metabolites would bring further advantages linked to the dosage in culture and storag