Ecological and Molecular Interactions between Insects and Fungi

Insects and fungi represent two of the most widespread groupings of organisms in nature, occurring in every kind of ecological context and impacting agriculture and other human activities in various ways. Moreover, they can be observed to reciprocally interact, establishing a wide range of symbiotic relationships, from mutualism to antagonism. The outcome of these relationships can in turn affect the extent at which species of both organisms can exert their noxious effects, as well as the management practices which are to be adopted to counter them. In conjunction with the launch of a Special Issue of Microorganisms with the same title, this article offers a general overview of the manifold aspects related to such interactions from the perspective of implementing our capacity to regulate them in a direction more favorable for the environment, crop production and human health

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

Productivity, nutritional and functional qualities of perennial wall-rocket: Effects of pre-harvest factors

AbstractPerennial wall-rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It has spread worldwide due to its functional properties, and has long been known in folk medicine of native populations in areas of the Mediterranean and western Asia. In the past, Diplotaxis tenuifolia was a herbaceous plant harvested and consumed as a spontaneous herb, but today it is an important leafy vegetable in ready-to-use salads, with an increasing impact in the national and international vegetable retail markets. The leaves of perennial wall-rocket have valuable nutritional properties because of the amounts of antioxidant compounds they contain, in particular glucosinolates, vitamin C, as well as flavonoids, which make their consumption beneficial for preventing some types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. In the current review, major pre-harvest factors of Diplotaxis tenuifolia production, such as cropping systems, fertilization, as well as water management and irrigation, are addressed with respect to crop productivity and leaf quality

Le prospettive delle fonti rinnovabili nel quadro della politica energetica dell’Unione Europea

The 2030 Agenda examines the issue of energy efficiency and renewable energy, setting ambitious goals for 2030. The present Italian law related to renewable energy is based on the European Directive 28/2009, which was  recast  in the 2001 Directive in December 2018. The new Directive establishes a binding EU target, laying down that 32% of EU enrgy consumption must be derived from renewable sources by the year 2030. Considering that the previous target for Italy was 17%, it emerges that the new objectives are particularly ambitious and will require the adoption of new national laws and local measures, aimed at the adoption of an energy policy consistent with the European strategy. This paper focuses on the issue of the  energy efficiency of buildings in the EU and Italy, highlighting the new trends and the relationship with renewable energy sources and self-consumption. The topic is of strategic importance in the context of the choices that will be made in the field of energy policy as over half of the final energy consumption of the EU is to be attributed to the heating and cooling systems of buildings. Some of the main analyses are here presented and show the historical trends of the EU Directive 28 and 2001, with our sights set on the deadlines of 2020and 2030. One of the aims of this work is to highlight the relevance of the expected growth of the renewable energy sources in the electric sector and the trend for the energy efficiency of  buildings. Le prospettive delle fonti rinnovabili nel quadro della politica energetica dell’Unione EuropeaL’Agenda 2030 esamina il tema dell’efficienza energetica e dell’energia rinnovabile ponendo degli obiettivi ambiziosi entro il 2030, coerenti con la politica energetica dell’Unione europea. L’attuale schema legislativo italiano inerente la promozione delle fonti rinnovabili di energia si riferisce alla Direttiva europea 28/2009, che nel dicembre del 2018, dopo circa 9 anni, è stata rifusa nella Direttiva 2001, apportando delle importanti novità inerenti gli obiettivi vincolanti da conseguire entro il 2020. Secondo la nuova rafforzata politica di promozione alle fonti rinnovabili di energia, gli Stati membri dovranno garantire che nel 2030 la percentuale di energia derivante da tali fonti sia pari almeno al 32% rispetto al consumo lordo finale di energia dell’Unione. Considerato che il precedente obiettivo dell’Italia per l’anno 2020 consisteva in una percentuale di generazione rispetto ai consumi del 17%, si prospetta l’esigenza di porre particolare attenzione riguardo i nuovi obiettivi della Direttiva 2001 anche mediante l’adozione di nuove misure nazionali e locali. Il presente lavoro focalizza l’attenzione verso le previsioni della futura politica energetica e evidenzia l’importanza del tema dell’efficienza energetica degli edifici. L’argomento è di importanza strategica nell’ambito delle scelte che dovranno essere intraprese nell’ambito della politica energetica in quanto oltre la metà del consumo di energia finale dell’Unione è da attribuire al settore del riscaldamento e del raffrescamento degli edifici. Uno degli obiettivi dell’analisi presentata in questo lavoro è quello di evidenziare l’esigenza di elaborare un approccio più sinergico rispetto al tema dell’efficienza energetica, privilegiando i sistemi di generazione elettrica che utilizzano la tecnologia fotovoltaica finalizzata all’autoconsumo degli edifici.L’Agenda 2030 esamina il tema dell’efficienza energetica e dell’energia rinnovabile ponendo degli obiettivi ambiziosi entro il 2030, coerenti con la politica energetica dell’Unione europea. L’attuale schema legislativo italiano inerente la promozione delle fonti rinnovabili di energia si riferisce alla Direttiva europea 28/2009, che nel dicembre del 2018, dopo circa 9 anni, è stata rifusa nella Direttiva 2001, apportando delle importanti novità inerenti gli obiettivi vincolanti da conseguire entro il 2020. Secondo la nuova rafforzata politica di promozione alle fonti rinnovabili di energia, gli Stati membri dovranno garantire che nel 2030 la percentuale di energia derivante da tali fonti sia pari almeno al 32% rispetto al consumo lordo finale di energia dell’Unione. Considerato che il precedente obiettivo dell’Italia per l’anno 2020 consisteva in una percentuale di generazione rispetto ai consumi del 17%, si prospetta l’esigenza di porre particolare attenzione riguardo i nuovi obiettivi della Direttiva 2001 anche mediante l’adozione di nuove misure nazionali e locali. Il presente lavoro focalizza l’attenzione verso le previsioni della futura politica energetica e evidenzia l’importanza del tema dell’efficienza energetica degli edifici. L’argomento è di importanza strategica nell’ambito delle scelte che dovranno essere intraprese nell’ambito della politica energetica in quanto oltre la metà del consumo di energia finale dell’Unione è da attribuire al settore del riscaldamento e del raffrescamento degli edifici. Uno degli obiettivi dell’analisi presentata in questo lavoro è quello di evidenziare l’esigenza di elaborare un approccio più sinergico rispetto al tema dell’efficienza energetica, privilegiando i sistemi di generazione elettrica che utilizzano la tecnologia fotovoltaica finalizzata all’autoconsumo degli edifici. The Perspectives of Renewable Energy Sources in the Framework of UE Energy PolicyThe 2030 Agenda examines the issue of energy efficiency and renewable energy, setting ambitious goals for 2030. The present Italian law related to renewable energy is based on the European Directive 28/2009, which was  recast  in  the 2001 Directive in December 2018. The new Directive establishes a binding EU target, laying down that 32% of EU enrgy consumption must be derived from renewable sources by the year 2030. Considering that the previous target for Italy was 17%, it emerges that the new objectives are particularly ambitious and will require the adoption of new national laws and local measures, aimed at the adoption of an energy policy consistent with the European strategy. This paper focuses on the issue of the  energy efficiency of buildings in the EU and Italy, highlighting the new trends and the relationship with renewable energy sources and self-consumption. The topic is of strategic importance in the context of the choices that will be made in the field of energy policy as over half of the final energy consumption of the EU is to be attributed to the heating and cooling systems of buildings. Some of the main analyses are here presented and show the historical trends of the EU Directive 28 and 2001, with our sights set on the deadlines of 2020and 2030. One of the aims of this work is to highlight the relevance of the expected growth of the renewable energy sources in the electric sector and the trend for the energy efficiency of  buildings

Anti-Insect Properties of Penicillium Secondary Metabolites

: In connection with their widespread occurrence in diverse environments and ecosystems, fungi in the genus Penicillium are commonly found in association with insects. In addition to some cases possibly implying a mutualistic relationship, this symbiotic interaction has mainly been investigated to verify the entomopathogenic potential in light of its possible exploitation in ecofriendly strategies for pest control. This perspective relies on the assumption that entomopathogenicity is often mediated by fungal products and that Penicillium species are renowned producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Indeed, a remarkable number of new compounds have been identified and characterized from these fungi in past decades, the properties and possible applications of which in insect pest management are reviewed in this paper

Phylogenetic Characterization of Botryosphaeria Strains Associated with Asphondylia Galls on Species of Lamiaceae

In the last decade, Botryosphaeria dothidea has been steadily reported as an associate of gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in a variety of host plants and ecological settings. This cosmopolitan fungus is well-known for its ability to colonize many plant species, as both a pathogen and an endophyte. Thus, the shift from this general habit to a lifestyle involving a strict symbiotic relationship with an insect introduces expectancy for possible strain specialization which could reflect separated phylogenetic lineages. Considering the recent taxonomic revision concerning species of Botryosphaeria, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships among strains recovered from Asphondylia galls collected on several species of Lamiaceae in Poland and in Italy, and all the currently accepted species in this genus. A number of strains previously characterized from gall samples from Australia and South Africa, whose genetic marker sequences are deposited in GenBank, were also included in the analysis. As a result, full identity as B. dothidea is confirmed for our isolates, while strains from the southern hemisphere grouped separately, indicating the existence of genetic variation related to the geographic origin in the association with gall midges

Effectiveness of the Fungal Metabolite 3-O-Methylfunicone towards Canine Coronavirus in a Canine Fibrosarcoma Cell Line (A72)

Canine coronavirus (CCoV), an alphacoronavirus, may cause self-limiting enteric disease in dogs, especially in puppies. The noteworthy plasticity of coronaviruses (CoVs) occurs through mutation and recombination processes, which sometimes generate new dangerous variants. The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the isolation of a novel canine–feline recombinant alphacoronavirus from humans emphasizes the cross-species transmission ability of CoVs. In this context, exploring antiviral compounds is essential to find new tools for fighting against CoVs infections. Fungi produce secondary metabolites, which are often developed as antibiotics, fungicides, hormones, and plant growth regulators. Previous examinations of benzo-γ-pyrone 3-O-methylfunicone (OMF), obtained from Talaromyces pinophilus, showed that it reduces the infectivity of hepatitis C virus and bovine herpesvirus 1. Based on this evidence, this study evaluated the antiviral ability of OMF against CCoV infection in a canine fibrosarcoma (A72) cell line. During CCoV infection, a non-toxic dose of OMF markedly increased features of cell viability. Moreover, OMF induced a significant reduction in virus yield in the presence of an intense downregulation of the viral nucleocapsid protein (NP). These findings occurred in the presence of a marked reduction in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression. Taken together, preliminary findings suggest that OMF inhibiting AhR shows promising activity against CCoV infection

Cytosporin-related compounds from the marine-derived fungus Eutypella scoparia

[EN] Chemical investigation of the culture broth of the fungus Eutypella scoparia ICB-OBX, isolated from the marine pulmonate mollusc Onchidium sp., led to the finding of novel compounds 1 and 2, structurally related to angiotensin II binding inhibitors cytosporins, along with unrelated known nitrogen metabolites (compounds 3¿5). The structure and the relative stereochemistry of the novel metabolites were assigned mainly by a detailed analysis of two-dimensional NMR techniques whereas the absolute stereochemistry was proposed by modified Mosher's method. Compound 2 contains an unusual cyclic carbonate functionality that is rare among natural products.Ciavatta, ML.; López-Gresa, MP.; Gavagnin, M.; Nicoletti, R.; Manzo, E.; Mollo, E.; Guo, Y.... (2008). Cytosporin-related compounds from the marine-derived fungus Eutypella scoparia. Tetrahedron. 64(22):5365-5369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2008.03.016S53655369642

Occurence and Bioactivities of Funicone-Related Compounds

Studies on production of secondary metabolites by fungi have received a substantial boost lately, particularly with reference to applications of their biological properties in human medicine. Funicones represent a series of related compounds for which there is accumulating evidence supporting their possible use as pharmaceuticals. This paper provides a review on the current status of knowledge on these fungal extrolites, with special reference to aspects concerning their molecular structures and biological activities