Species composition of trichoderma communities in Hungarian soils used for vegetable cultivation

Species of the genus Trichoderma are commonly found free-living fungi in soil and rootecosystems. It is known that the rhizosphere of agricultural soils is an ideal source of beneficial Trichoderma strains with biocontrol potential, as some of the strains showed excellent antagonistic abilities against plant pathogenic fungi. Others are able to improve plant growth, root in particular, promoting drought resistance in some crops. Biodiversity of Trichoderma isolates from the rizosphere of different vegetables (pepper, tomato, carrot, salad, spinach, pumpkin, cabbage, kohlrabi, parsley, celery, potato and bean) in garden soil samples collected at different locations in Hungary (Szeged-Sziksóstó, Balástya, Hódmezővásárhely, Szentes, Veszprém, Ózd) was comparatively examined during this study. Trichoderma strains were isolated directly from the chopped roots of the examined vegetables on dichloran - Rose Bengal medium. DNA isolation and PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2) region have been used for the identification of the isolates and for the investigation of their biodiversity. Trichoderma isolates were identified based on their ITS sequences with the aid of the barcoding program TrichOKEY 2.0 available online at the home page of the International Subcommission on Trichoderma and Hypocrea Taxonomy (www.isth.info). Among the detected isolates, species known as promising biocontrol agents (T. harzianum, T. virens, T. atroviride, T. asperellum) could be identified. Data about the biodiversity of the genus Trichoderma in vegetable rhizosphere and surveying the in vitro antagonistic abilities of the isolated Trichoderma strains may reveal potential biocontrol agents against plant pathogenic fungi. The project is co-financed by the European Union through the Hungary-Serbia IPA Crossborder Co-operation Programme (PHANETRI, HUSRB/1002/214/068)

Species composition of trichoderma communities in Hungarian soils used for vegetable cultivation

Species of the genus Trichoderma are commonly found free-living fungi in soil and rootecosystems. It is known that the rhizosphere of agricultural soils is an ideal source of beneficial Trichoderma strains with biocontrol potential, as some of the strains showed excellent antagonistic abilities against plant pathogenic fungi. Others are able to improve plant growth, root in particular, promoting drought resistance in some crops. Biodiversity of Trichoderma isolates from the rizosphere of different vegetables (pepper, tomato, carrot, salad, spinach, pumpkin, cabbage, kohlrabi, parsley, celery, potato and bean) in garden soil samples collected at different locations in Hungary (Szeged-Sziksóstó, Balástya, Hódmezővásárhely, Szentes, Veszprém, Ózd) was comparatively examined during this study. Trichoderma strains were isolated directly from the chopped roots of the examined vegetables on dichloran - Rose Bengal medium. DNA isolation and PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2) region have been used for the identification of the isolates and for the investigation of their biodiversity. Trichoderma isolates were identified based on their ITS sequences with the aid of the barcoding program TrichOKEY 2.0 available online at the home page of the International Subcommission on Trichoderma and Hypocrea Taxonomy (www.isth.info). Among the detected isolates, species known as promising biocontrol agents (T. harzianum, T. virens, T. atroviride, T. asperellum) could be identified. Data about the biodiversity of the genus Trichoderma in vegetable rhizosphere and surveying the in vitro antagonistic abilities of the isolated Trichoderma strains may reveal potential biocontrol agents against plant pathogenic fungi

Prevalence and genotypes of human papillomavirus in saliva and tumor samples of head and neck cancer patients in Hungary

Abstract In addition to traditional risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and betel nut use, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection also plays a role in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Although among European countries the highest incidence and mortality rates of head and neck cancer types were recorded in Hungary, data regarding HPV prevalence in HNSCCs is scarce. We collected biopsy and saliva samples from patients diagnosed with HNSCC or oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and tested them for the presence of HPV using the PCR consensus primer set MY09/11 and the GP5+/6+ primer pair. HPV genotypes were assessed by sequencing of the amplified PCR fragments. Oral mucosa and saliva samples from tumor- and OPMD-free individuals were also analysed. HPV was detected in 11 out of 60 HNSCC samples (18%). All of the HPV positive tumors carried HPV type 16. 5 out of the 57 saliva samples collected from HNSCC patients was HPV positive (8.8%); among them, in addition to HPV16, HPV13 was also detected. Tumors located to the oropharynx had the highest HPV positivity rate with 50% (7 out of 14), which was significantly higher than the HPV prevalence in oral mucosa samples collected from controls (0 out of 20; p > 0.001) or in OPMD biopsies (0 out of 21, p > 0.001). 2 out of 57 control saliva samples (3.5%, subtype HPV13 and 11) and 3 out of 39 saliva samples from OPMD patients (7.7%, subtype HPV18, 81 and 10) were HPV positive. Our data suggested that HPV16 infection may contribute, in concert with cigarette smoking, to the development of a subset of head and neck cancers in Hungary. HPV16 infection per se does not account, however, for the high HNSCC incidence rate recorded in this country