Publications by authors named "Franco Magurno"

Green roofs and walls play an important role in promoting biodiversity, reducing the urban heat island effect and providing ecosystem services in urban areas. However, the conditions on green walls/roofs (low nutrient and organic matter content, drought, high temperatures) are often unfavorable for plant growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve the growth and development of plants under stress conditions as they can increase nutrient and water uptake.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi - Glomeromycota and Endogonomycetes - comprise multiple species and higher-level taxa that have remained undescribed. We propose a mixed morphology- and DNA-based classification framework to promote taxonomic communication and shed light into the phylogenetic structure of these ecologically essential fungi. Based on eDNA samples and long reads as type materials, we describe 15 new species and corresponding genera (, , , , , , , , , , , , , and ), the genus as well as 19 families (Pseudoentrophosporaceae, Hoforsaceae, Kahvenaceae, Kelottijaerviaceae, Kungsaengenaceae, Langduoaceae, Lehetuaceae, Lokrumaceae, Moosteaceae, Nikkaluoktaceae, Parniguaceae, Riederbergaceae, Ruuaceae, Tammsaareaceae, Unemaeeaceae, Bifigurataceae, Planticonsortiaceae, Jimgerdemanniaceae and Vinositunicaceae) and 17 orders (Hoforsales, Kahvenales, Kelottijaerviales, Kungsaengenales, Langduoales, Lehetuales, Lokrumales, Moosteales, Nikkaluoktales, Parniguales, Riederbergales, Ruuales, Tammsaareales, Unemaeeales, Bifiguratales and Densosporales), and propose six combinations (, , , , and ) based on phylogenetic evidence.

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Studies of the morphology and the 45S nuc rDNA phylogeny of three potentially undescribed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (phylum Glomeromycota) grown in cultures showed that one of these fungi is a new species of the genus in the family Diversisporaceae; the other two fungi are new species in Scutellosporaceae. sp. nov.

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As a result of phylogenomic, phylogenetic, and morphological analyses of members of the genus , four potential new glomoid spore-producing species and , a new order, Entrophosporales, with one family, Entrophosporaceae (=Claroideoglomeraceae), was erected in the phylum Glomeromycota. The phylogenomic analyses recovered the Entrophosporales as sister to a clade formed by Diversisporales and Glomeraceae. The strongly conserved entrophosporoid morph of , provided with a newly designated epitype, was shown to represent a group of cryptic species with the potential to produce different glomoid morphs.

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Changes in soil microbial communities in response to hydrocarbon pollution are critical indicators of disturbed ecosystem conditions. A core component of these communities that is functionally adjusted to the life-history traits of the host and environmental factors consists of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF communities associated with and growing at a phenol and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated site and at an uncontaminated site were compared based on LSU rDNA sequencing.

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The genus has undergone many updates since it was first described; however, there are some missing pieces in the phylogenetic relationships among species. The present review aimed to: (i) understand the evolutionary meaning of their different spore wall ornamentations; (ii) define the best molecular marker for phylogenetic inferences, (iii) address some specific issues concerning the polyphyletic nature of and , and the inclusion of species; and (iv) update the global geographical distribution of species. As such, the wall ornamentation of previously described species was reviewed and phylogenetic analyses were carried out based on ITS and SSU-ITS-LSU (nrDNA).

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Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) comprise a diverse and ubiquitous group of fungal generalists with broad habitat niches that robustly colonize the roots of plants in stressful environments. DSEs possess adaptation strategies that determine their high tolerance to heavy metal (HM) contamination, drought, and salinity. Most DSEs developed efficient melanin-dependent and melanin-independent mechanisms of HM detoxification and osmoprotection, including intracellular immobilization and extracellular efflux of HMs and excess ions, and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species.

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Three new species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of the genus (phylum Glomeromycota) were described based on their morphology and molecular phylogeny. The phylogeny was inferred from the analyses of the partial 45S rDNA sequences (18S-ITS-28S) and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II () gene. These species were associated in the field with plants colonizing maritime sand dunes of the Baltic Sea in Poland and formed mycorrhiza in single-species cultures.

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Examination of fungal specimens collected in the Atlantic rain forest ecosystems of Northeast Brazil revealed many potentially new epigeous and semihypogeous glomerocarp-producing species of the phylum Glomeromycota. Among them were two fungi that formed unorganized epigeous glomerocarps with glomoid spores of almost identical morphology. The sole structure that distinguished the two fungi was the laminate layer 2 of their three-layered spore wall, which in spores of the second fungus crushed in PVLG-based mountants contracted and, consequently, transferred into a crown-like structure.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous mutualistic plant symbionts that promote plant growth and protect them from abiotic stresses. Studies on AMF-assisted phytoremediation have shown that AMF can increase plant tolerance to the presence of hydrocarbon contaminants by improving plant nutrition status and mitigating oxidative stress. This work aimed to evaluate the impact of single and mixed-species AMF inocula (Funneliformis caledonium, Diversispora varaderana, Claroideoglomus walkeri), obtained from a contaminated environment, on the growth, oxidative stress (DNA oxidation and lipid peroxidation), and activity of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase) in Lolium perenne growing on a substrate contaminated with 0/0-30/120 mg phenol/polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) kg.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize land plants in almost every ecosystem, even in extreme conditions, such as saline soils. In the present work, we report the mycorrhizal capacity of rhizosphere soils collected in the dry desert region of the Minqin Oasis, located in the northwest of China (Gansu province), which is characterized by several halophytes. spp.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous, obligatory plant symbionts that have a beneficial influence on plants in contaminated environments. This study focused on evaluating the biomass and biodiversity of the AMF and microbial communities associated with Poa trivialis and Phragmites australis plants sampled at an aged site contaminated with phenol and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and an uncontaminated control site. We analyzed the soil phospholipid fatty acid profile to describe the general structure of microbial communities.

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We examined three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; phylum Glomeromycota) producing glomoid spores. The mode of formation and morphology of these spores suggested that they represent undescribed species in the genus of the family Glomeraceae. Subsequent morphological studies of the spores and molecular phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the nuc rDNA small subunit (18S), internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.

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In field conditions, grapevine roots normally are colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, little is published, from either morphological or molecular studies, on the species composition of these symbionts in production vineyards. The AMF biodiversity of two Piedmont vineyards (at Neive and Lessona), characterized by different soil features, was investigated by morphological and molecular analyses.

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A high copy number of retrotransposon sequences are present and widely dispersed in plant genomes. Their activity generates a considerable degree of sequence polymorphism. Here, we report the cloning of CYRE-5, a long-terminal repeat carrying retrotransposon-like sequence in Cynara cardunculus L.

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