Altered Expression of Two Small Secreted Proteins ( and ) Affects the Degradation of a Natural Lignocellulosic Substrate by .

is a white-rot fungus that can degrade lignin in a preferential manner using a variety of extracellular enzymes, including manganese and versatile peroxidases (encoded by the and genes, respectively). This fungus also secretes a family of structurally related small secreted proteins (SSPs) encoded by the genes. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we determined that and are the predominant members of this gene family that were expressed by during the first three weeks of growth on wheat straw.

Spike Formation Is a Turning Point Determining Wheat Root Microbiome Abundance, Structures and Functions.

Root selection of their associated microbiome composition and activities is determined by the plant's developmental stage and distance from the root. Total gene abundance, structure and functions of root-associated and rhizospheric microbiomes were studied throughout wheat growth season under field conditions. On the root surface, abundance of the well-known wheat colonizers and decreased and increased, respectively, during spike formation, whereas abundance of was independent of spike formation.

Pairwise Interactions of Three Related Species in Plant Roots and Inert Surfaces.

Bacteria are social organisms that interact extensively within and between species while responding to external stimuli from their environments. Designing synthetic microbial communities can enable efficient and beneficial microbiome implementation in many areas. However, in order to design an efficient community, one must consider the interactions between their members.

Elevated CO and nitrate levels increase wheat root-associated bacterial abundance and impact rhizosphere microbial community composition and function.

Elevated CO stimulates plant growth and affects quantity and composition of root exudates, followed by response of its microbiome. Three scenarios representing nitrate fertilization regimes: limited (30 ppm), moderate (70 ppm) and excess nitrate (100 ppm) were compared under ambient and elevated CO (eCO, 850 ppm) to elucidate their combined effects on root-surface-associated bacterial community abundance, structure and function. Wheat root-surface-associated microbiome structure and function, as well as soil and plant properties, were highly influenced by interactions between CO and nitrate levels.

Correction to: The microbiome as a biosensor: functional profiles elucidate hidden stress in hosts.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

The microbiome as a biosensor: functional profiles elucidate hidden stress in hosts.

Background: Microbial communities are highly responsive to environmental cues, and both their structure and activity can be altered in response to changing conditions. We hypothesized that host-associated microbial communities, particularly those colonizing host surfaces, can serve as in situ sensors to reveal environmental conditions experienced by both microorganisms and the host. For a proof-of-concept, we studied a model plant-soil system and employed a non-deterministic gene-centric approach.

The Visuo-Motor Attention Test in Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Methylphenidate-Placebo Randomized Controlled Trial.

To assess the visuomotor attention ability in children with ADHD and controls and their response to placebo and Methylphenidate (MPH) treatment. 36 boys with ADHD and 36 age matched typical controls were administered the visuomotor attention test (VMAT) as a baseline and following a week of MPH(IR) or placebo administered to the study group, in a randomized crossover design. A significant difference between the study and control groups was found on several VMAT measures.

Growing a circular economy with fungal biotechnology: a white paper.

Fungi have the ability to transform organic materials into a rich and diverse set of useful products and provide distinct opportunities for tackling the urgent challenges before all humans. Fungal biotechnology can advance the transition from our petroleum-based economy into a bio-based circular economy and has the ability to sustainably produce resilient sources of food, feed, chemicals, fuels, textiles, and materials for construction, automotive and transportation industries, for furniture and beyond. Fungal biotechnology offers solutions for securing, stabilizing and enhancing the food supply for a growing human population, while simultaneously lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Seeking the Roles for Fungal Small-Secreted Proteins in Affecting Saprophytic Lifestyles.

Small secreted proteins (SSPs) comprise 40-60% of the total fungal secretome and are present in fungi of all phylogenetic groups, representing the entire spectrum of lifestyles. They are characteristically shorter than 300 amino acids in length and have a signal peptide. The majority of SSPs are coded by orphan genes, which lack known domains or similarities to known protein sequences.

Immunomodulating Effects Exerted by Glucans Extracted from the King Oyster Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii (Agaricomycetes) Grown in Substrates Containing Various Concentrations of Olive Mill Waste.

We have recently demonstrated that we could enhance glucan content in Pleurotus eryngii following cultivation of the mushrooms on a substrate containing different concentrations of olive mill solid waste (OMSW). These changes are directly related to the content of OMSW in the growing substrate. Using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-in-flammatory bowel disease (IBD) mice model, we measured the colonic inflammatory response to the different glucan preparations.

Directed Evolution of β-Glucosidase A Towards Enhanced Thermostability.

β-Glucosidases are key enzymes in the process of cellulose utilization. It is the last enzyme in the cellulose hydrolysis chain, which converts cellobiose to glucose. Since cellobiose is known to have a feedback inhibitory effect on a variety of cellulases, β-glucosidase can prevent this inhibition by hydrolyzing cellobiose to non-inhibitory glucose.

Identification and manipulation of genes involved in sensitivity to furfural.

Background: Biofuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass are a viable alternative to fossil fuels required for transportation. Following plant biomass pretreatment, the furan derivative furfural is present at concentrations which are inhibitory to yeasts. Detoxification of furfural is thus important for efficient fermentation.

Altering NO emissions by manipulating wheat root bacterial community.

Nitrous oxide (NO) is a greenhouse gas and a potent ozone-depleting substance in the stratosphere. Agricultural soils are one of the main global sources of NO emissions, particularly from cereal fields due to their high areal coverage. The aim of this study was to isolate NO-reducing bacteria able to mitigate NO emissions from the soil after inoculation.

Manipulating the Expression of Small Secreted Protein 1 (Ssp1) Alters Patterns of Development and Metabolism in the White-Rot Fungus .

The function of small secreted proteins (SSPs) in saprotrophic fungi is, for the most part, unknown. The white-rot mushroom produces considerable amounts of SSPs at the onset of secondary metabolism, during colony development, and in response to chemical compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and aryl alcohols. Genetic manipulation of Ssp1, by knockdown (KD) or overexpression (OE), indicated that they are, in fact, involved in the regulation of the ligninolytic system.

Transformation of lamotrigine by white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus.

One of the most persistent pharmaceutical compounds commonly found in treated wastewater is lamotrigine (LTG). It has also been detected in soils and crops irrigated with treated wastewater. Here we focused on the ability of the white-rot edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus to remove and transform LTG in liquid cultures.

Host Specificity and Spatial Distribution Preference of Three Isolates.

Plant hosts recruit and maintain a distinct root-associated microbiota based on host and bacterium traits. However, past studies disregarded microbial strain-host specificity and spatial micro-heterogeneity of the root compartment. Using genetic manipulation, confocal laser scanning microscopy, real-time quantitative PCR, and genome sequencing we characterized the colonization patterns of three spp.

Root microbiome response to treated wastewater irrigation.

With increasing fresh water (FW) scarcity, the use of treated wastewater (TWW) for crop irrigation is expanding globally. Besides clear benefits, some undesired long-term effects of irrigation with this low quality water on plant performance have been reported. As the rhizosphere microbiome can mediate plant-soil interactions, an examination of the response of these organisms to TWW is necessary to understand the full effects of water quality.

Spatial Distribution of Glucan Type and Content between Caps and Stalks in : Impact on the Anti-inflammatory Functionality.

is recognized for its prominent nutritional and medicinal value. In our study, we tested the effect of glucans on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of TNF-α. We demonstrated that glucan extracts are more effective than mill mushroom preparations.

Effects of modification in the white-rot fungus altering substrate preference during biological pretreatment.

Background: During the process of bioethanol production, cellulose is hydrolyzed into its monomeric soluble units. For efficient hydrolysis, a chemical and/or mechanical pretreatment step is required. Such pretreatment is designed to increase enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose chains inter alia by de-crystallization of the cellulose chains and by removing barriers, such as lignin from the plant cell wall.

Author Correction: A role for small secreted proteins (SSPs) in a saprophytic fungal lifestyle: Ligninolytic enzyme regulation in Pleurotus ostreatus.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Quality of Irrigation Water Affects Soil Functionality and Bacterial Community Stability in Response to Heat Disturbance.

Anthropogenic activities alter the structure and function of a bacterial community. Furthermore, bacterial communities structured by the conditions the anthropogenic activities present may consequently reduce their stability in response to an unpredicted acute disturbance. The present mesocosm-scale study exposed soil bacterial communities to different irrigation water types, including freshwater, fertilized freshwater, treated wastewater, and artificial wastewater, and evaluated their response to a disturbance caused by heat.

A role for small secreted proteins (SSPs) in a saprophytic fungal lifestyle: Ligninolytic enzyme regulation in Pleurotus ostreatus.

Small secreted proteins (SSPs), along with lignocellulose degrading enzymes, are integral components of the secretome of Pleurotus ostreatus, a white rot fungus. In this study, we identified 3 genes (ssp1, 2 and 3) encoding proteins that are annotated as SSPs and that exhibited of ~4,500- fold expression, 24 hr following exposure to the toxic compound 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Homologues to genes encoding these SSPs are present in the genomes of other basidiomycete fungi, however the role of SSPs is not yet understood.

How does cellulosome composition influence deconstruction of lignocellulosic substrates in () DSM 1313?

Background: Bioethanol production processes involve enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. Due to the relatively high cost of enzyme production, the development of potent and cost-effective cellulolytic cocktails is critical for increasing the cost-effectiveness of bioethanol production. In this context, the multi-protein cellulolytic complex of () the cellulosome, was studied here.

Olive Mill Waste Enhances α-Glucan Content in the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii.

Mushroom polysaccharides are edible polymers that have numerous reported biological functions; the most common effects are attributed to β-glucans. In recent years, it became apparent that the less abundant α-glucans also possess potent effects in various health conditions. Here we explore several species for their total, β and α-glucan content.