Adaptation of potato cultivars to phosphorus variability and enhancement of phosphorus efficiency by Bacillus subtilis.

Background: Plants utilize a variety of mechanisms to adapt to fluctuations in phosphorus (P) availability. Potatoes, in comparison to other crops, often display reduced phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) due to their underdeveloped root systems; therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying PUE is critical for improving it. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological and physiological responses of potatoes to different P levels, with a focus on root system alterations and PUE.

Mycoviruses Increase the Attractiveness of for Fungivores and Suppress Production of the Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol.

RNA viruses of the genera , , , and were found in a single isolate of . The genomes of the mitovirus, sclerotimonavirus, and partitivirus were assigned to previously described viruses, whereas the ambivirus genome putatively represents a new species, named 1 (FgAV1). To investigate the effect of mycoviruses on the fungal phenotype, the spontaneous loss of mycoviruses during meiosis and the transmission of mycoviruses into a new strain via anastomosis were used to obtain isogenic strains both with and without mycoviruses.

The Role of Mycotoxins in Interactions between and Growing in Saprophytic Cultures and Co-Infecting Maize Plants.

() and () co-occur in infected plants and plant residues. In maize ears, the growth of is stimulated while is suppressed. To elucidate the role of mycotoxins in these effects, we used mutants with disrupted synthesis of nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) and a mutant with disrupted synthesis of fumonisins to monitor fungal growth in mixed cultures in vitro and in co-infected plants by real-time PCR.

Characterization of Peroxidase and Laccase Gene Families and In Silico Identification of Potential Genes Involved in Upstream Steps of Lignan Formation in Sesame.

Peroxidases and laccases are oxidative enzymes involved in physiological processes in plants, covering responses to biotic and abiotic stress as well as biosynthesis of health-promoting specialized metabolites. Although they are thought to be involved in the biosynthesis of (+)-pinoresinol, a comprehensive investigation of this class of enzymes has not yet been conducted in the emerging oil crop sesame and no information is available regarding the potential (+)-pinoresinol synthase genes in this crop. In the present study, we conducted a pan-genome-wide identification of peroxidase and laccase genes coupled with transcriptome profiling of diverse sesame varieties.

Fusarium culmorum Produces NX-2 Toxin Simultaneously with Deoxynivalenol and 3-Acetyl-Deoxynivalenol or Nivalenol.

Fusarium culmorum is a major pathogen of grain crops. Infected plants accumulate deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), or nivalenol (NIV), which are mycotoxins of the trichothecene B group. These toxins are also produced by F.

Comparative genomics reveals low levels of inter- and intraspecies diversity in the causal agents of dwarf and common bunt of wheat and hint at conspecificity of Tilletia caries and T. laevis.

Tilletia caries and T. laevis, which are the causal agents of common bunt, as well as T. controversa, which causes dwarf bunt of wheat, threaten especially organic wheat farming.

Monomer Release from Dental Resins: The Current Status on Study Setup, Detection and Quantification for In Vitro Testing.

Improvements in mechanical properties and a shift of focus towards esthetic dentistry led to the application of dental resins in various areas of dentistry. However, dental resins are not inert in the oral environment and may release monomers and other substances such as Bisphenol-A (BPA) due to incomplete polymerization and intraoral degradation. Current research shows that various monomers present cytotoxic, genotoxic, proinflammatory, and even mutagenic effects.

Fusaric acid detoxification: a strategy of Gliocladium roseum involved in its antagonism against Fusarium verticillioides.

Fungal co-culture has several biotechnological applications including the discovery or the enhanced production of secondary metabolites. It is also a powerful tool aiding to elucidate the involvement of secondary metabolism in fungus-fungus interactions. The aim of this work was to investigate secondary metabolites produced when Fusarium verticillioides is co-cultured with Gliocladium roseum.

A comparative in vitro study on monomer release from bisphenol A-free and conventional temporary crown and bridge materials.

This study aimed to investigate the release of common monomers from two conventional and two bisphenol A (BPA)-free temporary crown and bridge materials. Cylindrical samples of all materials were prepared (N = 90; five samples for each material and cycle of analysis). All samples were immersed in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-grade water and incubated for 1 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 7 days in an incubation shaker at 37°C and 112 rpm.

Early response of soil fungal communities to the conversion of monoculture cropland to a temperate agroforestry system.

Background: Alley-cropping systems in the temperate zone are a type of agroforestry in which rows of fast-growing trees are alternated with rows of annual crops. With numerous environmental benefits, temperate agroforestry is considered a promising alternative to conventional agriculture and soil fungi may play a key in maintaining productivity of these systems. Agroforestry systems that are established for more than 10 years have shown to increase the fungal biomass and impact the composition of soil fungal communities.

Secondary metabolites of Hülle cells mediate protection of fungal reproductive and overwintering structures against fungivorous animals.

Fungal Hülle cells with nuclear storage and developmental backup functions are reminiscent of multipotent stem cells. In the soil, Hülle cells nurse the overwintering fruiting bodies of . The genome of harbors genes for the biosynthesis of xanthones.

Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for the detection of Tilletia controversa based on genome comparison.

Tilletia controversa causing dwarf bunt of wheat is a quarantine pathogen in several countries. Therefore, its specific detection is of great phytosanitary importance. Genomic regions routinely used for phylogenetic inferences lack suitable polymorphisms for the development of species-specific markers.

Relative Abundances of Species or Sequence Variants Can Be Misleading: Soil Fungal Communities as an Example.

Plant production systems that are more sustainable than conventional monoculture croplands are the vision of future agriculture. With numerous environmental benefits, agroforestry is among the most promising alternatives. Although soil fungi are key drivers of plant productivity and ecosystem processes, investigations of these microorganisms in temperate agroforestry systems are scarce, leaving our understanding of agricultural systems under agroforestry practice incomplete.

Tree rows in temperate agroforestry croplands alter the composition of soil bacterial communities.

Background: Tree-based intercropping (agroforestry) has been advocated to reduce adverse environmental impacts of conventional arable cropping. Modern agroforestry systems in the temperate zone are alley-cropping systems that combine rows of fast-growing trees with rows of arable crops. Soil microbial communities in these systems have been investigated intensively; however, molecular studies with high taxonomical resolution are scarce.

Lignans of Sesame ( L.): A Comprehensive Review.

Major lignans of sesame sesamin and sesamolin are benzodioxol--substituted furofurans. Sesamol, sesaminol, its epimers, and episesamin are transformation products found in processed products. Synthetic routes to all lignans are known but only sesamol is synthesized industrially.

Head Blight: Effect of Infection Timing on Spread of and Spatial Distribution of Deoxynivalenol within Wheat Spikes.

Most studies of head blight (FHB) focused on wheat infection at anthesis. Less is known about infections at later stages. In this study, the effect of infection timing on the development of FHB and the distribution of fungal biomass and deoxynivalenol (DON) along wheat spikes was investigated.

Occurrence, Pathogenicity, and Mycotoxin Production of in Relation to Other Species on Maize in Germany.

is a plant pathogenic fungus infecting cereal grain crops. In 2011, the species was divided in and . In order to determine the occurrence and significance of and on maize, a monitoring of maize ears and stalks was carried out in Germany in 2017 and 2018.

Protection of Citrus Fruits from Postharvest Infection with and Degradation of Patulin by Biocontrol Yeast 146.

Fungal rots are one of the main causes of large economic losses and deterioration in the quality and nutrient composition of fruits during the postharvest stage. The yeast 146 has previously been shown to efficiently protect lemons from green mold caused by . In this work, the effect of yeast concentration and exposure time on biocontrol efficiency was assessed; the protection of various citrus fruits against by 146 was evaluated; the ability of strain 146 to degrade mycotoxin patulin was tested; and the effect of the treatment on the sensory properties of fruits was determined.

Improved normalization of species count data in ecology by scaling with ranked subsampling (SRS): application to microbial communities.

Background: Analysis of species count data in ecology often requires normalization to an identical sample size. Rarefying (random subsampling without replacement), which is the current standard method for normalization, has been widely criticized for its poor reproducibility and potential distortion of the community structure. In the context of microbiome count data, researchers explicitly advised against the use of rarefying.

Improved Protocol for DNA Extraction from Subsoils Using Phosphate Lysis Buffer.

As our understanding of soil biology deepens, there is a growing demand for investigations addressing microbial processes in the earth beneath the topsoil layer, called subsoil. High clay content in subsoils often hinders the recovery of sufficient quantities of DNA as clay particles bind nucleic acids. Here, an efficient and reproducible DNA extraction method for 200 mg dried soil based on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) lysis in the presence of phosphate buffer has been developed.

Impact of Environmental Conditions and Agronomic Practices on the Prevalence of Species Associated with Ear- and Stalk Rot in Maize.

species are common pathogens on maize and reduce the product quality through contamination with mycotoxins thus jeopardizing safety of both animal feed and human food products. Monitoring of infected maize ears and stalks was conducted in Germany to determine the range of species present in the field and to assess the impact of tillage, crop rotation, and weather conditions on the frequency of species. From 2016 till 2018, a total of 387 infected ears and 190 stalk segments from 58 locations in Germany were collected.

Poplar Rows in Temperate Agroforestry Croplands Promote Bacteria, Fungi, and Denitrification Genes in Soils.

Agroforestry, which is the integration of trees into monoculture cropland, can alter soil properties and nutrient cycling. Temperate agroforestry practices have been shown to affect soil microbial communities as indicated by changes in enzyme activities, substrate-induced respiration, and microbial biomass. Research exploring soil microbial communities in temperate agroforestry with the help of molecular tools which allow for the quantification of microbial taxa and selected genes is scarce.

Different Components of the RNA Interference Machinery Are Required for Conidiation, Ascosporogenesis, Virulence, Deoxynivalenol Production, and Fungal Inhibition by Exogenous Double-Stranded RNA in the Head Blight Pathogen .

In filamentous fungi, gene silencing through RNA interference (RNAi) shapes many biological processes, including pathogenicity. We explored the requirement of key components of fungal RNAi machineries, including DICER-like 1 and 2 (DCL1, DCL2), ARGONAUTE 1 and 2 (AGO1, AGO2), AGO-interacting protein QIP (QDE2-interacting protein), RecQ helicase (QDE3), and four RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRP1, RdRP2, RdRP3, RdRP4), in the ascomycete mycotoxin-producing fungal pathogen () for sexual and asexual multiplication, pathogenicity, and its sensitivity to double-stranded (ds)RNA. We corroborate and extend earlier findings that conidiation, ascosporogenesis, and Fusarium head blight (FHB) symptom development require an operable RNAi machinery.