is a plant pathogenic fungus that is frequently described as having a broad host range encompassing more than 500 species. We noticed that citations provided in support of this statement do not actually demonstrate such a broad host range. To elucidate the true documented host range of this fungus, we initiated a literature meta-analysis of 894 publications on since 1913.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSignaling via volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has historically been studied mostly by entomologists; however, botanists and mycologists are increasingly aware of the physiological potential of chemical communication in the gas phase. Most research to date focuses on the observed effects of VOCs on different organisms such as differential growth or metabolite production. However, with the increased interest in volatile signaling, more researchers are investigating the molecular mechanisms for these effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlue mold of apple is caused by several different species, among which and are the most frequently isolated. is the most aggressive species, and is very weak when infecting apple fruit during storage. In this study, we report complete genomic analyses of three different species: R21 and NJ1, isolated from stored apple fruit; and .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhite-nose syndrome is an emergent wildlife disease that has killed millions of North American bats. It is caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a cold-loving, invasive fungal pathogen that grows on bat tissues and disrupts normal hibernation patterns. Previous work identified trans-2-hexenal as a fungistatic volatile compound that potentially could be used as a fumigant against P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Members of the genus Aspergillus display a variety of lifestyles, ranging from saprobic to pathogenic on plants and/or animals. Increased genome sequencing of economically important members of the genus permits effective use of "-omics" comparisons between closely related species and strains to identify candidate genes that may contribute to phenotypes of interest, especially relating to pathogenicity. Protein-coding genes were predicted from 216 genomes of 12 Aspergillus species, and the frequencies of various structural aspects (exon count and length, intron count and length, GC content, and codon usage) and functional annotations (InterPro, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes terms) were compared.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiocontrol of the mycotoxin aflatoxin utilizes non-aflatoxigenic strains of , which have variable success rates as biocontrol agents. One non-aflatoxigenic strain, NRRL 35739, is a notably poor biocontrol agent. Its growth in artificial cultures and on peanut kernels was found to be slower than that of two aflatoxigenic strains, and NRRL 35739 exhibited less sporulation when grown on peanuts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF1-Octen-3-ol is one of the most abundant volatile compounds associated with fungi and functions as a germination and growth inhibitor in several species. By investigating its effect on the biosynthesis of patulin, a mycotoxin made by Penicillium expansum, it was found that a sub-inhibitory level of volatile 1-octen-3-ol increased accumulation of patulin on a medium that normally suppresses the mycotoxin. Transcriptomic sequencing and comparisons of control and treated P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInhibition of spore germination offers an attractive and effective target for controlling fungal species involved in food spoilage. Mushroom alcohol (1-octen-3-ol) functions as a natural self-inhibitor of spore germination for many fungi and, therefore, provides a useful tool for probing the molecular events controlling the early stages of fungal growth. In Penicillium spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt is a perennial medicinal herb that contains pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins as the major bioactive constituents. In China, the rhizomes are used as treatments for a variety of ailments including arthritis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(RRSV) is a very important virus that infects rice and causes serious yield losses in Asian countries and other major rice planting areas. Thus, it is urgent to establish an efficient and practical approach for identification and diagnosis in the field. Our results indicated that reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) reactions are more efficient and sensitive than RT-PCR for RRSV detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlutathione-S-transferases (GST) comprise a multifunctional protein superfamily, which plays important roles as detoxifiers and antioxidants in insects. The GST in Asian corn borer has not been previously characterized. In this study, we cloned, characterized, and expressed the complete GST genes from the midgut of Asian corn borer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrought stress is a global problem, and the lack of water is a key factor that leads to agricultural shortages. MicroRNAs play a crucial role in the plant drought stress response; however, the microRNAs and their targets involved in drought response have not been well elucidated. In the present study, we used Illumina platform (https://www.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by members of the genus Aspergillus, most notably A. flavus. Non-aflatoxigenic strains of A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and a few other closely related species of Aspergillus. These highly toxigenic and carcinogenic mycotoxins contaminate global food and feed supplies, posing widespread health risks to humans and domestic animals. Field application of nonaflatoxigenic strains of A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a large genus of common molds with over 400 described species; however, identification of individual species is difficult, including for those species that cause postharvest rots. In this study, blue rot fungi from stored apples and pears were isolated from a variety of hosts, locations, and years. Based on morphological and cultural characteristics and partial amplification of the β-tubulin locus, the isolates were provisionally identified as several different species of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlue mold is the vernacular name of a common postharvest disease of stored apples, pears, and quince that is caused by several common species of This study reports the draft genome sequence of strain R21, which was isolated from a red delicious apple in 2011 in Pennsylvania.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPenicillium solitum is one of the most prevalent species causing postharvest decay of pomaceous fruits during storage. Here, we report the draft genome of P. solitum strain NJ1, received as a transfer of a strain originally identified as P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPenicillium sclerotiorum is a distinctive species within the genus Penicillium that usually produces vivid orange to red colonies, sometimes with colorful sclerotia. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of P. sclerotiorum strain 113, isolated in 2013 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy from a flooded home in New Jersey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorn is one of the most widely grown crops throughout the world. However, many corn fields develop pest problems such as corn borers every year that seriously affect its yield and quality. Corn's response to initial insect damage involves a variety of changes to the levels of defensive enzymes, toxins, and communicative volatiles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSorghum mosaic virus (SrMV), a causal agent of the destructive sugarcane mosaic disease, has a global presence. An isolate of SrMV infecting a commercially-grown sugarcane plant was recovered from the Hainan province of China. The virions were visualized by an electron microscope, and the coat proteins (CPs) were sequenced by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorn defense systems against insect herbivory involve activation of genes that lead to metabolic reconfigurations to produce toxic compounds, proteinase inhibitors, oxidative enzymes, and behavior-modifying volatiles. Similar responses occur when the plant is exposed to methyl jasmonate (MeJA). To compare the defense responses between stalk borer feeding and exogenous MeJA on a transcriptional level, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods following Ostrinia furnacalis leaf feeding and MeJA leaf treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is well-known to induce plant defense mechanisms effective against a wide variety of insect and microbial pests. High-resolution 2-DE gel electrophoresis was used to discover changes in the leaf proteome of maize exposed to MeJA. We sequenced 62 MeJA-responsive proteins by tandem mass spectroscopy, and deposited the mass spectra and identities in the EMBL-EBI PRIDE repository under reference number PXD001793.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicinal fungi, taken whole or as various forms of extracts, have been used to alleviate, cure or prevent human ailments since pre-historic times. In particular, Asian cultures have incorporated a variety of mushrooms into their medical practices. Chemically pure, bioactive metabolites from fungi have been a mainstay of modern pharmacological research and in addition to antibiotics, include anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, enzyme inhibitors, antagonist and agonists of hormones, and a variety of psychotropic substances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF