Brewing potential of strains of the boreal wild yeast .

Demand for low- or non-alcoholic beers has been growing in recent years. Thus, research is increasingly focusing on non- species that typically are only able to consume the simple sugars in wort, and therefore have a limited production of alcohol. In this project, new species and strains of non-conventional yeasts were sampled and identified from Finnish forest environments.

spp. Bark Hot Water Extracts Show Antiviral, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities-The Bioactive Properties of 16 Clones.

Earlier studies have shown that the bark of L. species (Salicaceae family) is rich in extractives, such as diverse bioactive phenolic compounds. However, we lack knowledge on the bioactive properties of the bark of willow species and clones adapted to the harsh climate conditions of the cool temperate zone.

A new species in the Mycosphaerellaceae from Cecidomyiidae leaf galls on Avicennia marina in South Africa.

During studies to investigate the health of mangrove trees in South Africa, high numbers of Avicennia marina were found with leaf galls caused by unidentified adults and larvae of midges (Cecidomyiidae). Fungal fruiting structures were commonly observed on the abaxial areas of the galls. To determine the identity of the fungi associated with the gall midges, phylogenetic analyses using multigene sequence data were used.

Effect of Strain, Wood Substrate and Cold Treatment on the Yield and -Glucan Content of Fruiting Bodies.

Wood residues from forestry industries can be potential raw materials for specialty and edible mushroom production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of wood residues for the cultivation of originating from boreal forests. The substrates tested included sawdust and wood chips of spp.

Is Decreased Xylem Sap Surface Tension Associated With Embolism and Loss of Xylem Hydraulic Conductivity in Pathogen-Infected Norway Spruce Saplings?

Increased abiotic stress along with increasing temperatures, dry periods and forest disturbances may favor biotic stressors such as simultaneous invasion of bark beetle and ophiostomatoid fungi. It is not fully understood how tree desiccation is associated with colonization of sapwood by fungi. A decrease in xylem sap surface tension (σ) as a result of infection has been hypothesized to cause xylem embolism by lowering the threshold for air-seeding at the pits between conduits and disruptions in tree water transport.

Two new species of Ophiostomatales (Sordariomycetes) associated with the bark beetle from Poland.

Bark beetles belonging to the genus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are known vectors of fungi, such as the pathogenic species involved in alpine fir () mortality. Associations between hardwood-infesting species and fungi in Europe have received very little research attention. Ectosymbiotic fungi residing in and (Ophiostomatales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) were commonly detected in previous surveys of the -associated mycobiome in Poland.

Localization of (+)-Catechin in Phloem: Responses to Wounding and Fungal Inoculation.

To understand the positional and temporal defense mechanisms of coniferous tree bark at the tissue and cellular levels, the phloem topochemistry and structural properties were examined after artificially induced bark defense reactions. Wounding and fungal inoculation with of spruce bark were carried out, and phloem tissues were frequently collected to follow the temporal and spatial progress of chemical and structural responses. The changes in (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, stilbene glucoside, and resin acid distribution, and accumulation patterns within the phloem, were mapped using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (cryo-ToF-SIMS), alongside detailed structural (LM, TEM, SEM) and quantitative chemical microanalyses of the tissues.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of the complex (Ophiostomatales, Ascomycota), including descriptions of six new species from China and Europe.

The complex encompasses species in the broadly defined genus (Ophiostomatales, Ascomycota) that are generally characterized by synnematous conidiophores. Most species of the complex are associates of conifer-infesting bark beetles in Europe and North America. The aims of this study were to reconsider the delineation of known species, and to confirm the identity of several additional isolates resembling that have emerged from recent surveys in China, Finland, Poland, Russia, and Spain.

Four new Ophiostoma species associated with conifer- and hardwood-infesting bark and ambrosia beetles from the Czech Republic and Poland.

Fungi under the order Ophiostomatales (Ascomycota) are known to associate with various species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). In addition this group of fungi contains many taxa that can impart blue-stain on sapwood and some are important tree pathogens. A recent survey that focussed on the diversity of the Ophiostomatales in the forest ecosystems of the Czech Republic and Poland uncovered four putative new species.

Antiviral Agents From Fungi: Diversity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications.

Viral infections are amongst the most common diseases affecting people worldwide. New viruses emerge all the time and presently we have limited number of vaccines and only few antivirals to combat viral diseases. Fungi represent a vast source of bioactive molecules, which could potentially be used as antivirals in the future.

Three new Leptographium spp. (Ophiostomatales) infecting hardwood trees in Norway and Poland.

Species of Leptographium are characterized by mononematous or synnematous conidiophores and are commonly associated with different arthropods. Some of them also produce a sexual state characterised by globose ascomata with elongated necks. Compared to investigations on coniferous trees, the occurrence of Leptographium species on hardwood trees has been poorly studied in Europe.

Cadophora margaritata sp. nov. and other fungi associated with the longhorn beetles Anoplophora glabripennis and Saperda carcharias in Finland.

Symbiosis with microbes is crucial for survival and development of wood-inhabiting longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Thus, knowledge of the endemic fungal associates of insects would facilitate risk assessment in cases where a new invasive pest occupies the same ecological niche. However, the diversity of fungi associated with insects remains poorly understood.

Can Leaf Water Content Be Estimated Using Multispectral Terrestrial Laser Scanning? A Case Study With Norway Spruce Seedlings.

Changing climate is increasing the amount and intensity of forest stress agents, such as drought, pest insects, and pathogens. Leaf water content, measured here in terms of equivalent water thickness (EWT), is an early indicator of tree stress that provides timely information about the health status of forests. Multispectral terrestrial laser scanning (MS-TLS) measures target geometry and reflectance simultaneously, providing spatially explicit reflectance information at several wavelengths.

Effects of water availability on a forestry pathosystem: fungal strain-specific variation in disease severity.

Norway spruce is one of the most important commercial forestry species in Europe, and is commonly infected by the bark beetle-vectored necrotrophic fungus, Endoconidiophora polonica. Spruce trees display a restricted capacity to respond to environmental perturbations, and we hypothesized that water limitation will increase disease severity in this pathosystem. To test this prediction, 737 seedlings were randomized to high (W+) or low (W-) water availability treatment groups, and experimentally inoculated with one of three E.

Two new Leptographium spp. reveal an emerging complex of hardwood-infecting species in the Ophiostomatales.

Species of Leptographium are generally characterized by mononematous conidiophores and are commonly associated with bark beetles and weevils. These species are responsible for sapstain and in some cases serious diseases on a range of primarily coniferous trees. In comparison with coniferous trees, the occurrence of Leptographium species on hardwood trees has been poorly studied in Europe.

Testing Projected Climate Change Conditions on the / Pathosystem Shows Fungal Strain Specific Effects.

Climate changes, exemplified by increased temperatures and CO concentration, pose a global threat to forest health. Of particular concern are pests and pathogens, with a warming climate altering their distributions and evolutionary capacity, while impairing the ability of some plants to respond to infections. Progress in understanding and mitigating such effects is currently hindered by a lack of empirical research.

Seasonal Succession of Fungi Associated with Ips typographus Beetles and Their Phoretic Mites in an Outbreak Region of Finland.

The ophiostomatoid fungi (Microascales and Ophiostomatales, Ascomycota) are common associates of Ips typographus, and include tree pathogens and species responsible for blue-stain of timber. Fungal assemblages associated with I. typographus have varied considerably between studies but few investigations have attempted to explain this variation.

The Ophiostoma clavatum species complex: a newly defined group in the Ophiostomatales including three novel taxa.

Two species of blue-stain fungi with similar morphologies, Ophiostoma brunneo-ciliatum and Ophiostoma clavatum, are associates of bark beetles infesting Pinus spp. in Europe. This has raised questions whether they represent distinct taxa.

Grosmannia and Leptographium spp. associated with conifer-infesting bark beetles in Finland and Russia, including Leptographium taigense sp. nov.

Species of Grosmannia with Leptographium anamorphs include important forest pathogens and agents of blue stain in timber. They are commonly found in association with forest pests, such as bark beetles. During a survey of ophiostomatoid fungi in eastern parts of Finland and neighboring Russia, species belonging to the genus Grosmannia were isolated from 12 different bark beetle species infesting Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris, the most economically important conifers in the region.

Associations of Conifer-Infesting Bark Beetles and Fungi in Fennoscandia.

Bark beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) have a widespread association with fungi, especially with ophiostomatoid fungi (Ascomycota) that cause blue staining of wood, and in some cases, serious tree diseases. In Fennoscandia, most studies of these fungi have focused on economically important bark beetle species and this is likely to have led to a biased view of the fungal biodiversity in the region. Recently, the associations between fungi and bark beetles in Fennoscandia have been shown to be more diverse than previously thought.

Ophiostoma spp. associated with pine- and spruce-infesting bark beetles in Finland and Russia.

The timber and pulp industries of Finland rely heavily on importations from Russia as source of raw timber. These imports raise the risk of accidentally importing forest pests and pathogens, especially bark beetles and their associated fungi, into Finland. Although ophiostomatoid fungi have previously been reported from Finland and Russia, the risks of accidentally moving these fungi has prompted a first survey to compare the diversity of conifer-infesting bark beetles and associated fungi from boreal forests on both sides of the Finnish-Russian border.