Insights into Taxol® biosynthesis by endophytic fungi.

There have been two hundred reports that endophytic fungi produce Taxol®, but its production yield is often rather low. Although considerable efforts have been made to increase Taxol/taxanes production in fungi by manipulating cocultures, mutagenesis, genome shuffles, and gene overexpression, little is known about the molecular signatures of Taxol biosynthesis and its regulation. It is known that some fungi have orthologs of the Taxol biosynthetic pathway, but the overall architecture of this pathway is unknown.

Solar UV-B effects on composition and UV screening efficiency of foliar phenolics in Arabidopsis thaliana are augmented by temperature.

The accumulation of foliar phenolics constitutes one strategy of plants against the potentially harmful effects of ultraviolet-B and A (UV-B, UV-A) radiation. These compounds protect photosensitive tissues by shielding and antioxidative function. It is unknown, however, whether seasonal acclimation to natural conditions may modify the UV-B effect on phenylpropanoid composition and localisation, and thus their screening efficiency.

Single cell subtractive transcriptomics for identification of cell-specifically expressed candidate genes of pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis.

Progress has recently been made in the elucidation of pathways of secondary metabolism. However, because of its diversity, genetic information concerning biosynthetic details is still missing for many natural products. This is also the case for the biosynthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Independent recruitment of a flavin-dependent monooxygenase for safe accumulation of sequestered pyrrolizidine alkaloids in grasshoppers and moths.

Several insect lineages have developed diverse strategies to sequester toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids from food-plants for their own defense. Here, we show that in two highly divergent insect taxa, the hemimetabolous grasshoppers and the holometabolous butterflies, an almost identical strategy evolved independently for safe accumulation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. This strategy involves a pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxygenase that transfers the pyrrolizidine alkaloids to their respective N-oxide, enabling the insects to avoid high concentrations of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the hemolymph.

Species richness and ecological characterization of myxomycetes and myxomycete-like organisms in the canopy of a temperate deciduous forest.

The ecological community of myxomycetes and myxomycete-like organisms (MMLO) in the canopy of living deciduous trees was studied in a riparian deciduous forest at Leipzig, Germany. A systematic survey carried out with a total of 146 moist chamber cultures resulted in 386 records of 37 taxa, with 32 myxomycetes, two myxobacteria, two protostelids and the fruit body forming ciliate Sorogena stoianovitchae, the latter recorded for the first time for Europe. With 94% of all cultures positive for MMLO, these organisms are present consistently in the investigated sections of white-rotten twigs attached to living trees at 10-30 m above the ground.

New and remarkable microfungi in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.

During our investigation on microfungi in North Rhine Westphalia in the years 2002 and 2003 we were able to collect and identify some new and rare species of microfungi as parasites and saprophytes on wild and ornamental plants. Some of these like Erysiphe elevata (BURILL.) U.

Mycodiversity on a dead stem of the giant hogweed--Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommer et Levier.

During our investigations on microfungi in the Ruhr area we were able to find the remarkable mycodiversity of different genera and species on dead stems of Heracleum mantegazzianum, a Neophyt for the European flora. Altemaria alternata (FR.FR.

New, rare or remarkable microfungi in the Italian Alps (Carnic Alps)--part II--other microfungi.

In addition to the collection of Ascomycotina in the Carnic Alps (see New, rare or remarkable microfungi in the Italian Alps (Carnic Alps) part I ) we were able to treasure about 300 species of parasitic and saprophytic microfungi. Among them Basidiomycetes, Ascomycetes and Deuteromycets like Bostrichonema polygoni (UNGER) SCHROT. on Polygonum viviparum L.

New, rare or remarkable microfungi in the Italian Alps (Carnic Alps)--part I--ascomycotina.

During our observations in the SE part of the Carnic Alps in the year 2003 we were able to collect and identify 35 ascomycetes on trees and dead wood. Among these one can find numerous ascomycetes of different orders e.g.