Variability of non-mutualistic filamentous fungi associated with Atta sexdens rubropilosa nests

A survey of the filamentous fungi other than the symbiotic one found in association with Atta sexdens rubropilosa colonies was carried out. Different fungal species (27 taxa) were isolated a few days after treating the workers with toxic baits (sulfluramid; Mirex-SO), from 40 laboratory and 20 field nests. Syncephalastrum racemosum (54 %) and Escovopsis weberi (21 %), Trichoderma harzianum (38 %) and Fusarium oxysporum (23 %) were the prevalent species in laboratory and field nests, respectively. Acremonium kiliense, Acremonium strictum, E. weberi, F oxisporum, Fusarium solani, Moniliella silaveolens and T harzianum were found in both nests' groups. We revealed that many filamentous fungi can co-exist in a dormant state inside the nests of these insects and some of them appear to be tightly associated with this environment.

Use of fungal inocula and pumice for decomposing coffee pulp

A study of decomposition of coffee pulp (from Guatemala City, Guatemala) was carried out with several inocula. Fresh and pressed pulps were studied in field and laboratory experiments. Results showed that the best inoculum among the eight examined in the experiments was the fungus Trichoderma viride, the only one not isolated from the coffee pulp itself. This inoculum, together with pumice, accelerated the decomposition of coffee pulp at ambient temperature during a 45-day test period. © 1985.

Effects of cumulative doses of vinasse on soil microorganisms in cerrado

Counts of colony forming units of actinomycetes, bacteria and filamentous fungi were determined in cerrado soil treated with vinasse (processed sugar cane effluent) for 5 yr, using doses of 20 l m-2a-1 and 50 l m-2a-1. A temporary increase in the counts of actinomycetes and bacteria for some months after the addition of vinasse was observed. An increased number of fungi was detected throughout the experiment together with qualitative changes in the population. The most abundant fungi in cerrado soil not treated with vinasse (control soil) were Chaetomium, yeasts, Mucor, Penicillium and Trichoderma, while in vinasse treated soils, the same genera adding Verticillium, with the exception of yeasts, were the most common fungi. -Author

Influence of different drying temperatures on the amount of essential oils and citral content in Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. - Poaceae

Studies were conducted to show the effect of different temperatures in the drying process on the amount and quality of essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. Leaves were harvested in the experimental field of the Agronomical Sciences College, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil in September, 1996. Blades of the leaves were cut in small parts (about 1-1,5 cm length), dried for several days at 30°, 50°, 70° and 90°C, until establishment of the weights. In the following process a hydrodistillation, during 2.5 hours, by Clevenger apparatus, was subsidized to extract the essential oils. A higher amount of oil could clearly be collected with the lower drying temperatures, except at 30°C, affected by fungus growing. Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Rhyzopus sp., Cladosporium sp., Trichoderma sp. and Alternaria sp. were observed in the leaves. The analysis of the oil by GC-MS showed the variation of citral concentration of the treatments (86,1 to 95,2%). The results proved it is worthwhile to spend more time and effort in the production process using longer times of careful drying.

Assessment of microfungi in fungus gardens free of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The purpose of this study was to determine the microfungi present in young nests of Atta sexdens rubropilosa when the fungus gardens were deprived of worker ants. The results were compared with another study in which worker ants had been killed by using toxic baits, and some species such as Acremonium kiliense, Escovopsis weberi, Moniliella suaveolens and Trichoderma sp. were confirmed among the most common inhabitants of this microenvironment, but differences in composition and proportion of species were observed. The importance and the role of these and other species of fungi within the symbiosis are discussed.

Filamentous fungi from the Atlantic marine sponge Dragmacidon reticulatum

Dragmacidon reticulatum is a marine sponge of wide occurrence in the Eastern and Western Atlantic. Little is known about D. reticulatum fungal diversity. Filamentous fungi recovered from D. reticulatum were assessed in the present study using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, including classical morphology, molecular biology and MALDI-TOF ICMS. Ninety-eight fungal strains were isolated from two D. reticulatum samples by using six different culture media, which were identified up to the genus level. Sixty-four distinct fungal ribotypes were obtained, distributed among twenty-four different genera belonging to the Ascomycota and Zygomycota. Representatives of Penicillium and Trichoderma were the most diverse and abundant fungi isolated. Amongst Penicillium spp. three isolates belonged to the same ribotype can be considered as a putative new species. Data derived from the present study highlight the importance of using a polyphasic approach to get an accurate identification in order to structure a reliable culture collection. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Xylo-oligosaccharides from lignocellulosic materials: Chemical structure, health benefits and production by chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis

Currently, there is worldwide interest in the technological use of agro-industrial residues as a renewable source of food and biofuels. Lignocellulosic materials (LCMs) are a rich source of cellulose and hemicellulose. Hemicellulose is rich in xylan, a polysaccharide used to develop technology for producing alcohol, xylose, xylitol and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs). The XOSs are unusual oligosaccharides whose main constituent is xylose linked by β 1-4 bonds. The XOS applications described in this paper highlight that they are considered soluble dietary fibers that have prebiotic activity, favoring the improvement of bowel functions and immune function and having antimicrobial and other health benefits. These effects open a new perspective on potential applications for animal production and human consumption. The raw materials that are rich in hemicellulose include sugar cane bagasse, corncobs, rice husks, olive pits, barley straw, tobacco stalk, cotton stalk, sunflower stalk and wheat straw. The XOS-yielding treatments that have been studied include acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, auto-hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis, but the breaking of bonds present in these compounds is relatively difficult and costly, thus limiting the production of XOS. To obviate this limitation, a thorough evaluation of the most convenient methods and the opportunities for innovation in this area is needed. Another challenge is the screening and taxonomy of microorganisms that produce the xylanolytic complex and enzymes and reaction mechanisms involved. Among the standing out microorganisms involved in lignocellulose degradation are Trichoderma harzianum, Cellulosimicrobium cellulans, Penicillium janczewskii, Penicillium echinulatu, Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus awamori. The enzyme complex predominantly comprises endoxylanase and enzymes that remove hemicellulose side groups such as the acetyl group. The complex has low β-xylosidase activities because β-xylosidase stimulates the production of xylose instead of XOS; xylose, in turn, inhibits the enzymes that produce XOS. The enzymatic conversion of xylan in XOS is the preferred route for the food industries because of problems associated with chemical technologies (e.g., acid hydrolysis) due to the release of toxic and undesired products, such as furfural. The improvement of the bioprocess for XOS production and its benefits for several applications are discussed in this study. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Fungal communities in the garden chamber soils of leaf-cutting ants

Leaf-cutting ants modify the properties of the soil adjacent to their nests. Here, we examined whether such an ant-altered environment impacts the belowground fungal communities. Fungal diversity and community structure of soil from the fungus garden chambers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Atta bisphaerica, two widespread leaf-cutting ants in Brazil, were determined and compared with non-nest soils. Culture-dependent methods revealed similar species richness but different community compositions between both types of soils. Penicillium janthinellum and Trichoderma spirale were the prevalent isolates in fungus chamber soils and non-nest soils, respectively. In contrast to cultivation methods, analyses of clone libraries based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated that richness of operational taxonomic units significantly differed between soils of the fungus chamber and non-nest soils. FastUnifrac analyses based on ITS sequences further revealed a clear distinction in the community structure between both types of soils. Plectania milleri and an uncultured Clavariaceae fungus were prevalent in fungus chamber soils and non-nest soils, respectively. FastUnifrac analyses also revealed that fungal community structures of soil from the garden chambers markedly differed among ant species. Our findings suggest that leaf-cutting ants affect fungal communities in the soil from the fungus chamber in comparison to non-nest soils. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.

Avaliação do perfil de produção de enzimas e potencial de degradação do herbicida diuron pelos fungos isolados de solo de plantação de cana-de-açúcar

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparação da produção de celulases e xilanases por fungos filamentosos em fermentação submersa e estado sólido

Pós-graduação em Microbiologia - IBILCE

Alterações microbiológicas e químicas na silagem de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.) in natura e queimada, inoculadas ou não, com Lactobacillus buchneri

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ocorrência de fungos filamentosos em ninhos de Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) submetidos a tratamentos com iscas tóxicas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diversidade de geofungos em águas do Parque Municipal do Ibirapuera na cidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Produção de xilanase por fungos filamentosos isolados de solo de área de caatinga

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Microbiologia Aplicada) - IBRC

Aplicação de extratos enzimáticos fúngicos na ensilagem do milho

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)