Resistance of Microbial Community of Artemisia annua L.to Pathogenic Fungi

[Objectives]This paper was to figure out whether the dominant bacterial community has the role and effect of bacterial community and its defense mechanism against potential pathogenic fungi in Artemisia annua,and thus establish a systematic model of bacteria-fungus-plant.[Methods]Fifty-eight strains of bacteria and one strain of pathogenic fungi,Globisporangium ultimatum,were used for the experiments.These 58 bacterial strains were assembled into a bacterial community,and the bacteria with abundance in the top 1%were reassembled into a dominant bacterial community as measured by 16S rDNA.[Results]The growth of A.annua seedlings inoculated with bacterial communities and pathogenic fungi or dominant bacterial communities and pathogenic fungi was significantly better than that of A.annua seedlings inoculated with pathogenic fungi during in vitro confrontation,which was evident in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant assays.[Conclusions]The results suggest that the dominant bacterial community has a crucial role as a representative core microbial community of synthetic bacterial community,which can protect plants by interfering with the growth of phytopathogenic fungi mediated by chemical signals,and can be used as the main synthetic community of biocides to achieve the effect of biocontrol.

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of the Extract and Compound from Acorus tatarinowii Against Seven Plant Pathogenic Fungi

Acorus tatarinowii Schott is a traditional Chinese medicine plant and has multiple bioactivities in medicine and pesticide field. In this study, the antifungal compound 1,2-dimethoxy-4（2-propenyl） benzene was isolated from A. tatarinowii Schott by activity-directed isolation method, and the inhibitory activity of the extract and 1,2-dimethoxy-4（2-propenyl） benzene against seven plant pathogenic fungi was evaluated. The results showed that the extract and 1,2-dimethoxy-4（2- propenyl） benzene had high inhibitory activity against hyphal growth of Thielaviopsis paradoxa （de Seynes） V. Hohnel, Pestalotia mangiferae P. Henn., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum （E. F. Smith） Syn. et Hans., Alternaria alternate Tanaka, Colletotrichum musae （Berk et Curt） V. Arx, Sphaceloma fawcettii Jenk., and Mycosphaerella sentina （Fr.） Schroter. The EC50 values of extract were 1.6162, 1.6811, 1.1253, 3.5771, 1.7024, 2.2284, and 2.2221 g L^-1, respectively, and the EC50 values of 1,2-dimethoxy-4（2-propenyl） benzene were 0.1021, 0.0997, 0.0805, 0.1742, 0.1503, 0.1853, and 0.1924 g L^-1, respectively. 1,2-Dimethoxy-4（2-propenyl） benzene also inhibited spores germination of T. paradoxa （de Seynes） V. Hohnel and F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum （E. F. Smith） Syn. et Hans., with the inhibitory rates of 98.81 and 100% at a concentration of 0.4 g L^-1 after 8 h, respectively. 1,2-Dimethoxy-4（2-propenyl） benzene is a potential botanical antifungal agent for controling of plant fungal diseases.

A Preliminary Investigation of Pathogenic Fungi from Lotus(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn)in Nanchang City

[Objectives]Lotus(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn)is an economically important aquatic plant in China.Fungal disease is a serious problem in lotus cultivation.In this study,the pathogenic fungi on lotus in Nanchang City were investigated to lay the foundation for the disease control.[Methods]Lotus leaves and stems in ponds of Nanchang City were collected,the fungi on leave/stem spots were isolated and purified.Colonies morphological characters and ITS sequences were used to identify the strains.[Results]49 strains were isolated and identified to 20 species,belonging to 12 genera.[Discussion]15 species may firstly be reported on lotus in this study,i.e.,Alternaria angustiovoidea,Alternaria compacta,Alternaria ricini,Alternaria tenuissima,Arthrinium arundinis,Botryosphaeria dothidea,Curvularia spicifera,Diaporthe australiana,Diaporthe eres,Diaporthe tectonae,Epicoccum nigrum,Fusarium fujikuroi,Neofusicoccum parvum,Nigrospora sphaerica,and Phomopsis eucommii.

Toxicity of Lanthanum to Pathogenic Fungi and Its Morphological Characteristics

The inhibitory effects of La on the mycelial growth of several soil-borne pathogenic fungi including Rhizoctonia solani , Pythium sp., Fusarium solani , Selerotinia sclerotiorum , and Fusarium oxyspoxum were studied in vitro. The results show that the mycelial growth was inhibited strongly by the La, with EC50 of 130 - 320 mg·L^-1 and EC95 of about 550- 40007 mg·L^-1 respectively. In addition, the morphological toxicity of La was studied by using the scanning electronic microscope. Treated by La, the mycelial growth of pathogenic fungi was significantly restrained, and the morphological characteristics were found to be abnormal, such as increased ramification, malformation, partial swelling and shrinking, and irregularly entangled mycelial block or rhizomorph.

Antifungal Activity and Toxicity of Two New types of Polyene Antibiotics against Four Species of Rice Pathogenic Fungi

The antifungal activity and toxicity of new type polyene macrolide antibiotics-Antifungalmycin 702 and Fungichromin against Rhizoctonia solani, Hel- minthosporium sigmoideum Car. , Magnaporthe grisea and Ustilaginoidea virens were studied by mycelial growth rate method and mycelial dry weight method in vitro. The results showed that both of Antifungalmycin 702 and Fungichromin had strong antifungal activity against four speices of rice pathogenic fungi. Treated with 50 μmL Antifungalmycin 702 , the inhibitory rates of Antifungalmycin 702 agmnst R. solani, H. sigmoideum Cav., M. grisea and U. virens were 100%, 100%,91.20% and 68.10%, and EC50 and ECho were 7.00, 10.30, 14.41, 26.71 and 13.20, 17.66, 27.67,128.28 p.g/mL, respectively. Treated with 13 pg/mL Fungichremln, the inhibitory rates of Fungichromin against four speices of rice pathogenic fungi were 78.20%, 100%, 100% and 79.17%, and ECs0 and ECg0 were 1.47, 1.91, 2.37, 0. 20 and 41. （15, 3.92, 4.34, 135.54 gg/mL, respectively. The antifungal activity of Fungichromin was stronger than Antifungalmycin 702.

Selective Degradation of Mitochondria by Mitophagy in Pathogenic Fungi

Selective mitochondrial autophagy or mitophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process that selectively degrades superfluous, damaged, and dysfunctional mitochondria. This process is believed to be a mitochondrial quality control system crucial for intracellular homeostasis. Recently, researchers developed a range of methods to induce mitophagy and a variety of assays to monitor this process. With these new methods, the research on mitophagy has been developed rapidly. In particular, some key receptors and regulatory factors in fungi have been identified, which provides a basis for further understanding of the mechanism of this process. Although it has been studied extensively in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitophagy in pathogenic fungi remains poorly understood. However recent studies have shown that mitophagy is involved in the regulation of pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi, which greatly increases the importance of mitophagy. Therefore, it is necessary to review the current research on mitophagy in order to provide an accurate understanding of mitophagy and promote mitophagy research in the pathogenic fungi.

Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Fungi in Kiwifruit during the Storage Period

[Objectives]The paper was to identify the pathogenic species of postharvest diseases of kiwifruit.[Methods]The pathogenic fungi were isolated from diseased kiwifruits during the storage period,and cultured to observe their culture traits and morphological characteristics.Molecular biological identification and pathogenicity test were carried out to confirm the main pathogens.[Results]There were 7 species of pathogenic fungi causing kiwifruit diseases during the storage period,including Alternaria spp.,Botryosphaeria dothidea,Phomopsis/Diaporthe spp.,Pestalotiopsis sp.,Pseudocercospora sp.,Colletotrichum sp.,and Botrytis cinerea.[Conclusions]The research will provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of postharvest diseases of kiwifruit.

Inhibitory Effect of Alcoholic Extract of Sage Leaves on the Growth of Pathogenic Fungi Causing External Ear and Skin Infections

Fifteen pathogenic fungi were isolated from patients with external ear infection like Aspergillus niger and 100 pathogenic fungi were isolated from patients with skin infections like Trichophyton mentagrophytes which was isolated from body skin infections （also four different species of the genus Trichophyton was isolated） as well as another fungus which is Microsporum audouinii was isolated from the head scalp, and Aspergillus ustus which was isolated as normal flora from infected skin inflammation These fungi are opportunistic that can cause skin infections and inflammation of the external ear which increases the severity and the length of the disease, so the effect of different concentrations of alcoholic extract of sage leaves was tested against these fungi and it was found that the extract had an inhibition effect on growth of the fungus A. ustus by 80.7% at a concentration of 20 mg/mL, while inhibited the fungus A. niger by 77.3% at the same concentration, whereas inhibited the fungus T. mentagrophyte by 53.3% at the same concentration, and the fungus Microsporum audouinii was inhibited at the same concentration by 86.6%, also the extract showed different inhibition values against the other four species of the fungus Trichophyton. The plant sage is considered as good antifungal towards studied fungi of otitis extema and skin diseases and can be used prospectively as antifungal antibiotics against fungi causing external ear infections and skin infections.

Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Fungi Causing Decayin Luotian Chestnut during Late Storage Period and Research on Pathogenicity

In order to explore moldy mechanism of chestnut from Luotian County in storage process,the strains of pathogenic fungi were isolated from chestnuts after storage at room temperature for 70d.Six genera of fungi were found in chestnut through experimental identification,which were Ozoniumsp.,Fusarium sp.,Aspergillus sp.,Penicilliumsp.,Rhiopus sp.and Stachybotrys sp.,respectively.The re-inoculation tests had been conducted on pathogenic fungi whose isolating rate was greater than 10%.The result showed that the rest genera of fungi generally had no pathogenicity except Penicilliumsp.could infect non-injured chestnut with a lower moldy rate and lighter symptoms;but the moldy rate of strains was above 60% in injured inoculation and they showed heavy symptoms,among which the moldy rate of Ozoniumsp.and Aspergillus sp.were higher than 80%.The experimental results showed that injured chestnut were more likely to decay.Ozoniumsp.and Aspergillus sp.were important pathogenic fungi causing decay during storage process of chestnut.

Fungi Associated with Sand and Plants from Marine Coastlines: Potential Relevance for Human Health

The fungal community associated with beach sand and plants located along marine coasts are an under-studied area of research despite its potential relevance to human health. In this study, we isolated and identified the cultivable mycobiota associated with sand and plants collected along the coast of Gran Canaria (Spain) using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Clinically relevant species belonging to Cryptococcus spp. and related genera such as Naganishia and Papilotrema were isolated and identified from shoreline plants. Moreover, Candida tropicalis was isolated from beach sand, and Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus terreus strains were associated with both types of samples (i.e., plants and beach sand). We conclude that beach sand and shoreline plants are potential reservoirs of fungi of high clinical interest. We recommend including beach sand and plants from the environment when assessing the quality of marine coastal systems. Our results open a framework for studying the natural marine environment and its role in the epidemiology of infectious diseases in order to more accurately manage public health.

Culturable plant pathogenic fungi associated with sugarcane in southern China

Sugarcane(Saccharum officinarum)is one of the oldest crops cultivated by mankind.Numerous fungal taxa have been reported from this host,although most were not identified beyond genus level.In this study,we explored 31 sampling sites in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces(China),and collected 370 diseased samples from leaves and roots of sugarcane,from which 762 strains were isolated.Our preliminary analysis based on internal transcribed spacer(ITS)sequences suggested that these isolates belonged to 143 species in 51 genera,but we could not assign 129 strains.Bipolaris,Chaetomium,Curvularia,Phoma and Nigrospora represented the top five most common genera identified,while 27 rare genera comprised only one identified species.In this study,we chose above mentioned common genera for in-depth morphological observations and multi-locus analyses,in order to identify these strains to species level.In this paper,we described one new genus,32 new species,and reported 19 new records for China and the asexual morph of Chaetomium olivaceum.Hitherto,this is the most comprehensive study with molecular identification and illustration of fungi associated with sugarcane,which greatly improves our understanding of culturable mycota associated with this host.

Nine Pathogenic Fungi of Waterhyacinth Isolated in China

The native pathogens of waterhyacinth in China, were studied and compared on pathogenicity by Koch＇s postulate. Nine pathogenic fungi, YBH, YBB, YB, YYX, YY, YBA1, YBA2, YBA3 and YYB12, were isolated from diseased waterhyacinth plants, and collected from Zhejiang province and Shanghai. According to cultural characteristics, the nine isolates were preliminarily identified. Isolates YBH and YBB were Collectotrichum sp.; YB, YYX and YY were placed in fungi imperfecti; the isolates YBA1, YBA2, YBA3 and YYB12 were Alternaria sp. The isolate YBH was the highly virulent with a disease index （DI） of 65.28% after one month inoculation. The isolate YBA3 was equily virulent, with the disease index of 6770 after 7 day introduction. These two pathogens appear to have the potential as biocontrol agents and they deserve further study.

IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS OF FIVE MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES ON PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGI

The antifungal effectiveness of extracts of five medicinal plant species was determined.The inhibitory activity of extracts of Eucalyptus tereticornis,Xanthium sibiricum,Artemisia argyi,Tupistra chinensis and Pyrola calliantha were evaluated against the mycelial growth of the plant pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger,Botrytis cinerea,Penicillium digitatum,P.expansum,P.italicum and Rhizopus stolonifer.All plant extracts were prepared at 60°C using solvents(either water,50%ethanol(v/v),95%ethanol(v/v),ethyl acetate or petroleum ether).Fungicidal effects of all plants tested were confirmed.Different extracts from the same plant species gave different degrees of inhibition.All aqueous extracts had weak or no activity on all fungi tested.Ethyl acetate and 95%ethanol extracts from T.chinensis rhizomes gave greater inhibition and a broader spectrum inhibition than the other extracts.T.chinensis may have potential as a new natural fungicide and may be used for the preservation of agricultural and forestry products such as fruits and vegetables.

Epidemiological study of pathogenic fungi in China: 1986 and 1996

Objective An annual decade epidemiological survey of pathogenic fungi of inpatients or outpatients includes more than 25 provinces in China has been done in 1986 and 1996 Methods In 1986, there were a total of 9096 strains of pathogenic fungi collected from more than 41 units of 25 provinces in China 10 years late, 18?085 strains of pathogenic fungi from 41 units of 25 provinces were collected from January 1st to December 31st in 1996 Results The results showed that during this decade the prominent pathogenic fungus was Trichophyton rubrum , but its ratio gradually decreased On the contrary, Candida albicans gradually increased in its ratio from 5th in 1986 to 2nd in 1996 Conclusion The pathogenic fungi in China have changed greatly in the past decade from 1986 to 1996

Effect of Lanthanum on Mycelium Growth and Some Pathogenic Factors

Three soil-transmitted pathogenic fungi including Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, and Pythium sp. were selected to investigate the effect of lanthanum on their growth and the pathogenic enzymes using liquid culture. Variance analysis shows significant differences among treatments with different concentrations of lanthanum （Rhizoctonia solani F = 6.75 〉 F0.01= 5.99; Fusarium solani F = 18.1 〉 F0.01 = 5.99, Pythium sp. F = 23.29 〉 F0.01 = 5.99）. The inhibitory effect of lanthanum on pathogenic fungi increased with an increase in La concentration. The activities of the three pathogenic enzymes per gram mycelium were promoted remarkably. However, the quantity or the activities of the total enzymes were inhibited because of the strong inhibition of mycelium growth by lanthanum. Meanwhile, the effect of lanthanum on toxins of pathogenic fungi were studied using the seed germination experiment. Toxins of pathogenic fungi are influenced by lanthanum and the virulence decreases significantly with the increase of lanthanum concentration.

Plant growth-promoting properties and anti-fungal activity of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta in arid lands

Endophytes,as crucial components of plant microbial communities,significantly contribute to enhancing the absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus by their hosts,promote plant growth,and degrade pathogenic fungal mycelia.In this study,an experiment was conducted in August 2022 to explore the growth-promoting potential of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from two medical plant species,Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta,using a series of screening media.Plant samples of Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta were collected from Zhaosu County and Habahe County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,in July 2021.Additionally,the inhibitory effects of endophytic bacterial strains on the four pathogenic fungi(Fusarium oxysporum,Fulvia fulva,Alternaria solani,and Valsa mali)were determined through the plate confrontation method.A total of 80 endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from Thymus altaicus,while a total of 60 endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from Salvia deserta.The endophytic bacterial strains from both Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta exhibited plant growth-promoting properties.Specifically,the strains of Bacillus sp.TR002,Bacillus sp.TR005,Microbacterium sp.TSB5,and Rhodococcus sp.TR013 demonstrated strong cellulase-producing activity,siderophore-producing activity,phosphate solubilization activity,and nitrogen-fixing activity,respectively.Out of 140 endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta,104 strains displayed anti-fungal activity against Fulvia fulva,Alternaria solani,Fusarium oxysporum,and Valsa mali.Furthermore,the strains of Bacillus sp.TR005,Bacillus sp.TS003,and Bacillus sp.TSB7 exhibited robust inhibition rates against all the four pathogenic fungi.In conclusion,the endophytic bacterial strains from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta possess both plant growth-promoting and anti-fungal properties,making them promising candidates for future development as growth-promoting agents and biocontrol tools for plant diseases.

Lipopeptide Antibiotics Produced by the Engineered Strain Bacillus subtilis GEB3 and Detection of Its Bioactivity

MALDI-TOF-MS technology was used for identification of lipopeptide antibiotics producedby GEB3 strain, a derivative of Bacillus subtilis 168 which was transformed by lpaB3gene. The result showed GEB3 only produced lipopeptide antibiotic surfactin. The analysisby LC-MS demonstrated that GEB3 produced standard surfactin isoforms with side chainlengths of 13,14 and 15 carbon atoms. The bioactivity detection of surfactin indicatedthat the surfactin produced by GEB3 had inhibition effect on plant pathogens Rhizoctoniasolani and Pyricularia oryzae.

Effect of weather conditions on the incidence of Lophodermium yellow needle blight in the dwarf mountain pine in the Karkonosze and Izerskie Mountains (Poland)

The study aimed to determine, by using a statistical model, the effect of weather conditions on the incidence of Lophodermium yellow needle blight causing by new species for science- Lophodermium corconticum, in the mountain dwarf pine growing in the subalpine Karkonosze Mountains and the Izerskie Mountains(Poland). Needles showed symptoms of yellow spots, gradual discolouration and premature fall in July. The assessment of healthiness of infected mountain dwarf pine needles spanned three years(2011- 2013) and was conducted in several test sites in the Karkonosze and Izerskie Mountains. The results were analyzed by taking into account the meteorological conditions. Field observations seem to indicate that the highest infestation of mountain dwarf pine occurs in June and July, while September and October see a significantly lower disease index in the Karkonosze Mountains. The lower indices of the infestation of mountain dwarf pine are characteristic for the vegetation in the Hala Izerska high mountain pasture; whereas the environmental conditions prevailing in the Kocio? Ma?ego Stawu cirque and above the Samotnia hostel are conducive to the development of Lophodermium yellow needle blight.

Antifungal Activities of Commercial Rice Wine Extracts of Taiwan Residents Allium fistulosum

Antifungal activities of the commercial rice wine extracts of Allium fistulosum were analyzed. Antifungal activities were tested against 7 pathogenic fungi by using agar disc diffusion and tube dilution tests. The results show that the commercial rice wine extracts of Allium fistulosum have strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Microsporumcanis ATCC 36299, M. gypseum ATCC 24102, Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 9533, T. rubrum ATCC 28188, and T. tonsurans ATCC 28942. The commercial rice wine extracts of different A. fistulosum parts were found to exhibit significant antifungal activities with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range of 0.2 - 1.0 mg/mL. The antifungal activity of the extracts of different A. fistulosum parts was in the order of AFS (stem) > AFI (plant body) > AFL (leaf) > AFR (root).

Identification of candidate soil microbes responsible for small-scale heterogeneity in strawberry plant vigour

Studies were conducted to identify candidate soil microbes responsible for observed differences in strawberry vigour at a small spatial scale, which was not associated with visual disease symptoms. Samples were obtained from the soils close to the rhizosphere of ‘big＇ and ‘small＇ plants from small plots which exhibited large local heterogeneity in plant vigour. A metabarcoding approach was used to profile bacterial and fungal compositions, using two primer pairs for 16 S ribosomal RNA genes（16S r DNA） and one for the fungal internal transcribed spacer（ITS） region. Of the two 16 S r DNA primer sets, the 341F/805 R resulted in sequences of better quality. A total 28 operational taxonomic units（OTUs） had differential relative abundance between samples from ‘big＇ and ‘small＇ plants. However, plausible biological explanation was only possible for three fungal OTUs. Two were possible phytopathogens： Verticillium spp. and Alternaria alternata although the latter has never been considered as a main pathogen of strawberry in the UK. For samples from ‘small＇ plants, the abundance of these OTUs was much greater than from ‘big＇ plants. The opposite was true for a mycorrhizal OTU. These results suggest that soil microbes related to crop production can be identified using metabarcoding technique. Further research is needed to assess whether A. alternata and Verticillium spp. could affect strawberry growth in the field.