Synergistic effects of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria javanica and low doses of dinotefuran on the efficient control of the rice pest Sogatella furcifera

The rice planthopper,Sogatella furcifera,is a piercing-sucking insect pest of rice,Oryza sativa.It is responsible for significant crop yield losses,and has developed moderate to high resistance to several commonly used chemical insecticides.We investigated the effects of the insect fungal pathogen Isaria javanica,alone and in combination with the chemical insecticide dinotefuran,on S.furcifera under both laboratory and field conditions.Our results show that I.javanica displays high infection efficiency and mortality for different stages of S.furcifera,reducing adult survival,female oviposition and ovary development.Laboratory bioassays showed that the combined use of I.javanica with a low dose(4-16 mg L^(-1))of dinotefuran resulted in higher mortality in S.furcifera than the use of I.javanica or dinotefuran alone.The combined treatment also had more significant effects on several host enzymes,including superoxide dismutase,catalase,peroxidase,and prophenol oxidase activities.In field trials,I.javanica effectively suppressed populations of rice planthoppers to low levels(22-64%of the level in untreated plots).Additional field experiments showed synergistic effects,i.e.,enhanced efficiency,for the control of S.furcifera populations using the combination of a low dose of I.javanica(1×10^(4) conidia mL^(-1))and a low dose of dinotefuran(~4.8-19.2%of normal field use levels),with control effects of>90%and a population level under 50 insects per 100 hills at 3-14 days post-treatment.Our findings indicate that the entomogenous fungus I.javanica offers an attractive biological control addition as part of the integrated pest management(IPM)practices for the control of rice plant pests.

Bioactive chemical constituents from the marine-derived fungus Cladosporium sp.DLT-5

A new isochromanone,cladosporinisochromanone(1),accompanied by 15 known compounds(2–16)were obtained from secondary metabolites produced by marine-derived fungus Cladosporium sp.DLT-5.NMR and HRESIMS spectra elucidation determined the planar structure of 1.Subsequent electronic circular dichroism(ECD)experiment assigned the absolute configuration of 1.Compounds 1,2,4–6,and 10 displayed different degrees of neuroprotective activities on human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y.Five compounds(1,3–5,and 13)emerged resistance to protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B),further kinetic analysis and molecular docking study indicated that the most potent compound 13(IC50value of 10.74±0.61μmol/L)was found as a noncompetitive inhibitor for PTP1B.Surface plasmon resonance(SPR)and molecular docking studies also demonstrated the interaction between compound 12 and Niemann-Pick C1 Like 1(NPC1L1),which has been identified as significant therapeutic target for hypercholesteremia.In addition,compounds 3,6,and 14 showed attractive inhibitory activity against the phytopathogenic fungi:Colletotrichum capsici.Therefore,library of Cladosporium metabolites is enriched and new active uses of known compounds are explored.

Identification of an Algae-lysing Bacterium of Anabaena flosaquae and Primary Research on Their Relationship

[Objective] The aim was to explore the relationship between alage-lysing bacterium and Anabaena flosaquae so as to provide reference for the control of bloom. [Method] An algae-lysing bacterium strain named S7 was isolated from eu- trophic river. The lyric efficiency and performing mode of S7 strain to Anabaena flos- aquae was studied. Influence of different environmental factors and the relationship between S7 strain and Anabaena flosaquae was also studied, and then the bacteri- um strain was physiologically identified. [Result] More than 90% of Anabaena flos- aquae had been removed by 7 d when the volume ratio of medium to algae solu- tion was 30%, the pH was 9 and the temperature was 35 ℃. These results also showed that a mutual inhibit relationship existed between S7 strain and Anabaena flos-aquae. The S7 strain killed the algae by indirectly through certain lyric agents in absence of direct contact with the target but by secreting metabolites. Moreover, these lyric agents also had the thermostability. 16SrDNA sequence analysis showed that S7 strain belonged to Chryseobacterium sp. [Conclusion] The examined Poly-p proved that S7 strain is polyphosphate accumulating bacteria （PAOs） and has better lyric efficiency.

Preliminary Study on Algae-lysing Active Substances of Algae-lysing Bacteria

Algae-lysing bacteria A1 has good control effect on the moss through its extracellular secretion. In order to further study its control mechanism, the sin- gle-factor tests of temperature and pH value, the activated carbon adsorption test, the organic solvent extraction test and the crude extract of active substance test were carried out to explore the characteristics of active substances. The results showed that the algae-lysing active ingredient of A1 strain had strong thermal stabili- ty, which still had good algae-lysing effect after being treated at 121 ℃ ; when the pH values of fermentation liquid were adjusted to 2.0 and 4.0 respectively, the active substances lost their activities, but their control ability against moss would be enhanced under the alkaline conditions ; the active substances could not be ad- sorbed by activated carbon; the algae-lysing active substances showed strong hydrophilie ability when they were extracted by ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and chloroform. Therefore, it could be speculated that the active substances belonged to carbohydrates. The crude extract results of algae-lysing active substances showed that the active substances secreted by A1 strain were composed by a variety of algae-lysing active substances.

Isolation and algae-lysing characteristics of the algicidal bacterium B5

Water blooms have become a worldwide environmental problem. Recently, algicidal bacteria have attracted wide attention as possible agents for inhibiting algal water blooms. In this study, one strain of algicidal bacterium B5 was isolated from activated sludge. On the basis of analysis of its physiological characteristics and 16S rDNA gene sequence, it was identified as Bacillusfusiformis. Its algaelysing characteristics on Microcystis aeruginosa, Chlorella and Scenedesmus were tested. The results showed that： （1） the algicidal bacterium B5 is a Gram-negative bacterium. The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence homology of strain B5 with 2 strains of B. fusiformis reached 99.86%, so B5 was identified as B. fusiformis; （2） the algal-lysing effects of the algicidal bacterium B5 on M. aeruginosa, Chlorella and Scenedesrnus were pronounced. The initial bacterial and algal cell densities strongly influence the removal rates of chlorophyll-a. The greater the initial bacterial cell density, the faster the degradation of chlorophyll-a. The greater the initial algal cell density, the slower the degradation of chlorophyll-a. When the bacterial cell density was 3.6 × 10^7 cells/ml, nearly 90% of chlorophyll-a was removed. When the chlorophyll-a concentration was less than 550 μg/L, about 70% was removed; （3） the strain B5 lysed algae by secreting metabolites and these metabolites could bear heat treatment.

The antifungal properties of terpenoids from the endophytic fungus Bipolaris eleusines

A series of terpenoids(1-17),comprising six new compounds designated bipolariterpenes A-F(1-6)and eleven rec-ognized compounds(7-17),were isolated from the wheat culture of the potato endophytic fungus Bipolaris eleusines.Their structures and stereochemistry were clarified by HRESIMS,NMR,DP4+probability analyses,and computations for electronic circular dichroism(ECD).All compounds are made up of six meroterpenoids,four sesterterpenes and seven sesquiterpenes.Among them,four sesterterpenes(4,5,10,11)were investigated for their antifungal,antibacterial and cytotoxic properties,and six meroterpenoids(1-3,7-9)were evaluated for their antifungal properties.The compounds 7,9,and 10 had substantial antifungal activity against Epidermophyton floccosum at a concentration of 100μM.No antibacterial and cytotoxic activities were observed.

Three previously undescribed metabolites from Cordyceps cicadae JXCH-1,an entomopathogenic fungus

Three previously undescribed compounds,cordycicadione(1),cordycicadin F(2),and 7-hydroxybassiatin(3),were isolated from the cultures of Cordyceps cicadae JXCH1,an entomopathogenic fungus.Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated primarily by NMR spectroscopic analysis.The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by ECD calculations.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction method was adopted to determine the absolute configuration of 3.Compound 2 is a polycyclic polyketide with an unusual enol ether moiety and a spiro ring.The compounds obtained in this study were subjected to screening their inhibition against the proliferation of the human lung cancer cell line A549 and the production of nitric oxide in murine macrophages RAW264.7.

Hericium erinaceus,a medicinal fungus with a centuries-old history:Evidence in gastrointestinal diseases

Hericium erinaceus is an edible and medicinal mushroom commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.Several studies have highlighted its therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis and inflammatory bowel diseases.In addition,some components of this mushroom appear to possess strong antineoplastic capabilities against gastric and colorectal cancer.This review aims to analyse all available evidence on the digestive therapeutic potential of this fungus as well as the possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

Robust Deep Learning Model for Black Fungus Detection Based on Gabor Filter and Transfer Learning

Black fungus is a rare and dangerous mycology that usually affects the brain and lungs and could be life-threatening in diabetic cases.Recently,some COVID-19 survivors,especially those with co-morbid diseases,have been susceptible to black fungus.Therefore,recovered COVID-19 patients should seek medical support when they notice mucormycosis symptoms.This paper proposes a novel ensemble deep-learning model that includes three pre-trained models:reset(50),VGG(19),and Inception.Our approach is medically intuitive and efficient compared to the traditional deep learning models.An image dataset was aggregated from various resources and divided into two classes:a black fungus class and a skin infection class.To the best of our knowledge,our study is the first that is concerned with building black fungus detection models based on deep learning algorithms.The proposed approach can significantly improve the performance of the classification task and increase the generalization ability of such a binary classification task.According to the reported results,it has empirically achieved a sensitivity value of 0.9907,a specificity value of 0.9938,a precision value of 0.9938,and a negative predictive value of 0.9907.

New secondary metabolites with cytotoxicity from fungus Penicillium roqueforti

Two novel compounds including a cyclohelminthol type polyketide(namely oxaleimide K,1)and a maleimide deriva-tive(namely peniroquefortine A,2),and a new natural product(namely 2-(acetylamino)-N-[(1E)-2-phenylethenyl]-acetamide,3),together with four known compounds(4-7),were isolated and identified from fungus Penicillium roqueforti,which was separated from the root soil of Hypericum beanii N.Robson collected from the Shennongjia For-estry District,Hubei Province.Their structures including absolute configurations were mainly established by the NMR spectroscopy analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment.Compound 1 represents the second example of a cyclohelminthol type polyketide,which features a rare 6/6/5/5 tetracyclic system and a branched aliphatic chain containing a terminal olefin(oct-1-en-3-yl)moiety,and compound 2 possesses an unprecedented carbon skeleton that is uniquely defined by a maleimide moiety linked to the respective 4-methylene-2-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)-phenol and para-substituted aromatic moieties via the carbon-carbon bonds.Remarkably,the absolute configuration of a cyclohelminthol type polyketide as exemplified by compound 1 is determined by the single-crystal diffraction analysis for the first time,highlighting an E-configuration for the linkage of a succinimide moiety and a tetrahydro-furan moiety for 1 rather than a Z-configuration as previously reported in the biosynthesis study,which gives a new insight into the structural elucidation of this category of polyketides.Additionally,compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against multiple tumor cells,especially against the Farage and SU-DHL-2 cells(IC_(50)<20μM,48 h).Further mechanism study revealed that compound 1 significantly induced cell cycle arrest in Farage and SU-DHL-2 cells by causing abnormal ROS level and triggering oxidative stress.

Discovery and Application of the Companion Fungus Related to Sclerotial Formation from Hyphae of Grifola umbellata

The companion fungus ( Grifola sp.) related to sclerotial formation from hyphae of Grifola umbellata (Pers.) Pilat was isolated from the cavity associated with sclerotia of G. umbellata in natural condition. Experimental results showed that the pure culture of G. umbellata was unable to form sclerotia, whereas sclerotia produced easily in flasks or on trunks when the companion fungus was inoculated together with strain of G. umbellata. The companion fungus is critical for sclerotium formation from hyphae of G. umbellata. Morphological differences were found in cultures of the two fungi. The companion fungus possesses thin-walled narrow hyphae, while G. umbellata is of wider hyphae which are either thick- or thin-walled.

White-rot Fungus Growth Conditions and Its Metabolic Kinetic Models

To investigate the growth conditions of white-rot fungus and simulate its metabolism kinetic models, the rules how the factors such as biomass, culture fluid, pH value, glucose consumption and exopolysaccharides generation, etc., changed during the batch culture process of white-rot fungi by using an air-lift fermenter, as well as metabolic kinetics of white-rot fungi were studied. Based on Logistic equation, Luedeking-Piret equation and experimental data, the correlation model parameters of mycelia biomass, glucose consumption and exopolysaccharide generation were obtained and found to be change with time in metabolism process. Detailedly, μm=0.071 8 h-1,α= 0.831 8 g/(g·h), β= 0.002 g/(g·h), b1=0.016 3 g/(g·h) and b2=3.023 3 g/(g·h). Hence the mycelial growth kinetic model, exopolysaccharide generation kinetic model and substrate consumption kinetic model which describe fermentation process of white-rot fungi were established. Meanwhile, the experimental data were verified by this model, and a good fitting result with an average relative error less than 10% between the data obtained from experiments and the model was yielded. The results show that these models can predict the growth and metabolic rules of white-rot fungus, the fermentation process of exopolysaccharides and the kinetic mechanism of white-rot fungus accurately.

Effects of Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus and Apophysomyces spartina on P-uptake of Castor Oil Plant(Ricinus communis L.) and Rhizosphere Soil Enzyme Activities under Salt Stress

[Objective] In order to explore the mechanism of combined inoculation mi- croorganisms in improving coastal saline soil property and plant growth. [Method] The pot experiment was used to assess the effects of different inoculated proportion of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF） and Phosphate-sotubilizing fungus. Apophysomyces spartina, on growth, chlorophyll contents, P-uptake of castor bean （Ricinus communis L.） and rhizosphere soil pH values, available P concentrations, enzyme activities. [Result] The mixed inoculation of AMF and A. spartina significantly reduced soil pH value, increased soil available phosphorous contents, improved the activities of soil invertase, urease, neutral phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase. Chlorophyll contents, P-uptake, and plant dry weight of castor bean were also in- creased. The optimal proportion of the number of AMF spores to A. spartina colonies was 28.56：11.5×10^5, which had positive effects on saline soil and could stimulate plant growth under greenhouse condition. [Conclusion] Appropriate propor- tion of AMF and A. spartina had the potential to enhance coastal saline soil prop- erty and promote castor bean growth.

ATB FUNGUS 2法在念珠菌属和新生隐球菌抗真菌药敏试验中应用的评价

目的评价ATB FUNGUS 2半固体培养基法在测定念珠菌属和新生隐球菌对4种常用抗真菌药物敏感性中的应用价值。方法利用CLSI M27-A2微量液基稀释法和ATB FUNGUS 2法同时测定131株念珠菌和20株新生隐球菌对两性霉素B(AmB)、氟康唑(FLC)、氟胞嘧啶(5-FC)和伊曲康唑(ITC)的敏感性。结果两种方法对于AmB、5-FC、FLC和ITC的一致性分别为98%、89.4%、78.8%和78.1%。②所有受试菌株中两种方法的一致性为80%;但ATB FUNGUS2法将2/5株M27-A2法检查为FLC耐药的白念珠菌判断为敏感或剂量依赖,将8/10株M27-A2法检查为FLC剂量依赖的白念珠菌判断为敏感或耐药。③ATB FUNGUS 2法中AmB的MIC值判读范围偏高,以致于实际工作中不能读出准确的值。结论ATB FUNGUS 2半固体培养基法在测定念珠菌属和新生隐球菌对4种常用抗真菌药物的敏感性时不失为简单、快速而且重复性好的方法。

改良ATB Fungus 3法检测糠秕马拉色菌对抗真菌药物的敏感性

目的用改良ATB Fungus 3法测定糠秕马拉色菌的药物敏感性,以了解临床患者呼吸道分离的糠秕马拉色菌对常用抗真菌药物的最低抑菌浓度(MIC)。方法在ATB F2半固体培养基中添加0.5%吐温40和0.5%吐温60,用ATB Fungus 3药敏板条对47株临床分离的糠秕马拉色菌进行MIC检测。结果氟康唑MIC50为>128μg/mL,MICRange为≤1.0～>128μg/mL;5-氟胞嘧啶MIC50为>16μg/mL,MICRange为>16μg/mL;沃尔康唑MIC50为8.0μg/mL,MICRange为≤0.06～>8.0μg/mL;两性霉素B MIC50为4.0μg/mL,MICRange为≤0.5～16μg/mL;伊曲康唑MIC50为1.0μg/mL,MICRange为≤0.125～4.0μg/mL。呼吸道分离的糠秕马拉色菌对5种抗真菌药物的MIC值高于健康人皮肤分离的糠秕马拉色菌及标准菌株ATCC14521。结论改良ATB Fungus 3法操作简便,结果重复性好且易观察。糠秕马拉色菌MIC值的升高可能与患者使用抗真菌药物有关。

Flat-footed Females and Missing Males:A New Genus and Species of Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha)Represents the First Record of the Family from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber

A new genus and species,Cretopleciofungivora simpsoni gen.et sp.nov.,from the extinct family Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha),is discovered in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.Previously,this family was known only from imprints in sedimentary rocks of the Jurassic and the Lower Cretaceous.Discovery of a representative of Pleciofungivoridae in Kachin amber confirms the presence of the family in the Upper Cretaceous.The new species has a unique structure of fore tarsus,with lobed and extended tarsal segments Ⅱ to Ⅳ,a feature hitherto known only in a few species of extant Sciaroidea.Although not particularly rare,the new species is currently known only from female specimens.Possible reasons for this phenomenon,very unusual in Sciaroidea,are briefly discussed,including parthenogenesis as a potentially plausible hypothesis.

Polysaccharides of Aspergillus cristatus attenuate obesity by regulating gut microbiota and gut microbiota-related metabolites

Golden-flower fungus,the only dominant microorganism determining the Fu-brick tea quality through fermentation and the important microbe in Liupao tea,is considered a potential probiotic fungus based on its anti-obesity effect.However,the classification of golden-flower fungi is still controversial;the anti-obesity effect of golden-flower fungus polysaccharides remains unknown.In this study,we identify a golden-flower strain as Aspergillus cristatus based on morphological characteristics and multigene phylogeny analysis,which resolves the controversy of classification.Moreover,we find A.cristatus polysaccharides(ACPS)attenuate obesity in rats.ACPS modulate gut bacterial composition.in which Akkermansia,Akkermansia muciniphila,Bacteroides,Romboutsia,Blautia,and Desulfovibrio are considered the core microbes regulated by ACPS.ACPS increase fecal total short-chain fatty acid content and serum,hepatic,and fecal total bile acid content.Furthermore,ACPS-induced gut microbiota alteration plays a causal role in the protection from obesity,according to a fecal transplantation experiment.Thus,ACPS ameliorate obesity by regulating gut microbiota and gut microbiota-related metabolites.

Five-year analysis of isolated pathogens and antibiotic resistance of ocular infections from two large tertiary comprehensive hospitals in east China

AIM:To analyze the spectrum of isolated pathogens and antibiotic resistance for ocular infections within 5y at two tertiary hospitals in east China.METHODS:Ocular specimen data were collected from January 2019 to October 2023.The pathogen spectrum and positive culture rate for different infection location,such as keratitis,endophthalmitis,and periocular infections,along with antibiotic resistance were analyzed.RESULTS:We included 2727 specimens,including 827(30.33%)positive cultures.A total of 871 strains were isolated,530(60.85%)bacterial and 341(39.15%)fungal strains were isolated.Gram-positive cocci(GPC)were the most common ocular pathogens.The most common bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus epidermidis(25.03%),Staphylococcus aureus(7.46%),Streptococcus pneumoniae(4.59%),Corynebacterium macginleyi(3.44%),and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(3.33%).The most common fungal genera were Fusarium spp.(12.74%),Aspergillus spp.(6.54%),and Scedosporium spp.(5.74%).Staphylococcus epidermidis strains showed more than 50%resistance to fluoroquinolones.Streptococcus pneumoniae and Corynebacterium macginleyi showed more than 90%resistance to erythromycin.The percentage of bacteria showing multidrug resistance(MDR)significantly decreased(χ^(2)=17.44,P=0.002).CONCLUSION:GPC are the most common ocular pathogens.Corynebacterium macginleyi,as the fourth common bacterium,may currently be the local microbiological feature of east China.Fusarium spp.is the most common fungus.More than 50%of the GPC are resistant to fluoroquinolones,penicillins,and macrolides.However,the proportion of MDR strains has been reduced over time.

Cultivation of Black Fungus under Forest in Middle-high Altitude Areas

[Objective] The study was to solve the contradiction between fungus and forest during the production of black fungi, and to obtain relatively high economic benefits and ecological benefits. [Method] Black fungi were cultivated in forest with middle-high altitude of 500-1 600 m. The germination time of fungus stick, germination days of buds, growth days of fruiting body, commodity exterior, marketing effect and biological efficiency of black fungi were investigated. [Result] Compared with traditional cultivation, black fungus products cultivated under forest had the taste and flavor of wild black fungus. Fungus chaff wastage was directly decomposed by the roots in forest land, improving the soil structure of forest land. The need of moisture retention and the frequent access of administrative staff reduced the probability of forest fire occurrence. [Conclusion] Cultivation of black fungus under forest saves more than 70% fixed-asset investment on fungus shed, and the biological efficiency reached 12.2%.

New Beauveria bassiana Strains from Kyrgyzstan with Endophytic and Insecticidal Activities

Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) is an entomopathogenic fungus used as an ecofriendly insecticide to infect arthropods. B. bassiana also possesses endophytic activity to contribute to plant growth. This study aimed to evaluate the potential insecticidal and endophytic activity of native B. bassiana isolates. The nymphal and adult stages of the apple tree aphid (Aphis pomi) and whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) were used as targets in bioinsecticidal experiments, and vegetables (beans, tomatoes and cucumbers) were used as targets in biostimulant experiments. The endophytic activity of the B. bassiana strains was assessed after inoculation them to the crop seeds and plants via soil drenching, foliar spraying and seed immersion. In bean plants, seed immersion was the most effective application method. Soil drenching was more effective in the cucumber and tomato plants. The results of in vitro bioassay tests against pests have revealed the LC50 and LT50 values of B. bassiana isolate Col-2. The LC50 of this isolate for A. pomi adults and nymphs was 2.5 × 106 conidia/mL−1;for T. vaporariorum, it was lower 1.8 × 106 conidia/mL−1. Such mortality occurred after 55.49 h. in A. pomi adults and nymphs (LT50), after 62.3 h. in T. vaporariorum (LT50).