Figure 2 - uploaded by Fang Liu
Content may be subject to copyright.
Cephalotrichum guizhouense (ex-holotype CGMCC 3.18330). (a–b). Colony on PDA (front and reverse). (c–d). Colony on OA (front and reverse). (e–f). Colony on MEA (front and reverse). (g). Colony on SGM (front). (h). Hyphae and conidia chains on the surface of SGM. (i). Synnema. (j–k). Conidiophores and conidiogenous cells. (l). Conidia. Scale bars: H = 100 μm; I = 200 μm; J– K = 5 μm; L = 10 μm.
Source publication
Oligotrophs are microorganisms that can grow in environments where concentrations of nutrients are low or even absent. Caves are typical oligotrophic environments distinctly characterised by constant low temperature, high humidity, scarcity of organic matter and darkness, which encompass a high diversity of fungi. In our investigation of microorgan...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... guizhouense J.R. Jiang, L. Cai & F. Liu, sp. nov. Figure 2 Fungal names: FN 570479. Etymology: named after its distribution: China, Guizhou province. OA 35-40 mm diam in 14 d at 25°C, margin reg- ular, flat, velvety with scarce white aerial mycelia, olive-grey, synnemata abundant, more or less pow- dery; reverse buff, pale brown near the centre. Colonies on MEA 30-35 mm diam in 14 d at 25° C, flat, velvety with scarce aerial mycelia, front and reverse white. Colonies on carbon free SGM grow- ing more slowly compared to that on PDA, OA and MEA, aerial mycelia scarce but forming hyphae networks, with brown and sparse synnemata in one ...
Context 2
... novel species of Cephalotrichum, C. guiz- houense, C. laeve, and C. oligotriphicum, detailed in this study produce little typical aerial mycelia under oligotrophic conditions, but their hyphae stick on the surface of the silica gel, forming fine hyphal networks (i.e. gossamers) ( Figure 2(h); Figure 3(h); Figure 4(h)), which provided a large surface area aiding nutrient scavenging from the gel and atmosphere (Parkinson et al. 1989;Wainwright 1993). In contrast, they pro- duced abundant synnemata and dry and light airborne conidia on the carbon-free silica gel, which might be a survival strategy to promote the spore dispersal in a nutrient-less environment (Wainwright 1993;Sandoval-Denis et al. 2016b). The genus Cephalotrichum (Microascaceae) was established by Link (1809) and its type species is C. stemonitis. Synnemata is the crucial morphological characters dis- tinguishing Cephalotrichum from other genera in Microascaceae, i.e. Microascus, Scopulariopsis and Fuscoannellis (Sandoval-Denis et al. 2016b). Recent phylogenetic analyses revealed that Doratomyces (Sturm 1829) and Trichurus (Clements 1896) were con- specific to Cephalotrichum and they have been syno- nymised with Cephalotrichum ( Sandoval-Denis et al. 2016b). Together with the current study, a total of 78 species have been described in Cephalotrichum, although only 15 of them have reliable molecular data and 43 names are of uncertain application (Sandoval-Denis et al. 2016b). An identification key for the 15 species is provided. 5a Synnemata up to 3000 μm tall; annelloconi- dia ellipsoidal to cylindrical, 5-9 × 4-5 μm with rounded apices.................. .................. C. stemonitis 5b Synnemata up to 1600 μm tall; annelloconi- dia subglobose to ellipsoidal, 6-7.5 × 2.5-4 μm with slightly pointed apices..... ..... C. hinnuleum 6a Conidia distinctively rough ............................... 7 6b Conidia smooth or finely ornamented ........ 9 7a Synnemata up to 1000 μm tall; conidia oval to ellipsoidal.......................................... C. asperulum 7b Synnemata often higher; conidia globose to ovoid 8 8a Conidia 4.5-7.5 μm wide, coarsely warted, grey-brown. Synnemata up to 1600 μm tall, conidia green-brown ............................ C. ...
Similar publications
As a continuation of the previous work “Management of entomofauna in building as indicator of symptoms of pathological states. I- Psocoptera”, it deals with the genus Blaps Fabricius, 1775. It is a genus that is relatively little studied compared to others. The distinction of species is sometimes difficult, being necessary the use of morphology, th...
Citations
... Moreover, filamentous fungi with faster growth rate in nutrient-rich media would occupy culturing space and deplete essential nutrients, inhibiting the growth of slow-growing fungi. To reduce the growth rate of fast-growing fungi, oligotrophic media and low culturing temperature have been widely applied to increase the efficiency of isolation and cultivation in different environments Connon and Giovannoni, 2002;Ferrari et al., 2011;Hagestad et al., 2019;Jiang et al., 2017;Nagahama et al., 2011;Sun et al., 2020). Interdependencies with other organisms. ...
Fungi are ubiquitous in all kinds of ecosystems with key ecological roles, while less than 10% of them have been described, of which, only about 1.2% are from marine habitats. Although the advance of next-generation sequencing has unquestionably improved our understanding of marine fungi, living cultures of marine fungi are important for studying the cell biology, ecological roles and evolution of microorganisms. In recent years, a number of efficient cultivation strategies, technologies, and devices have been newly developed, most of which were designed for prokaryotes and have been poorly applied to marine fungi. In this review, we give a brief discussion on the factors that may affect the isolation and cultivation of novel microorganisms, and review the omics-based innovative methods for the culturomics or targeted isolation. At last, we discuss the limitations of these approaches and their application potential on isolation and cultivation of marine fungi.
... In fact, although no apparent colonization of the sediments by fungal mycelia was observed in 2020, in 2021 C. microsporum experienced a sudden explosive growth after an anthropogenic impact on the cave (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). Members of the genus Cephalotrichum have a saprophytic behavior and were often retrieved from animal dung, soils, and caves [35,37]. In Castañar Cave, other species of Cephalotrichum, such as C. stemonitis, C. asperulum, and C. nanum, were identified at various sampling points using culture techniques. ...
... However, when NGS was used, high relative abundances were only detected for C. microsporum and unassigned Cephalotrichum. Jiang et al. [37] indicated that many cave isolates of the Cephalotrichum genus are oligotrophic and have the ability to grow in carbon free media. This could suggest that C. microsporum persists in Castañar Cave waiting for an abundant source of organic carbon source to boost and colonize the cave sediments under favorable ecological conditions. ...
Castañar is a cave with strict visitor control measures since it was open to public visits in 2003. However, in recent years, the cave suffered two fungal outbreaks, the first in 2008 and controlled by cleaning the contaminated sediments and subsequent closure of the cave until 2014. The cave was reopened but limited to a maximum of 450 visitors/year. Despite these restrictions on visit, the cave experienced a second outbreak in 2021, originating from the installation of a steel grating walkway, aiming at protecting the ground sediments from the visitors’ footsteps. Here, we conducted an analysis using Next-Generation Sequencing and culture-dependent techniques to investigate the fungal communities related to the second outbreak and compare with those present before the cave suffered the outbreak. The results show that the most abundant fungi involved in the 2021 outbreak were already detected in 2020, and even in 2008 and 2009, although the main species that originating both outbreaks were different, likely due to the different carbon sources introduced into the cave.
... However, it is estimated that there may be 50,000-100,000 fungal species in caves [16]. Several studies have reported the discovery of new species in caves [4,5,12,17,18]. Jiang et al. [18] described three new species of fungi of the genus Cephalotrichum among 510 isolates obtained from a limestone cave in China. Additionally, Zhang et al. [4] and Zhang et al. [5] identified 856 species, including 53 new species of fungi isolated from 13 limestone caves in Southwest China. ...
... Several studies have reported the discovery of new species in caves [4,5,12,17,18]. Jiang et al. [18] described three new species of fungi of the genus Cephalotrichum among 510 isolates obtained from a limestone cave in China. Additionally, Zhang et al. [4] and Zhang et al. [5] identified 856 species, including 53 new species of fungi isolated from 13 limestone caves in Southwest China. ...
Caves are unique environments characterized by spatial limitations, partial or total absence of direct light, and scarcity of organic carbon and nutrients. Caves are shelters for a variety of adapted animals and microorganisms such as fungi, many of which are still unknown. Amphichorda is a fungal genus belonging to the family Bionectriaceae, which includes cave-dwelling and entomopathogenic species with biotechnological applications. In this study, a new fungal species was identified using morphological and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of the ITS, LSU, and TEF loci, in the Gruta Velha Nova limestone cave located in the Southern Espinhaço Range, Monjolos, Minas Gerais, Brazil. During the exposure of potato dextrose agar plates to the cave environment, an insect from the family Rhaphidophoridae passed by and fed on the culture medium, resulting in three fungal isolates. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these isolates formed a clade distinct from all known species, leading us to introduce a new species, Amphichorda monjolensis, which may be associated with this insect. Here, we also proposed two new combinations for species of acremonium-like fungi in the Bionectriaceae: Bulbithecium globosisporum (synonym: Acremonium globosisporum) and Hapsidospora curva (synonym: Acremonium curvum). The discovery of A. monjolensis highlights the potential of caves as shelters for new species with significant biotechnological importance.
... The cave is considered a special habitat that harbors many known and novel microbial species. Oligotrophs are microbes that inhabit an environment that has low or absent nutrients (7). Bacteria and archaea have a vast majority of biodiversity in limestone and ubiquitous in many cave habitats such as rock surfaces, stream waters, soils and sediments. ...
Introduction: With the emergence of the multi-drug resistant bacteria that threaten the human health, novel antimicrobial compounds from natural environment have been increasingly explored. Tasik Cermin is a lake completely covered by karst towers and hills and lacks any inflow or outflow of water making it an oligotrophic environment with limited nutrient availability. Increased competition among microorganisms leads to production of antimicrobial compounds that can inhibit the growth of its competitor. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess antimicrobial activity of bacterial isolates from Tasik Cermin and identify the most resistant isolate. Methods: The isolates were tested against five test bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Proteus vulgaris by primary screening through perpendicular streak method, secondary screening followed by MIC and MBC and the most resistant bacteria was identified by molecular identification. Results: The result indicates that only one isolate (Isolate TC1A) was able to show potential antimicrobial activity against P. vulgaris and S. pneumoniae. This isolate was further tested by secondary screening through agar well diffusion method and inhibition zone were observed on P. vulgaris (14.97 ± 0.05), E. coli (9.23 ± 0.25) and S. pneumoniae (14.93 ± 0.12). Statistical analysis by One-Way ANOVA and Tukey test method indicates that inhibition zone of E. coli is significantly different as compared to S. pneumoniae and P. vulgaris. Molecular identification revealed that the isolate TC1A was identified as Achromobacter sp. with 97.68% similarity percentage. Conclusion: This finding shows that bacterial isolates from under-explored areas have the potential of producing novel antimicrobial compounds.
... For each air sample, 3-5 Petri dishes containing 2 % potato dextrose agar (PDA, Difco) containing two antibiotics (50 μg/mL ampicillin and 50 μg/mL streptomycin) were exposed to the atmosphere in the cave for 15-20 min. The dishes were then sealed with Parafilm and placed in zip-lock plastic bags (Jiang et al. 2017). 2) Soil samples (S) of approximately 10-20 g was collected from the top 1-5 cm surface, placed in zip-lock bags, and stored at 4 °C in an ice box until it could be transferred to the laboratory for analysis. ...
... The common genera belonging to the Ascomycota are mostly cosmopolitan, i.e., Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Trichoderma (Vanderwolf et al. 2013, Cunha et al. 2020, Wasti et al. 2021; these genera were found in various substrates/hosts in caves (Raudabaugh et al. 2021, Martin-Pozas et al. 2022, Ogórek et al. 2022, Zalar et al. 2022. Three recent studies investigated cave fungi in China (Jiang et al. 2017, Zhang et al. 2017, and reported three, 20, and 33 novel species, respectively. In parallel investigations, such as those undertaken within Brazilian cave systems by Alves et al. (2022), Pseudolecanicillium was delineated as a new genus within the Cordycipitaceae. ...
Karst caves are unique oligotrophic ecosystems characterised by the scarcity of organic litter, darkness, low to moderate temperatures, and high humidity, supporting diverse fungal communities. Despite their importance, little is known about the fungi in karst caves in Thailand. In 2019, we explored the culturable mycobiota associated with three selected types of substrates (air, soil/sediment and organic litter samples) from two karst caves, the Le Stegodon and Phu Pha Phet Caves, in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark in southern Thailand. Based on morphological characters and multilocus phylogenetic analyses, eight new species ( Actinomortierella caverna , Hypoxylon phuphaphetense , Leptobacillium latisporum , Malbranchea phuphaphetensis , Scedosporium satunense , Sesquicillium cavernum , Thelonectria satunensis and Umbelopsis satunensis ) were described, illustrated, and compared to closely related species. These new fungal taxa form independent lineages distinct from other previously described species and classified into eight different families across six orders and two phyla ( Ascomycota and Mucoromycota ). This paper provides additional evidence that the karst caves located within the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, situated in the southern region of Thailand, harbour a diverse range of newly discovered species.
... Most media use agar as a solidifying agent, while in some cases, agar can inhibit microbial reproduction [45]. It has been shown that the number of colony varied by 1-3 orders of magnitude when using different curing agents, with the highest number obtained using cold glue [44] and silica gel being more preferable for oligocarbotrophic fungi [46]. The mechanism of microbial adaptation to colony formation on solid medium remains largely unknown, which is one of the main reasons why most microorganisms are not culturable in the laboratory [47]. ...
Background: Fungi play a crucial role in ecosystems, and they have been widely considered a promising source for natural compounds that are crucial for drug discovery. Fungi have a high diversity, but about 95% of them remain unknown to science. The description rate of fungi is very low, mainly due to the inability of most fungi to grow in artificial media, which could not provide a sufficiently similar environment to their natural habitats. Moreover, many species in nature are in a state of low metabolic activity which cannot readily proliferate without proper resuscitation. Previously developed culturomics techniques are mostly designed and applicable for bacteria, with few attempts for fungal isolation because of their significantly larger cell size and hyphal growth properties.
Results: This study attempted to isolate previously uncultured and rare fungi from mangrove sediments using newly developed fungal enrichment culture method (FECM) and fungal isolation chips (FiChips). Comparison of fungal community composition at different enrichment stages showed that FECM had great influence on fungal community composition, with rare taxa increased significantly, thus improving the isolation efficiency of previously uncultured fungi. Similarly, in situ cultivation using FiChips has a significant advantage in detecting and culturing rare fungi, as compared to the conventional dilution plate method (DPM). In addition, based on morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses, we described and proposed 38 new ascomycetous taxa, including three new families, eight new genera, 25 new species, and two new combinations (presented in additional file 1).
Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that mangrove sediments harbor a high diversity of fungi, and our new isolation approaches (FECM and FiChips) presented a high efficiency in isolating hitherto uncultured fungi, which is potentially usable for fungal isolation in other similar environments.
... Organic litter samples (O) were collected in plastic zip-lock bags and stored at 4 °C. All samples were transferred to the mycological laboratory and kept at 4 °C in a refrigerator until fungal isolation was performed 25 . Physical properties of cave environments and water samples were recorded and analysed at the Mineral Resources Analysis and Research division of the Thailand Department of Mineral Resources. ...
... Mortierella and Mucor are common in soil and organic matter in Nakimu caves according to Out et al. 43 . Oligotrophic fungi in Phu Pha Phet Cave's organic debris were identified as Cephalotrichum purpureofuscum and three novel fungal species of the genus Cephalotrichum in China 25 . In non-tourist areas of the caves, three yeast species representing Glactomyces sp. and an unclassified species in the order Saccharomycetales were isolated. ...
Karst caves are distinctive ecosystems that have limited nutrients, darkness, low to moderate temperatures, and high moisture levels, which allow for a diverse range of fungal communities to thrive. Despite their significance, little is understood about the fungi found in karst caves in Thailand. In 2019, we studied the cultured mycobiota from five substrate types (air, water, rock, soil/sediment, and organic debris) in two karst caves (Le Stegodon and Phu Pha Phet Caves) of the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, southern Thailand. A cumulative count of 829 distinct fungal morphological types was identified, encompassing 319 fungal culturable were observed. Based on preliminary analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence using BLAST searches, the most common phylum among the fungal morphotypes was Ascomycota, harboring 282 species in 91 genera, 93.4% of which were distributed in the classes Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, and Dothideomycetes. The most common fungal genera identified in the two karst caves were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Talaromyces, Xylaria, and Trichoderma, with 45, 41, 24, 14, 14, and 6 species identified, respectively. Discovering fungi in Thai karst caves highlights the extensive fungal diversity in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, implying undiscovered species, and emphasizing the need for comprehensive investigations in other unexplored Thai karst caves.
... Several species of Aspergillus can grow on silica gel without organic carbon (Parkinson et al. 1989). In recent years, cultivation studies have revealed that at least 84 fungal taxa can grow sufficient mycelium on oligotrophic carbon-free silica gel medium (Jiang et al. 2017). However, no data is available for soil dark carbon sequestration by fungal CO 2 fixation. ...
... The fungal CO 2 fixation was negatively correlated with SOC and TN, suggesting that fungal contribution may be important in barren soil conditions. Previous studies postulate that the low levels of available C in soils do not prevent the growth of many fungi, with numerous CO 2 -fixing fungal strains isolated from harsh environments with low organic matter (Parkinson et al. 1989;Jiang et al. 2017). CO 2 fixation rates linked to soil nutrient status and the decline of TN and C: N ratios trigger the microbial CO 2 fixation for de novo amino acid synthesis according to results of 10 sites across South Africa (Nel and Cramer 2019). ...
Dark microbial CO2 fixation plays a crucial role in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, but the fungus contributions to this process in varying agroecosystems remain unclear. This study investigated fungal CO2 fixation in 29 soil samples collected from the major agricultural regions across China. Phospholipid fatty analysis-stable isotope probing revealed variations in fungal fixation by 2.2 to 65.5% of the total microbial CO2 fixation. CO2 assimilation of ten fungal strains belonging to the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota was determined in three different media using an isotope labeling experiment. Trichocladium uniseriatum had the highest CO2 fixation capacity. T. uniseriatum had the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) for CO2 assimilation associated with sulfite metabolism. T. uniseriatum was thus selected for use in soil inoculation experiments, aimed to trace the fractionation of its fixed carbon in SOC. The CO2 fixation rate of T. uniseriatum was 0.07–0.09 μg C per g of soil per day. Notably, 77–82% of the fixed C was partitioned into the mineral-associated soil organic carbon. This study highlights the significance of fungal CO2 fixation in soil carbon sequestration.
... All of the four fungi isolated during the present case study were reported as components of the mycobiota of some Chinese caves (Jiang et al., 2017;Zhang et al., 2021). The identified species can be correlated with the heritage location, being known as common species of soil habitats. ...
The subterranean heritage includes both natural and built sites with a strong cultural and historical fingerprint, some of each being enriched with painted surfaces. These semi-confined environments shelter specific and fragile biodiversity. This paper is focused on the case of a Roman painting (2nd-3rd century AD) located in an underground archaeological site in Marino Laziale, near Rome, which was opened to the public for the first time in 2021. The painted Mithraic scene is in a good state of conservation. The methodological approach included on site and laboratory investigations aimed to screen the main biological components associated to this hypogeum monument. The observed biodiversity included heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic microorganisms, and a mesofauna composed of eutroglophile and subtroglophile species, characteristic for many subterranean environments. The ecological mechanisms and the conservation state of the work of art were analyzed for planning the best fruition practices. The aesthetic change, the possible mechanical damages induced by various organisms, and the presence of significant amounts of organic matter, represent the main risks for painting conservation. These aspects, beside the new possible risks associated with the presence of visitors, are under a constant and ongoing conservation surveillance program.
... Cutaneotrichosporon and Trichosporon). Conversely, the mycobiome of the natural cave was dominated by taxa belonging to the genera Mortierella and Cephalotricum, which include psychrotolerant cellulose-degrading fungi 26,27 , and by the genera Rodentomyces and Gymnoascus, which include psychrotolerant, coprophilic and keratinolytic species 28,29 , that may be related to the main caves macro-fauna components, i.e. rodents and bats. Furthermore, fast-growing saprophytic fungal genera (Penicillium, Chaetomium and Humicola) were also reported, even if in lower relative abundance. ...
To date, the highly adapted cave microbial communities are challenged by the expanding anthropization of these subterranean habitats. Although recent advances in characterizing show-caves microbiome composition and functionality, the anthropic effect on promoting the establishment, or reducing the presence of specific microbial guilds has never been studied in detail. This work aims to investigate the whole microbiome (Fungi, Algae, Bacteria and Archaea) of four Italian show-caves, displaying different environmental and geo-morphological conditions and one recently discovered natural cave to highlight potential human-induced microbial traits alterations. Results indicate how show-caves share common microbial traits in contrast to the natural one; the first are characterized by microorganisms related to outdoor environment and/or capable of exploiting extra inputs of organic matter eventually supplied by tourist flows (i.e. Chaetomium and Phoma for fungi and Pseudomonas for bacteria). Yet, variation in microalgae assemblage composition was reported in show-caves, probably related to the effect of the artificial lighting. This study provides insights into the potential microbiome cave contamination by human-related bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus) and commensal/opportunistic human associated fungi (e.g. Candida) and dermatophytes. This work is critical to untangle caves microbiome towards management and conservation of these fragile ecosystems.
