Ignacio Eduardo Maldonado-Mendoza

Instituto Politécnico Nacional | IPN · CIIDIR-Sinaloa. Departamento de Biotecnología Agrícola

Field bindweed ( Convolvulus arvensis L.) has been described as one of the most noxious weeds in agricultural soils worldwide. Furthermore, its control by conventional herbicides can promote the emergence of resistant biotypes as well as negatively affect human health and the environment. An ecological alternative for weed management is the use of...

This review addresses the current knowledge on the phytotoxic roles of tenuazonic acid and its biosynthesis in Alternaria. We examine recent advances in the biosynthesis of this toxin produced by A. alternata and other fungi; the pathogenicity mechanisms that this molecule displays to exert its bioherbicidal activity; and the risks for human and an...

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a devastating fungal pathogen that causes losses in economically important crops. Given that some miRNAs may have an important role in biotic stress responses, particularly those exclusively found in the Solanaceae, this work was focused on lineage-specific miRNAs for which most of the predicted target genes are associat...

Escherichia coli is one of the most important bacteria associated with the consumption of meat products causing human disease, with bovines as the main reservoir for this organism. Microbiological quality of raw meat sampled at slaughterhouses was evaluated by measuring the presence of Escherichia coli serogroups that produce the Shiga toxin (refer...

La diversidad de la microbiota asociada a la rizósfera de cultivos en sistemas agrícolas ha sido pobremente estudiada en México y en todo el mundo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar la diversidad de bacterias cultivables en campos de maíz. Se creó una colección de cepas de 11,520 aislados purificados a partir de la rizósfera de maíz. Se p...

Bacillus circulans E9 (now known as Niallia circulans) promotes plant growth-producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), showing potential for use as a biofertilizer. In this work, the use of a low-cost medium containing industrial substrates, soybean, pea flour, Solulys, Pharmamedia, yeast extract, and sodium chloride (NaCl), was evaluated as a substitu...

Fusarium verticillioides (Fv) is a mycotoxin-producing phytopathogen causing ear and root rot in maize. Bacillus cereus strain B25 is a maize endophyte and an effective biological control agent against Fv. The B25 genome contains several genes associated with fungal antagonism, including lytic enzymes (chitinases A and B, chitosanase and glycoside...

Abstract: Biocontrol, an alternative to chemical control against plant pathogens, may also improve plant health and enhance fruit yield. Tomato production in open fields or greenhouses is constrained by the pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 3 (Fol R3) and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (Forl). In this work, we studied th...

Johnson grass, a common weed in agricultural fields, is widely distributed in warm regions of the world. In Mexico, this grass grows mainly during the rainy season, along railways and roadsides, and in abandoned fields and urban communities. Significantly, it competes with a wide range of crops during the fall-winter season. Recently, a high incide...

In traditional polycultures such as milpas, soil degradation and the loss of agrodiversity, threaten rural food security. Although agroecological management using crop functional and genetic diversity could improve soil fertility and family nutrition, experimental evidence is scarce. We conducted a field experiment in which conventional agricultura...

Key message The moss Pseudocrossidium replicatum is a desiccation-tolerant species that uses an inducible system to withstand severe abiotic stress in both protonemal and gametophore tissues. Abstract Desiccation tolerance (DT) is the ability of cells to recover from an air-dried state. Here, the moss Pseudocrossidium replicatum was identified as...

The discovery of novel biocontrol agents requires the continuous scrutiny of native microorganisms to ensure that they will be useful on a regional scale. The goal of the present work was to discover novel antagonistic bacteria against Fusarium oxysporum ff. spp. lycopersici race 3 (Fol R3) and radicis-lycopersici (Forl) causing Fusarium wilt disea...

La soya es una de las leguminosas más importantes en el mundo. En años recientes en el norte de Sinaloa se ha observado incidencia de mancha foliar en la etapa de llenado de grano e inicio de la madurez. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue identificar el agente causal de esta enfermedad. Se colectaron muestras de foliolos sintomáticos en ocho lote...

The discovery of novel biocontrol agents requires the continuous scrutiny of native microorganisms to ensure that they will be useful on a regional scale. The goal of the present work was to discover novel antagonistic bacteria against Fusarium oxysporum ff. spp. lycopersici race 3 (Fol R3) and radicis-lycopersici (Forl) causing Fusarium wilt disea...

El control biológico de plagas, o biocontrol, consiste en utilizar componentes de origen biológico, como insectos, hongos y bacterias, capaces de antagonizar el crecimiento de otros insectos, hongos y bacterias que dañan cultivos. El biocontrol es una estrategia para disminuir las pérdidas en cultivos derivadas del ataque de plagas, con el propósit...

The phytopathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina is the causal agent of charcoal rot of common beans, in which it damages the roots, stems and leaves of seedlings and plants. Due to the ability of the fungus to form resistant structures, chemical control is not sufficient for disease control. Integrated management systems associated with the use...

Crop yield and quality are affected by the presence of weeds such as Palmer amaranth. Chemical control is the most commonly used method to eradicate weeds, due to its quickness and efficacy. However, the inappropriate use of chemical herbicides can lead to resistant weed biotypes, as well as problems related to environmental pollution and human hea...

Antecedentes: Las plantas voluntarias se consideran un problema en suelos de cultivo como posible reservorio de enfermedades, pero también de diversidad de microorganismos. Plantas micotróficas como el maíz permitirían preservar inóculos micorrízicos. La zona de preservación ecológica La Uba, en Guasave, Sinaloa, es un relicto de vegetación de selv...

A new record of the powdery mildew Phyllactinia chubutiana, nom. cons. (= Oidium insolitum, Ovulariopsis insolita) was documented on pearl berry (Vallesia glabra). No teleomorph was observed. This novel record was identified as a member of Ovulariopsis based on the morphological characteristics of the anamorph (hyphae, conidiophores and conidia), a...

Antecedentes: Se conocen 143 especies de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HMA) en México. El análisis micro-biómico permite analizar la diversidad de especies de HMA que interaccionan con una especie vegetal específica y reconocer nuevas especies desconocidas en nuestro país. Objetivo: Analizar la diversidad de HMA asociados a papaya colonizada c...

Bacterial chitinases are a subject of intense scientific research due to their biotechnological applications, particularly their use as biological pesticides against phytopathogenic fungi as a green alternative to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides. Bacillus cereus sensu lato B25 is a rhizospheric bacterium that is a proven antagonist of Fusariu...

Bacterial chitinases are a subject of intense scientific research due to their biotechnological applications, particularly their use as biological pesticides against phytopathogenic fungi as a green alternative to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides. Bacillus cereus sensu lato B25 is a rhizospheric bacterium that is a proven antagonist of Fusariu...

Horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum L.) is a common weed in Mexico, where it competes with different agricultural crops and grows along watercourses, railways and roadsides, abandoned fields, and urban communities. In Sinaloa, this weed grows abundantly during the rainy season (July–September) and competes with summer crops such as corn and s...

The breeding and fattening of cattle are necessary for the production of meat; in Mexico it is an essential activity. Cattle is an asymptomatic carrier of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and they are considered the main reservoir and super-shedder of serotype O157: H7. The aim of this work was to identify the STEC O157: H7 serotype i...

Biocontrol and plant-growth enhancing effects against Fusarium oxysporum ff.spp. lycopersici race 3 (Fol R3) and radicis-lycopersici (Forl) in tomato under natural Fol R3 and Forl inoculum and infection conditions.

A profitable, second-generation (2G) bioethanol production process requires the use of the maximum amount of sugars present in the lignocellulosic biomass; among them are those obtained from hemicellulose hydrolysis. An alternative is the search and kinetic characterization of yeasts capable of fermenting xylose to ethanol. In this study, 161 yeast...

Background: Maize in Mexico exhibits great genetic diversity, maintained by traditional practices of indigenous and non-indigenous communities, the same practices that have led to crop diversification over centuries. As one of the main staple crops worldwide, safeguarding the genetic diversity of maize is paramount to food security. Aims: This stu...

Background: Wetlands in Neotropics harbor high fungal diversity, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE). This study describes the interaction of plant roots with AMF and DSE in a freshwater wetland belonging to a hotspot of biodiversity. Hypothesis: Differential root colonization between arbuscular mycorrhiz...

Bacterial transformation is a crucial step in the genetic manipulation of a bacterium. However, Gram-positive bacteria are difficult to transform and consequently many different methodologies have been developed. Here, we examined the transformation efficiencies of an electroporation protocol by varying three main factors: the composition of the el...

La variación genética de maíz (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) en México ha sido estudiada especialmente en el centro-sur del país. El estado de Sinaloa (primero en producción) posee 23% de la variación genética racial nacional, pero su evaluación es escasa. Recolectamos 144 muestras de maíz (Tuxpeño Norteño, Vandeño, Onaveño, Elotero de Sinaloa, Tabloncill...

Currently, the valorization of agroindustrial waste is of great interest. Moringa oleifera is a multipurpose tree whose softwood residues could be used as raw material for low-cost cellulase production. The aim of this study was to isolate, identify, and characterize microorganisms with cellulolytic activity in different carbon sources. We isolated...

This study focuses on the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in pork meat and on inert surfaces from slaughterhouses in Sonora, Mexico. A total of 21 Lm were obtained from 103 samples, giving a prevalence of 20.3%. The prevalence of Lm in pork loin was 15.9% and 20.8% for inert surfaces in Federal Inspection Type (FIT) slaughterhouses. For n...

This study focuses on the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in pork meat and on inert surfaces from slaughterhouses in Sonora,Mexico. A total of 21 Lm were obtained from 103 samples, giving a prevalence of 20.3%. The prevalence of Lm in pork loin was 15.9% and 20.8% for inert surfaces in Federal Inspection Type (FIT) slaughterhouses. For no...

This study focuses on the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in pork meat and on inert surfaces from slaughterhouses in Sonora,Mexico. A total of 21 Lm were obtained from 103 samples, giving a prevalence of 20.3%. The prevalence of Lm in pork loin was 15.9% and 20.8% for inert surfaces in Federal Inspection Type (FIT) slaughterhouses. For no...

Wild sunflower is a common weed that grows among agricultural crops in many parts of the world, where it is both highly invasive and competitive and can serve as a reservoir for plant pathogens. Recently, signs of powdery mildew (PM) were observed on wild sunflower plants in Sinaloa, Mexico. The aim of this study was to identify the causal agent ba...

Development of a product based on rhizospheric bacteria for biocontrol of Fusarium oxysporum ff. spp. lycopersici race 3 and radicis-lycopersici in tomato

A new disease on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) plants was observed in the municipalities of Ahome, El Fuerte and Choix in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico during the summer of 2014. The disease occurred during the rainy season (August-September) when temperatures ranged between 27-40°C. The symptoms were lesions on leaves, petioles, stems and capsules. U...

The present study was conducted to identify the antifungal activity of phenolic compounds extracted from the mangrove, Rhizophora mangle against the Fusarium verticillioides isolates DA42, F64 and PO3. The total phenolic content was calculated using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The in vitro inhibition test was performed according to the poisoned foo...

A field experiment was conducted during 15 months to study the effects of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth of Ricinus communis accession SF7. Plants were established on amended soil (vermicompost:sawdust:soil 1:1:1) severely polluted by lead-acid batteries (LAB) located at Mexico State, Mexico. Plants inoculated with Acaulospor...

Diabetes is one the world’s most widespread diseases, affecting over 327 million people and causing about 300,000 deaths annually. Despite great advances in prevention and therapy, existing treatments for this disorder have serious side effects. Plants used in traditional medicine represent a valuable source in the search for new medicinal compound...

Bacillus sp. B25 is an effective biocontrol agent against the maize pathogenic fungus Fusarium verticillioides (Fv). Previous in vitro assays have shown that B25 has protease, glucanase, and chitinase activities and siderophores production; however, specific mechanisms by which B25 controls Fv are still unknown. To determine the genetic traits invo...

Greenhouse bioassays were used to examine the ability of selected strains of the rhizobacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti, Bacillus flexus and B. megaterium to solubilize phosphorus (P) and to affect growth promotion and phosphorus nutrition in maize. These bacterial strains were found to decrease the pH and solubilize some forms of insoluble P, such a...

Plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are capable of increasing their tolerance to arsenic (As)-polluted soils. However, the molecular mechanisms used by AMF to mediate this phenomenon are not well understood. The goal of this study is to investigate the genes involved in the AMF response to As pollution. Genes encoding proteins...

A comparative proteomic approach was performed to analyze the differential accumulation of leaf proteins in response to the symbiosis between Solanum lycopersicum and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus irregularis. Protein profiling was examined in leaves from tomato plants colonized with AMF (M), as well as non-colonized plants fe...

The filamentous fungus Fusarium verticillioides is a widely distributed pathogen that causes ear, stalk and root rot of maize. This fungus also produces mycotoxins that accumulate in maize kernels. As chemical control has proven to be insufficient, new and effective disease control measures must be implemented. An improved comprehension of the dive...

This study was carried out to evaluate the relative expression and enzymatic activity of Bacillus cereus sensu lato B25 chitinases in response to a Fusarium verticillioides (Fv) lysate. Phylogenetic studies revealed that B25 chitinases are closely related to chitinases from other Bacillus species clustering with type A and B chitinases from B. thur...

p>Las enfermedades de origen fungoso constituyen una limitante en la producción de maíz en Sinaloa, México. En ciclos agrícolas recientes, una enfermedad foliar ha ocurrido en niveles epi­démicos en la región costera del Norte de Sinaloa. Los síntomas de la enfermedad se asemejan a los causados por Exserohilum turcicum previamente reportados en los...

During the endosymbiosis formed between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the root cortical cells are colonized by branched hyphae called arbuscules, which function in nutrient exchange with the plant [1]. Despite their positive function, arbuscules are ephemeral structures, and their development is followed by a degeneration phase, in...

The main storage warehouse for fruits and vegetables in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, receives 2,000 tons of onion bulbs during July and August every year. A severe outbreak of slippery skin on white onions occurred after 2 weeks of storage in August 2015. The shipments were received from seven commercial fields in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, wh...

span>La presente revisión tiene como ob­jetivo abordar la evolución de los procedimientos para identificar los agentes causales de las cenici­llas. Las características morfométricas que se descifran mediante la utilización de microscopía de luz y microscopía electrónica de barrido, así como el rango de hospedantes y herramientas molecula­res han pe...

The stalk, ear and root rot (SERR) of maize caused by Fusarium verticillioides (Fv) severely impacts crop production in tropical and subtropical regions. The aim of the present work was to screen bacterial isolates in order to find novel native biocontrol agents against Fv. A culturable bacterial collection consisting of 11,520 isolates enriched in...

Yellow beans are produced under irrigation during the fall-winter growing season in the coastal lowlands of Sinaloa, Mexico. Halo blight, is the most important disease during the winter time. The objectives of this study were to: a) identify the causal agent of the disease and b) determine the physiological races of the bacterium. Twelve isolates o...

Maize is an economically important crop in northern Mexico. Different fungi cause ear and root rot in maize, including Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg. Crop management of this pathogen with chemical fungicides has been difficult. By contrast, the recent use of novel biocontrol strategies, such as seed bacterization with Bacillus cereus s...

In addition to the nutrient exchange that is promoted by the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis (AMS) between plants and fungi, AMS triggers mycorrhiza-induced protection against plant pathogens. Although the induction of this protection against diverse plant pathogens has been described for several plant species, it is not clear if its onset differs...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is a beneficial association between plant roots and fungi that occurs in approximately 80 % of terrestrial plants and which confers different benefits including mineral nutrient acquisition and enhanced defense capacity. Although mycorrhizal colonization takes place in roots, the symbiosis establishment has systemic...

Tree nuts such as pecans (Carya illinoinensis) contain mostly oil but are also a source of polyphenols. Nut consumption has been linked to a reduction in serum lipid levels and oxidative stress. These effects have been attributed to the oil while overlooking the potential contribution of the polyphenols. Because the evidence regarding each fraction...

Fusarium species belonging to the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) are associated with maize in northern Mexico and cause Fusarium ear and root rot. In order to assess the diversity of FFSC fungal species involved in this destructive disease in Sinaloa, Mexico, a collection of 108 fungal isolates was obtained from maize plants in 2007–2011...

Wilting caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) is one of the most important diseases of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Its pathogenic variability originated races 1, 2 and 3, as described in several countries. In Mexico has been reported in Sinaloa, Baja California Sur and Morelos. Tomato is a quite an important horticultural crop...

Rose (Rosa spp.) is the most important ornamental plant cultivated in greenhouse and open fields in Mexico but its quality has been limited by powdery mildew (PM). High incidence and disease damage is common during winter in Sinaloa, Mexico (temperature range 18 to 25°C and prolonged episodes of relative humidity ≥90%). The fungus attacks leaves an...

Rhizobacteria promote and have beneficial effects on plant growth, making them useful to agriculture. Nevertheless, the rhizosphere of the chickpea plant has not been extensively examined. The aim of the present study was to select indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) producing rhizobacteria from the rhizosphere of chickpea plants for their potential use as...

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is an intimate association between specific soil-borne fungi and the roots of most land plants. AM colonisation elicits an enhanced defence resistance against pathogens, known as mycorrhizal-induced resistance (MIR). This mechanism locally and systemically sensitises plant tissues to boost their basal defen...

A high-throughput antagonistic assay was developed to screen for bacterial isolates capable of controlling the maize fungal phytopathogen Fusarium verticillioides. This assay combines a straightforward methodology, in which the fungus is challenged with bacterial isolates in liquid medium, with a novel approach that uses the plant lectin wheat germ...

The protective mechanisms employed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to reduce the toxic effects of arsenic on host plants remain partially unknown. The goal of this research was identifying the in situ localization and speciation of arsenic (As) in the AM fungus Rhizophagus intraradices [formerly named Glomus intraradices]exposed to arsenate [...

Different degrees of dependency on the activity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) exist between native maize landraces and hybrids. In Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, the Popoluca people maintain a traditional polycultural land management with more than 15 native landraces of maize; however, it is not known whether the recent substitution of local maize f...

Long-term successional dynamics of an inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with the maize rhizosphere (from traditionally managed agroecosystems in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico), was followed in Bracchiaria comata trap cultures for almost eight years. The results indicate that AMF diversity is lost following long-term subcultu...

Sinaloa state accounts for 23% of Mexico's tomato production. One constraint on this important crop is the Fusarium crown and root rot, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, which has been reported to reduce crop yield by up to 50%. In this study, we set out to identify bacterial populations which could be used to control this di...

Powdery mildew of mango is an important disease in Mexico’s northern Sinaloa state. Identification of the causal fungal agent has been hindered by the absence of information regarding its teleomorph, as well as a detailed morphometric analysis of the anamorph and molecular characterization. The first symptoms of the disease appear in mango inflores...

Fusarium wilt of tomato, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) is a common disease in tomato. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus intraradices (previously called Glomus intraradices) was evaluated on its bioprotective ability against Fol in tomato cv. Missouri plants. Pathogenicity assays with Fol isolates from races...

Rhizosphere microorganism diversity associated to different plant species in Mexican soils has been understudied. Most of those studies have been done using conventional microbiological techniques, which present an important limitation due to their incapacity to detect unculturable microorganisms, which represent 95–99% of the total microorganisms...

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato has been observed in the fields in Sinaloa causing typical symptoms of bacterial speck. During the 2004–2005 growing seasons atypical symptoms were observed in tomato varieties grown in Sinaloa, consisting of external necrosis of stems, petioles, peduncles and fruit calyxes. Although the disease affected 80–90% of th...

This review analyzes the historical development and advances of the research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Mexico, as well as the prospects for future research. AMF-research has been focused on studying both diversity and functionality in several ecosystems of Mexico, but mainly in the tropical dry and rainy ecosystems, and the agricultu...

The genus Capsicum provides antioxidant compounds, such as phenolics and carotenoids, into the diet. In Mexico, there is a wide diversity of species and varieties of chilli peppers, a fruit which has local cultural and gastronomic importance. In the present study, the relationship of the carotenoid and phenolic profiles with the RAPD fingerprint of...

In Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, the local Popoluca people maintain the traditional management of their maize agroecosystems. However, it is not known whether the loss of agrodiversity over recent decades has affected mycorrhizal populations, nutrient availability, and crop productivity. This study utilized linear mixed effect models to analyze the relation...

Powdery mildew of beans is a disease in Northern Sinaloa state in Mexico, however, the identity of the causal agent, which is an obligate parasite, has not yet been elucidated due to lacking formation on its teleomorph. The objective of this study was to identify the causal agent of the disease through morphometric studies of the anamorph, and mole...

We utilized the two-compartment system to study the effect of arsenic (As) on the expression of the Glomus intraradices high-affinity phosphate transporter GiPT, and the GiArsA gene, a novel protein with a possible putative role as part of an arsenite efflux pump and similar to ArsA ATPase. Our results show that induction of GiPT expression correla...

Textbook of Molecular Biotechnology covers an amazing range of topics from the basic structure of the cell and diversity of microorganisms to the latest techniques in the field of biotechnology. Various topics have been included for the benefit of graduate and postgraduate students. In addition, the book will be of immense help for the researchers...

Plant establishment, presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other rhizospheric fungi were studied in mine wastes from Zimapan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, using a holistic approach. Two long-term afforested and three non-afforested mine tailings were included in this research. Fifty-six plant species belonging to 29 families were successfull...

In natural ecosystems, the roots of many plants exist in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and the resulting symbiosis has profound effects on the plant. The most frequently documented response is an increase in phosphorus nutrition; however, other effects have been noted, including increased resistance to abiotic and biotic stres...

The majority of the vascular flowering plants have the ability to enter into symbiotic associations with a unique group of soil fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The symbiosis develops in the roots of the plant, where the plant provides the fungus with a source of carbon and the fungus delivers mineral nutrients to the roots. In particu...

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTH) are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis and transglycosylation of xyloglucan polymers in plant cell walls. Previously, we isolated a cDNA from mycorrhizal roots of Medicago truncatula that is predicted to encode an XTH [van Buuren, M.L., Maldonado-Mendoza, I.E., Trieu, A.T., Blaylock, L.A., Harrison...

An ascomycete was isolated from spore preparations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from soil samples collected in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. This fungal isolate named CIIDIR-1, is ubiquitous in soils of this agricultural region. Only the asexual phase of CIIDIR-1 can be cultured in vitro in different culture media. DNA extracted from mycelium was us...