In a screening for nematicidal activities in cultures of Basidiomycetes, cultures of Pleurotus pulmonarius and Hericium coralloides exhibited toxic effects towards the saprophytic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Subsequently S-coriolic acid (1), linoleic acid (2), p-anisaldehyde (3), p-anisyl alcohol (4), 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol (5), and 2-hydroxy-(4'-methoxy)-propiophenone (6) were isolated from submerged cultures of P. pulmonarius. All compounds showed nematicidal activities towards C. elegans. The most active compounds were 1 and 2 with LD50 values between 5 and 10 ppm. Compounds 1, 4, and 5 have not been previously isolated from higher fungi, 6 is a new natural product. From cultures of H. coralloides, which exhibited both repellant and nematicidal effects, a nematicidal fatty acid mixture was obtained, containing linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid as its main components.

Screening of nematode-trapping fungi for antimicrobial and nematicidal activities gave three new antimicrobial metabolites from cultures of five Arthrobotrys strains. The compounds exhibited no nematicidal activities towards Caenorhabditis elegans and Meloidogyne incognita. From trap-forming submerged cultures of Arthrobotrys conoides, linoleic acid was isolated as a nematicidal principle. Its production increased with the number of traps formed in both Arthrobotrys oligospora and Arthrobotrys conoides. Nematoctonus robustus and Nematoctonus concurrens produced pleurotin, dihydropleurotinic acid, and leucopleurotin, metabolites previously isolated from cultures of Hohenbuehelia species, suggesting that the same biosynthetic pathways function in both the teleomorph and anamorph. Several strains of Ascomycetes had nematicidal activities; linoleic acid was responsible for the activity in cultures of a Chlorosplenium species, 14-epicochlioquinone B in cultures of Neobulgaria pura, and two naphthalenes derived from the melanin biosynthetic pathway in Daldinia concentrica. 5-Pentyl-2-furaldehyde, previously known as a metabolite from a Basidiomycete, was produced by an unidentified Australian Ascomycete. More than 30 mostly new metabolites have been isolated from cultures of Lachnum papyraceum, many being chlorinated. Under different conditions the fungus incorporated bromine instead of chlorine. Key words: nematophagous fungi, natural nematicides, linoleic acid, chlorinated secondary metabolites.

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Omphalotin A, a cyclic dodecapeptide produced by submerged cultures of the basidiomycete Omphalotus olearius, exhibited in-vitro and in-vivo nematicidal activity. Meloidogyne incognita was the most sensitive nematode. At 2.0 mg litre-1, 50% of the nematodes were dead after one hour. Heterodera schachtii, Radopholus similis and Pratylenchus penetrans were aþ ected at higher concentrations. Incorporated into agar, the compound prevented infection of cucumber seedlings by M. incognita at concentrations of 1 mg litre-1 and higher. In glasshouse tests, complete protection of cucumbers and lettuce was achieved between 2.5 and 10 mg litre-1. No insecticidal activity was observed when Plutella xylostella, Phaedon cochleariae or Spodoptera frugiperda were fed material containing 4 g kg-1 of omphalotin A. 1999 Society of Chemical Industry (

As the majority of the polymers used as cardiovascular grafts so far do not match the elasticity of human arteries (100-1000kPa) and the required endothelialization, a multifunctional material approach is needed to allow the adjustment of the mechanical properties while at the same time exhibiting a haemocompatible surface. Recently soft poly(n-butyl acrylate) networks (cPnBA) with adjustable mechanical properties were introduced as candidate materials with a surface that can be endothelialized. In this study, angiogenically stimulated intermediate CD163(+) monocytes/macrophages (aMO2) were utilized as a cellular cytokine release system to realize the functional endothelialization of the hydrophobic cPnBA surface. We investigated the influence of co-cultured aMO2 on the morphology, density and cytokine secretion of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) seeded on cPnBA with an elastic modulus of around 250kPa (cPnBA0250). A functional confluent HUVEC monolayer could be developed in the co-culture within 3days. In contrast, the HUVEC in the monoculture exhibited stress fibres, broadened marginal filament bands and significantly more and larger cell-free areas in the monolayer, indicating incomplete cell-substrate binding. Remarkably, a functional confluent monolayer formation could only be achieved in co-cultures; it did not develop with the sole supplementation of recombinant VEGF-A(165) to the HUVEC monocultures (unpublished data). The study demonstrated the multifunctional potential of cPnBA in combination with aMO2 as a cellular cytokine release system, adapting their secretion to the demand of HUVEC. In this way, a functional confluent monolayer could be generated within 3days.