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This study is the first mycological evaluation of bat guano and the air around it in Harmanecká and Driny Caves in Slovakia. These caves are the most important underground localities of bats in Slovakia. Samples were collected in July 2014 and cultivated for fungi. Harmanecká Cave had seven species of filamentous fungi and one yeast-like fungus isolated from bat guano, compared to six species of filamentous fungi in guano from Driny Cave. Air samples from Harmanecká Cave had twelve species of fungi, compared to nine species from Driny Cave. Fungal density was higher in guano from Driny Cave (4720.1 CFU/g guano) than from Harmanecká Cave (3498.3 CFU/g). The pattern was reversed with fungi from the air. Fungal density in air from Harmanecká Cave (211.3 CFU/m 3 ) was higher than that from Driny Cave (175.7 CFU/m 3 ). Penicillium granulatum was the most frequently isolated fungal species, except in the guano of Driny Cave, where Mucor hiemalis was most common. Bat guano is a very good substrate for the development and survival of fungi in the caves, and it can be a reservoir of fungi harmful for bats. However, air samples from both caves contained more species of fungi than the bat guano, because the majority of fungi are transferred to underground ecosystems with air bioaerosols from the external environment.

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Main conclusion Upregulation of the terpenoid pathway and increased ABA content in flax upon Fusarium infection leads to activation of the early plant's response (PR genes, cell wall remodeling, and redox status).Abstract Plants have developed a number of defense strategies against the adverse effects of fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum. One such defense is the production of antioxidant secondary metabolites, which fall into two main groups: the phenylpropanoids and the terpenoids. While functions and biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids have been extensively studied, very little is known about the genes controlling the terpenoid synthesis pathway in flax. They can serve as antioxidants, but are also substrates for a plethora of different compounds, including those of regulatory functions, like ABA. ABA's function during pathogen attack remains obscure and often depends on the specific plant-pathogen interactions. In our study we showed that in flax the non-mevalonate pathway is strongly activated in the early hours of pathogen infection and that there is a redirection of metabolites towards ABA synthesis. The elevated synthesis of ABA correlates with flax resistance to F. oxysporum, thus we suggest ABA to be a positive regulator of the plant's early response to the infection.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Mycobiota are important in underground ecology. In 2014, we discovered dark stains on clayey sediments on the walls of Driny Cave, Slovakia. Our description is based on the morphology of the fungus and the phylogenetic relationships of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. In addition, data on its capacity for the production of extracellular enzymes, growth, and survival in vitro at different temperatures are reported. Our analyses revealed that this dark stains on the wall was produced by Penicillium glandicola. The fungus was able to synthesize amylases, proteases and cellulases, but not pectinases and keratinases. The vegetative structures of mycelium of this fungus are viable in vitro after storage at cool temperatures (from −72 to 5 °C), and show active growth at temperatures from 5 to 25 °C, but without spore germination, and without active growth at 30 and 37 °C. Penicillium glandicola is a psychrotolerant species and belong to var. glandicola.

This paper is the first aero-mycological report from Demänovská Ice Cave. Fungal spores were sampled from the internal and external air of the cave in June, 2014, using the impact method with a microbiological air sampler. Airborne fungi cultured on PDA medium were identified using a combination of classical phenotypic and molecular methods. Altogether, the presence of 18 different fungal spores, belonging to 3 phyla, 9 orders and 14 genera, was detected in the air of the cave. All of them were isolated from the indoor samples, and only 9 were obtained from the outdoor samples. Overall, airborne fungal spores belonging to the genus Cladosporium dominated in this study. However, the spores of Trametes hirsuta were most commonly found in the indoor air samples of the cave and the spores of C. herbarum in the outdoor air samples. On the other hand, the spores of Alternaria abundans, Arthrinium kogelbergense, Cryptococcus curvatus, Discosia sp., Fomes fomentarius, Microdochium seminicola and T. hirsuta were discovered for the first time in the air of natural and artificial underground sites. The external air of the cave contains more culturable airborne fungal spores (755 colony-forming units (CFU) per 1 m3 of air) than the internal air (from 47 to 273 CFU in 1 m3), and these levels of airborne spore concentration do not pose a threat to the health of tourists. Probably, the specific microclimate in the cave, including the constant presence of ice caps and low temperature, as well as the location and surrounding environment, contributes to the unique species composition of aeromycota and their spores in the cave. Thus, aero-mycological monitoring of underground sites seems to be very important for their ecosystems, and it may help reduce the risk of fungal infections in humans and other mammals that may arise in particular due to climate change.

Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is a moderate-yielding legume crop known for its high grain protein content and contribution to soil improvement. It is cultivated under photoperiods ranging from 9 to 17 h, as a spring-sown (in colder locations) or as an autumn-sown crop (in warmer regions). Wild populations require a prolonged cold period, called vernalization, to induce flowering. The key achievement of L. angustifolius domestication was the discovery of two natural mutations (named Ku and Jul) conferring vernalization independence. These mutations are overlapping deletion variants in the promoter of LanFTc1, a homolog of the Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene. The third deletion, named here as Pal, was recently found in primitive germplasm. In this study, we genotyped L. angustifolius germplasm that differs in domestication status and geographical origin for LanFTc1 alleles, which we then phenotyped to establish flowering time and vernalization responsiveness. The Ku and Jul lines were vernalization-independent and early flowering, wild (ku) lines were vernalization-dependent and late flowering, whereas the Pal line conferred intermediate phenotype. Three lines representing Ku, Pal, and ku alleles were subjected to gene expression surveys under 8-and 16-h photoperiods. FT homologs (LanFTa1, LanFTa2, LanFTc1, and LanFTc2) and some genes selected by recent expression quantitative trait loci mapping were analyzed. Expression profiles of LanFTc1 and LanAGL8 (AGAMOUSlike 8) matched observed differences in flowering time between genotypes, highlighted by high induction after vernalization in the ku line. Moreover, these genes revealed altered circadian clock control in Pal line under short days. LanFD (FD) and LanCRLK1 (CALCIUM/CALMODULIN-REGULATED RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE 1) were negatively responsive to vernalization in Ku and Pal lines but positively responsive or variable in ku, whereas LanUGT85A2 (UDP-GLUCOSYL TRANSFERASE 85A2) was significantly suppressed by vernalization in all lines. Such a pattern suggests the opposite regulation of these gene pairs in the vernalization pathway. LanCRLK1 and LanUGT85A2 are homologs of A. thaliana genes involved in the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) vernalization

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