Diversity of Penicillium in soil of Caatinga and Atlantic Forest areas of Pernambuco, Brazil: an ecological approach

Abstract

Caatinga is characterised as being a unique semi-arid biome only found in Brazil. It is characterised mainly for its soil poor in mineral and organic nutrients, and low water activity. On the other hand, Atlantic Forest is mainly characterised by its nutrient-rich soil, and its high water activity. Fungi are important constituents of both biomes. Among the fungi frequently isolated from soil of both Caatinga and Atlantic Forest, species of Penicillium are prominent. The richness, abundance, evenness, and dominance of species of Penicillium in soils of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest areas in Pernambuco, Brazil, were analyzed. The influence of seasonality (rainy and dry seasons) on the communities of species of Penicillium in each biome and their distribution was assessed. A total of 815 Penicillium isolates was found. From this total amount, 370 isolates were found in the Caatinga soil, whereas 445 were found in the Atlantic Forest soil. Thirty-one species were morphologically identified, with 23 of them in the Caatinga soil and 17 in the Atlantic Forest soil. In addition, three isolates from Caatinga soil were only identified to genus. The present study revealed that soils from Caatinga and Atlantic Forest have a high diversity of species of Penicillium, with the Caatinga presenting rare species. Furthermore, the communities of Penicillium species are very different, but well distributed in each biome. In the dry season, there was greater species richness in areas of the two biomes, indicating that the species may be well adapted to low soil water availability for the development and maintenance of balanced communities.

Promising substrates to increase the production of tannase under solid state fermentation (SSF) by Penicillium spp.

“…Most of these species are saprophytic, not very nutritionally demanding, giving them the ability to grow in any environment where there is a minimum of mineral salts or the most diverse and complex organic carbon sources (Pitt, 1991). This genus is of utmost relevance in nature, as its species participate actively in the recycling of organic matter (Samson and Frisvad, 2004;Cruz et al, 2013a).…”

Diversity of Filamentous Fungi of Area from Brazilian Caatinga and High-Level Tannase Production Using Mango (<i>Mangifera indica</i> L.) and Surinam Cherry (<i>Eugenia uniflora</i> L.) Leaves under SSF

“…Overall, 180 Petri dishes of Caatinga soil extracts were obtained. The plates were incubated at 28˚C (±2˚C) for 72 h [14].…”

“…Soil temperature was measured using a digital thermometer (UT325 Contemp-São Paulo, Brazil). All samples were transported at room temperature in sterilized thin polyethylene plastic bags to the research laboratory of the URM (University of Recife Mycology) culture collection [14].…”

Aspergillus and Penicillium (Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae) in soils of the Brazilian tropical dry forest: diversity in an area of environmental preservation

“…Soil is a dynamic and complex biological system, in which different organisms play key roles in the maintenance and survival of plant and animal communities. Fungi are the predominant soil microorganism in terms of biomass and a number of different species can be found in soil including the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium (Cruz, Santos, Lima, Moreira & Souza-Motta, 2013;Oliveira, Cavalcanti, Fernandes, & Lima, 2013). Those genera are widespread, occurring frequently in soils, and have important roles in the processes of biodeterioration, as well as significant importance in the medical field, because some of them are pathogenic to humans and other animals Pitt & Hocking, 2009).…”

“…There has been some study on the fungi in PARNA Catimbau (Cruz et al, 2013;Oliveira et al, 2013); however, soil samples have covered only a small part of the Park in the municipality of Buíque. Thus, taking into account the rapid loss of biodiversity and the role of fungi in the balance of an ecosystem, it is necessary to extend the knowledge of fungi, as well as their distribution in areas not yet surveyed.…”