Filamentous Fungi Associated with Bivalve Mollusks from Polluted Biotopes of Ussuriiskii Bay, Sea of Japan

Abstract

We have studied for the first time the taxonomic composition of filamentous fungi associated with the bivalve mollusks Crenomytilus grayanus (Bunker, 1853) and Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758), collected in polluted biotopes of Ussuriiskii Bay (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan). One hundred fifty-five strains of higher fungi were isolated, and 35 species of filamentous fungi were identified. Out of these, 28 species were anamorphous fungi of the genera Aspergillus (12), Penicillium (10), Acremonium (1), Alternaria (1), Aureobasidium (1), and Cladosporium (3) (Deuteromycota), and 7 were species of the genera Chaetomium (6) and Myxotrichum (1) (Ascomycota). Twenty-four species of filamentous fungi were isolated from the internal organs of C. grayanus : 8 from the muscles, 8 from the hepatopancreas, 6 from the female gonads, 4 from the mantle, 3 from the kidneys and male gonads, and 1 from the gills. Twenty-one species of filamentous fungi were isolated from the internal organs of Modiolus modiolus : 10 from the muscles, 6 from the hepatopancreas, 5 from the female gonads, 3 from the kidneys, 3 from the mantle, and 1 from the gills. The bulk of the isolated species of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium , and Chaetomium were pathogenic and toxigenic fungi.

The roles of endolithic fungi in bioerosion and disease in marine ecosystems. II. Potential facultatively parasitic anamorphic ascomycetes can cause disease in corals and molluscs

“…Zverev and Vysotskaya (2005) and Borzkh and Zvereva (2012, 2015) found large assemblages of filamentous true fungi associated with populations of four different commercially important species of bivalve molluscs in the sea of Japan: Crenomytilus grayanus, Anadara broughtoni, Modiolus modiolus and Crassostreas gigas ). The compositions of the assemblages of the Ascomycota associated with these molluscs were similar to the compositions found in assemblages associated with species of corals in other parts of the world.…”

“…While most studies available to date investigated fungi isolated from the soft tissues of molluscs, at least some of such toxic species are known to be microborers. According to Zverev and Vysotskaya (2005), the bulk of the ascomycetes and other fungi isolated from bivalve tissues in the Sea of Japan were pathogenic and toxigenic fungi. These included species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Chaetomium , which produce mycotoxins including aflatoxins, ochratoxins, gliotoxins and hemotoxins (Zverev and Vysotskaya 2005).…”

“…According to Zverev and Vysotskaya (2005), the bulk of the ascomycetes and other fungi isolated from bivalve tissues in the Sea of Japan were pathogenic and toxigenic fungi. These included species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Chaetomium , which produce mycotoxins including aflatoxins, ochratoxins, gliotoxins and hemotoxins (Zverev and Vysotskaya 2005). These toxins partly determine the pathogenic properties of the fungi.…”

“…Zverev and Vysotskaya (2005) observed an abundant and diverse community of filamentous fungi in a marine environment polluted by industrial and municipal waste (Ussuriysk Bay, Sea of Japan). They isolated 155 strains of filamentous and sac fungi (Ascomycetes) from the internal tissues of two species of bivalves ( C. grayanus and M. modiolus ).…”

“…Spores of these fungi often germinate easily, and the growth patterns of these fungi cause the formation of fungal blooms which can include floating rafts of hyphae in coastal marine ecosystems (Hallegraeff et al 2014), especially with high nutrient content (Zverev and Vysotskaya 2005), i.e. high concentrations of utilisable organic compounds dissolved in water, formed during the process of eutrophication.…”