Fungal melanins: a review

Butler, Michael J.; Day, Alan W.

doi:10.1139/w98-119

Cited by 602 publications

(385 citation statements)

References 168 publications

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“…Melanin is a condensed, randomly arrayed, aromatic pigment that is located in the cell wall or extracellular matrix of fungi (161)(162)(163). It broadly protects fungi from an array of environmental stresses, including extreme heat and cold, drought, UV radiation, high salinity, heavy metals, and anthropogenic pollutants (164)(165)(166)(167)(168)(169)(170).…”

Section: Stress Tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, tissues of melanized fungi are particularly recalcitrant (46,177,178). Accordingly, it has been suggested that melanin contributes to C storage in soils (5), eventually accumulating as humic material (163,177,179). In consideration of these properties, Koide et al (42) proposed melanin production as a fungal trait that may form a direct link between environmental stress and ecosystem function.…”

Section: Stress Tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Fungal Traits That Drive Ecosystem Dynamics on Land

Treseder

Lennon

2015

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

439

322

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SUMMARY Fungi contribute extensively to a wide range of ecosystem processes, including decomposition of organic carbon, deposition of recalcitrant carbon, and transformations of nitrogen and phosphorus. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about physiological and morphological traits of fungi that directly influence these processes, and we describe the functional genes that encode these traits. In addition, we synthesize information from 157 whole fungal genomes in order to determine relationships among selected functional genes within fungal taxa. Ecosystem-related traits varied most at relatively coarse taxonomic levels. For example, we found that the maximum amount of variance for traits associated with carbon mineralization, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, and stress tolerance could be explained at the levels of order to phylum. Moreover, suites of traits tended to co-occur within taxa. Specifically, the genetic capacities for traits that improve stress tolerance—β-glucan synthesis, trehalose production, and cold-induced RNA helicases—were positively related to one another, and they were more evident in yeasts. Traits that regulate the decomposition of complex organic matter—lignin peroxidases, cellobiohydrolases, and crystalline cellulases—were also positively related, but they were more strongly associated with free-living filamentous fungi. Altogether, these relationships provide evidence for two functional groups: stress tolerators, which may contribute to soil carbon accumulation via the production of recalcitrant compounds; and decomposers, which may reduce soil carbon stocks. It is possible that ecosystem functions, such as soil carbon storage, may be mediated by shifts in the fungal community between stress tolerators and decomposers in response to environmental changes, such as drought and warming.

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Section: Stress Tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Stress Tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal Traits That Drive Ecosystem Dynamics on Land

Treseder

Lennon

2015

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

439

322

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…formation of resting bodies called sclerotia [24]) or stress response (i.e. mycelia melanization [25,26]). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacterial farming by the fungusMorchella crassipes

et al. 2013

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The interactions between bacteria and fungi, the main actors of the soil microbiome, remain poorly studied. Here, we show that the saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal soil fungus Morchella crassipes acts as a bacterial farmer of Pseudomonas putida, which serves as a model soil bacterium. Farming by M. crassipes consists of bacterial dispersal, bacterial rearing with fungal exudates, as well as harvesting and translocation of bacterial carbon. The different phases were confirmed experimentally using cell counting and 13 C probing. Common criteria met by other non-human farming systems are also valid for M. crassipes farming, including habitual planting, cultivation and harvesting. Specific traits include delocalization of food production and consumption and separation of roles in the colony (source versus sink areas), which are also found in human agriculture. Our study evidences a hitherto unknown mutualistic association in which bacteria gain through dispersal and rearing, while the fungus gains through the harvesting of an additional carbon source and increased stress resistance of the mycelium. This type of interaction between fungi and bacteria may play a key role in soils.

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“…The physiological properties of conidia have drawn the attention of biologists and breeding experts. Butler and Day (1998) reported that conidia in A. niger showed strong tolerance to UV-rays due to the presence of melanin in conidia. Similar results were found by Liu et al (2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the physiological properties and kinetics of citric acid accumulation via carbon ion irradiation mutagenesis of Aspergillus niger

Chen

Wang

et al. 2016

J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B

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Abstract:The objective of this work was to produce citric acid from corn starch using a newly isolated mutant of Aspergillus niger, and to analyze the relationship between changes in the physiological properties of A. niger induced by carbon ion irradiation and citric acid accumulation. Our results showed that the physiological characteristics of conidia in A. niger were closely related to citric acid accumulation and that lower growth rate and viability of conidia may be beneficial to citric acid accumulation. Using corn starch as a raw material, a high-yielding citric acid mutant, named HW2, was obtained. In a 10-L bioreactor, HW2 can accumulate 118.9 g/L citric acid with a residual total sugar concentration of only 14.4 g/L. This represented an 18% increase in citric acid accumulation and a 12.5% decrease in sugar utilization compared with the original strain.

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Fungal melanins: a review

Cited by 602 publications

References 168 publications

Fungal Traits That Drive Ecosystem Dynamics on Land

Fungal Traits That Drive Ecosystem Dynamics on Land

Bacterial farming by the fungusMorchella crassipes

Changes in the physiological properties and kinetics of citric acid accumulation via carbon ion irradiation mutagenesis of Aspergillus niger

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