Osmotolerance as a determinant of microbial ecology: A study of phylogenetically diverse fungi

Author(s)

Araujo, Claudineia A. S. ^[1] ; Ferreira, Paulo C. ^[1] ; Pupin, Breno ^[1] ; Dias, Luciana P. ^[2] ; Avalos, Javier ^[3] ; Edwards, Jessica ^[4] ; Hallsworth, John E. ^[4] ; Rangel, Drauzio E. N. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Vale Paraiba, BR-12244000 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Escola Engn Lorena, BR-12602810 Lorena, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Seville, Fac Biol, Dept Genet, Apartado 1095, Seville 41080 - Spain

^[4] Queens Univ Belfast, Sch Biol Sci, Inst Global Food Secur, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Antrim - North Ireland

^[5] Univ Brasil, BR-08230030 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FUNGAL BIOLOGY; v. 124, n. 5, p. 273-288, MAY 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Osmotic stress induced by high solute concentration can prevent fungal metabolism and growth due to alterations in properties of the cytosol, changes in turgor, and the energy required to synthesize and retain compatible solutes. We used germination to quantify tolerance/sensitivity to the osmolyte KCI (0.1 -4.5 M, in 0.1 M increments) for 71 strains (40 species) of ecologically diverse fungi. These include 11 saprotrophic species (17 strains, including two xerophilic species), five mycoparasitic species (five strains), six plant-pathogenic species (13 strains), and 19 entomopathogenic species (36 strains). A dendrogram obtained from cluster analyses, based on KCI inhibitory concentrations 50 % and 90 % calculated by Probit Analysis, revealed three groups of fungal isolates accordingly to their osmotolerance. The most-osmotolerant group (Group 3) contained the majority of saprotrophic fungi, and Aspergillus niger (F19) was the most tolerant. The highly xerophilic Aspergillus montevidense and Aspergillus pseudoglaucus were the second- and third-most tolerant species, respectively. All Aspergillus and Cladosporium species belonged to Group 3, followed by the entomopathogens Colletotrichum fioriniae, Simplicillium lanosoniveum, and Trichothecium roseum. Group 2 exhibited a moderate osmotolerance, and included plant-pathogens such as Colletotrichum and Fusarium, mycoparasites such as Clonostachys spp, some saprotrophs such as Mucor and Penicillium spp., and some entomopathogens such as Isaria, Lecanicillium, Mariannaea, Simplicillium, and Torrubiella. Group 1 contained the osmo-sensitive strains: the rest of the entomopathogens and the mycoparasitic Gliocladium and Trichoderma. Although stress tolerance did not correlate with their primary ecological niche, classification of these 71 fungal strains was more closely aligned with their ecology than with their phylogenetic relatedness. We discuss the implications for both microbial ecology and fungal taxonomy. (C) 2019 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/25964-2 - Visible light during mycelial growth alters gene expression and improves stress tolerance in entomopathogenic fungi
• Grantee: Luciana Pereira Dias
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/20571-6 - International Symposium on Fungal Stress - ISFUS
• Grantee: Drauzio Eduardo Naretto Rangel
• Support Opportunities: Organization Grants - Scientific Meeting
• FAPESP's process: 13/50518-6 - Stress related genes are induced by visible light during mycelial growth resulting in increased conidial tolerance to stress conditions
• Grantee: Drauzio Eduardo Naretto Rangel
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 10/06374-1 - Visible light during growth enhances conidial tolerance to different stress conditions in fungi
• Grantee: Drauzio Eduardo Naretto Rangel
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants