International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Oct 6, 2022
Six strains of black meristematic fungi were isolated from Antarctic soils, gasoline car tanks an... more Six strains of black meristematic fungi were isolated from Antarctic soils, gasoline car tanks and from the marine alga Flabellia petiolata. These fungi were characterized by morphological, physiological and phylogenetic analyses. According to the maximum-likelihood analysis reconstructed with ITS and LSU sequences, these strains belonged to the genus Knufia. Knufia obscura sp. nov. (holotype CBS 148926) and Knufia victoriae sp. nov. (holotype CBS 149015) are proposed as two novel species and descriptions of their morphological, physiological and phylogenetic features are presented. Based on the maximum-likelihood analyses, K. obscura was closely related to Knufia hypolithi (99 % bootstrap support), while K. victoriae clustered in the clade of Knufia cryptophialidica and Knufia perfecta (93 % bootstrap support). Knufia victoriae, recorded in Antarctic soil samples, had a psychrophilic behaviour, with optimal growth between 10 and 15 °C and no growth recorded at 20 °C. Knufia obscura, from a gasoline car tank and algae, displayed optimal growth between 20 and 25 °C and was more tolerant to salinity than K. victoriae.
All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you... more All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you... more All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
Like other hypogeal environments, the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill are prone to unwanted biol... more Like other hypogeal environments, the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill are prone to unwanted biological growth. Wide conservative interventions have been carried out at the beginning of this millenium to reduce biodeterioration and physical–chemical damages. Retracing the last monitoring work, we assessed the site’s current state of conservation and biodeterioration intending to check the previous treatments’ effectiveness and deepen the common knowledge of the subterranean biota and their possible biodeteriogenic effects. Starting from the past test areas and the previous identifications of the occurring biodeteriogens, we further isolated and identified the main eubacterial, fungal, and phototrophic settlers, focusing on some detrimental traits for wall paintings (i.e., acid production and carbonate precipitation). The achieved results proved the success of the performed interventions in reducing the wall’s water content. Otherwise, the new conditions raise, in the long term, new ...
The aim of our study is to describe a fast molecular method, able to distinguish and quantize the... more The aim of our study is to describe a fast molecular method, able to distinguish and quantize the two different genotypes (652 and JP2) of an important periodontal pathogen: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. The two genotypes show differences in the expression of an important pathogenic factor: the leukotoxin (ltx). In order to evidence this, we performed a real time PCR procedure on the ltx operon, able to recognize Aa clinical isolates with different leukotoxic potentials. The specificity of the method was confirmed in subgingival plaque and saliva specimens collected from eighty-one Italian (Sardinian) subjects with a mean age of 43.9, fifty five (68 %) of whom had various clinical forms of periodontal disease. This procedure showed a good sensitivity and a high linear dynamic range of quantization (10(7)-10(2) cells/ml) for all genotypes and a good correlation factor (R2 = 0.97-0.98). Compared with traditional cultural methods, this real time PCR procedure is more sensitive;...
This work focuses on rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) of Antarctic rocky deserts, considered the close... more This work focuses on rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) of Antarctic rocky deserts, considered the closest to a possible Martian habitat, as the best example of adaptation to the extremes. The study of RIF ecophysiology, resistance and adaptation provides tools that shed light on the evolution of extremophily. These studies also help define the actual limits for life and provide insight for investigating its existence beyond our planet. The scientific results obtained from over 20 years of research on the biodiversity, phylogeny and evolution toward extremotolerance reviewed here demonstrate how these fascinating organisms can withstand conditions well beyond those in their natural environment. A final focus is given on results and perspectives arising from a recent proteomic approach, and from astrobiological experiments and their significance for future space exploration. These studies demonstrate that Antarctic RIF offer an excellent opportunity to investigate many basic, but also applicative areas of research on extremophily.
Dried colonies of the Antarctic rock-inhabiting meristematic fungi Cryomyces antarcticus CCFEE 51... more Dried colonies of the Antarctic rock-inhabiting meristematic fungi Cryomyces antarcticus CCFEE 515, CCFEE 534 and C. minteri CCFEE 5187, as well as fragments of rocks colonized by the Antarctic cryptoendolithic community, were exposed to a set of ground-based experiment verification tests (EVTs) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Köln, Germany). These were carried out to test the tolerance of these organisms in view of their possible exposure to space conditions outside of the International Space Station (ISS). Tests included single or combined simulated space and Martian conditions. Responses were analysed both by cultural and microscopic methods. Thereby, colony formation capacities were measured and the cellular viability was assessed using live/dead dyes FUN 1 and SYTOX Green. The results clearly suggest a general good resistance of all the samples investigated. C. minteri CCFEE 5187, C. antarcticus CCFEE 515 and colonized rocks were selected as suitable candidates to withstand space flight and long-term permanence in space on the ISS in the framework of the LIchens and Fungi Experiments (LIFE programme, European Space Agency).
Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 2013
ABSTRACT Fungi play irreplaceable roles for ecosystem functioning. They may adopt different lifes... more ABSTRACT Fungi play irreplaceable roles for ecosystem functioning. They may adopt different lifestyles, for example saprotrophs, symbionts or parasites: some species are cosmopolitan with a wide distribution and others, thanks to their ecological plasticity, may adapt to harsh environments precluded to most of life forms. In stressing conditions, their role is even more crucial for the recycling of organic matter or favoring nutrients uptake. When the conditions become really extreme and competition is low, fungi focus on extremotolerance and evolve peculiar competences to exploit natural or xenobiotic resources in the particular constrains imposed by the environment. This paper focuses on three different cases of fungal life in the extremes: hydrocarbon-polluted sites, extremely acidic substrates, and littoral dunes, aiming to give few but significant examples of the role of these fascinating organisms in peculiar habitats and the valuable biotechnological potentialities of the abilities they have evolved in response to such constrains.
Withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication is associated with a reduction of dopamine neurotran... more Withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication is associated with a reduction of dopamine neurotransmission. However, the mechanisms of dopamine depletion, a putative neurochemical correlate of the dysphoric symptomatology, are not yet understood. To assess the role of L-type calcium channels in the inhibition of the dopaminergic system in the withdrawal state, the effects of the dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist nimodipine on the extracellular levels of dopamine were studied in the nucleus accumbens shell of awake rats 10 h after withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication. In control, chronic sucrose-withdrawn rats, nimodipine did not change extracellular dopamine levels. However, in ethanol-withdrawn rats nimodipine (5 or 10 mg/kg s.c.) increased extracellular dopamine to 136 +/- 16 and 305 +/- 19% of pre-administration values, respectively, the latter dose elevating levels above those of controls. The elevations of extracellular DA by nimodipine (10 mg/kg) were associated with a significant reduction (-17%) of the overall behavioural score of the withdrawal symptomatology, as evaluated for 11 behavioural items. Significant reductions of the score for convulsions (-47%) and, to a lesser extent, for catatonia (-30%) and tremors (-15%) contributed to the overall effect. It is suggested that overactivity of L-type calcium channels is involved in the mechanisms of dopamine depletion as well as in certain behavioural/neurological signs associated with ethanol withdrawal. By restoring depleted dopamine levels, dihydropyridines might ameliorate the dysphoric symptoms of ethanol abstinence.
International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 2012
The preservation of the wall paintings in rural habitats may be difficult because of severe damag... more The preservation of the wall paintings in rural habitats may be difficult because of severe damage caused by living organisms that may discolor and degrade substrata as a consequence of their growth and metabolic activity. In order to set proper protocols for conservative interventions, biodeterioration agents dwelling within the wall paintings of the Holy Saviour's Cave, in Vallerano, Italy, were analyzed, taking into account their impact on the substrate and their relation with environmental factors. Pigments, binders, and deterioration products of the paintings were examined by spectroscopic and microstratigraphic analysis. A predominant whitish grey crust was due to the massive development of the lichen Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata, but Caloplaca xantholyta and Lepraria sp. were also observed, while a brilliant green patina, red powdery granules, and a black biofilm were due to the presence of green algae (Stichococcus sp., Trentepohlia sp.) and cyanobacteria (Chroococcus sp., Nostoc sp.). Black fungi, here analyzed by ITS rDNA sequencing, were also present.
ABSTRACT As part of a worldwide sampling nine black fungi were isolated from rocks collected in f... more ABSTRACT As part of a worldwide sampling nine black fungi were isolated from rocks collected in four distinct sites of the Alps at high altitudes. Based on a nucSSU, nucLSU and mtSSU multi-locus phylogeny, seven of them were found to cluster into a distinct and wellsupported clade in a basal position within the Class Dothideomycetes. As in other rock fungi these new groups of isolates were characterized by a meristematic growth and a scarcely differentiated morphology with highly melanized and thick-walled toruloid hyphae. Nonetheless, few peculiar characters were also observed as convoluted hyphal tips and the production of spherical propagules. The new genus and species Saxomyces alpinus and S. penninicus, are here described based on morphological and molecular data, in a yet to be defined order of the Dothideomycetes. The remaining two black fungi clustered in Cryomyces, a genus previously exclusively found in rocks from the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. These two isolates were genetically distant from other Antarctic Cryomyces species based on ITS sequences, and they showed a peculiar morphology; they are here described as the new species C. montanus and C. funiculosus. Implications of our results on the evolution, adaptation and dispersal of rock-inhabiting fungi under extreme conditions are discussed
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Oct 6, 2022
Six strains of black meristematic fungi were isolated from Antarctic soils, gasoline car tanks an... more Six strains of black meristematic fungi were isolated from Antarctic soils, gasoline car tanks and from the marine alga Flabellia petiolata. These fungi were characterized by morphological, physiological and phylogenetic analyses. According to the maximum-likelihood analysis reconstructed with ITS and LSU sequences, these strains belonged to the genus Knufia. Knufia obscura sp. nov. (holotype CBS 148926) and Knufia victoriae sp. nov. (holotype CBS 149015) are proposed as two novel species and descriptions of their morphological, physiological and phylogenetic features are presented. Based on the maximum-likelihood analyses, K. obscura was closely related to Knufia hypolithi (99 % bootstrap support), while K. victoriae clustered in the clade of Knufia cryptophialidica and Knufia perfecta (93 % bootstrap support). Knufia victoriae, recorded in Antarctic soil samples, had a psychrophilic behaviour, with optimal growth between 10 and 15 °C and no growth recorded at 20 °C. Knufia obscura, from a gasoline car tank and algae, displayed optimal growth between 20 and 25 °C and was more tolerant to salinity than K. victoriae.
All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you... more All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you... more All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
Like other hypogeal environments, the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill are prone to unwanted biol... more Like other hypogeal environments, the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill are prone to unwanted biological growth. Wide conservative interventions have been carried out at the beginning of this millenium to reduce biodeterioration and physical–chemical damages. Retracing the last monitoring work, we assessed the site’s current state of conservation and biodeterioration intending to check the previous treatments’ effectiveness and deepen the common knowledge of the subterranean biota and their possible biodeteriogenic effects. Starting from the past test areas and the previous identifications of the occurring biodeteriogens, we further isolated and identified the main eubacterial, fungal, and phototrophic settlers, focusing on some detrimental traits for wall paintings (i.e., acid production and carbonate precipitation). The achieved results proved the success of the performed interventions in reducing the wall’s water content. Otherwise, the new conditions raise, in the long term, new ...
The aim of our study is to describe a fast molecular method, able to distinguish and quantize the... more The aim of our study is to describe a fast molecular method, able to distinguish and quantize the two different genotypes (652 and JP2) of an important periodontal pathogen: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. The two genotypes show differences in the expression of an important pathogenic factor: the leukotoxin (ltx). In order to evidence this, we performed a real time PCR procedure on the ltx operon, able to recognize Aa clinical isolates with different leukotoxic potentials. The specificity of the method was confirmed in subgingival plaque and saliva specimens collected from eighty-one Italian (Sardinian) subjects with a mean age of 43.9, fifty five (68 %) of whom had various clinical forms of periodontal disease. This procedure showed a good sensitivity and a high linear dynamic range of quantization (10(7)-10(2) cells/ml) for all genotypes and a good correlation factor (R2 = 0.97-0.98). Compared with traditional cultural methods, this real time PCR procedure is more sensitive;...
This work focuses on rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) of Antarctic rocky deserts, considered the close... more This work focuses on rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) of Antarctic rocky deserts, considered the closest to a possible Martian habitat, as the best example of adaptation to the extremes. The study of RIF ecophysiology, resistance and adaptation provides tools that shed light on the evolution of extremophily. These studies also help define the actual limits for life and provide insight for investigating its existence beyond our planet. The scientific results obtained from over 20 years of research on the biodiversity, phylogeny and evolution toward extremotolerance reviewed here demonstrate how these fascinating organisms can withstand conditions well beyond those in their natural environment. A final focus is given on results and perspectives arising from a recent proteomic approach, and from astrobiological experiments and their significance for future space exploration. These studies demonstrate that Antarctic RIF offer an excellent opportunity to investigate many basic, but also applicative areas of research on extremophily.
Dried colonies of the Antarctic rock-inhabiting meristematic fungi Cryomyces antarcticus CCFEE 51... more Dried colonies of the Antarctic rock-inhabiting meristematic fungi Cryomyces antarcticus CCFEE 515, CCFEE 534 and C. minteri CCFEE 5187, as well as fragments of rocks colonized by the Antarctic cryptoendolithic community, were exposed to a set of ground-based experiment verification tests (EVTs) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Köln, Germany). These were carried out to test the tolerance of these organisms in view of their possible exposure to space conditions outside of the International Space Station (ISS). Tests included single or combined simulated space and Martian conditions. Responses were analysed both by cultural and microscopic methods. Thereby, colony formation capacities were measured and the cellular viability was assessed using live/dead dyes FUN 1 and SYTOX Green. The results clearly suggest a general good resistance of all the samples investigated. C. minteri CCFEE 5187, C. antarcticus CCFEE 515 and colonized rocks were selected as suitable candidates to withstand space flight and long-term permanence in space on the ISS in the framework of the LIchens and Fungi Experiments (LIFE programme, European Space Agency).
Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 2013
ABSTRACT Fungi play irreplaceable roles for ecosystem functioning. They may adopt different lifes... more ABSTRACT Fungi play irreplaceable roles for ecosystem functioning. They may adopt different lifestyles, for example saprotrophs, symbionts or parasites: some species are cosmopolitan with a wide distribution and others, thanks to their ecological plasticity, may adapt to harsh environments precluded to most of life forms. In stressing conditions, their role is even more crucial for the recycling of organic matter or favoring nutrients uptake. When the conditions become really extreme and competition is low, fungi focus on extremotolerance and evolve peculiar competences to exploit natural or xenobiotic resources in the particular constrains imposed by the environment. This paper focuses on three different cases of fungal life in the extremes: hydrocarbon-polluted sites, extremely acidic substrates, and littoral dunes, aiming to give few but significant examples of the role of these fascinating organisms in peculiar habitats and the valuable biotechnological potentialities of the abilities they have evolved in response to such constrains.
Withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication is associated with a reduction of dopamine neurotran... more Withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication is associated with a reduction of dopamine neurotransmission. However, the mechanisms of dopamine depletion, a putative neurochemical correlate of the dysphoric symptomatology, are not yet understood. To assess the role of L-type calcium channels in the inhibition of the dopaminergic system in the withdrawal state, the effects of the dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist nimodipine on the extracellular levels of dopamine were studied in the nucleus accumbens shell of awake rats 10 h after withdrawal from chronic ethanol intoxication. In control, chronic sucrose-withdrawn rats, nimodipine did not change extracellular dopamine levels. However, in ethanol-withdrawn rats nimodipine (5 or 10 mg/kg s.c.) increased extracellular dopamine to 136 +/- 16 and 305 +/- 19% of pre-administration values, respectively, the latter dose elevating levels above those of controls. The elevations of extracellular DA by nimodipine (10 mg/kg) were associated with a significant reduction (-17%) of the overall behavioural score of the withdrawal symptomatology, as evaluated for 11 behavioural items. Significant reductions of the score for convulsions (-47%) and, to a lesser extent, for catatonia (-30%) and tremors (-15%) contributed to the overall effect. It is suggested that overactivity of L-type calcium channels is involved in the mechanisms of dopamine depletion as well as in certain behavioural/neurological signs associated with ethanol withdrawal. By restoring depleted dopamine levels, dihydropyridines might ameliorate the dysphoric symptoms of ethanol abstinence.
International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 2012
The preservation of the wall paintings in rural habitats may be difficult because of severe damag... more The preservation of the wall paintings in rural habitats may be difficult because of severe damage caused by living organisms that may discolor and degrade substrata as a consequence of their growth and metabolic activity. In order to set proper protocols for conservative interventions, biodeterioration agents dwelling within the wall paintings of the Holy Saviour's Cave, in Vallerano, Italy, were analyzed, taking into account their impact on the substrate and their relation with environmental factors. Pigments, binders, and deterioration products of the paintings were examined by spectroscopic and microstratigraphic analysis. A predominant whitish grey crust was due to the massive development of the lichen Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata, but Caloplaca xantholyta and Lepraria sp. were also observed, while a brilliant green patina, red powdery granules, and a black biofilm were due to the presence of green algae (Stichococcus sp., Trentepohlia sp.) and cyanobacteria (Chroococcus sp., Nostoc sp.). Black fungi, here analyzed by ITS rDNA sequencing, were also present.
ABSTRACT As part of a worldwide sampling nine black fungi were isolated from rocks collected in f... more ABSTRACT As part of a worldwide sampling nine black fungi were isolated from rocks collected in four distinct sites of the Alps at high altitudes. Based on a nucSSU, nucLSU and mtSSU multi-locus phylogeny, seven of them were found to cluster into a distinct and wellsupported clade in a basal position within the Class Dothideomycetes. As in other rock fungi these new groups of isolates were characterized by a meristematic growth and a scarcely differentiated morphology with highly melanized and thick-walled toruloid hyphae. Nonetheless, few peculiar characters were also observed as convoluted hyphal tips and the production of spherical propagules. The new genus and species Saxomyces alpinus and S. penninicus, are here described based on morphological and molecular data, in a yet to be defined order of the Dothideomycetes. The remaining two black fungi clustered in Cryomyces, a genus previously exclusively found in rocks from the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. These two isolates were genetically distant from other Antarctic Cryomyces species based on ITS sequences, and they showed a peculiar morphology; they are here described as the new species C. montanus and C. funiculosus. Implications of our results on the evolution, adaptation and dispersal of rock-inhabiting fungi under extreme conditions are discussed
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