Insights into the phylogeny of Northern Hemisphere Armillaria: Neighbor-net and Bayesian analyses of translation elongation factor 1-α gene sequences.

Armillaria possesses several intriguing characteristics that have inspired wide interest in understanding phylogenetic relationships within and among species of this genus. Nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence-based analyses of Armillaria provide only limited information for phylogenetic studies among widely divergent taxa. More recent studies have shown that translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) sequences are highly informative for phylogenetic analysis of Armillaria species within diverse global regions. This study used Neighbor-net and coalescence-based Bayesian analyses to examine phylogenetic relationships of newly determined and existing tef1 sequences derived from diverse Armillaria species from across the Northern Hemisphere, with Southern Hemisphere Armillaria species included for reference. Based on the Bayesian analysis of tef1 sequences, Armillaria species from the Northern Hemisphere are generally contained within the following four superclades, which are named according to the specific epithet of the most frequently cited species within the superclade: (i) Socialis/Tabescens (exannulate) superclade including Eurasian A. ectypa, North American A. socialis (A. tabescens), and Eurasian A. socialis (A. tabescens) clades; (ii) Mellea superclade including undescribed annulate North American Armillaria sp. (Mexico) and four separate clades of A. mellea (Europe and Iran, eastern Asia, and two groups from North America); (iii) Gallica superclade including Armillaria Nag E (Japan), multiple clades of A. gallica (Asia and Europe), A. calvescens (eastern North America), A. cepistipes (North America), A. altimontana (western USA), A. nabsnona (North America and Japan), and at least two A. gallica clades (North America); and (iv) Solidipes/Ostoyae superclade including two A. solidipes/ostoyae clades (North America), A. gemina (eastern USA), A. solidipes/ostoyae (Eurasia), A. cepistipes (Europe and Japan), A. sinapina (North America and Japan), and A. borealis (Eurasia) clade 2. Of note is that A. borealis (Eurasia) clade 1 appears basal to the Solidipes/Ostoyae and Gallica superclades. The Neighbor-net analysis showed similar phylogenetic relationships. This study further demonstrates the utility of tef1 for global phylogenetic studies of Armillaria species and provides critical insights into multiple taxonomic issues that warrant further study.

Lignin and lignans in plant defence: insight from expression profiling of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase genes during development and following fungal infection in Populus.

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of monolignol, the main component of lignin. Lignins, deposited in the secondary cell wall, play a role in plant defence against pathogens. We re-analysed the phylogeny of CAD/CAD-like genes using sequences from recently sequenced genomes, and analysed the temporal and spatial expression profiles of CAD/CAD-like genes in Populus trichocarpa healthy and infected plants. Three fungal pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, and Cytospora sp.), varying in lifestyle and pathogenicity, were used for plant infection. Phylogenetic analyses showed that CAD/CAD-like genes were distributed in classes represented by all members from angiosperm lineages including basal angiosperms and Selaginella. The analysed genes showed different expression profiles during development and demonstrated that three genes were involved in primary xylem maturation while five may function in secondary xylem formation. Expression analysis following inoculation with fungal pathogens, showed that five genes were induced in either stem or leaves. These results add further evidence that CAD/CAD-like genes have evolved specialised functions in plant development and defence against various pest and pathogens. Two genes (PoptrCAD11 and PoptrCAD15), which were induced under various stresses, could be treated as universal markers of plant defence using lignification or lignan biosynthesis.

Iron and reactive oxygen responses in Pinus sylvestris root cortical cells infected with different species of Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato.

Defence mechanisms in trees are not well understood. We assessed whether distribution of iron ions and their co-localisation with reactive oxygen species in Pinus sylvestris root cells reflect differential preferences of the pathogens Heterobasidion annosum sensu stricto, H. parviporum and H. abietinum to the host. Strains of H. annosum s.s. characterised by a greater preference for P. sylvestris induced accumulation of superoxide (O(2)(-)) in host cells 6 h after inoculation, whereas two peaks in accumulation of O(2)(-) (after 4 and 48 h) were observed after infection with strains of the pathogens H. parviporum and H. abietinum, which have a lower preference for P. sylvestris. Moreover, strains of H. annosum s.s. caused increased production of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in P. sylvestris cells, in contrast with strains of the other two species (H. parviporum and H. abietinum). Following inoculation with H. annosum s.s. strains, H(2)O(2) was correlated negatively with O(2)(-) and correlated positively with ferrous iron (Fe(2+)). Co-localisation of Fe(3+) with H(2)O(2) may suggest that they are involved in inducing hypersensitive responses and eventually cell death in roots inoculated with H. annosum s.s. strains, in contrast with H. parviporum, in which other mechanisms operate when the host is parasitised.

Contents of microscopic fungi in dusts coming from cereal analysis laboratories.

Microscopic fungi - components of bioaerosol found in the workplace environment of individuals employed in the agricultural sector - constitute a considerable hazard for their health. This study includes quantitative and qualitative analyses of mycobionta contained in 20 samples of dusts collected from laboratories conducting analyses of cereals. A total of 27 species of viable microscopic fungi were isolated. The most frequently isolated genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, accounting for 27 percent and 26 percent of analyzed isolates. The content of fungal biomass was determined quantitatively using a fungal marker, ergosterol (ERG). Concentrations of this metabolite for all samples ranged from 0.48 mg/kg-212.36 mg/kg. Based on the analyses, it may be stated that the concentration of microfungi in settled dust from laboratories conducting analyses of cereals was varied, and in several cases markedly exceeded admissible concentration levels.

Intraspecific variation in Heterobasidion annosum for mortality rate on Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies seedlings grown in pure culture.

One-month-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings were inoculated in vitro with Heterobasidion annosum strains, four each of the P-, S- and F-intersterility groups. Variation among strains and between the IS groups in virulence, expressed in mortality rate, was detected during twelve months after inoculation. Most of the strains were more virulent on spruce than on pine, and mortality of spruce seedlings was significantly higher. The P strains displayed similar virulence on both hosts, while S strains caused higher mortality of spruce seedlings and significantly lower mortality of pine seedlings. Strains of the F group were less virulent, but killed significantly (P < 0.05) more spruce than pine seedlings. In the interspecific analyses with two hosts, the isolates and IS groups accounted for most of the explained variation in the host mortality.