Corticioid and poroid fungi from Brazilian Cerrado: a history of research and a checklist of species.

Corticioid and poroid fungi are widely known for wood decomposition which confers an important ecological role and biotechnological properties upon these species. Although being one of the most studied groups of fungi worldwide, data on diversity and geographic occurrence patterns in Brazil are insufficient, especially in poorly studied areas, including the Cerrado biome. Here we present an overview of the scientific literature concerning the corticioid and poroid fungi from Cerrado, along with a list of species found in the biome so far. The historic research at Cerrado comprised 47 articles published between 1876 and 2021, of which 55% were published in the last decade. We found 387 records and 223 species, while 94 species are new additions to the checklists published in the last decade. Six of the listed species are endemic to Cerrado. Furthermore, 29 species are only known from Cerrado in Brazil, although they occur in other regions of the world. The main research groups focused on these fungi in Brazil have already published at least one article with samples from Cerrado. Therefore, intensifying studies throughout Cerrado could help in a better understanding of its Funga, its evolutionary relationship, and its threatens status.

The perception of fungi among Karajá indigenous children and adolescents from Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Environmental perception involves the interpretation and interaction of individuals with their surroundings, influenced by cultural, social, and individual factors. Analyzing the environmental perception of children and adolescents contributes to fostering awareness and ethical behavior toward the environment. Indigenous communities, such as the Karajá from Brazil, possess significant environmental knowledge due to their connection with nature, providing distinctive insights into biodiversity and natural interconnections. In this study, the perception of fungi among Karajá indigenous children and adolescents was investigated. METHODS: The study involved 229 elementary school students from the Macaúba, Fontoura and Santa Isabel do Morro communities, located on Bananal Island, Brazil. Students were encouraged to draw what they knew about fungi and answer where they learned about fungi and what name they give to these organisms. The drawings were analyzed considering seven categories. RESULTS: The term most used to refer to fungi was hedoro(u) (56%), followed by fungus (21%) and mushroom (11%). Most students said they had learned about fungi in nature (38%) and at school (36%). The most represented organisms were in fact fungi (93%), mainly being portrayed in nature (94%). Most participants did not attribute any ecological function to fungi (83%), although 16% of them recognized fungi as decomposers and 1% as phytopathogenic agents. Negative aspects, particularly food contamination, were more frequently represented (13%) than positive aspects (4%). The drawings identified two morphological types: mushrooms (87%) and mold (13%). Among these mushrooms, 68% possibly represent the Amanita muscaria species. CONCLUSIONS: Although the children and adolescents showed that they noticed the fungi around them, the group's concept and understanding were limited to the figure of the mushroom and the negative aspects related to food contamination. Strong association of the fungi with the A. muscaria is noteworthy, since it does not occur in the environment in which the participants live, suggesting that external stimuli, such as TV or the internet, can influence their perception more than the nature they are exposed to.

The ethnomycological knowledge of Karajá indigenous people from Bananal Island, Brazil.

The Cerrado is home to a diversity of traditional communities, among which indigenous and quilombola peoples stand out. The Karajá are one of the ethnic groups in this biome, with a rich history and culture that goes back centuries. They mainly inhabit the regions of the Araguaia and Javaés rivers, occupying lands in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará and Tocantins. Considering the importance of studies on ethnomycological knowledge in indigenous communities for preserving culture and the environment, especially in relation to fungi, our objective was to investigate the ethnomycological relationships of the Karajá indigenous people who inhabit Bananal Island, located in Tocantins. Data were collected from applying a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with 140 people who compose the Macaúba (39%), Fontoura (31%) and Santa Isabel do Morro (30%) communities; they had an average age of 33.9 years, and 62% are male. We observed that the Karajá people recognize the fungi of the environment in which they live, showing a clearer perception of typical morphological groups, such as mushrooms and bracket fungi (wood ears). Although fungi are not used as a component of their diet, the Karajá recognize that some species may have this potential. Furthermore, they use fungi as adornments and decorations in festivities in a playful way, and occasionally for medicinal purposes. Therefore, we can state that this ethnic group does not have a total aversion to fungi, being considered partially mycophilic. This study is a pioneer among Cerrado indigenous people, and reinforces the need to expand research to other communities in different regions in order to expand ethnomycological knowledge among different ethnicities. These investigations could contribute to both an appreciation and conservation of the traditions and knowledge of original Brazilian people, as well as the biodiversity in which they are inserted.

Expanding the geographical distribution of Blastobotrysmalaysiensis (Saccharomycetales) beyond the Asian continent - a cave fungus first reported in the Americas.

Background: Saccharomycetales are ascomycetic yeasts and, amongst them, the genus Blastobotrys has approximately 30 known species. Blastobotrysmalaysiensis is a yeast species, described from cave samples, known until then only from Malaysia. In this study, we characterise a new strain and report the second occurrence record of this species. Here, Blastobotrysmalaysiensis URM 8507/SXS 675, was collected from sediments samples from a cave in the Parque Estadual de Terra Ronca (PETER) in Goiás, Brazil. Phylogenetic analyses revealed strong support with the sequence of the species type, as well as with other species of the clade. This new record contributes by providing new molecular data for the species and expanding the knowledge of its distribution beyond the Asian continent. New information: First record of a yeast for the American continent and its second mention for the world.

Trends on Microalgae-Fungi Consortia Research: An Alternative for Biofuel Production?

The utilization of microalgae and fungi on an industrial scale is a challenge for researchers. Based on the question "how fungi have contributed to microalgae research?," we verified the scientific trends on microalgae-fungi consortia focused on biofuels production by searching for articles on the Web of Science and Scopus databases through the terms "microalgae*" or phytoplankton and "fung*." We found 1,452 articles published between 1950 and 2020; since 2006, the publication numbers have increased rapidly. The articles were published in 12 languages, but most were written in English (96.3%). Among 72 countries, China (360 articles), USA (344), and Germany (155) led the publication rank. Among the 10 most-prolific authors, 8 were Chinese, like 5 of the most-productive institutions, whereas the National Cheng Kung University was on the top of the list. The sources that published the most on the subject were: Bioresource Technology (96), PLoS ONE (28), and Science of the Total Environment (26). The keyword analysis emphasized the magnitude of applications in microalgae-fungi consortia research. Confirming this research question, biofuels appeared as a research trend, especially biodiesel, biogas, and related terms like lipid, lipid accumulation, anaerobic digestion, and biogas upgrading. For 70 years, articles have been published, where China and the United States seem to dominate the research scenario, and biodiesel is the main biofuel derived from this consortium. However, microalgae-based biofuel biorefinery is still a bottleneck on an industrial scale. Recent environmental challenges, such as greenhouse gas mitigation, can be a promising field for that microalgae-fungi application.

Inonotus rickii (Agaricomycetes, Hymenochaetaceae) in Brazilian Cerrado: Expanding Its Geographic Distribution and Host List.

Inonotus rickii (Pat.) Reid (Agaricomycetes: Hymenochaetaceae) is a poroid fungus characterized by the expressive production of chlamydospores, in vivo and in vitro, especially during its anamorphic stage. The species plays important ecological roles, standing out as a phytopathogen, affecting several species of ornamental and wild trees, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. The infected trees develop canker and white rot of the wood, showing symptoms of reduced vegetative vigor and decline of leaves and branches which causes death in some cases. The first record of I. rickii for the Cerrado biome (Brazilian Savanna) and the first record as causal agent of canker in Schinus molle L. in Brazil is reported here. In addition, we present a checklist of its worldwide geographical distribution and known hosts, from an extensive bibliographic search in Google Scholar, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The species is widespread in tropical and subtropical zones; common in the American continent, especially in Central and South America and the Mediterranean region, and rare in temperate zones. We found specimens growing in both living and dead hosts, totalizing 70 species of hosts, distributed in 43 genera and 22 families. Of these, Acer negundo L. (10.5%), Celtis australis L. (6.5%), and Platanus acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. (4.8%), and the Fabaceae (30%), Fagaceae (10%), and Sapindaceae (8.6%) families were the most frequent. We present morphological descriptions and illustrations, as well as the growth characteristics in culture medium. Our study expands the known geographical distribution of I. rickii, including the Cerrado biome, as well as its structural, physiological characteristics, and its hosts.

Insights into the Bioprospecting of the Endophytic Fungi of the Medicinal Plant Palicourea rigida Kunth (Rubiaceae): Detailed Biological Activities.

A multitude of plants from the Brazilian savanna are known for their medicinal properties. Many plants contain endophytic fungi, which lead to the production of bioactive compounds by both the fungi and their hosts. This study investigated the bioprospecting of endophytic fungi recovered from the leaves of Palicourea rigida, a native medicinal plant of the Brazilian savanna. Four fungal taxa (Colletotrichum sp. SXS649, Pestalotiopsis sp. SXS650, the order Botryosphaeriales SXS651, and Diaporthe sp. SXS652) were recovered. The phenolic, flavonoid, extracellular degrading enzymes (amylase, cellulase, protease, and tannase) and antioxidant activity of these taxa were determined. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity showed that the Botryosphaeriales SXS651 extract displays a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 23.20 mg mL-1 against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the Diaporthe sp. SXS652 extract exhibited an MIC of 27.00 mg mL-1 against Escherichia coli. The Colletotrichum sp. SXS649 isolate inhibited tumors in potato discs by 69% at a concentration of 9.70 mg mL-1. All isolates had potential bioremediation criteria against soil contaminated with soybean oil, as proved by a high percentage of germination of Lactuca sativa and a reduction in phytotoxicity. Furthermore, the taxa under investigation demonstrated antagonistic action to phytopathogenic fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger, Inonotus rickii, Pestalotiopsis mangiferae, and Coniophora puteana, with an inhibition range between 34.2% and 76.9%. The preliminary toxicity assessment showed that all isolates possessed an LC50 of less than 100 mg mL-1 to the microcrustacean Artemia salina. These results indicate that the endophytic fungi of the Brazilian savanna are promising candidates for biotechnological and industrial applications and, in agricultural applications, for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi.

Wood-inhabiting corticioid and poroid fungi (Basidiomycota) from Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás, a remnant of the Brazilian Cerrado / Fungos corticioides e poroides (Basidiomycota) que habitam madeira da Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás, um remanescente do Cerrado Brasileiro

Abstract Corticioid and poroid fungi are traditional morphological groups composed of ligninolytic species. Due to their efficiency in wood decomposition process, many species have great ecological importance, especially in nutrient cycling, as well as for their biotechnological properties. Nevertheless, knowledge about these fungi is scarce in many phytogeographic regions of Brazil, as is the case of the Cerrado, since mycodiversity studies in this biome are mainly focused on areas of the São Paulo state. Here we present the taxonomic inventory of corticioid and poroid fungi from the Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás (REC-UEG), a Cerrado remnant in Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil. The area is covered by three typical Cerrado landscapes (cerrado stricto sensu, mesophilic forest, and gallery forest), widely explored for scientific and educational purposes by the academic and regional community which seeks to learn about and preserve its biodiversity. Exsiccates deposited in the fungarium of the Universidade Estadual de Goiás (HUEG-Fungi) were analyzed. They are the result of collections made over 20 years, in approximately 103 ha of the reserve. Samples were characterized macro and microscopically and identified based on specialized literature. 51 species were recognized, which are distributed in 33 genera, 15 families, and five orders. Species were most frequent in forested areas and among them, six are new occurrence records for the Cerrado, nine for the Midwest region, and nine for the Goiás state. These results contribute to increase the knowledge of these fungi in the Cerrado, as well as geographic distribution, and show the relevance of preserving the reserve for the regional Funga representativity.

Resumo Fungos corticioides e poroides são assim agrupados com base em aspectos morfológicos e compostos por espécies essencialmente lignícolas. Por sua eficiência no processo de decomposição da madeira, muitas espécies desses grupos apresentam grande importância ecológica, especialmente na ciclagem de nutrientes, além de propriedades para aplicações biotecnológicas. Entretanto, o conhecimento sobre esses fungos é escasso em algumas regiões fitogeográficas do Brasil, como é o caso do Cerrado, uma vez que os estudos da micodiversidade no bioma estão focados principalmente em áreas do estado de São Paulo. Portanto, aqui apresentamos o inventário taxonômico de fungos corticioides e poroides da Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás (REC-UEG), um remanescente de Cerrado no município de Anápolis, Goiás, Brasil. A área é formada por três fitofisionomias típicas do Cerrado (cerrado stricto sensu, mata mesófila e mata de galeria) e é amplamente explorada para fins científicos e educacionais pela comunidade acadêmica regional, que buscam conhecer e preservar sua biodiversidade. Foram analisadas exsicatas depositadas no fungário da Universidade Estadual de Goiás (HUEG-Fungos), cujo acervo é fruto de coletas realizadas ao longo de 20 anos nos cerca de 103 hectares da reserva. As amostras foram caracterizadas macro e microscopicamente e identificadas com base na literatura especializada. Foram reconhecidas 51 espécies, distribuídas em 33 gêneros, 15 famílias e cinco ordens. As espécies são mais frequentes em áreas de mata na reserva e entre elas seis configuram novos registros de ocorrência para o Cerrado, nove para região Centro-Oeste e nove para o estado de Goiás. Desse modo, esses resultados contribuem para ampliar o conhecimento desses fungos no Cerrado, assim como da distribuição geográfica das espécies, além de mostrar a importância da preservação da reserva para a representatividade da Funga regional.