Diversity and bioprospecting of fungal communities associated with endemic and cold-adapted macroalgae in Antarctica.

We surveyed the distribution and diversity of fungi associated with eight macroalgae from Antarctica and their capability to produce bioactive compounds. The collections yielded 148 fungal isolates, which were identified using molecular methods as belonging to 21 genera and 50 taxa. The most frequent taxa were Geomyces species (sp.), Penicillium sp. and Metschnikowia australis. Seven fungal isolates associated with the endemic Antarctic macroalgae Monostroma hariotii (Chlorophyte) displayed high internal transcribed spacer sequences similarities with the psychrophilic pathogenic fungus Geomyces destructans. Thirty-three fungal singletons (66%) were identified, representing rare components of the fungal communities. The fungal communities displayed high diversity, richness and dominance indices; however, rarefaction curves indicated that not all of the fungal diversity present was recovered. Penicillium sp. UFMGCB 6034 and Penicillium sp. UFMGCB 6120, recovered from the endemic species Palmaria decipiens (Rhodophyte) and M. hariotii, respectively, yielded extracts with high and selective antifungal and/or trypanocidal activities, in which a preliminary spectral analysis using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated the presence of highly functionalised aromatic compounds. These results suggest that the endemic and cold-adapted macroalgae of Antarctica shelter a rich, diversity and complex fungal communities consisting of a few dominant indigenous or mesophilic cold-adapted species, and a large number of rare and/or endemic taxa, which may provide an interesting model of algal-fungal interactions under extreme conditions as well as a potential source of bioactive compounds.

Lista de Ulvophyceae do estado de São Paulo / Checklist of Ulvophyceae of the São Paulo State

A presente lista tem como base levantamento realizado a partir de 1999 pelo Programa BIOTA/FAPESP e conseqüente comparação com inventários realizados desde a década de 1950. A lista também é complementada com registros da Coleção de Algas do Herbário do Estado (SP), do Instituto de Botânica, que incluem espécimes coletados desde o início do século passado. O número total de clorófitas marinhas bentônicas mencionadas para o Estado é de 70 espécies, além de alguns táxons não identificados em nível infragenérico. De 1990 até 2010 o número de táxons registrados foi de 60, sendo alguns apenas em nível de gênero. As novas citações para o Estado somam 17 espécies, enquanto outras nove deixaram de ser citadas na última década.

The checklist comprises an inventory achieved from 1999 by BIOTA/FAPESP Program, comparing with those realized from 1950. The list was also complemented with data from the State Herbarium Algae Collection (SP). The number of benthic marine chlorophytes mentioned for the State is 70 species, besides some in level of genera. From 1990 to 2010 the number of registered taxa was 60, some in level of genera. New citations for the State are 17 species, while other nine were no more mentioned at the last decade.