Triterpenoid glycosides from Medicago sativa as antifungal agents against Pyricularia oryzae.

The antifungal properties of saponin mixtures from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) tops and roots, the corresponding mixtures of prosapogenins from tops, and purified saponins and sapogenins against the causal agent of rice blast Pyricularia oryzae isolates are presented. In vitro experiments highlighted a range of activities, depending upon the assayed metabolite. The antifungal effects of the most promising prosapogenin mixture from alfalfa tops were confirmed by means of in planta tests using three different Italian cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica), known to possess high, medium, and low blast resistance. The evidenced antifungal properties of the tested metabolites allowed some considerations on their structure-activity relationship. Results indicate that prosapogenins are active compounds to prevent the fungal attack of P. oryzae on different rice cultivars. Therefore, if properly formulated, these substances could represent a promising and environmentally friendly treatment to control rice blast.

Isolation and characterization of two new microbial strains capable of degradation of the naturally occurring organophosphonate - ciliatine.

Air-born mixed fungal and bacterial culture capable of complete degradation of ciliatine was isolated. The utilization of the natural organophosphonate proceeded in the phosphate independent manner. Enzymatic activity involved in ciliatine degradation studied in the fungal cell-free extract proved to be distinct from bacterial pathway described before.

Phosphonoacetic acid utilization by fungal isolates: occurrence and properties of a phosphonoacetate hydrolase in some penicillia.

Among a collection of 18 fungal strains representing eight genera, only two strains (Penicillium oxalicum and P. minioluteum) were capable of growth on phosphonoacetic acid as sole phosphorous source. Enrichment liquid cultures in minimal medium with the compound as the only P-source selected four isolates, that were also identified as Penicillium spp. Phosphonoacetate metabolism did not lead to extracellular release of inorganic phosphate. In all cases phosphonoacetate hydrolase activity was detected in partially purified extracts, and a protein of the expected molecular mass reacted with polyclonal antibodies raised against the enzyme from P. oxalicum. There was no relation between phosphonoacetate hydrolase specific activity and growth rate or yield. Phosphonoacetic acid was the inducer of the hydrolase, independently of the concurrent availability of inorganic phosphate. Notwithstanding this, the utilization of the phosphonate was significantly inhibited in the presence of phosphate, suggesting an interference of the latter with phosphonoacetic acid uptake.

Differential responses in vitro of rice cultivars to Italian lineages of the blast pathogen Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc. 1. Oxidative burst.

Suspension cultured cells of six rice cultivars differing in their sensitivity to blast were treated with mycelial wall hydrolysates prepared from seven isolates belonging to different Pyricularia grisea lineages. Soon after elicitor addition, rice cells produced significant amounts of superoxide anion, which was rapidly converted into diffusible peroxide. Maximal effects were achieved at 50 mg L-1 elicitor. In all cases, a 7 to 13-fold increase in the basal rate of reactive oxygen species production was found. Neither differential effects among strains nor clear relationships between lineage and the resulting oxidative burst were evident. Interestingly, a good correlation was found between basal (and elicited) levels of peroxide generation and the overall tolerance of rice cultivars to the pathogen. About two days after elicitation, cell death occurred proportional to the amount of hydrogen peroxide released. Peroxide was required to trigger loss of cell viability, but the latter was not due to a direct toxic effect, suggesting the induction of programmed cell death. Results represent the first data aimed to develop in vitro tests for pathogenicity prediction of Italian blast lineages toward rice cultivars.

Algunas especies de bipolaris y curvularia protuberata en gramineas silvestres del norte de Italia (Lombardia) / Some species of bipolaris and curvularia protuberata in wild gramineae from norther Italy (Lombardia)

Entre mayo y noviembre de 1996, se determinó la presencia y distribución geográfica de especies fúngicas intengrantes del género curvularia y el "complex helminthosporium", en las principales gramineas silvestres presentes en cuatro zonas agrícolas de la Lombardia (Italia), adyacentes a las ciudades de Milano, Bergamo, Cremona y Voghera. En 18 de las 21 especies de gramíneas colectadas, se obtuvieron 79 aislamientos fúngicos. Más del 98 porciento de éstos, se presentaron como anamorfos de cochliobolus y los más representativos fueron: bipolaris australiensis (30,4 porciento), c.sativus (27,8 porciento) y c.cynodontis (22,8 porciento). En Voghera y Cremona se obtuvieron los más altos porcentajes de aislamientos fúngicos (33-29 porciento) y en Milano los menores (13 porciento). Las espigas y las hojas fueron las más afectadas por la colonización fungica, especialmente en verano y en el culmo en otoño. Considerando la colonización de las grámineas en el tiempo-espacio y el número de aislamientos fúngicos, se determinaron puntos temporo-espaciales, creándose tres grupos de grados de colonización fúngica (A, B, C). El grupo A soportó la menor colonización y el C la mayor. En este último, cynodon dactylon, hordeum murinum y poa pratensis, fueron las gramíneas más representativas. Se comentan sus potencialidades infestantes y como reservorio de patógenos fúngicos de interés agrícola