Aspergillus olivimuriae sp. nov., a halotolerant species isolated from olive brine.

A facultative halo-tolerant Aspergillus strain was isolated from olive brine waste, the effluent from the debittering process of table olives. Phenotypic and molecular characteristics showed clearly that the isolate represents a novel species. Based on the source of isolation, the new species has been named Aspergillus olivimuriae. It was found tolerant to high concentrations of NaCl (15 %) or sucrose (60 %) and it exhibits substantial growth under these conditions. Although the new species grew profusely at 37 °C, no growth was observed at 40 °C, conidia en masse were avellaneous on all media. The description of the new species Aspergillus olivimuriae brings the total species of Aspergillus sect. Flavipedes to 15. The type strain of A. olivimuriae sp. nov. is NRRL 66783 (CCF 6208), its whole genome has been deposited as PRJNA498048.

Characterization of Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms by using the calgary biofilm device.

The adequacy of the Calgary biofilm device, often referred to as the MBEC system, as a high-throughput approach to the production and subsequent characterization of Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms was assessed. The hydroxyapatite-coating of pegs was necessary to enable biofilm attachment, and the standardization of vegetative inocula ensured a uniform distribution of P. ostreatus biofilms, which is necessary for high-throughput evaluations of several antimicrobials and exposure conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed surface-associated growth, the occurrence of a complex aggregated growth organized in multilayers or hyphal bundles, and the encasement of hyphae within an extracellular matrix (ECM), the extent of which increased with time. Chemical analyses showed that biofilms differed from free-floating cultures for their higher contents of total sugars (TS) and ECM, with the latter being mainly composed of TS and, to a lesser extent, protein. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis of 4-day-old biofilms showed the presence of interspersed interstitial voids and water channels in the mycelial network, the density and compactness of which increased after a 7-day incubation, with the novel occurrence of ECM aggregates with an α-glucan moiety. In 4- and 7-day-old biofilms, tolerance to cadmium was increased by factors of 3.2 and 11.1, respectively, compared to coeval free-floating counterparts.

Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms exhibit higher tolerance to toxicants than free-floating counterparts.

The MBEC(TM)-High Throughput Assay based on the Calgary Biofilm Device was used to produce and to characterize Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms. Hydroxyapatite coating of pegs was required to enable biofilm attachment; biofilm amounts and homogeneity of distribution were markedly improved upon removal of non-sessile biomass after 48 h from inoculation. Scanning electron microscopy showed surface-associated and multi-layered growth stabilized by the presence of an extracellular matrix (ECM). Biofilms had higher contents of total sugars and ECM than their free-floating counterparts. Tolerance to Cr(VI) in the former was about twice that of the latter as inferred by the respective inhibitory concentrations (48.4 vs 24.1 mM and 114.5 vs 61.0 mM in 4- and 7-d-old cultures, respectively). Biofilms also displayed superior olive-mill wastewater (OMW) treatment efficiency along 5 consecutive batches leading to chemical oxygen demand and total phenol removals higher than 50 and 90%, respectively. Laccase activity peaks in biofilm cultures grown on OMW were significantly higher than those in free-floating cultures.

Time-Dependent Changes in Morphostructural Properties and Relative Abundances of Contributors in Pleurotus ostreatus/Pseudomonas alcaliphila Mixed Biofilms.

Pleurotus ostreatus dual biofilms with bacteria are known to be involved in rock phosphate solubilization, endophytic colonization, and even in nitrogen fixation. Despite these relevant implications, no information is currently available on the architecture of P. ostreatus-based dual biofilms. In addition to this, there is a limited amount of information regarding the estimation of the temporal changes in the relative abundances of the partners in such binary systems. To address these issues, a dual biofilm model system with this fungus was prepared by using Pseudomonas alcaliphila 34 as the bacterial partner due to its very fast biofilm-forming ability. The application of the bacterial inoculum to already settled fungal biofilm on a polystyrene surface coated with hydroxyapatite was the most efficient approach to the production of the mixed system the ultrastructure of which was investigated by a multi-microscopy approach. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the adhesion of bacterial cells onto the mycelial cell wall appeared to be mediated by the presence of an abundant layer of extracellular matrix (ECM). Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that ECM filaments of bacterial origin formed initially a reticular structure that assumed a tabular semblance after 72 h, thus overshadowing the underlying mycelial network. Across the thickness of the mixed biofilms, the presence of an extensive network of channels with large aggregates of viable bacteria located on the edges of their lumina was found by confocal laser scanning microscopy; on the outermost biofilm layer, a significant fraction of dead bacterial cells was evident. Albeit with tangible differences, similar results regarding the estimation of the temporal shifts in the relative abundances of the two partners were obtained by two independent methods, the former relying on qPCR targeting of 16S and 18S rRNA genes and the latter on ester-linked fatty acid methyl esters analysis.

Impact of the Fenton-like treatment on the microbial community of a diesel-contaminated soil.

Fenton-like treatment (FLT) is an ISCO technique relying on the iron-induced H2O2 activation in the presence of additives aimed at increasing the oxidant lifetime and maximizing iron solubility under natural soil pH conditions. The efficacy of FLT in the clean-up of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is well established at the field-scale. However, a better assessment of the impact of the FLT on density, diversity and activity of the indigenous soil microbiota, might provide further insights into an optimal combination between FLT and in-situ bioremediation (ISB). The aim of this work was to assess the impacts of FLT on the microbial community of a diesel-contaminated soil collected nearby a gasoline station. Different FLT conditions were tested by varying either the H2O2 concentrations (2 and 6%) or the oxidant application mode (single or double dosage). The impact of these treatments on the indigenous microbial community was assessed immediately after the Fenton-like treatment and after 30, 60 and 90 d and compared with enhanced natural attenuation (ENA). After FLT, a dramatic decrease in bacterial density, diversity and functionality was evident. Although in microcosms with double dosing at 2% H2O2 a delayed recovery of the indigenous microbiota was observed as compared to those subjected to single oxidant dose, after 60 d incubation the respiration rate increased from 0.036 to 0.256 µg CCO2 g-1soil h-1. Irrespective of the oxidant dose, best degradation results after 90 d incubation (around 80%) were observed with combined FLT, relying on double oxidant addition, and bioremediation.

Fungal Community Structure and As-Resistant Fungi in a Decommissioned Gold Mine Site.

Although large quantities of heavy metal laden wastes are released in an uncontrolled manner by gold mining activities with ensuing contamination of the surrounding areas, there is scant information on the mycobiota of gold-mine sites. Thus, the present study was aimed to describe the fungal community structure in three differently As- and Hg-polluted soils collected from the Pestarena decommissioned site by using Illumina® metabarcoding. Fungal richness was found to increase as the contamination level increased while biodiversity was not related to the concentrations of inorganic toxicants. Within the phylum Zygomigota which, irrespective of the contamination level, was predominant in all the soils under study, the most abundant genera were Mucor and Mortierella. The relative abundances of Basidiomycota, instead, tended to raise as the contamination increased; within this phylum the most abundant genera were Cryptococcus and Pseudotomentella. The abundance of Ascomycota, ranging from about 8 to 21%, was not related to the contamination level. The relative abundances of those genera (i.e., Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Chaetomium), the cultivable isolates of which exhibited significant As-resistance, were lower than the set threshold (0.5%). Mass balances obtained from As-exposure experiments with these isolates showed that the main mechanisms involved in counteracting the toxicant were accumulation and, above all, volatilization, the respective extents of which ranged from 0.6 to 5.9% and from 6.4 to 31.2% in dependence of the isolate.

Implications of polluted soil biostimulation and bioaugmentation with spent mushroom substrate (Agaricus bisporus) on the microbial community and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation.

Different applications of spent Agaricus bisporus substrate (SAS), a widespread agro-industrial waste, were investigated with respect to the remediation of a historically polluted soil with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). In one treatment, the waste was sterilized (SSAS) prior to its application in order to assess its ability to biostimulate, as an organic amendment, the resident soil microbiota and ensuing contaminant degradation. For the other treatments, two bioaugmentation approaches were investigated; the first involved the use of the waste itself and thus implied the application of A. bisporus and the inherent microbiota of the waste. In the second treatment, SAS was sterilized and inoculated again with the fungus to assess its ability to act as a fungal carrier. All these treatments were compared with natural attenuation in terms of their impact on soil heterotrophic and PAH-degrading bacteria, fungal growth, biodiversity of soil microbiota and ability to affect PAH bioavailability and ensuing degradation and detoxification. Results clearly showed that historically PAH contaminated soil was not amenable to natural attenuation. Conversely, the addition of sterilized spent A. bisporus substrate to the soil stimulated resident soil bacteria with ensuing high removals of 3-ring PAH. Both augmentation treatments were more effective in removing highly condensed PAH, some of which known to possess a significant carcinogenic activity. Regardless of the mode of application, the present results strongly support the adequacy of SAS for environmental remediation purposes and open the way to an attractive recycling option of this waste.