Maria Auxiliadora de Queiroz Cavalcanti

Aspergillus niveus Blochwitz 4128URM: new source for inulinase production

Aspergillus niveus Blochwitz 4128 URM isolated from sunflower rhizosphere demonstrated a new source of inulinase. The enzyme was produced in culture medium containing inulin as substrate in the concentrations: 10, 15 and 20g L-1. Maximum enzyme activity was obtained in medium containing 20g L-1 inulin. The enzyme was partially purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by ion charge (DE-32) and molecular exclusion (Sephadex) chromatography. The results showed the optimal pH and temperature of inulinase from crude extract were 4.0 and 4.8 and 45oC, respectively. The enzyme was purified 34.65 fold with yield of 53.63%. A. niveus 4128URM can be used in the inulinase production with use in the food industries.

Yeasts isolated from sand and sea water in beaches of Olinda, Pernambuco state, Brazil

The aim of this work was to isolate and identify yeasts from sand and sea water collected in two beaches of Olinda, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Thirty two samples of both sand and water in both beaches were obtained in the dry (December 2000 and February 2001) and rainy (June and July 2001) seasons. Two hundred and ninety two strains of yeast were obtained, and they belonged to four genera and 31 species. Candida was the most prevalent genus. Candida catenulata, C. fenica, C. sake, Brettanomyces bruxelenses and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa were the most commonly found species in both beaches Bairro Novo and Casa Caiada.

First record of Phellinus mangrovicus (Imaz.) Imaz. from Brazil

Phellinus mangrovicus (Imaz.) Imaz. was collected in mangroves of the Algodoal-Maiandeua Island, Para, Brazil, in May/1999, on bark of Rhizophora mangle L. in decomposition, this constituting the first record of the species from Brazil.

Zygomycetes from herbivore dung in the ecological reserve of Dois Irmãos, Northeast Brazil

Thirty-eight taxa of Zygomycetes distributed in 15 genera were recorded from tapir (Tapirus terrestris), camel (Camelus bactrianus), horse (Equus caballus), deer (Cervus elaphus), agouti (Dasyprocta aguti), donkey (Equus asinus), llama (Llama glama) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) dung collected at the Reserva Ecológica de Dois Irmãos located in Recife, State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The samples were collected on a monthly basis from June 2005 to May 2006, taken to the laboratory and incubated in moist chambers. Higher number of taxa was observed in the excrements of tapir, followed by deer and donkey. The highest number of species was detected for Mucor, followed by Pilobolus. Statistical analyses showed significant differences in richness of Zygomycetes taxa between the herbivore dung types. Differences of species composition, however, were weak. Seasonality influenced the Zygomycetes species composition but not its richness. Variations in taxa composition between ruminants and non-ruminants dung were non significant.

A re-evaluation of the lignocellulolytic Agaricomycetes from the Brazilian semi-arid region

A checklist of the lignocellulolytic Agaricomycetes from the Brazilian semi-arid region is provided. It presents data on the distribution of 37 species, 10 families, and six orders (Agaricales, Auriculariales, Gloeophyllales, Hymenochaetales, Polyporales, and Russulales). Twenty-eight taxa previously recorded from the studied region are excluded. The full checklist is available at www.mycotaxon.com/resources/weblists.html.

Amanita lippiae: a new species from the semi-arid caatinga region of Brazil

Amanita lippiae is described as a new species from a semi-arid (caatinga) region of northeastern Brazil. It possesses clampless basidia and elongate to nearly cylindrical inamyloid basidiospores, bears irregular remains of universal veil on the stipe bulb and is a gemmatoid species assignable to Amanita sect. Amanita.

Agaricaceae Fr. (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from areas of Atlantic Forest in Pernambuco, Brazil

The survey of Agaricaceae in areas of the Atlantic Forest in the metropolitan region of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, revealed the presence of nine species: Agaricus aff. parasilvaticus Heinem., A. purpurellus (F.H. Moller) F.H. Moller, A. rufoaurantiacus Heinem., Leucoagaricus sulphurellus (Pegler) B.P. Akers, Leucocoprinus cretaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Locq., L. fragilissimus (Ravenel) Pat., Lepiota elaiophylla Vellinga & Huijser, L. erythrosticta (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. and Micropsalliota brunneosperma (Singer) Pegler. A key for identification of these species, descriptions, drawings and remarks are provided. Micropsalliota brunneosperma is reported for the first time for Brazil.

Hyphomycetes from soil of an area affected by copper mining activities in the State of Bahia, Brazil

With the aim of observing the impact produced by copper-mining activities on soil fungi, samples were collected from an area at the Caraiba Mining, in the State of Bahia, Brazil. This area was divided in six sub-areas: one had native vegetation and was used as control, while the others varied according to degrees of impact. The samples, collected during the dry and the rainy seasons, were submitted to serial dilutions and placed on Petri dishes with Sabouraud medium plus antibiotic. Sixty five species and 16 genera of Hyphomycetes were identified: Acremonium, Acrophialophora, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Chrysosporium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Humicola, Malbranchea, Myrothecium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scolecobasidium, Staphylotrichum, Stilbella and Trichoderma.Acrophialophora levis, Crhysosporium merdarium, Curvularia verruculosa, Malbranchea chrysosporoidea, Penicillium adametzii, Staphylotrichum coccosporum and Stilbella sebacea were isolated for the first time in Brazil.

Identification and characterization of filamentous fungi isolated from the sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) rhizosphere according to their capacity to hydrolyse inulin

Fungos filamentosos capazes de hidrolisar inulina tem sido isolados de rizosfera de plantas que acumulam esse polissacarideo nas raizes. Este estudo compreendeu o isolamento e identificacao de fungos filamentosos do solo utilizado para o cultivo do girassol e da rizosfera de girassol cultivado em campo e em casa de vegetacao, a fim de verificar se ha variacao na diversidade destes fungos ao longo do ciclo de vida da planta. O fungos foram tambem caracterizados quanto a capacidade de hidrolisar inulina. Das quarenta e nove especies de fungos filamentosos isoladas, Penicillium e Aspergillus foram os generos que apresentaram maior numero de especies, nove e sete, respectivamente. No final do ciclo de vida do girassol, cultivado tanto em campo quanto em casa de vegetacao, foi isolado um menor numero de especies. Cento e cinquenta e nove amostras de fungos filamentosos, isoladas do solo e da rizosfera de girassol e destas 79 (49,7%) foram capazes de hidrolisar inulina. Nao houve diferenca significativa quanto a proporcao de especies capazes ou nao de hidrolisar esse polissacarideo, ao longo do ciclo de vida do girassol, cultivado tanto em campo quanto em casa de vegetacao. Embora a rizosfera de girassol seja uma fonte de fungos filamentosos capazes de hidrolisar inulina, que podem ser utilizados em processos biotecnologicos, ela nao atua de modo a concentrar fungos com esta caracteristica. Especies de Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cunninghamella, Emericela, Eupenicillium, Fusarium, Myrothecium, Neosartorya, Neocosmospora, Penicillium and Thielavia estao sendo relatados pela primeira vez como produtores de inulinase.

Taxonomic studies of Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam (Amanitaceae, Agaricomycetes) and its infraspecific taxa in Brazil

We analyzed specimens identified as Amanita muscaria, some recently collected and others already deposited in herbaria, in Brazil. We concluded that two subspecies of A. muscaria occur in Brazil: A. muscaria var. muscaria; and A.muscaria var. flavivolvata. The first taxon was found in association with Castanea sativa, and the second (one specimen only) was found in association with Pinus and Eucalyptus spp. Morphologically, A. muscaria var. flavivolvata is distinguished by a shallower subhymenium and by basidiospores that are more elongated than are those of A. muscaria var. muscaria, which is the more widely known subspecies. We present descriptions, discussions, illustrations and a dichotomous key for these two subspecies.