Mirca Zotti

Fungal biodiversity and in situ conservation in Italy.

Abstract A remarkable increase in knowledge of fungal biodiversity in Italy has occurred in the last five years. The authors report up-to-date numbers of fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) by regions together with distributional and ecological data on hypogeous fungi. Specific case studies such as alpine fungi, orchid mycorrhizas symbionts, invasive species, and the use of macrofungi as food by red squirrels are analyzed. In situ conservation strategies carried out on target species and/or taxonomic groups are also indicated.

Are Red Lists really useful for plant conservation? The New Red List of the Italian Flora in the perspective of national conservation policies

“The New Red List of the Italian Flora” includes all the Italian policy species and other species of known conservation concerns for a total of 400 taxa, 65% of which are threatened with extinction. The Red List is based on a huge georeferenced data-set useful for conservation purposes.

Biodiversity of rock, beach and water fungi in Italy

Abstract The fungal biodiversity in its overall is mostly still unknown and the ecological role of these organisms, particularly in some border ecosystems, is often underestimated. This study aims to give both an overview of the state of the art and to present new data on the mycodiversity in some peculiar environments as rocks, beach sand, and water in Italy. Particularly, rock fungi are here reported from high mountain peaks, sea cliffs, and monuments; sand associated fungi from beach ecosystems in Puglia and Ligurian coasts; marine fungi associated with the endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica L.; aquatic hyphomycetes (Ingoldian fungi) from both streams in the Ticino Natural Park and lentic water in Lago Maggiore; fungi from the water distribution system in Turin. Ecological and evolutive considerations are put forward.

Macrofungi as ecosystem resources: Conservation versus exploitation

Fungi are organisms of significant importance not only for the crucial roles they undertake in nature but also for many human activities that are strictly dependent on them. Indeed, fungi possess fundamental positions in ecosystems functioning including nutrient cycles and wood decomposition. As concerns human-related activities, edible and non-edible mushrooms are also involved and/or exploited in forestry, pharmaceutical industry and food production; hence, nowadays they represent a major economic source worldwide. In order to maintain and improve their strategic importance, several conservation strategies, such as habitat preservation, are needed. This article reports several contributions inherent to the relationships between wood-decaying fungi, edible and non-edible mushrooms and their potential exploitation as non-timber forest products and genetic resources.

Biodiversity of emerging pathogenic and invasive fungi in plants, animals and humans in Italy

Abstract In the last 30 years, the spread of emerging and invasive fungal pathogens has had a profound impact on plants, animals and humans, causing crop losses and damaging their health with economic and social impact. Awareness of the biodiversity of these pathogens is essential for their detection, identification and control. In this article, their diversity in Italy is reviewed taking into consideration the international context. Fungal endophytes, important ecological agents whose lifestyle can be switched by stochastic events from beneficial/neutral to pathogenic, are included in this review.

Microfungi in highly copper-contaminated soils from an abandoned Fe-Cu sulphide mine: growth responses, tolerance and bioaccumulation.

Copper is one of the most dangerous soil contaminants. Soils affected by high copper concentrations show low biodiversity and, above all, inadequate environmental quality. Microorganisms such as fungi can play a key role in metal-polluted ecosystems via colonization and decontamination. The study is devoted to characterize the microfungal community in highly Cu-contaminated bare soil from derelict Fe-Cu sulphide mines and to isolate microfungal strains able to tolerate and accumulate Cu. 11 Different taxa to be isolated has been isolated during two sampling campaigns (in Autumn and in Spring). Among these, Clonostachys rosea, Trichoderma harzianum, and Aspergillus alliaceus were tested at increasing Cu(II) concentrations and showed a Cu(II)-tolerance capability ranging from 100 to 400 mg L(-1). Moreover, the strains of T. harzianum and C. rosea presented a high Cu(II)-bioaccumulation capability, 19628 and 22,222 mg kg(-1), respectively. These microfungi may be fruitfully exploited in mycoremediation protocols.

A new species, Aspergillus persii, as an agent of onychomycosis

Onychomycosis due to non-dermatophytic fungi is a well-known and increasingly common infection. For the first time ever, we report two cases of onychomycosis caused by Aspergillus persii, a recently described new Aspergillus species. After ten and three years respectively, both patients showed relapsing nail infections, and mycological tests were still positive for A. persii. In vitro antifungal susceptibility tests demonstrated that both strains were only susceptible to itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole and terbinafine of the agents tested.

Inactivation of Aspergillus spp. by Ozone Treatment

The article investigates the effectiveness of ozone in inhibiting the growth of two Aspergillus species, (A. flavus, A. niger) isolated from a nail affected by onychomycosis and from a biodeteriorated paper. Specifically, two main goals are to establish (i) whether differently aged colonies show different responses to the ozonization process, and (ii) whether a repeated ozone exposure can enhance the inhibition of the colony growing. The results prove a high sensibility of the strains considered to the proposed treatment: the growing of both is drastically reduced, and for A. niger completely stopped. Furthermore, ozonization induces pigments bleaching in fungal colonies.

Adaptation of fungi, including yeasts, to cold environments

A wide range of cold environments exist, with an equally broad variety of fungi and yeasts that have adapted to such environments. These adaptations, which affect membranes, enzymes and other cellular components, such as radical scavenging molecules, display a great potential for exploitation in biotechnology. Alterations have been detected in membrane lipids, with an increase in fatty acid unsaturated bonds that enhance their fluidity. We report new data on the different phospholipid composition in membrane lipids in the same fungal species from both Antarctic and temperate regions. The decrease in temperature causes intracellular oxidative stress by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. We report the results of the first analysis of the non-enzymatic antioxidant response and phenolic compound production by an Antarctic strain of Geomyces pannorum. A survey on yeasts from the cryosphere is reported with a focus on their adaptation to a cold environment. Some studies have shown that the number of macrofungi in glacier forefronts rises as deglaciation increases. The survival success of many plants in such areas may be attributed to their mycorrhizal associations. We highlighted the macrofungal biodiversity of some Italian alpine habitats, in which we Inocybe microfastigiata, Laccaria montana and Lactarius salicis-herbaceae were recorded for the first time in Lombardy (Italy).

Native fungi as metal remediators: Silver myco-accumulation from metal contaminated waste-rock dumps (Libiola Mine, Italy)

ABSTRACT Metal contamination constitutes a major source of pollution globally. Many recent studies emphasized the need to develop cheap and green technologies for the remediation or reclamation of environmental matrices contaminated by heavy metals. In this context, fungi are versatile organisms that can be exploited for bioremediation activities. In our work, we tested silver (Ag) bioaccumulation capabilities of three microfungal strains (Aspergillus alliaceus Thom & Church, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, Clonostachys rosea (Link) Schroers, Samuels, Seifert & W. Gams) isolated from a silver polluted site. The aim was to select silver tolerant native strains and test their potential silver uptake. Among the three species tested, T. harzianum was the most efficient strain to tolerate and accumulate silver, showing an uptake capability of 153 mg L−1 taken at the Ag concentration of 330 mg L−1. Our study highlights the potential use of native microfungi spontaneously growing in sulphide-rich waste rock dumps, for silver bioaccumulation and bioremediation.