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Figs 22–25 in New data on the fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Yakutia with description of three new species

Figs 22–25. Male terminalia of Pseudexechia endybalensis sp. n. 22 – ventral view; 23 –

Fig. 1 in New data on the fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Yakutia with description of three new species

Fig. 1. Collecting localities in Yakutia.

Fig 26 in New data on the fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Yakutia with description of three new species

Fig 26. Ranked number of species recorded from different locations and total number of

Figs 8–10 in New data on the fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Yakutia with description of three new species

Figs 8–10. Male terminalia of Macrorrhyncha nocticolor sp. n. 8 – ventral view; 9 –

Figs 2–7 in New data on the fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Yakutia with description of three new species

Figs 2–7. Details of male terminalia of Sciophila canadensis Zaitzev. 2 – tergite 9; 3 –

openNov 2023View details →

Multiple sequence alignments: Detection and isolation of a new member of Burkholderiaceae‑related endofungal bacteria from Saksenaea boninensis sp. nov., a new thermotolerant fungus in Mucorales

Methods:Nucleotide sequences were aligned independently for each region using MAFFT v7.212 (Katoh and Standley, 2013). The obtained alignment blocks were subject to Gblocks 0.91b (Castresana, 2000) to remove poorly aligned positions with the relaxed selection setting described in Talavera & Castresana (2007) using the following parameters (-t = d -b2 = 9 -b3 = 10 -b4 = 5 -b5 = h). After automatically removing gaps, the alignment blocks were viewed using MEGA 6.06 software (Tamura et al., 2013) and poorly aligned positions at either end of the alignments were removed manually. Pairwise distances of the nucleotide sequences (ITS2, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, LSU, and tef1) of the ex-type strains of seven Saksenaea spp. and the representative isolate S. boninensis Sak4 were calculated by MEGA 6.06 software (Tamura et al. 2013). Multiple sequence alignment of 16S rRNA gene of the family Burkholderiaceae was prepared for the phylogeny of a bacterial endosymbiont. Multiple sequence alignments of  ITS, LSU, and tef1 genes of Saksenaea spp. (Mucorales) were separately prepared for the phylogeny of a fungal host. Concatenated dataset of these genes were also prepared. All nucleotide sequences were retrieved from GenBank (See "Sequence_ID.csv" and taxon names of each alignment).   Description of files:A. Phylogeny of the family Burkholderiaceae (Bacterial endosymbiont):1. Burkholderiaceae_16S_RAW.fastaNon-aligned dataset of 16S rRNA gene of the family Burkholderiaceae. 2. Burkholderiaceae_16S_aligned.fastaAligned dataset of 16S rRNA gene of the family Burkholderiaceae. B. Phylogenies of Saksenaea spp. (Fungal host):1. Sequence_ID_v2.csvTaxon names, accession numbers, and sequence ID for the concatenated multiple sequence alignment are listed. 2. Saksenaea_ITS_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp.   3. Saksenaea_ITS_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp. Only used for ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 phylogeny. 4. Saksenaea_LSU_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of LSU gene region of Saksenaea spp.   5. Saksenaea_LSU_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of LSU gene region of Saksenaea spp. Only used for LSU phylogeny. 6. Saksenaea_tef1_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of tef1 gene region of Saksenaea spp.   7. Saksenaea_tef1_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of tef1 gene region of Saksenaea spp. Only used for tef1 phylogeny. <Concatenated dataset 1 (ITS2, LSU, tef1)>8. Saksenaea_ITS2_for_concatenated_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of a concatenated dataset 1. 9. Saksenaea_ITS2_for_concatenated_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of a concatenated dataset 1. 10. Saksenaea_LSU_for_concatenated_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of LSU gene region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of concatenated datasets 1 and 2. 11. Saksenaea_LSU_for_concatenated_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of LSU gene region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of concatenated datasets 1 and 2. 12. Saksenaea_tef1_for_concatenated_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of tef1 gene region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of concatenated datasets 1 and 2. 13. Saksenaea_tef1_for_concatenated_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of tef1 gene region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of concatenated datasets 1 and 2. 14. Saksenaea_ITS2_LSU_tef1_concatenated_dataset1.fastaConcatenated dataset of three multiple sequence alignments (9, 11, and 13). This concatenated dataset was used for the main phylogeny of Saksenaea spp. <Concatenated dataset 2 (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, LSU, tef1)>15. Saksenaea_ITS_for_concatenated_RAW_v2.fastaNon-aligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of a concatenated dataset 2. 16. Saksenaea_ITS_for_concatenated_aligned_v2.fastaAligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of Saksenaea spp. used for preparation of a concatenated dataset 2.Blank sequences were inserted for five isolates of Saksenaea longicolla after the alignment. 17.Saksenaea_ITS_LSU_tef1_concatenated_dataset2.fastaConcatenated dataset of three multiple sequence alignments (15, 11, and 13). This concatenated dataset was used for the main phylogeny of Saksenaea spp. C. Pairwise distances of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp.1. Saksenaea_ITS_type_RAW.fastaNon-aligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. 2. Saksenaea_ITS2_type_aligned.fastaAligned dataset of ITS2 region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. 3.Saksenaea_ITS_type_aligned.fastaAligned dataset of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. without Saksenaea longicolla. 4. Saksenaea_LSU_type_RAW.fastaNon-aligned dataset of LSU gene region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. 5. Saksenaea_LSU_type_aligned.fastaAligned dataset of LSU gene region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. 6. Saksenaea_tef1_type_RAW.fastaNon-aligned dataset of tef1 gene region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp. 7. Saksenaea_tef1_type_aligned.fastaAligned dataset of tef1 gene region of the ex-type strains of Saksenaea spp.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2020View details →

Fig. 5 in Aleuroclava aucubae (Homoptera: Aleyrodinea), a new adventive species for Russian Black Sea Coast, and its concomitant entomoparasitic fungus Conoideocrella luteorostrata (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae)

Fig. 5. Ultimolarvae of Aleuroclava aucubae, infected by Conoideocrella luteorostrata.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2020View details →

Fig. 4. A in Aleuroclava aucubae (Homoptera: Aleyrodinea), a new adventive species for Russian Black Sea Coast, and its concomitant entomoparasitic fungus Conoideocrella luteorostrata (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae)

Fig. 4. A generalised scheme of ontogenesis in whiteflies.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2020View details →

Fig. 2 in Aleuroclava aucubae (Homoptera: Aleyrodinea), a new adventive species for Russian Black Sea Coast, and its concomitant entomoparasitic fungus Conoideocrella luteorostrata (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae)

Fig. 2. Photo of the microscopic slide with an ultimolarva (pseudopupa) of Aleuroclava aucubae.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Data from: Compatibility of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and Trichoplusia ni SNPV against the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni : crop plant matters

BACKGROUND: Microbial insecticides are an important weapon in insect pest management, but their use is still relatively limited. One approach for increasing their efficacy and use could be to combine different pathogens to increase pest mortality. However, little is known about whether increasing pathogen diversity will improve pest management. Here, we investigated the compatibility of two pathogens for the management of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni; T. ni nucleopolyhedrovirus (TniSNPV) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana on two crops, tomato and broccoli. The pathogens were applied to individual plants using ultra low volume sprays, alone or in combination, either synchronously or asynchronously. Healthy 3rd instar T. ni larvae were introduced to the plants before application and collected by destructive sampling 24h after the last pathogen application. RESULTS: Combined applications did not result in an increase in larval mortality compared to TniSNPV alone, although mortality was generally high. Beauveria bassiana was considerably less effective on broccoli compared to tomato. In both the combined treatments, virus-induced mortality was approximately 50% lower when applied together with the fungus, while fungus-induced mortality was not affected by the virus, even when the virus was introduced 24h before the fungus. CONCLUSION: While our results suggest that applying this combination of entomopathogens would not be beneficial for pest management, this study illustrates the need to consider the target crop as an important driver of the efficacy of both single and mixed pathogen applications in the field.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

Data Analysis for "Effects of an Entomopathogenic Fungus on the Reproductive Potential of Drosophila males"

Dataset and code used for data analyses and visualization in our manuscript: "Effects of an Entomopathogenic Fungus on the Reproductive Potential of Drosophila Males" by Aijuan Liao, Fanny Cavigliasso, Loriane Savary and Tadeusz J. Kawecki Published in Ecology and Evolution

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

A point mutation and large deletion at the candidate avirulence locus AvrMlp7 in the poplar rust fungus correlate with poplar RMlp7 resistance breakdown

Several studies reported the rapid evolution of avirulence (Avr) genes to escape R-mediated plant immunity and identified a variety of mechanisms leading to virulence. The poplar rust fungus Melampsora larici-populina is the most damaging pathogen of poplars. A major adaptive event occurred in 1994 with the breakdown of RMlp7 resistance gene in poplar. Population genomics studies identified a locus in the genome of M. larici-populina, which likely corresponds to the AvrMlp7 candidate avirulence gene. We used a population genetics approach combined with dedicated qPCR assays on a comprehensive set of 281 isolates, covering 27 years (encompassing the resistance breakdown event), to validate the candidate locus and to assess its polymorphism. We found two mechanisms, a point mutation and a deletion, that allowed the pathogen to escape RMlp7-mediated resistance. Six diploid genotypes were thus characterized at the candidate locus (three avirulent and three virulent). In addition, a temporal analysis revealed that the two virulence alleles pre-existed (harboured as avirulent heterozygous genotypes) since the early samplings and were found in association (as virulent genotypes) at the time of the resistance breakdown.These molecular analyses were complemented by a population genetic analysis of those temporal samples, using 22 microsatellite markers.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Analyses on the fungus-farming termite, Macrotermes natalensis

Kings and queens of eusocial termites can live for decades, while queens sustain a nearly maximal fertility. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying their long lifespan, we carried out transcriptomics, lipidomics and metabolomics in Macrotermes natalensis on sterile short-lived workers, long-lived kings and five stages spanning twenty years of adult queen maturation. Reproductives share gene expression differences from workers in agreement with a reduction of several aging-related processes, involving upregulation of DNA damage repair and mitochondrial functions. Anti-oxidant gene expression is downregulated, while peroxidability of membranes in queens decreases. Against expectations, we observed an upregulated gene expression in fat bodies of reproductives of several components of the IIS pathway, including an insulin-like peptide, Ilp9. This pattern does not lead to deleterious fat storage in physogastric queens, while simple sugars dominate in their hemolymph and large amounts of resources are allocated towards oogenesis. Our findings support the notion that all processes causing aging need to be addressed simultaneously in order to prevent it.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Microsatellite genotype data from: Male-biased dispersal in a fungus-gardening ant symbiosis (Matthews et al, Ecology and Evolution)

For nearly all organisms, dispersal is a fundamental life history trait that can shape their ecology and evolution. Variation in dispersal capabilities within a species exists and can influence population genetic structure and ecological interactions. In fungus-gardening (attine) ants, co-dispersal of ants and mutualistic fungi is crucial to the success of this obligate symbiosis. Female-biased dispersal (and gene flow) may be favored in attines because virgin queens carry the responsibility of dispersing the fungi, but a paucity of research has made this conclusion difficult. Here, we investigate dispersal of the fungus-gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis using a combination of maternally- (mitochondrial DNA) and biparentally-inherited (microsatellites) markers. We found three distinct, spatially isolated mitochondrial DNA haplotypes; two were found in the Florida panhandle and the other in the Florida peninsula. In contrast, biparental markers illustrated significant gene flow across this region and minimal spatial structure. The differential patterns uncovered from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers suggest that most long-distance ant dispersal is male-biased and that females (and concomitantly the fungus) have more limited dispersal capabilities. Consequently, the limited female dispersal is likely an important bottleneck for the fungal symbiont. This bottleneck could slow fungal genetic diversification, which has significant implications for both ant hosts and fungal symbionts regarding population genetics, species distributions, adaptive responses to environmental change, and coevolutionary patterns.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Data from: Nutritional challenges of feeding a mutualist: testing for a nutrient-toxin tradeoff in fungus-farming leafcutter ants

The biochemical heterogeneity of food items often yields tradeoffs as each bite of food tends to contain some nutrients in surplus and others in deficit, as well as other less palatable or even toxic compounds. These multidimensional nutritional challenges are likely compounded when foraged foods are used to provision others (e.g. offspring or symbionts) with different physiological needs and tolerances. We explored these challenges in free-ranging colonies of leafcutter ants that navigate a diverse tropical forest to collect plant fragments they use to provision a co-evolved fungal cultivar. We tested the prediction that leafcutter farmers face provisioning tradeoffs between the nutritional quality and concentration of toxic tannins in foraged plant fragments. Chemical analyses of plant fragments sampled from the mandibles of Panamanian Atta colombica leafcutter ants provided little support for a nutrient-tannin foraging tradeoff. First, colonies foraged for plant fragments ranging widely in tannin concentration. Second, high tannin levels did not appear to restrict colonies from selecting plant fragments with blends of protein and carbohydrates that maximized cultivar performance when measured with in vitro experiments. We also tested whether tannins expand the realized nutritional niche selected by leafcutter ants into high-protein dimensions since: 1) tannins can bind proteins and reduce their accessibility during digestion, and 2) in vitro experiments have shown that excess protein provisioning reduces cultivar performance. Contrary to this hypothesis, the most protein-rich plant fragments did not have highest tannin levels. More generally, the approach developed here can be used to test how multidimensional interactions between nutrients and toxins shape the costs and benefits of providing care to offspring or symbionts.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Profiling, monitoring and conserving caterpillar fungus in the Himalayan region using anchored hybrid enrichment markers

The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50-70% of the household income of thousands of Himalayan communities and has an estimated market value of $5-11 billion across Asia. However, Himalayan collectors are at multiple economic disadvantages compared with collectors on the Tibetan plateau because their product is not legally recognized. Using a customized hybrid-enrichment probe set and market-grade caterpillar fungus (with samples up to 30 years old) from 94 production zones across Asia, we uncovered clear geography-based signatures of historical dispersal and significant isolation-by-distance among caterpillar fungus hosts. This high-throughput approach can readily distinguish samples from major production zones with definitive geographical resolution, especially for samples from the Himalayan region that form monophyletic clades in our analysis. Based on these results, we propose a two-step procedure to help local communities authenticate their produce and improve this multi-national trade route without creating opportunities for illegal exports and other forms of economic exploitation. We argue that policy makers and conservation practitioners must encourage the fair trade of caterpillar fungus in addition to sustainable harvesting to support a transboundary conservation effort that is much needed for this natural commodity in the Himalayan region.

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

Cold tolerance of Trachymyrmex fungus gardening ants and Leucocoprinus symbionts

Symbionts can have profound effects on host fitness, adaptations, and range distributions. Stress-induced evolution is difficult to show in obligate symbioses, however, adaptive evolution within an obligate symbiosis can be investigated experimentally or by correlating trait variation with stress along an ecological cline (i.e., temperature-stress gradient). We investigated the cold-tolerance of the fungus-growing ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis by performing cold-tolerance assays comparing two populations collected from either the southernmost range of their distribution (Bastrop, TX) or from a site that is approximately 600 km further north (Norman, Oklahoma). We first compared isolated fungal symbionts grown on artificial media to determine cold-tolerance of fungus alone. Subsequently, we conducted cross-fostering experiments between northern and southern host and symbionts to test for synergisms between the partners in generating adaptations of cold tolerance. Ants of the northern fungal populations were more cold-adapted then southern fungal populations. Northern nests were deeper and northern colonies initially rejected fungi from the southern population. The cross-fostering experiments demonstrated that only one partner must be cold tolerant to confer maximum cold-tolerance to the ant-fungus symbiosis, because northern ants growing southern fungus under cold stress performed just as well as northern ants growing northern fungi. Our results suggest that cold stress has been an important selective factor during the migration of this ant-fungus symbiosis into northern latitudes during the last 10,000 years, and that cold tolerance likely is an energetically demanding trait that may be traded off with other aspects of the symbiosis' life history. The symbiosis also appears to have evolved several additional adaptations that increase survival in cold environments, such as building deeper nests that insulate the fungi from cold surface

opencc-zeroJul 2024View details →

Foliar phosphorus concentration modulates the defensive mutualism of an endophytic fungus in a perennial host grass

Grasses hosting Epichloë endophytes are protected against herbivores due to the production of various fungal alkaloids. Previous research has found that high foliar phosphorus concentrations reduce the level of the alkaloid ergovaline, thereby reducing the endophyte-mediated herbivore resistance. Yet, the impact of phosphorus on ergovaline biosynthesis versus its influence on endophyte growth and synthesis of other fungal alkaloids remains unresolved. Our objective was to elucidate these relationships. We grew endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic Festuca arundinacea plants and fertilized them with different doses of phosphorus. Later, half of the plants from each treatment were challenged with larvae of the generalist chewing insect Spodoptera frugiperda. We assessed the relationships between foliar phosphorus levels, fungal mycelium, and alkaloid concentrations, as well as their impacts on larvae performance, herbivore-caused damage, and plant biomass. Endophyte mycelial biomass in plant tissue was found to be independent of foliar phosphorus concentration. The alkaloids lolines and peramine showed a linear relationship with mycelial biomass but no correlation with foliar phosphorus. Surprisingly, high ergovaline concentrations were positively associated with an interaction between endophyte mycelial biomass and foliar phosphorus concentration. Although herbivory increased loline concentration, only high concentrations of ergovaline and peramine were related to reduced S. frugiperda larvae weight gain. However, endophyte presence did not reduce herbivory damage to plants. Contrary to expectation, we did not find a negative but a positive association between concentrations of foliar phosphorus and ergovaline alkaloid, through its interaction with endophyte mycelial biomass. Alternatively, our findings suggest that phosphorus plays a crucial role in modulating the Epichloë-mediated defensive mutualism, primarily through its effects on ergovaline rather than on endophyte concentration or production of other alkaloids.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2022View details →

Figure 3. NMR 13C in Plant metabolite 5-pentadecyl resorcinol is produced by the Amazonian fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum LM 5679

Figure 3. NMR 13C (75 MHz) spectrum of the compound produced by Penicillium sclerotiorum LM 5679.