Blackmeristematicfungicansurvivehighdosesofradiationandareresistanttodesiccation.Theseadaptationshelpthemtocolonizeharsholigotrophichabitats,e.g.,onthesurfaceandsubsurfaceofrocks.Oneoftheirmostcharacteristicstress-resistancemechanismsistheaccumulationofmelanininthecellwalls.This,productionofotherprotectivemoleculesandaplasticmorphologyfurthercontributetoecologicalflexibilityofblackfungi.Increasedgrowthratesofsomespeciesafterexposuretoionizingradiationevensuggestyetunknownmechanismsofenergyproduction.OtherunusualmetabolicstrategiesmayincludeharvestingUVorvisiblelightorgainingenergybyformingfacultativelichen-likeassociationswithalgaeorcyanobacteria.Thelatterisnotentirelysurprising,sincecertainblackfungallineagesarephylogeneticallyrelatedtocladesoflichen-formingfungi.Similartoblackfungi,lichen-formingfungiareadaptedtogrowthonexposedsurfaceswithlowavailabilityofnutrients.Theyalsoefficientlyuseprotectivemoleculestotoleratefrequentperiodsofextremestress.Traitssharedbybothgroupsoffungimayhavebeenimportantinfacilitatingtheevolutionandradiationoflichen-symbioses.
Polyextremotolerant black fungi: oligotrophism, adaptivepotential, and a link to lichen symbioses.
MUGGIA, LUCIA;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Blackmeristematicfungicansurvivehighdosesofradiationandareresistanttodesiccation.Theseadaptationshelpthemtocolonizeharsholigotrophichabitats,e.g.,onthesurfaceandsubsurfaceofrocks.Oneoftheirmostcharacteristicstress-resistancemechanismsistheaccumulationofmelanininthecellwalls.This,productionofotherprotectivemoleculesandaplasticmorphologyfurthercontributetoecologicalflexibilityofblackfungi.Increasedgrowthratesofsomespeciesafterexposuretoionizingradiationevensuggestyetunknownmechanismsofenergyproduction.OtherunusualmetabolicstrategiesmayincludeharvestingUVorvisiblelightorgainingenergybyformingfacultativelichen-likeassociationswithalgaeorcyanobacteria.Thelatterisnotentirelysurprising,sincecertainblackfungallineagesarephylogeneticallyrelatedtocladesoflichen-formingfungi.Similartoblackfungi,lichen-formingfungiareadaptedtogrowthonexposedsurfaceswithlowavailabilityofnutrients.Theyalsoefficientlyuseprotectivemoleculestotoleratefrequentperiodsofextremestress.Traitssharedbybothgroupsoffungimayhavebeenimportantinfacilitatingtheevolutionandradiationoflichen-symbioses.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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