Two-hundred and fifty-five strains of actinomycetes isolated from soil samples were screened for their antagonistic activities against four well-known wood decay fungi (WDF), including a brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum and three white rot fungi Donkioporia expansa, Trametes versicolor, and Schizophyllum commune. A dual culture assay using culture media supplemented with heated or unheated culture filtrates of selected bacterial strains was used for the detection of their antimicrobial activity against four WDF. It was shown that Streptomyces atratus, S. tsukiyonensis, and Streptomyces sp. greatly inhibited the mycelial growth of the WDF tested compared with the control. To evaluate the biocontrol efficacy of S. atratus, S. tsukiyonensis, and Streptomyces sp., wood blocks of Pinus densiflora inoculated with three selected Streptomyces isolates were tested for weight loss, compression strength (perpendicular or parallel to the grain), bending strength, and chemical component changes. Of these three isolates used, Streptomyces sp. exhibited higher inhibitory activity against WDF, especially G. trabeum, as observed in mechanical and chemical change analyses. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cell walls of the wood block treated with Streptomyces strains were thicker and collapsed to a lesser extent than those of the non-treated control. Taken together, our findings indicate that Streptomyces sp. exhibits the potential to be used as a biocontrol agent for wood decay brown rot fungus that causes severe damage to coniferous woods.
Actinobacteria ; Cell Wall ; Coniferophyta ; Culture Media ; Fungi* ; Hot Temperature ; Mass Screening* ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pinus ; Schizophyllum ; Soil ; Streptomyces* ; Trametes ; Weight Loss ; Wood*

Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; microbiology ; pathology ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Middle Aged ; Schizophyllum ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Voriconazole ; therapeutic use

The present study was designed to search for compounds with analgesic activity from the Schizophyllum commune (SC), which is widely consumed as edible and medicinal mushroom world. Thin layer chromatography (TLC), tosilica gel column chromatography, sephadex LH 20, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) were used to isolate and purify compounds from SC. Structural analysis of the isolated compounds was based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The effects of these compounds on voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels were evaluated using patch clamp. The analgesic activity of these compounds was tested in two types of mouse pain models induced by noxious chemicals. Five phenolic acids identified from SC extracts in the present study included vanillic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, o-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid, 3-hydroxy-5-methybenzoic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. They inhibited the activity of both tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-r) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-s) NaV channels. All the compounds showed low selectivity on NaV channel subtypes. After intraperitoneal injection, three compounds of these compounds exerted analgesic activity in mice. In conclusion, phenolic acids identified in SC demonstrated analgesic activity, facilitating the mechanistic studies of SC in the treatment of neurasthenia.
Analgesics ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Humans ; Hydroxybenzoates ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Mice ; Neurasthenia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Schizophyllum ; chemistry ; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels ; genetics ; metabolism

The fungi on Meju are known to play an important role as degrader of macromolecule of soybeans. In order to elucidate the origin of fungi on traditional Meju, mycobiota of the air both inside and outside traditional Meju fermentation rooms was examined. From 11 samples of air collected from inside and outside of 7 Meju fermentation rooms, 37 genera and 90 species of fungi were identified. In outside air of the fermentation room, Cladosporium sp. and Cladosporium cladosporioides were the dominant species, followed by Cladosporium tenuissimum, Eurotium sp., Phoma sp., Sistotrema brinkmannii, Alternaria sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Schizophyllum commune, and Penicillium glabrum. In inside air of the fermentation room, Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium chrysogenum, Asp. nidulans, Aspergillus sp., Cla. cladosporioides, Eurotium sp., Penicillium sp., Cla. tenuissimum, Asp. niger, Eur. herbariorum, Asp. sydowii, and Eur. repens were collected with high frequency. The concentrations of the genera Aspergillus, Eurotium, and Penicillium were significantly higher in inside air than outside air. From this result and those of previous reports, the origin of fungi present on Meju was inferred. Of the dominant fungal species present on Meju, Lichtheimia ramosa, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor racemosus, and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis are thought to be originated from outside air, because these species are not or are rarely isolated from rice straw and soybean; however, they were detected outside air of fermentation room and are species commonly found in indoor environments. However, Asp. oryzae, Pen. polonicum, Eur. repens, Pen. solitum, and Eur. chevalieri, which are frequently found on Meju, are common in rice straw and could be transferred from rice straw to Meju. The fungi grow and produce abundant spores during Meju fermentation, and after the spores accumulate in the air of fermentation room, they could influence mycobiota of Meju fermentation in the following year. This could explain why concentrations of the genera Aspergillus, Eurotium, and Penicillium are much higher inside than outside of the fermentation rooms.
Alternaria ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Aspergillus nidulans ; Aspergillus oryzae ; Cladosporium ; Eurotium ; Fermentation* ; Fungi* ; Mucor ; Niger ; Oryza ; Penicillium ; Penicillium chrysogenum ; Schizophyllum ; Scopulariopsis ; Soybeans ; Spores ; Viperidae

Manganese peroxidase (MnP), a crucial enzyme in lignin degradation, has wide potential applications in environmental protection. However, large-scale industrial application of this enzyme is limited due to several factors primarily related to cost and availability. Special attention has been paid to the production of MnP from inexpensive sources, such as lignocellulosic residues, using solid-state fermentation (SSF) systems. In the present study, a suitable SSF medium for the production of MnP by Schizophyllum sp. F17 from agro-industrial residues has been optimized. The mixed solid medium, comprising pine sawdust, rice straw, and soybean powder at a ratio of 0.52:0.15:0.33, conferred a maximum enzyme activity of 11.18 U/g on the sixth day of SSF. The results show that the use of wastes such as pine sawdust and rice straw makes the enzyme production more economical as well as helps solve environmental problems.
Culture Media ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Oryza ; Peroxidases ; biosynthesis ; Schizophyllum ; enzymology ; Wood

Schizophyllum commune, a basidiomycetous fungus, rarely causes disease in humans. We report a rare case of allergic fungal sinusitis caused by S. commune in a 14-yr-old girl. The patient presented with nasal obstruction and a purulent nasal discharge. Materials obtained during endoscopic surgery of the frontal recess revealed allergic mucin and a few fungal hyphae. A potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture from the allergic mucin yielded a rapidly growing white woolly mold. Although no distinctive features including hyphae bearing spicules or a clamp connection were present, the case isolate disclosed compatible mycological features including growth at 37degrees C, susceptibility to cycloheximide, and production of a tart and disagreeable smell. S. commune was confirmed by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and D1/D2 regions of the 26S ribosomal DNA. We believe this is the first report of allergic fungal sinusitis caused by S. commune in Korea. Moreover, this report highlights the value of gene sequencing as an identification tool for non-sporulating isolates of S. commune.
Adolescent ; Antifungal Agents/pharmacology ; Cycloheximide/pharmacology ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity/*diagnosis ; Schizophyllum/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sinusitis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We investigated the effect of nutritional and environmental factors on Ophiocordyceps longissima mycelial growth. The longest colony diameter was observed on Schizophyllum (mushroom) genetics complete medium plus yeast extract, Schizophyllum (mushroom) genetics minimal medium, and Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA); however, malt-extract yeast-extract agar, SDA plus yeast extract, yeast-extract malt-extract peptone dextrose agar, SDA, oatmeal agar, and potato dextrose agar showed higher mycelia density. A temperature of 25degrees C was optimum and 7.0 was the optimum pH for mycelial growth. Colony diameter was similar under light and dark conditions. Maltose and yeast extract showed the highest mycelial growth among carbon and nitrogen sources respectively. The effect of mineral salts was less obvious; however, K3PO4 showed slightly better growth than that of the other mineral salts tested. Among all nutrition sources tested, complex organic nitrogen sources such as yeast extract, peptone, and tryptone were best for mycelial growth of O. longissima. Ophiocordyceps longissima composite medium, formulated by adding maltose (2% w/v), yeast extract (1% w/v), and K3PO4 (0.05% w/v) resulted in slightly longer colony diameter. In vitro mycelial O. longissima growth was sustainable and the production of fruiting bodies could be used for commercial purposes in the future.
Agar ; Carbon ; Cultural Characteristics ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Light ; Maltose ; Nitrogen ; Peptones ; Salts ; Schizophyllum ; Solanum tuberosum ; Yeasts

White-rot fungus manganese peroxidase (MnP) that has great potential in degrading azo dyes is one of the extracellular glycolsylated heme proteins. MnP from Schizophyllum sp. F17 was isolated and purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography followed by DEAE-cellulose anion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the puried enzyme was 49.2 kDa, while the half-life of the MnP in the presence of 0.1 mmol/L H2O2 was 5-6 min. The efficiency of MnP-catalyzed reactions were determined by three key factors: the concentrations of Mn2+, H2O2, and the amount of MnP. Using single factor analysis, an optimized concentration of Mn2+, H2O2 and enzyme were optimized to be 1.2 mmol/L, 0.1 mmol/L, and 0.4 mL, respectively. A response surface methodology (RSM) employing two-level-three-factor full factorial central composite design was used to optimize the catalytic conditions. The result showed that the concentration of H2O2 and the interaction between H2O2 and MnP mostly affect the MnP catalytic efficiency. Finally, we show that the azo dyes could be efficiently decolorized by the purified MnP under optimized conditions.
Azo Compounds ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Catalysis ; Coloring Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Environmental Pollutants ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Fungal Proteins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Peroxidases ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Schizophyllum ; enzymology

This study investigated the cultural characteristics of Shimizuomyces paradoxus in different nutritional and environmental conditions. The highest mycelial growth was observed in Schizophyllum (mushroom) genetics complete medium plus yeast extract agar medium, and the optimal temperature and pH were 25degrees C and pH 8.0, respectively. The optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were 1% dextrose and 1% peptone in agar. However, in liquid culture the highest dry mycelium weight was found for the potato dextrose agar and potato sucrose agar broths. The optimum inoculum size was five mycelial discs (5 mm) per 100 mL of broth, and the optimum liquid culture period was 25 days. This is the first ever report of S. paradoxus cultural characteristics.
Agar ; Carbon ; Cultural Characteristics ; Glucose ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Mycelium ; Nitrogen ; Peptones ; Schizophyllum ; Solanum tuberosum ; Sucrose ; Yeasts

Metacordyceps yongmunensis is a newly reported species from Korea, which is very similar to Cordyceps species in morphological characters. It grows on large lepidopteran pupa, and numerous white stromata grow on a single host. Mycelial growth characteristics of M. yongmunensis isolates were studied in different media and at different temperatures. Also, different carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and mineral salts were tested for mycelial growth of M. yongmunensis. Schizophyllum (mushroom) genetics complete medium plus yeast extract, Schizophyllum (mushroom) genetics minimal medium, and Martin's peptone dextrose agar produced longer colony diameters and more compact mycelial density than other media. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was 25degrees C. Carbon sources such as sucrose, soluble starch, dextrose, glucose, dextrin, maltose, and fructose showed better mycelial growth, whereas peptone, yeast extract and tryptone resulted in the best mycelial growth of all of the nitrogen sources tested. All of the mineral salts tested showed similar growth as the control, except K2HPO4 which showed longer colony diameter and more compact mycelial density. The compact colonies were white and cottony with a greenish margin. The results showed that M. yongmunensis is an easy fungus to growas it grew from 30 to more than 50 mm in 2 wk.
Agar ; Carbon ; Cordyceps ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Fructose ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Humans ; Korea ; Maltose ; Nitrogen ; Peptones ; Phosphates ; Potassium Compounds ; Pupa ; Salts ; Schizophyllum ; Starch ; Sucrose ; Yeasts