Colonial recognition of fungus in the fungus-growing ant Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Summary. Leaf cutting ants live in symbiosis with a basidiomycete fungus that is exploited as a source of nutrients for the ant larvae. Tests of fungus transport demonstrated that Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus workers discriminate concolonial fungus from alien fungus, and rejected the latter. Larvae and pupae of the ant were used as controls. Chemical analysis of the fungus revealed a great similarity between its hydrocarbon profile and that found on the ant brood. Experiments with lures showed that chemical extracts from the fungus are responsible for this discrimination process. Moreover, the presence of brood inside the fungus seemed to be important for discrimination of the fungus by workers. Resident workers accepted concolonial broodless fungus less than concolonial fungus inoculated with brood odor. Fungus seems to acquire colonial odor passively, simply by contact with the brood. The impact of fungus volume present in the nest on closure of the colony is discussed. We show here for the first time the importance of a symbiotic vegetal organism in colonial recognition in social insects. Received 14 April 2000; accepted 29 September 2000     

Inconclusiveness of Chytridiomycosis as the Agent in Widespread Frog Declines

Abstract:  Although there is considerable evidence to support the hypothesis that the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is the primary agent responsible for widespread declines in amphibian populations, particularly rainforest frog populations in Australia and Central America, I argue the case has not yet been made conclusively. Few specimens were collected at the time of population declines, so it may never be possible to conclusively determine their cause. It remains unclear whether the pathogen is novel where declines have occurred. Although it is not necessary that the infection be novel for it to be implicated in declines, if a preexisting pathogen has only recently caused extinctions, cofactors must be important. Whether the pattern of outbreaks represents a "wave" of extinctions is unclear, but if it does, the rate of spread in Australia is implausibly high for a waterborne pathogen, given the most likely estimates of epidemiological parameters. Although B. dendrobatidis is an amphibian pathogen according to Koch's postulates, the postulates are neither necessary nor sufficient criteria to identify a pathogen. The following key pieces of information are necessary to better understand the impact of this fungus on frog communities: better knowledge of the means and rate of transmission under field conditions, prevalence of infection among frog populations, as distinct from morbid individuals, and the effect of the fungus on frogs in the wild. It is crucial to determine whether there are strains of the fungus with differing pathogenicity to particular frog species and whether host-pathogen coevolution has occurred or is occurring. Recently developed diagnostic tools bring into reach the possibility of addressing these questions and thus developing appropriate strategies to manage frog communities that may be affected by this fungus.     

丝状真菌基因功能研究的方法

近年来不少丝状真菌全基因组测序已完成或正在进行,基因功能研究成为真菌研究的一个热点.多种基因功能研究方法都已应用到丝状真菌领域,为丝状真菌的基因功能研究提供了许多不同的技术策略.本文总结了目前丝状真菌基因功能研究中常用的方法,如转座子标签法、基因敲除技术、RNA干扰、超表达及酵母杂交系统等,并对各方法在丝状真菌研究中的优缺点进行了阐述.参42     

神农架大型真菌资源及其开发利用

神农架大型真菌资源十分丰富。经初步调查有２纲８目２４科８６属２５２种。其中食用菌１１４种、药用菌１０种、毒菌１９种、用途暂不明的１０９种，占全国现有食用菌总数６５７种的３８．３６％。本文论述了该地区大型真菌自然发生的种类、分布及开发利用建议。     

真菌核酸的一种快速提取方法

在总结多种真菌DNA和RNA提取方法的基础上，发展了一种提取真菌核酸新方法，与其它方法相比，该方法具有快速、操作简便等特点，而且提取DNA和RNA步骤基本一致，用该方法提取的DNA完整、纯度高，可用于PR、限制性内切酶酶切和Southern杂交等分子生物学操作；提取RNA产量高，RNA无降解，纯度高，适用Northern和cDNA合成等分子生物学操作。     

采样时间对ANDERSEN采样器采样效果的影响

在室内用ANDERSEN生物粒子采样器进行了不同采样时间对采集空气细菌和真菌粒子浓度，粒数中值直径效果的研究，结果表明，在1－12min内，采集的空气细菌和真菌粒子浓度随采样时间的增加而减少，呈明显的负相关关系，相关系数分别为－0．903和－0．688，P值均大于0．05，另外，在采样过程中，空气真菌比细菌耐受采样空气冲击力的能力强，采样时间对空气细菌和真菌粒子的粒度分布和粒数中值直径的影响不明显。     

产酸白腐菌处理碱性造纸黑液的机制探析

在复杂的黑液污染体系内, 探索了产酸白腐菌处理碱性造纸黑液的机制。用该菌处理碱性造纸黑液5d以后,pH值从8、9降至1,COD去除率为73%,黑液中固形物与可溶木质素随着时间增加。研究结果表明,黑液碱性是影响产酸白腐菌生长的限制因子之一, 产酸白腐菌可以通过产酸代谢调节黑液碱性以适应与改变环境,同时通过木质素酸析及吸附效应降低黑液COD,此时,白腐菌对黑液中木素降解作用处于次要地位,说明使用产酸白腐菌进行造纸黑液的处理具有明显环境效应与巨大的潜力。     

白腐真菌木质素降解酶的反应器发酵

为了获得更高的白腐真菌木质素降解酶的产量和相应的控制策略,应用5L搅拌罐生物反应器对氮限制下(C/N=56/2.2)P.chrysosporium产木质素降解酶进行了放大研究.结果表明,在分批发酵试验中,锰过氧化物酶(MnP)和漆酶(Lac)分别在培养第6d和第7d达到峰值,其酶活随时间的变化规律与摇瓶试验基本相同;而采用氮限制液体培养基进行补料没有获得更高的酶活,因此,可以得出采用发酵液体培养基作为补料液不利于白腐真菌持续产酶.另外,在分批发酵和分批补料发酵过程中,均发现体系pH值变化与白腐真菌生长和次生代谢产酶具有较好的相关性,当白腐真菌进入次生代谢阶段开始产酶时,体系pH值开始下降,随着发酵后期酶活的降低,pH值下降的幅度也逐渐变小,当体系酶活接近为0.0U/L时,pH值基本不再变化.因此,在实际发酵过程中,可以依据体系pH的变化间接了解白腐真菌的生长和产酶情况,而分批补料策略还有待于进一步研究.     

真菌和细菌对染料的吸附脱色及再生能力的研究

进行了真菌和细菌共培养对染料的吸附脱色和吸附脱色能力再生的研究。结果表明，青霉菌G－1首先对偶氮染料S－119、蒽醌染料艳紫KN－B（C．I．Reactive violet 22）水溶液中染料进行快速吸附去除，菌丝对同种染料的吸附速度随菌丝培养液中葡萄糖浓度的增加而加快，吸附染料的G－1菌丝在与细菌的共培养中完成对染料的脱色降解，脱色速度受培养液中葡萄和氮源浓度影响较大，从吸附速率和完全脱色时间综合评价，以葡萄糖浓度为5g/L、酒石酸铵为20mmol/L的培养基中培养的菌丝对染料的吸附脱色效果最好，吸附在菌丝上的艳紫KN－B脱色后菌丝吸附脱色能力得到再生，菌丝对100mg/L的艳紫KN－B染料水溶液可重复处理4次。青霉菌G－1对酸性染料废水处理3h，色度去除率为75．9％，吸附染料的菌丝在与细菌共培养中完成对染料的脱色，对试验所用染料废水，菌丝的处理能力获得1次再生。     

白腐菌对3种含氯二(噁)(口英)类物质的降解作用

探讨了白腐菌射脉侧菌Phlebia radiateI-5-6对3种含氯量不同的二类物质———二苯并呋喃(DF)、2,7-二氯二苯并二(2,7-diCDD)和八氯二苯并呋喃(OCDF)的降解情况,并研究了不同培养条件对二降解的影响.在液体混合培养基中,在培养期内P.radiataI-5-6对3种二类物质的降解量分别为:DF>2,7-diCDD>OCDF;在培养的初始阶段,白腐菌对珠江江水/CEH漂白废水的加入需要一个适应期,然后开始降解这些污染物质.实验表明,在江水/CEH漂白废水处于一定浓度时,污染底物有更大的降解量;选择适当的培养基,可影响白腐菌对二类污染物的降解量.图3表3参17