The generally positive relationship between biodiversity of groups of directly or indirectly interacting organisms is one of the most important ecological concepts (Gaston, 2000 Nature, 405, 220-227; Scherber C, Eisenhauer N, Weisser WW et al., 2010 Nature, 468, 553-556). In a recent issue of Molecular Ecology, Gao C, Shi N-N, Liu Y-X et al. (2013: 22, 3403-3414) reported that the richness of p...

Multiplayer symbioses are common in nature, but our understanding of the ecological dynamics occurring in complex symbioses is limited. The tripartite mutualism between fungus-growing ants, their fungal cultivars, and antibiotic-producing bacteria exemplifies symbiotic complexity. Here we reveal how black yeasts, newly described symbionts of the ant-microbe system, compromise the efficiency of ...

Albinas Lugauskas, Jiirate Repeckiene, Jurgita Stakeniene Institute of Botany, ZalitU4. ezer4. St. 47, LT-2021 Vilnius, Lithuania, e-mail: [email protected]. [email protected] The diversity of fungi species spread on food products grown and processed under various ecological conditions were estimated during the researches carried out in 1998-2003. Fungi were isolated and identified from ...

In many semi-natural and natural ecosystems, mycorrhizal fungi are the most abundant and functionally important group of soil micro-organisms. They are almost wholly dependent on their host plants to supply them with photosynthate in return for which they enable the plant to access greater quantities of nutrients. Thus, there is considerable potential for plant communities to regulate the struc...

Mal secco is a severe vascular citrus disease (MSD) caused by the mitosporic fungus Plenodomus tracheiphilus (Pt). The pathogen enters through wounds on above- and below-ground parts of tree. susceptible species sour orange (Citrus aurantium) most commonly used rootstock for lemon trees in Italy. In this study, seedlings were wound-inoculated with P. leaves or roots. Six months post-inoculation...

The Bacillus anthracis spore is the causative agent of the disease anthrax. The outermost structure of the B. anthracis spore, the exosporium, is a shell composed of approximately 20 proteins. The function of the exosporium remains poorly understood and is an area of active investigation. In this study, we analyzed the previously identified but uncharacterized exosporium protein ExsK. We found ...

The genus-group Hystricella R. T. Lowe, 1855 is revised on the basis of conchological, anatomical and genetic characteristics. A new genus Wollastoniagen. n., two recent species, W. jessicaesp. n. and W. klausgrohisp. n., and one recent subspecies, W. jessicae monticolassp. n. are described as new to science, as well as five fossil taxa, H. microcarinatasp. n., W. beckmannisp. n., W. falkneroru...

In members of the Bacillus cereus group the outermost layer of the spore is the exosporium, which interacts with hosts and the environment. Efforts have been made to identify proteins of the exosporium but only a few have so far been characterised and their role in determining spore architecture and spore function is still poorly understood. We have characterised the exosporium protein, YwdL. Δ...

The ability of the endospore-forming, gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis to survive in activated macrophages is key to its germination and survival. In a previous publication, we discovered that exposure of primary murine macrophages to B. anthracis endospores upregulated NOS 2 concomitant with an .NO-dependent bactericidal response. Since NOS 2 also generates O(2).(-), experiments were...