New scientific discoveries: Plants and fungi Cheek, Martin; Nic Lughadha, Eimear; Kirk, Paul ...
Plants, people, planet,
September 2020, 2020-09-00, 20200901, 2020-09-01, Letnik:
2, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Research and publication of the planet's remaining plant and fungal species as yet unknown to science is essential if we are to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 “Life ...on Land” which includes the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and halting of biodiversity loss. If species are not known to science, they cannot be assessed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and so the possibility to protect them from extinction is reduced. Furthermore, until species are known to science they cannot be fully scientifically evaluated for their potential as new foods, medicines, and products which would help address SDGs 1,2,3, and 8.
Societal Impact Statement
Research and publication of the planet's remaining plant and fungal species as yet unknown to science is essential if we are to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 “Life on Land” which includes the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and halting of biodiversity loss. If species are not known to science, they cannot be assessed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and so the possibility to protect them from extinction is reduced. Furthermore, until species are known to science they cannot be fully scientifically evaluated for their potential as new foods, medicines, and products which would help address SDGs 1,2,3, and 8.
Summary
Scientific discovery, including naming new taxa, is important because without a scientific name, a species is invisible to science and the possibilities of researching its ecology, applications and threats, and conserving it, are greatly reduced. We review new scientific discoveries in the plant and fungal kingdoms, based largely on new names of taxa published in 2019 and indexed in the International Plant Names Index and Index Fungorum. Numbers of new species in both kingdoms were similar with 1942 new species of plant published and 1882 species of fungi. However, while >50% of plant species have likely been discovered, >90% of fungi remain unknown. This gulf likely explains the greater number of higher order taxa for fungi published in 2019: three classes, 18 orders, 48 families and 214 genera versus one new family and 87 new genera for plants. We compare the kingdoms in terms of rates of scientific discovery, globally and in different taxonomic groups and geographic areas, and with regard to the use of DNA in discovery. We review species new to science, especially those of interest to humanity as new products, and also by life‐form. We consider where future such discoveries can be expected. We recommend an urgent increase in investment in scientific discovery of plant and fungal species, while they still survive. Priorities include more investment in training taxonomists, in building and equipping collections‐based research centers for them, especially in species‐rich, income‐poor countries where the bulk of species as yet unknown to science are thought to occur.
Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, harbors high diversity of woody plants. Diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi in the country, however, remained poorly known. This study summarizes the ...wood-inhabiting basidiomycte fungi (poroid and corticoid fungi plus similar taxa such as
, and
) (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) that have been found in Uzbekistan from 1950 to 2020. This work is based on 790 fungal occurrence records: 185 from recently collected specimens, 101 from herbarium specimens made by earlier collectors, and 504 from literature-based records. All data were deposited as a species occurrence record dataset in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and also summarized in the form of an annotated checklist in this paper. All 286 available specimens were morphologically examined. For 138 specimens, the 114 ITS and 85 LSU nrDNA sequences were newly sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. In total, we confirm the presence of 153 species of wood-inhabiting poroid and corticioid fungi in Uzbekistan, of which 31 species are reported for the first time in Uzbekistan, including 19 that are also new to Central Asia. These 153 fungal species inhabit 100 host species from 42 genera of 23 families. Polyporales and Hymenochaetales are the most recorded fungal orders and are most widely distributed around the study area. This study provides the first comprehensively updated and annotated the checklist of wood-inhabiting poroid and corticioid fungi in Uzbekistan. Such study should be expanded to other countries to further clarify species diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi around Central Asia.
This review presents a comprehensive summary of the latest research in the field of bioremediation with filamentous fungi. The main focus is on the issue of recent progress in remediation of ...pharmaceutical compounds, heavy metal treatment and oil hydrocarbons mycoremediation that are usually insufficiently represented in other reviews. It encompasses a variety of cellular mechanisms involved in bioremediation used by filamentous fungi, including bio-adsorption, bio-surfactant production, bio-mineralization, bio-precipitation, as well as extracellular and intracellular enzymatic processes
Processes for wastewater treatment accomplished through physical, biological, and chemical processes are briefly described. The species diversity of filamentous fungi used in pollutant removal, including widely studied species of
,
,
,
,
and other species of Basidiomycota and Zygomycota are summarized. The removal efficiency of filamentous fungi and time of elimination of a wide variety of pollutant compounds and their easy handling make them excellent tools for the bioremediation of emerging contaminants. Various types of beneficial byproducts made by filamentous fungi, such as raw material for feed and food production, chitosan, ethanol, lignocellulolytic enzymes, organic acids, as well as nanoparticles, are discussed. Finally, challenges faced, future prospects, and how innovative technologies can be used to further exploit and enhance the abilities of fungi in wastewater remediation, are mentioned.
Rust fungi taxonomically belonging to
Pucciniales
(
Basidiomycota
) are important phytopathogens that cause many significant diseases to agricultural crops and forest trees. Hitherto, ca. 8000 and ...1200 species have been reported from worldwide and China, respectively. To investigate and document the diversity of rust fungi in China, we have sampled from 86 natural reserves and national parks in the past several years, and 6627 specimens have been collected. Our identification using both morphological and molecular data assigned 1654 collections to 337 species in 43 genera of 15 families, as cataloged in this paper. Among them, 34 new species are formally described based on their morphological distinctions and phylogenetic relationships. In addition, three new families
Endoraeciaceae
,
Neophysopellaceae
and
Uromycladiaceae
are proposed based on their morphological distinctions, phylogenetic independences and divergent times. Considering the traditionally morphologically defined families in
Pucciniales
have been increasing revealed to be discordant with phylogenetic groupings, taxonomic revisions are needed in future study to establish a natural classification system in
Pucciniales.
We also discussed the importance of morphologies in spermogonia and aecia for the delimitation of
Puccinia
and related genera. This study presents a significant contribution to the knowledge of rust flora in China. Taxonomic novelties: new families:
Endoraeciaceae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Neophysopellaceae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Uromycladiaceae
P. Zhao & L. Cai; new species:
Chrysomyxa jinghongensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Coleosporium sichuanense
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Coleosporium smilacis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Cystopsora yunnanense
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Gerwasia guanganensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Gerwasia rubus-playfairianus
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Hamaspora rubus-pirifolius
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Macruropyxis guizhouensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Macruropyxis paederiae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Melampsora hyperici-sampsonii
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Melampsora linearis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Melampsora salicis-delavayanae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Neophysopella vitis-davidii
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Phakopsora sophorae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Phragmidium nonapiculatum
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Phragmidium kanas
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Phragmidium duchesneae-indicae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Pileolaria medogensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia amygdalus-iridis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia aphananthe-aspera
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia microsorus
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia nandina-domestica
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia persicaria-odorata
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia polygonum-aviculare
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia pulverulentus
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia saposhnikoviae
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia sonchus-oleraceus
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia thalictrum-finetii
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia thalictrum-minus
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia xingwenensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia xinjiangensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Puccinia zanthoxyli-chinensis
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Uromyces aconiticola
P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Uromycladium yunnanense
P. Zhao & L. Cai; new combinations:
Chrysomyxa purpurea
(C.J. You & J. Cao) P. Zhao & L. Cai;
Neophysopella verannonae
(Beenken) P. Zhao & L. Cai.
Most species of
are known from the dead parts of various host plants as saprobic fungi in terrestrial habitats occurring in tropical and temperate regions. In the present study, samples of
were ...collected from dead twigs and branches of
,
, and an unknown angiosperm plant from the Tashkent and Jizzakh regions of Uzbekistan. Multi-gene phylogenetic analyses based on a combined ITS, LSU, SSU,
, and
sequence data revealed their taxonomic positions within the Dothideaceae. Three new species of
, namely,
,
, and
were proposed by molecular and morphological data. Likewise, the phylogenetic relationship and morphology of
are discussed. In addition, we provide a list of accepted
species, including host information, distribution, morphology descriptions, and availability of sequence data, to enhance the current knowledge of the diversity within
.
Abstract Background This study was exclusively focused on the documentation and cross-cultural evaluation of ethnomedicinal knowledge (EMK) within the diverse linguistic groups of Kohistan situated ...between the Himalayan and Hindukush Mountain ranges in the north Pakistan. Methods Data were gathered during the field survey (May 2022 to July 2023) through group conversations, semi-structured interviews, and on-site observation. Venn diagrams were employed to illustrate the comparative assessment of EMK, and different ethnobotanical indices were utilized to examine the data. Results A total of 96 wild medicinal plant species (MPs) belonging to 74 genera and 52 botanical families were documented. The most reported MPs belong to the family Polygonaceae (11 species), followed by Asteraceae (9 species) and Lamiaceae (8 species). The ethnomedicinal uses of Leontopodium himalayanum , Pedicularis oederi , Plocama brevifolia , Polypodium sibiricum , Pteridium esculentum , Sambucus wightiana , Solanum cinereum , Teucrium royleanum , Rhodiola integrifolia , Aconitum chasmanthum were reported for the first time in this region. Among the reported taxa herbaceous species were dominated (72%), followed by trees and shrubs (17% and 10%, respectively). Digestive problems (40 taxa and 114 use reports) and skin disorders (19 taxa and 549 use reports) were the most cited disease categories, whereas M. communis, M. longifolia, Ajuga integrifolia, Ziziphus jujuba, and Clematis grata exhibited the highest percentage fidelity levels. Out of 109 documented medicinal uses, a mere 12 were shared across all linguistic groups, and Bateri emerges as a notable outlier with the highest number of medicinal uses. In addition, a significant homogeneity was noted in the reported botanical taxa (61 species) among different linguistic groups. However, since the last decade biocultural heritage of Kohistan is facing multifaceted risks that need urgent attention. Conclusion Our findings could be valuable addition to the existing stock of ethnomedicinal knowledge and may provide ethnopharmacological basis to novel drug discovery for preexisting and emerging diseases prioritizing detailed phytochemical profiling and the evaluation of bioactive potential.
Achlorophyllous orchids are mycoheterotrophic plants, which lack photosynthetic ability and associate with fungi to acquire carbon from different environmental sources. In tropical latitudes, ...achlorophyllous forest orchids show a preference to establish mycorrhizal relationships with saprotrophic fungi. However, a few of them have been recently found to associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi and there is still much to be learned about the identity of fungi associated with tropical orchids. The present study focused on mycorrhizal diversity in the achlorophyllous orchid C. inverta, an endangered species, which is endemic to southern China. The aim of this work was to identify the main mycorrhizal partners of C. inverta in different plant life stages, by means of morphological and molecular methods.
Microscopy showed that the roots of analysed C. inverta samples were extensively colonized by fungal hyphae forming pelotons in root cortical cells. Fungal ITS regions were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, from DNA extracted from fungal mycelia isolated from orchid root samples, as well as from total root DNA. Molecular sequencing and phylogenetic analyses showed that the investigated orchid primarily associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi belonging to a narrow clade within the family Ceratobasidiaceae, which was previously detected in a few fully mycoheterotrophic orchids and was also found to show ectomycorrhizal capability on trees and shrubs. Russulaceae fungal symbionts, showing high similarity with members of the ectomycorrhizal genus Russula, were also identified from the roots of C. inverta, at young seedling stage. Ascomycetous fungi including Chaetomium, Diaporthe, Leptodontidium, and Phomopsis genera, and zygomycetes in the genus Mortierella were obtained from orchid root isolated strains with unclear functional role.
This study represents the first assessment of root fungal diversity in the rare, cryptic and narrowly distributed Chinese orchid C. inverta. Our results provide new insights on the spectrum of orchid-fungus symbiosis suggesting an unprecedented mixed association between the studied achlorophyllous forest orchid and ectomycorrhizal fungi belonging to Ceratobasidiaceae and Russulaceae. Ceratobasidioid fungi as dominant associates in the roots of C. inverta represent a new record of the rare association between the identified fungal group and fully mycoheterotrophic orchids in nature.
The gut microflora of insects plays important roles throughout their lives. Different foods and geographic locations change gut bacterial communities. The invasive wood-borer
Agrilus mali
causes ...extensive mortality of wild apple,
Malus sieversii
, which is considered a progenitor of all cultivated apples, in Tianshan forests. Recent analysis showed that the gut microbiota of larvae collected from Tianshan forests showed rich bacterial diversity but the absence of fungal species. In this study, we explored the antagonistic ability of the gut bacteria to address this absence of fungi in the larval gut. The results demonstrated that the gut bacteria were able to selectively inhibit wild apple tree-associated fungi. Among them,
Pseudomonas synxantha
showed strong antagonistic ability, producing antifungal compounds. Using different analytical methods, such as column chromatography, mass spectrometry, HPLC, and NMR, an antifungal compound, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), was identified. Activity of the compound was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration method and electron microscopy. Moreover, our study showed that the gut bacteria could originate from noninfested apple microflora during infestation. Overall, the results showed that in newly invaded locations,
A. mali
larvae changed their gut microbiota and adopted new gut bacteria that prevented fungal colonization in the gut.
The adaptive potential of plants in urban environments, responding to factors like air pollution, electromagnetic radiation, and specific microclimates, remains insufficiently understood. Our study ...focused on two evergreen Cupressaceae family species, Thuja occidentalis L. and Platycladus orientalis L. Franco, which are commonly found in Kazakhstan’s urban landscapes. Conducted in Almaty, one of Kazakhstan’s most polluted cities, our comparative analysis examined the anatomical features, photosynthetic activity, and secondary metabolite composition of these conifers. Both species exhibited xeromorphic traits, such as submerged stomata, resin passages, and a prominent leaf cuticle. T. occidentalis displayed higher photosynthetic activity values (quantum yield of photosystem II (YII), electron transport rate (ETR), and quantum yield of non-photochemical quenching (Y(NPQ))) than P. orientalis, while P. orientalis exhibited a higher quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation in PSII (Y(NO)) values. Chemical analysis revealed 31 components in T. occidentalis and 33 in P. orientalis, with T. occidentalis containing three times more thujone (16.42% and 5.18%, respectively) and a higher monosaccharide content (17.33% and 6.98%, respectively). T. occidentalis also contained 14.53% steroids, whereas P. orientalis showed no steroid presence. The cytotoxic activity of essential oils was determined by the survival of Artemia salina aquatic crustaceans, whereas tested essential oils from both species exhibited acute lethal toxicity to A. salina aquatic crustaceans across all tested concentrations. The connection between physiological traits, adaptation strategies, and cytotoxic effects offers a comprehensive view of the ecological and pharmacological importance of these two observed conifer species, highlighting their diverse roles in urban environments, as well as their potential medical uses.
Despite its millennial existence and empirical documentation, the ethnological knowledge of herbs is a more recent phenomenon. The knowledge of their historical uses as food, medicine, source of ...income and small-scale businesses, and the sociological impacts are threatened due to the slow ethnobotanical research drive. Species of the genus
have long been extensively used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses of humans since the dawn of civilization. All data were systematically obtained from papers, monographs, and books written in Uzbek, Russian, and English through various scientific online databases, including Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science using specific keywords focused on eight
species. Eight native and non-native
species as
L.,
L.,
L.,
L.,
Dunal.,
Lam.,
L., and
Mill. have been recorded in Uzbekistan of Central Asia. In this article we presented recently obtained data on the diversity, morphological characteristics, global distribution, habitat, population status, phenology, reproduction, pharmacology and phytochemistry of these
species in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, relying on a combination of literature reviews and analyses from various scientific papers, we focus on food consumption coupled with global ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses in human diseases of the
species growing in Uzbekistan. Since the dawn of civilization, these eight cultivated and non-cultivated species of
have provided sustainable resources of medicinal plants in Uzbekistan to prevent and treat various human diseases. Based on the collected data, it was shown that
species have not been studied ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally in Uzbekistan and it is necessary to conduct phytochemical and biotechnological research on them in the future. Traditional uses and scientific evaluation of
indicate that
,
and
are one of the most widely used species in some parts of the world. Although considerable progress has been made to comprehend the chemical and biological properties of
and
species, more research on the pharmacology and toxicology of these species is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of their biologically active extracts and isolated bioactive compounds. Additionally, conducting additional research on the structure-activity relationship of certain isolated phytochemicals has the potential to enhance their biological efficacy and advance the scientific utilization of traditional applications of
taxa.
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