Screening and metabolic potential of fungal strains isolated from contaminated soil and sediment in the polychlorinated biphenyl degradation

Synergy, antagonism, and feedback between soil properties and polychlorinated biphenyls

In this paper, the migration and transformation behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil environmental system and their interaction with environmental factors were reviewed. The migration and transformation of PCBs are mainly regulated by soil organic matter, temperature and microorganisms. Soil organic matter immobilizes PCBs through adsorption sites and functional groups (including carbonyl and carboxyl groups), and microorganisms reduce and dechlorinate PCBs by reducing dehalogenase (anaerobic), biphenyl dioxygenase (aerobic) and other biological enzymes. However, these mechanisms are influenced by pH, temperature, water content, microbial population, and PCBs structure. In addition, there are significant differences in the response of PCBs conversion to oxygen content (aerobic and anaerobic) in soil systems. However, most current studies focus on the environmental behavior of PCBs from the perspective of single factors such as pH, soil organic matter, and microorganisms, and the comprehensive analysis under the interaction of multiple factors is limited. Therefore, the synergistic, antagonistic and feedback effects of PCBs in soil systems are analyzed comprehensively for the first time in this paper, which fills the gap of existing research. The aim is to provide a theoretical framework for the future environmental behavior effect of PCBs in soil and the contribution ability of environmental factors to PCBs pollution.

Preparation of two amphiphilic dendritic small molecule gelators based on poly (aryl ether) modified silica-based chromatographic stationary phases and molecular shape recognition for shape-restricted isomers

Geometric isomers tend to have similar polarities and differ only in molecular shape. Vigorously developing new stationary phases to meet the requirements for the separation of isomers that have similar physicochemical properties is still an urgent topic in separation science. Poly (arylene ether)-based dendrimers are known for their multifunctional branched peripheral structures and high self-assembly properties. In this paper, two amphiphilic dendritic organic small molecule gelling agents based on poly (aryl ether), PAE-ANT and PAE-PA, were prepared and conjugated to the silica surface. SiO2@PAE-ANT and SiO2@PAE-PA were used as HPLC stationary phases for the separation of non-polar shape-restricted isomers. Both stationary phases have very high molecular shape selectivity for isomers such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tocopherols and carotenoids. Separation of cis-trans geometric isomers such as diethylstilbestrol and polar compounds such as monosubstituted benzenes and anilines can also be achieved. These two columns offer more flexible selectivity and higher separation performance than commercial C18 and phenyl columns. There is a difference in molecular shape selectivity between the two stationary phases for the same analyte test probes. SiO2@PAE-ANT showed slightly better linear selectivity for non-polar shape-restricted isomers compared to SiO2@PAE-PA with Janus-type PAE-PA bonding phase. This separation behavior may be attributed to the ordered spatial structure formed by the gel factor on the surface of the stationary phase and the combined effect of multiple weak interaction centers (hydrophobic, hydrophilic, hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions). It was also possible to separate nucleoside and nucleobase strongly polar compounds well in the HILIC mode, suggesting that hydrophilic groups in PAE-ANT and PAE-PA are involved in the interactions, reflecting their amphiphilic nature. The results show that the ordered gelation of dendritic organic small molecule gelators on the SiO2 surface, along with multiple carbonyl-π, π-π and other interactions, play a crucial role in the separating shape-restricted isomers. The integrated and ordered functional groups serve as the primary driving force behind the exceptionally high molecular shape selectivity of SiO2@PAE-ANT and SiO2@PAE-PA phases. Alterations in the structure of dendritic organic small molecule gelators can impact both molecular orientation and recognition ability, while changes in the type of functional groups influences the separation mechanism of shape-restricted isomers.

Investigating PCB degradation by indigenous fungal strains isolated from the transformer oil-contaminated site: degradation kinetics, Bayesian network, artificial neural networks, QSAR with DFT, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation

The widespread prevalence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment has raised major concerns due to the associated risks to human health, wildlife, and ecological systems. Here, we investigated the degradation kinetics, Bayesian network (BN), quantitative structure-activity relationship-density functional theory (QSAR-DFT), artificial neural network (ANN), molecular docking (MD), and molecular dynamics stimulation (MS) of PCB biodegradation, i.e., PCB-10, PCB-28, PCB-52, PCB-138, PCB-153, and PCB-180 in the soil system using fungi isolated from the transformer oil-contaminated sites. Results revealed that the efficacy of PCB biodegradation best fits the first-order kinetics (R2 ≥ 0.93). The consortium treatment (29.44-74.49%) exhibited more efficient degradation of PCBs than those of Aspergillus tamarii sp. MN69 (27.09-71.25%), Corynespora cassiicola sp. MN69 (23.76-57.37%), and Corynespora cassiicola sp. MN70 (23.09-54.98%). 3'-Methoxy-2, 4, 4'-trichloro-biphenyl as an intermediate derivative was detected in the fungal consortium treatment. The BN analysis predicted that the biodegradation efficiency of PCBs ranged from 11.6 to 72.9%. The ANN approach showed the importance of chemical descriptors in decreasing order, i.e., LUMO > MW > IP > polarity no. > no. of chlorine > Wiener index > Zagreb index > HOMU > Pogliani index > APE in PCB removal. Furthermore, the QSAR-DFT model between the chemical descriptors and rate constant (log K) exhibited a high fit and good robustness of R2 = 99.12% in predicting ability. The MD and MS analyses showed the lowest binding energy through normal mode analysis (NMA), implying stability in the interactions of the docked complexes. These findings provide crucial insights for devising strategies focused on natural attenuation, holding substantial potential for mitigating PCB contamination within the environment.

Penicillium chrysogenum: Beyond the penicillin

Almost one century after the Sir Alexander Fleming's fortuitous discovery of penicillin and the identification of the fungal producer as Penicillium notatum, later Penicillium chrysogenum (currently reidentified as Penicillium rubens), the molecular mechanisms behind the massive production of penicillin titers by industrial strains could be considered almost fully characterized. However, this filamentous fungus is not only circumscribed to penicillin, and instead, it seems to be full of surprises, thereby producing important metabolites and providing expanded biotechnological applications. This review, in addition to summarizing the classical role of P. chrysogenum as penicillin producer, highlights its ability to generate an array of additional bioactive secondary metabolites and enzymes, together with the use of this microorganism in relevant biotechnological processes, such as bioremediation, biocontrol, production of bioactive nanoparticles and compounds with pharmaceutical interest, revalorization of agricultural and food-derived wastes or the enhancement of food industrial processes and the agricultural production.

Prokaryotic, Microeukaryotic, and Fungal Composition in a Long-Term Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Contaminated Brownfield

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are recognized as persistent organic pollutants and accumulate in organisms, soils, waters, and sediments, causing major health and ecological perturbations. Literature reported PCB bio-transformation by fungi and bacteria in vitro, but data about the in situ impact of those compounds on microbial communities remained scarce while being useful to guide biotransformation assays. The present work investigated for the first time microbial diversity from the three-domains-of-life in a long-term contaminated brownfield (a former factory land). Soil samples were ranked according to their PCB concentrations, and a significant increase in abundance was shown according to increased concentrations. Microbial communities structure showed a segregation from the least to the most PCB-polluted samples. Among the identified microorganisms, Bacteria belonging to Gammaproteobacteria class, as well as Fungi affiliated to Saccharomycetes class or Pleurotaceae family, including some species known to transform some PCBs were abundantly retrieved in the highly polluted soil samples.

Recent advances in fungal xenobiotic metabolism: enzymes and applications

Fungi have been extensively studied for their capacity to biotransform a wide range of natural and xenobiotic compounds. This versatility is a reflection of the broad substrate specificity of fungal enzymes such as laccases, peroxidases and cytochromes P450, which are involved in these reactions. This review gives an account of recent advances in the understanding of fungal metabolism of drugs and pollutants such as dyes, agrochemicals and per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), and describes the key enzymes involved in xenobiotic biotransformation. The potential of fungi and their enzymes in the bioremediation of polluted environments and in the biocatalytic production of important compounds is also discussed.

Polychlorinated Biphenyl Transformation, Peroxidase and Oxidase Activities of Fungi and Bacteria Isolated from a Historically Contaminated Site

Causing major health and ecological disturbances, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants still recovered all over the world. Microbial PCB biotransformation is a promising technique for depollution, but the involved molecular mechanisms remain misunderstood. Ligninolytic enzymes are suspected to be involved in many PCB transformations, but their assessments remain scarce. To further inventory the capabilities of microbes to transform PCBs through their ligninolytic enzymes, we investigated the role of oxidase and peroxidase among a set of microorganisms isolated from a historically PCB-contaminated site. Among 29 isolated fungi and 17 bacteria, this work reports for the first time the PCB-transforming capabilities from fungi affiliated to Didymella, Dothiora, Ilyonectria, Naganishia, Rhodoturula, Solicoccozyma, Thelebolus and Truncatella genera and bacteria affiliated to Peribacillus frigotolerans, Peribacillus muralis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus toyonensis, Pseudarthrobacter sp., Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Erwinia aphidicola and Chryseobacterium defluvii. In the same way, this is the first report of fungal isolates affiliated to the Dothiora maculans specie and Cladosporium genus that displayed oxidase (putatively laccase) and peroxidase activity, respectively, enhanced in the presence of PCBs (more than 4-fold and 20-fold, respectively, compared to controls). Based on these results, the observed activities are suspected to be involved in PCB transformation.

Myco- and phyco-remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls in the environment: a review

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic organic compounds and pose serious threats to environment and public health. PCBs still exist in different environments such as air, water, soil, and sediments even on ban. This review summarizes the phyco- and myco-remediation technologies developed to detoxify the PCB-polluted sites. It was found that algae mostly use bioaccumulation to biodegradation strategies to reclaim the environment. As bio-accumulator, Ulva rigida C. Agardh has been best at 25 ng/g dry wt to remove PCBs. Evidently, Anabaena PD-1 is the only known PCB degrading alga and efficiently degrade Aroclor 1254 and dioxin-like PCBs up to 84.4% and 37.4% to 68.4%, respectively. The review suggested that factors such as choice of algal strains, response of microalgae, biomass, the rate of growth, and cost-effective cultivation conditions significantly influence the remediation of PCBs. Furthermore, the Anabaena sp. linA gene of Pseudomonas paucimobilis Holmes UT26 showed enhanced efficiency. Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm is the most efficient PCB degrading fungus, degrading up to 98.4% and 99.6% of PCB in complex and mineral media, respectively. Combine metabolic activities of bacteria and yeast led to the higher detoxification of PCBs. Fungi-algae consortia would be a promising approach in remediation of PCBs. A critical analysis on potentials and limits of PCB treatment through fungal and algal biosystems have been reviewed, and thus, new insights have emerged for possible bioremediation, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation of PCBs.

Enhanced rhizoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls by resuscitation-promoting factor stimulation linked to plant growth promotion and response of functional microbial populations

Rhizoremediation is acknowledged as a green technology for removing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil. However, rhizoremediation is limited because most soil microorganisms enter into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state under PCBs stress. This work was to study the effect of resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) on rhizoremediation efficiency of PCBs in alfalfa and rhizosphere microbiological communities. Results suggested that Rpf promoted alfalfa growth in PCB-contaminated soil by improving antioxidant enzymes and detoxification metabolites in alfalfa. After 40 d Rpf treatment, removal rate for five selected PCBs significantly increased by 0.5-2.2 times. Rpf enhanced relative abundances of bphA and bphC responsible for degrading PCBs, and enzymatic activities of metabolizing exogenous compounds in rhizosphere soil. High-throughput sequencing showed that Rpf did not change the dominant microbial population at phyla and genera levels, but caused variation of the bacterial community structures. The promoting function of Rpf was linked to the shift of various key populations having different functions depending on Rpf concentrations. Pseudomonas and Rhizobium spp. enrichment might stimulate PCB degradation and Streptomyces and Bacillus spp. primarily contributed to alfalfa growth. Predicted functions in rhizosphere soil bacterial community indicated Rpf facilitated soil nutrient cycling and environmental adaptation. This study indicated that Rpf was an active additive for strengthening rhizoremediation efficiency of PCB-contaminated soil and enhancing their in-situ remediation.

Community reassemblies of eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses in the hexabromocyclododecanes-contaminated microcosms

The microbial community in seriously contaminated environment were not well known. This research investigated the community reassemblies in microcosms made of two distinct mangrove sediments amended with high levels of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). After eight months of contamination, the transformation of HBCDs yielded various lower brominated products and resulted in acidification (pH ~2). Therefore, the degraders and dehalogenase homologous genes involved in transformation of HBCDs only presented in low abundance to avoid further deterioration of the habitats. Moreover, in these deteriorated habitats, 1344 bacterial, 969 archaeal, 599 eukaryotic (excluded fungi), 187 fungal OTUs, and 10 viral genera, were reduced compared with controls. Specifically, in two groups of microcosms, Zetaproteobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Spirochaetes, Bacteroidetes, Euryarchaeota, and Ascomycota, were positively responding taxa to HBCDs. Caloneis (Bacillariophyta) and Ascomycota turned to the dominant eukaryotic and fungal taxa. Most of predominant taxa were related to the contamination of brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Microbial communities were reassembled in divergent and sediment-dependent manner. The long-term contamination of HBCDs leaded to the change of relations between many taxa, included some of the environmental viruses and their known hosts. This research highlight the importance of monitoring the ecological effects around plants producing or processing halogenated compounds.

Insight into the protein degradation during the broad bean fermentation process

Broad bean fermentation is of vital importance in PixianDouban (PXDB) production, as well as a key process for microorganisms to degrade protein, which lays the foundation for the formation of PXDB flavor. In this study, two fungi and bacteria were screened, and their morphology, molecular biology, growth, and enzyme production characteristics were analyzed, and then they were applied to the broad bean fermentation simulation system. The protein, peptide, amino acid, amino nitrogen, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the system were evaluated. The results showed that the four microorganisms were Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus jensenii, Staphylococcus gallinarum, and Enterobacter hormaeche. Aspergillus oryzae had the highest protease activity at pH 7.0, while the other three strains had better enzyme activity stability under neutral acidic conditions. And the total protein (F1 and F2 were 18.32 g/100 g, 19.15 g/100 g, respectively), peptides (11.79 ± 0.04 mg/g and 12.06 ± 0.04 mg/g), and amino acids (55.12 ± 2.78 mg/g and 54.11 ± 1.97 mg/g) of the fungus experimental groups (F) were higher than the bacterial experimental groups (B). In addition, the enzyme system produced by fungi exhibited a stronger ability for albumin (20 kDa) and glutenin (<30 kDa) deterioration in neutral conditions, while the bacterial enzyme system was more efficient in degrading albumin (<30 kDa) and glutenin (20-30 kDa) in acidic conditions, as indicated by SDS-PAGE. These findings showed that both bacteria and fungi played an important role in the degradation of protein in different fermentation stages of broad bean fermentation.

Practical applications

There is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the protein composition and protein degradation mechanism of broad beans in the fermentation stage of PXDB. This research work explored the differences in the degradation of PXDB fermented protein by different microorganisms, and provided a theoretical basis for optimizing the production of PXDB and improving the quality of PXDB.

Aspergilli series Versicolores: importance of species identification in the clinical setting

The moulds of the genus Aspergillus section Nidulantes series Versicolores are ubiquitous and particularly recurrent in indoor air. They are considered present in 70% of the bioaerosols to which we are exposed most of our time spent indoors. With the taxonomic revision proposed in 2012 and the discovery of four new species, the series Versicolores currently includes 18 species. These moulds, although considered as cryptic (except Aspergillus sydowii), are opportunistic pathogens that can exhibit increased minimal inhibitory concentrations to conventional antifungal agents. In this review, we discuss the ecology and clinical implications of each species belonging to the series Versicolores. This survey also highlights the lack of consideration for taxonomic revisions in clinical practice and in scientific studies which greatly limits the acquisition of specific knowledge on species belonging to the series Versicolores.

Spatiotemporal characterization of petroleum hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in small craft harbour sediments in Nova Scotia, Canada

Previous characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals has been conducted in small craft harbour (SCH) sediments in Nova Scotia, Canada, but petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have not been spatiotemporally assessed. This study characterized the distribution of over 500 PHCs and PCBs samples in 31 SCHs sediments between 2000 and 2017. Federal and regional sediment quality guidelines were used to determine exceedances. Results showed exceedances for diesel and oil resembling PHCs, expected given their longer permanence in sediments and lower volatility. However, only 7% of the samples exceeded 500 ppm, threshold where benthic impairment is observed, showing low risk. PCBs do not pose high risk to biota since only six samples exceeded the higher effect level and 25% of them exceeded the lower effect one. Monitoring is recommended for SCHs with significant exceedances, as well as collectively assessing all contaminants characterized in SCHs.

Penicillium chrysogenum, a Vintage Model with a Cutting-Edge Profile in Biotechnology

The discovery of penicillin entailed a decisive breakthrough in medicine. No other medical advance has ever had the same impact in the clinical practise. The fungus Penicillium chrysogenum (reclassified as P. rubens) has been used for industrial production of penicillin ever since the forties of the past century; industrial biotechnology developed hand in hand with it, and currently P. chrysogenum is a thoroughly studied model for secondary metabolite production and regulation. In addition to its role as penicillin producer, recent synthetic biology advances have put P. chrysogenum on the path to become a cell factory for the production of metabolites with biotechnological interest. In this review, we tell the history of P. chrysogenum, from the discovery of penicillin and the first isolation of strains with high production capacity to the most recent research advances with the fungus. We will describe how classical strain improvement programs achieved the goal of increasing production and how the development of different molecular tools allowed further improvements. The discovery of the penicillin gene cluster, the origin of the penicillin genes, the regulation of penicillin production, and a compilation of other P. chrysogenum secondary metabolites will also be covered and updated in this work.

Laccases—Versatile Enzymes Used to Reduce Environmental Pollution

The accumulation of waste and toxic compounds has become increasingly harmful to the environment and human health. In this context, the use of laccases has become a focus of interest, due to the properties of these versatile enzymes: low substrate specificity, and water formation as a non-toxic end product. Thus, we begin our study with a general overview of the importance of laccase for the environment and industry, starting with the sources of laccases (plant, bacterial and fungal laccases), the structure and mechanism of laccases, microbial biosynthesis, and the immobilization of laccases. Then, we continue with an overview of agro-waste treatment by laccases wherein we observe the importance of laccases for the biodisponibilization of substrates and the biodegradation of agro-industrial byproducts; we then show some aspects regarding the degradation of xenobiotic compounds, dyes, and pharmaceutical products. The objective of this research is to emphasize and fully investigate the effects of laccase action on the decomposition of lignocellulosic materials and on the removal of harmful compounds from soil and water, in order to provide a sustainable solution to reducing environmental pollution.

Recent advances in PCB removal from historically contaminated environmental matrices

Despite being drastically restricted in the 1970s, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) still belong among the most hazardous contaminants. The chemical stability and dielectric properties of PCBs made them suitable for a number of applications, which then lead to their ubiquitous presence in the environment. PCBs are highly bioaccumulative and persistent, and their teratogenic, carcinogenic, and endocrine-disrupting features have been widely reported in the literature. This review discusses recent advances in different techniques and approaches to remediate historically contaminated matrices, which are one of the most problematic in regard to decontamination feasibility and efficiency. The current knowledge published in the literature shows that PCBs are not sufficiently removed from the environment by natural processes, and thus, the suitability of some approaches (e.g., natural attenuation) is limited. Physicochemical processes are still the most effective; however, their extensive use is constrained by their high cost and often their destructiveness toward the matrices. Despite their limited reliability, biological methods and their application in combinations with other techniques could be promising. The literature reviewed in this paper documents that a combination of techniques differing in their principles should be a future research direction. Other aspects discussed in this work include the incompleteness of some studies. More attention should be given to the evaluation of toxicity during these processes, particularly in terms of monitoring different modes of toxic action. In addition, decomposition mechanisms and products need to be sufficiently clarified before combined, tailor-made approaches can be employed.

Molecular Characterization of Fungal Biodiversity in Long-Term Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Contaminated Soils

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) belong to the organic pollutants that are toxic to humans and harmful to environments. Numerous studies dealing with the impact of PCBs on soil microorganisms have focused on bacterial communities. The effects of PCBs on fungal communities in three different PCB-polluted soils from former industrial sites were investigated using high-throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 region. Significant differences in fungal alpha diversity were observed mainly due to soil physico-chemical properties. PCBs only influenced the richness of the fungal communities by increasing it. Fungal composition was rather strongly influenced by both PCBs and soil properties, resulting in different communities associated with each soil. Sixteen Ascomycota species were present in all three soils, including Stachybotrys chartarum, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium canescens, Penicillium chrysogenum,Penicillium citrosulfuratum and Penicillium brevicompactum, which are usually found in PCB-polluted soils, and Fusarium solani, Penicillium canescens, Penicillium citrosulfuratum and Penicillium chrysogenum, which are known PCB degraders. This study demonstrated that PCBs influence the richness and the composition of fungal communities. Their influence, associated with that of soil physico-chemical properties, led to distinct fungal communities, but with sixteen species common to the three soils which could be considered as ubiquitous species in PCB-polluted soils.

'Cry-for-help' in contaminated soil: a dialogue among plants and soil microbiome to survive in hostile conditions

An open question in environmental ecology regards the mechanisms triggered by root chemistry to drive the assembly and functionality of a beneficial microbiome to rapidly adapt to stress conditions. This phenomenon, originally described in plant defence against pathogens and predators, is encompassed in the ‘cry‐for‐help’ hypothesis. Evidence suggests that this mechanism may be part of the adaptation strategy to ensure the holobiont fitness in polluted environments. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were considered as model pollutants due to their toxicity, recalcitrance and poor phyto‐extraction potential, which lead to a plethora of phytotoxic effects and rise environmental safety concerns. Plants have inefficient detoxification processes to catabolize PCBs, even leading to by‐products with a higher toxicity. We propose that the ‘cry‐for‐help’ mechanism could drive the exudation‐mediated recruitment and sustainment of the microbial services for PCBs removal, exerted by an array of anaerobic and aerobic microbial degrading populations working in a complex metabolic network. Through this synergistic interaction, the holobiont copes with the soil contamination, releasing the plant from the pollutant stress by the ecological services provided by the boosted metabolism of PCBs microbial degraders. Improving knowledge of root chemistry under PCBs stress is, therefore, advocated to design rhizoremediation strategies based on plant microbiome engineering.

Potentiality of Native Ascomycete Strains in Bioremediation of Highly Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contaminated Soils

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organic pollutants that are harmful to environment and toxic to humans. Numerous studies, based on basidiomycete strains, have reported unsatisfactory results in the mycoremediation of PCB-contaminated soils mainly due to the non-telluric origin of these strains. The abilities of a five-Ascomycete-strain consortium in the mycoremediation of PCB-polluted soils and its performance to restore their sound functioning were investigated using mesocosm experiments associated with chromatography gas analysis and enzymatic activity assays. With the soil H containing 850 ppm PCB from which the strains had been isolated, a significant PCB depletion of 29% after three months of treatment was obtained. This led to an important decrease of PCBs from 850 to 604 ppm. With the soil L containing 36 ppm PCB, biodegradation did not occur. In both soils, the fungal biomass quantified by the ergosterol assay, did not increase at the end of the treatment. Biodegradation evidenced in the soil H resulted in a significantly improved stoichiometry of N and P acquiring enzymatic activities. This unprecedented study demonstrates that the native Ascomycetes display remarkable properties for remediation and restoration of functioning of the soil they originated from paving the way for greater consideration of these strains in mycoremediation.