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Zimowska GJ, Xavier N, Qadri M, Handler AM. A transposon-based genetic marker for conspecific identity within the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1924. [PMID: 38253542 PMCID: PMC10803768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51068-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Here we describe a molecular approach to assess conspecific identity that relies on the comparison of an evolved mutated transposable element sequence and its genomic insertion site in individuals from closely related species. This was explored with the IFP2 piggyBac transposon, originally discovered in Trichoplusia ni as a 2472 bp functional element, that was subsequently found as mutated elements in seven species within the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex. In a B. dorsalis [Hendel] strain collected in Kahuku, Hawaii, a degenerate 2420 bp piggyBac sequence (pBacBd-Kah) having ~ 94.5% sequence identity to IFP2 was isolated, and it was reasoned that common species, or strains within species, should share the same evolved element and its precise genomic insertion site. To test this assumption, PCR using primers to pBacBd-Kah and adjacent genomic sequences was used to isolate and compare homologous sequences in strains of four sibling species within the complex. Three of these taxa, B. papayae, B. philippinensis, and B. invadens, were previously synonymized with B. dorsalis, and found to share nearly identical pBacBd-Kah homologous elements (> 99% nucleotide identity) within the identical insertion site consistent with conspecific species. The fourth species tested, B. carambolae, considered to be a closely related yet independent species sympatric with B. dorsalis, also shared the pBacBd-Kah sequence and insertion site in one strain from Suriname, while another divergent pBacBd-Kah derivative, closer in identity to IFP2, was found in individuals from French Guiana, Bangladesh and Malaysia. This data, along with the absence of pBacBd-Kah in distantly related Bactrocera, indicates that mutated descendants of piggyBac, as well as other invasive mobile elements, could be reliable genomic markers for common species identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazyna J Zimowska
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, 1700 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Nirmala Xavier
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, 1700 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Masroor Qadri
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, 1700 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alfred M Handler
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, 1700 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
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Qadri M, Short S, Gast K, Hernandez J, Wong ACN. Microbiome Innovation in Agriculture: Development of Microbial Based Tools for Insect Pest Management. Front Sustain Food Syst 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.547751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
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Costello B, Voskoboinik A, Qadri M, Hare J, La Gerche A, Thompson M, Rudman M, Kistler P, Taylor A. Atrial Stasis Measured by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance 4D Flow Particle Tracing is Present During Sinus Rhythm in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, and is Associated with Higher Cardio-Embolic Risk. Heart Lung Circ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Jan R, Mir S, Parveen S, Shah S, Koul P, Hafeez U, Qadri M, Kumar S. Oestrogen receptor status in non-small-cell lung cancer in females: A study from North India. Respir Med 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2017.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Qadri M, Nalli Y, Jain SK, Chaubey A, Ali A, Strobel GA, Vishwakarma RA, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S. An Insight into the Secondary Metabolism of Muscodor yucatanensis: Small-Molecule Epigenetic Modifiers Induce Expression of Secondary Metabolism-Related Genes and Production of New Metabolites in the Endophyte. Microb Ecol 2017; 73:954-965. [PMID: 27924400 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0901-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Muscodor spp. are proficient producers of bioactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with many potential applications. However, all members of this genus produce varying amounts and types of VOCs which suggests the involvement of epigenetics as a possible explanation. The members of this genus are poorly explored for the production of soluble compounds (extrolites). In this study, the polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes from an endophyte, Muscodor yucatanensis Ni30, were cloned and sequenced. The PKS genes belonged to reduced, partially reduced, non-reduced, and highly reduced subtypes. Strains over-expressing PKS genes were developed through the use of small-molecule epigenetic modifiers (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and 5-azacytidine). The putative epigenetic variants of this organism differed considerably from the wild type in morphological features and cultural characteristics as well as metabolites that were produced. Each variant produced a different set of VOCs distinct from the wild type, and several VOCs including methyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexane-2,4-diol and 2-carboxymethyl-3-n-hexylmaleic appeared in the variant strains, the production of which could be attributed to the activity of otherwise silent PKS genes. The bioactive extrolite brefeldin A was isolated and characterized from the wild type. However, this metabolite was not detected in EV-1, but instead, two other products were isolated and characterized as ergosterol and xylaguaianol C. Hence, M. yucatanensis has the genetic potential to produce several previously undetectable VOCs and organic solvent soluble products. It is also the case that small-molecule epigenetic modifiers can be used to produce stable variant strains of fungi with the potential to produce new molecules. Finally, this work hints to the prospect that the epigenetics of an endophytic microorganism can be influenced by any number of environmental and chemical factors associated with its host plant which may help to explain the enormous chemical diversity of secondary metabolic products found in Muscodor spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masroor Qadri
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Yedukondalu Nalli
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Shreyans K Jain
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Asha Chaubey
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
- Fermentation Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Asif Ali
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Gary A Strobel
- Department of Plant Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Ram A Vishwakarma
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India
| | - Syed Riyaz-Ul-Hassan
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, 180001, India.
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Naseer S, Bhat KA, Qadri M, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S, Malik FA, Khuroo MA. Bioactivity-Guided Isolation, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites fromCladosporium tenuissimumAssociated with Pinus wallichiana. ChemistrySelect 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201601942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Syed Naseer
- Bioorganic Chemistry Division Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR); Srinagar 190005, Jammu and Kashmir India
| | - Khursheed A. Bhat
- Bioorganic Chemistry Division Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR); Srinagar 190005, Jammu and Kashmir India
| | - Masroor Qadri
- Microbial Biotechnology Division; Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR); Canal Road Jammu 180 001 India
| | - Syed Riyaz-Ul-Hassan
- Microbial Biotechnology Division; Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR); Canal Road Jammu 180 001 India
| | - Fayaz A. Malik
- Cancer pharmacology Division; Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR); Canal Road Jammu 180 001 India
| | - Mohammad A. Khuroo
- Department of Chemistry; University of Kashmir; Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir India, Institute's publication No. IIIM/1962/2016
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Costello B, Qadri M, Price B, Rudman M, Thompson M, Hurley J, La Gerche A, Hare J, Taylor A. The Ventricular Residence Time Distribution Derived from 4D Flow Particle tracing–A Novel Marker of Myocardial Dysfunction. Heart Lung Circ 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2017.06.536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Bhat H, Geelani S, Rashid M, Bhat T, Qadri M, Bashir N N, Manzoor F, Bhat S, Rather F, Rasool J. Acute promyelocytic leukaemia with a novel translocation t(16;17)(q12;p13): a case report. Malays J Pathol 2016; 38:311-313. [PMID: 28028302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML) is characterised by the t(15;17)(q22;q21), that results in the fusion of the promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) gene at 15q22 with the retinoic acid α-receptor (RARA) gene at 17q21. The current case report describes a 13-year-old male with APML, who was negative for PML/RARA fusion signal but reported to have an atypical translocation t(16;17). To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report of APML responsive to ATRA with such a translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bhat
- Sheri-kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Department of Clinical Hematology, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India. bashirnusrat@ymail
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Qadri M, Deshidi R, Shah BA, Bindu K, Vishwakarma RA, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S. An endophyte of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex. Benth, producing menthol, phenylethyl alcohol and 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and other volatile organic compounds. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2015. [PMID: 26220851 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-015-1910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
An endophytic fungus, PR4 was found in nature associated with the rhizome of Picrorhiza kurroa, a high altitude medicinal plant of Kashmir Himalayas. The fungus was found to inhibit the growth of several phyto-pathogens by virtue of its volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Molecular phylogeny, based on its ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal gene sequence, revealed the identity of the fungus as Phomopsis/Diaporthe sp. This endophyte was found to produce a unique array of VOCs, particularly, menthol, phenylethyl alcohol, (+)-isomenthol, β-phellandrene, β-bisabolene, limonene, 3-pentanone and 1-pentanol. The purification of compounds from the culture broth of PR4 led to the isolation of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HPA) as a major metabolite. This is the first report of a fungal culture producing a combination of biologically and industrially important metabolites—menthol, phenylethyl alcohol, and 3-HPA. The investigation into the monoterpene biosynthetic pathway of PR4 led to the partial characterization of isopiperitenone reductase (ipr) gene, which seems to be significantly distinct from the plant homologue. The biosynthesis of plant-like-metabolites, such as menthol, is of significant academic and industrial significance. This study indicates that PR4 is a potential candidate for upscaling of menthol, phenylethyl alcohol, and 3-HPA, as well as for understanding the menthol/monoterpene biosynthetic pathway in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masroor Qadri
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India
| | - Ramesh Deshidi
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India
| | - Bhawal Ali Shah
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India
| | - Kushal Bindu
- Natural Product Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India
| | - Ram A Vishwakarma
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India
| | - Syed Riyaz-Ul-Hassan
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu, 180 001, India.
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Qadri M, Rajput R, Abdin MZ, Vishwakarma RA, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S. Diversity, molecular phylogeny, and bioactive potential of fungal endophytes associated with the Himalayan blue pine (Pinus wallichiana). Microb Ecol 2014; 67:877-87. [PMID: 24563192 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0379-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the diversity of fungal endophytes associated with Pinus wallichiana from the Western Himalayas, with emphasis on comparison of endophytic communities harbored by the stem and needle tissues of the host and their antimicrobial potential. A total number of 130 isolates, comprising of 38 different genera, were recovered from 210 fragments of the plant. Among the isolated fungi, only a single isolate, Tritirachium oryzae, belonged to the Phylum Basidiomycota whereas the rest belonged to Ascomycota. Dothideomycetes was the dominant class with the highest isolation frequency of 49.2 %. The most frequent colonizers of the host were Alternaria spp., Pestalotiopsis spp., Preussia spp., and Sclerostagonospora spp. The diversity and species richness were higher in needle tissues than in the stems. Antimicrobial activities were displayed by extracts from a total number of 22 endophytes against one or more pathogens. Endophytes designated as P1N13 (Coniothyrium carteri), P2N8 (Thielavia subthermophila), P4S6b (Truncatella betulae), P7N10 (Cochliobolus australiensis), and P8S4 (Tritirachium oryzae) were highly active against Candida albicans. Broad spectrum antimicrobial activities were obtained with the extracts of P8-S4 (Tritirachium oryzae) and P5-N26 (Coniochaeta gigantospora) that were potentially active against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. The most prominent antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens was shown by P8-S4 (Tritirachium oryzae), P5-N31a (Truncatella spadicea), and P5-N20 (Fusarium larvarum). Our findings indicate that Pinus wallichiana harbors a rich endophytic fungal community with potential antimicrobial activities. Further studies are needed to understand the ecology and evolutionary context of the associations between the Himalayan pine and its endophytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masroor Qadri
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
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Zilla MK, Qadri M, Pathania AS, Strobel GA, Nalli Y, Kumar S, Guru SK, Bhushan S, Singh SK, Vishwakarma RA, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S, Ali A. Bioactive metabolites from an endophytic Cryptosporiopsis sp. inhabiting Clidemia hirta. Phytochemistry 2013; 95:291-297. [PMID: 23870821 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Revised: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
An endophytic Cryptosporiopsis sp. was isolated from Clidemia hirta and analyzed for its secondary metabolites that lead to the isolation of three bioactive molecules. The compounds were purified from the culture broth of the fungus and their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods as (R)-5-hydroxy-2-methylchroman-4-one (1), 1-(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)pentan-1-one (2) and (Z)-1-(2-(2-butyryl-3-hydroxyphenoxy)-6-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxybut-2-en-1-one (3). Compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the human leukemia cell line, HL-60 with an IC50 of 4 μg/ml. This compound induced G2 arrest of the HL-60 cell cycle significantly. In addition, out of these compounds, 2 and 3 were active against several bacterial pathogens. Compound 2 was active against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with IC50 values varying from 18 to 30 μg/ml, and compound 3 displayed activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens with an IC50 value of 6 μg/ml. Compounds 2 and 3 are novel whereas compound 1 was reported earlier but the stereochemistry of its C-2 methyl is established for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh K Zilla
- Natural Product Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180 001, India
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Kumar M, Qadri M, Sharma PR, Kumar A, Andotra SS, Kaur T, Kapoor K, Gupta VK, Kant R, Hamid A, Johri S, Taneja SC, Vishwakarma RA, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S, Shah BA. Tubulin inhibitors from an endophytic fungus isolated from Cedrus deodara. J Nat Prod 2013; 76:194-9. [PMID: 23387901 DOI: 10.1021/np3006666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
From an endophytic fungus, a close relative of Talaromyces sp., found in association with Cedrus deodara, four compounds including two new ones (2 and 4) were isolated and characterized. The structures of two compounds (1 and 4) were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The compounds displayed a range of cytotoxicities against human cancer cell lines (HCT-116, A-549, HEP-1, THP-1, and PC-3). All the compounds were found to induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells, as evidenced by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy studies. Also, the compounds caused significant microtubule inhibition in HL-60 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjeet Kumar
- Natural Product Microbes, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-Tawi, India
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Affiliation(s)
- M Naik
- Department of Medicine, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College and Hospital, Srinagar, India
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Qadri M, Johri S, Shah BA, Khajuria A, Sidiq T, Lattoo SK, Abdin MZ, Riyaz-Ul-Hassan S. Identification and bioactive potential of endophytic fungi isolated from selected plants of the Western Himalayas. Springerplus 2013; 2:8. [PMID: 23420270 PMCID: PMC3568471 DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to characterize and explore the endophytic fungi of selected plants from the Western Himalayas for their bioactive potential. A total of 72 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and characterized morphologically as well as on the basis of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal gene sequence acquisition and analyses. The fungi represented 27 genera of which two belonged to Basidiomycota, each representing a single isolate, while the rest of the isolates comprised of Ascomycetous fungi. Among the isolated strains, ten isolates could not be assigned to a genus as they displayed a maximum sequence similarity of 95% or less with taxonomically characterized organisms. Among the host plants, the conifers, Cedrus deodara, Pinus roxburgii and Abies pindrow harbored the most diverse fungi, belonging to 13 different genera, which represented almost half of the total genera isolated. Several extracts prepared from the fermented broth of these fungi demonstrated strong bioactivity against E. coli and S. aureus with the lowest IC50 of 18 μg/ml obtained with the extract of Trichophaea abundans inhabiting Pinus sp. In comparison, extracts from only three endophytes were significantly inhibitory to Candida albicans, an important fungal pathogen. Further, 24 endophytes inhibited three or more phytopathogens by at least 50% in co-culture, among a panel of seven test organisms. Extracts from 17 fungi possessed immuno-modulatory activities with five of them showing significant immune suppression as demonstrated by the in vitro lymphocyte proliferation assay. This study is an important step towards tapping the endophytic fungal diversity from the Western Himalayas and assessing their bioactive potential. Further studies on the selected endophytes may lead to the isolation of novel natural products for use in medicine, industry and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masroor Qadri
- Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001 India
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