Fungi - Are they Friends or Foes.

Slide 1 : FUNGI Are They Friends or Foes Dr. Aman Biswas A Presentation of BBIPL

Slide 2 : First to classify fungi systematically was Micheli

Slide 3 : Fungi as Friends 1. Fungi as food The fruiting bodies of many fungi are edible. Rich in proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins E.g. Agaricus bisporous

Slide 4 : The fruiting bodies of morels like Morchella is also edible.

Slide 5 : Rich source of vitamins B and D. Add taste to food like soya beans which are rich in proteins. Such food is treated by fermenting fungi like Rhizopus oryzae Yeasts

Slide 6 : Used in Europe (Greeks and Romans ) as delicacies As aphrodisiacs and as medicines. Most expensive of the world‘s natural foods. Truffles

Truffles : Truffles Harvested in Europe With the aid of female pigs or truffle dogs, Are able to detect the strong smell of mature truffles underneath the surface of the ground. The female pig becomes excited when she sniffs a chemical that is similar to the male swine sex attractant.

Slide 8 : Antibiotics Metabolic substances Produced by certain living organisms Can destroy other organisms like bacteria, fungi and protozoans like amoeba. E.g. Penicillin from Penicilllium chrysogenum Griseofulvin from Penicilllium griseofulvin 2. Fungi as source of medicine

Slide 10 : (ii) Ergotine Obtained from the fruiting bodies or sclerotia of the fungus, Claviceps purpurea. Antihaemorrhagic Used to induce uterine contractions and treatment of menstrual irregularities.

(iii) Steroids : (iii) Steroids Organic compounds Useful to cure allergic diseases as rheumatoid arthritis. Fungi like Rhizopus nigricans and Aspergillus niger can ferment plant products like glycosides to produce steroids, E.g., cortisone Used as drugs of last resort.

Slide 12 : (iv) Vitamins Many yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisae are rich in sources of vitamin B complex. Rhodotorula gracilis is a rich-source of vitamin A. Ashbya gossipi is used to synthesized riboflavin (vitamin B2).

(v) LSD : (v) LSD Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Obtained from sclerotia of ergot After infecting rye (Secale) with Claviceps purpurea. Used as SOS drug for painful conditions E.g. making injection Fortwin.

(vi) Ephedrine : (vi) Ephedrine It is antiasthmatic drug Obtained from bark of gymnosperm Ephedra By action of Saccharomyces cerevisae

Slide 15 : 3. Fungi in industry Brewing industry Alcohol produced by fungi mediated fermentation Major component of brewing industry. Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in beer manufacture. Saccharomyces cerevisiae = Brewer yeast. Fermentation of rice by the fungus, Aspergilus oryzae produces an alcohol containing drink = Sake Popular in Japan and many European countries

ii. Baking industry : ii. Baking industry Saccharomyces cerevisiae = Baker’s yeast Used by bakers to make the bread soft. Bread dough is made soft by the release of CO2 during yeast respiration.

Slide 17 : (ii) Cheese industry Many species of Penicillium Used in maturation process of different types of cheese in adding flavour .

(iii) Enzyme industry : (iii) Enzyme industry Fungi are used in industrial production of enzymes. Invertase is produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Zymase obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Used to obtain ethyl alcohol from glucose. Amylase from Aspergillus oryzae and A. niger. Widely used in textile industry. Glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger. Used to remove glucose from eggs while making egg powder. If glucose is not removed the egg powder turns brown in colour. The use of this enzyme ensures the appealing white colour of egg powder.

(iv) Growth Hormone industry : (iv) Growth Hormone industry Gibberellic acid is obtained from fungus Gibberella fugikuroi Previously called Fusarium moniliforme

(v) Fertlizers : (v) Fertlizers As most of fungi are saprophytic As Polyporus and Chaetomium Decompose organic matter.

(vi) Academic value : (vi) Academic value In genetical and biochemical studies Neurospora, Saccharomyces and Sorderia are used

(vii) Biological control : (vii) Biological control Empusa fungus kills house flies.

NATURE BUILDERS : NATURE BUILDERS Lichens Mycorhizae

Crustose : Crustose Attached to their substratum Have power to secrete strong acids to dissolve rocks, therefore, they are soil builders. Graphis, Lecanora, Rhizocarpon Cetraria. Haematomma Crustose

Foliose : Foliose Thallus is leafy Attached to substratum by rhizines. Examples Parmelia, Corapavonia (=Dictyonema), Peltigera and Gyrophora. Hypogymnia Foliose

Slide 27 : Have erect bush like thallus Attached at the base, Examples Evernia, Cladonia (reindeer moss) Cetreria (iceland moss) Ramalina Cladina Usnea. Fruticose Fruticose

MYCORRHIZAE = THE ‘FUNGUS-ROOTS’ : Occur in 90 percent of all families of higher plants MYCORRHIZAE = THE ‘FUNGUS-ROOTS’

MYCORRHIZAE of Orchids : MYCORRHIZAE of Orchids Orchids have microscopic seeds that lack endosperm at maturity, although they will readily germinate to develop a few celled fleshy pad of tissue called a protocorm. Protocorms may persist for as long as 2 years, but they will not grow further unless they are infected by the appropriate fungus. In mycorrhizal associations in general, only the cortex of the root is invaded by the fungus, which sometimes forms a sheath of hyphae or a fungal mantle around the root. Neither the apical meristem nor the vascular cylinder is penetrated by the fungus. Roots with mycorrhizae usually lack root hairs, the role of water and mineral uptake from the soil is carried out by the fungus.

KINDS OF MYCORRHIZAE : KINDS OF MYCORRHIZAE Two major types Ectomycorrhizae and Endomycorrhizae.

Slide 34 : Mycorhizal fungus. ….Cantharellus cibarius

Slide 35 : Tools of Biological control

biocontrol agents : Fungi as agents for the biological control of pests Renewed interest among scientists In leiu of certain classes of chemical insecticides. Generally grows in its natural habitat On the root surface and so affects root disease in particular But can also be effective against foliar diseases. biocontrol agents

Trichoderma harzianum : Trichoderma harzianum Developed as biocontrol agents Against fungal diseases of plants Important ones Trichoderma harzianum T. viride and T. hamatum.

Entomo-pathogenic fungi : Entomo-pathogenic fungi These fungi are environmentally safe Used as biological pesticides to control pest species. For example, Metarhizium anisopliae Was first used over 100 years ago To try and control the wheat grain beetle, Anisoplia austriaca.

Slide 39 : More recently, Metarhizium anisopliae, a species, infects the African mosquito, Anopheles gambiae To control spread of malaria.

Entomo-pathogenic fungi : Entomo-pathogenic fungi These parasitic fungi infect at least nine different orders of arthropods, including Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Blattaria (cockroaches), Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas and leafhoppers), Coleoptera (beetles), Phasmida (stick insects), Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), and Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).

Entomo-pathogenic fungi : Entomo-pathogenic fungi Most important and common entomopathogenic fungi, is Cordyceps unilateralis The fungus then devours the ant’s brain, killing the host. The fruiting bodies of the fungus sprout from the ant’s head, through gaps in the joints of the exoskeleton. Once mature, the fruiting bodies burst, releasing clusters of capsules into the air. These in turn explode on their descent, spreading airborne spores over the surrounding area. These spores then infect other ants, completing the life cycle of the fungus.

Slide 42 : Depending on the type of fungus and the number of infecting spores, death of an infected insect takes between 4-10 days. Cordyceps unilateralis