Control and possible applications of a novel carrot-spoilage basidiomycete, Fibulorhizoctonia psychrophila

• Published in: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Vol. 93; no. 4; pp. 407 - 413
• Main Authors: de Vries, Ronald P, de Lange, Elvira S, Wösten, Han A. B, Stalpers, Joost A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-05-2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Ascomycetes; Aspergillus niger; Basidiomycetes; Basidiomycota - drug effects; Basidiomycota - genetics; Basidiomycota - growth & development; Basidiomycota - isolation & purification; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cold Temperature; Daucus; Daucus carota - microbiology; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Enzymes; Enzymes - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Life Sciences; Low temperature; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycological methods and techniques used in mycology; Mycology; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Polysaccharides - metabolism; Rhizoctonia; RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S - genetics; Soil Science & Conservation; Carrot-spoilage; Cold-tolerant fungus; Cold-active enzymes; Fungi; Fibulorhizoctonia psychrophila; Enzyme; Molecular biology; New taxa; Basidiomycota
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1007/s10482-007-9218-7

A novel cold-tolerant fungus, Fibulorhizoctonia psychrophila, was isolated from a refrigerated carrot storage facility and identified as an anamorph of Athelia, often classified in Rhizoctonia s.l. Growth of this fungus was observed between 0 and 20°C with an optimum at 9-12°C, while incubation of mycelium grown at 15-32°C resulted in absence of growth even after the fungus was transferred back to 15°C. Growth was inhibited in the presence of the antifungals sorbic acid or natamycin, in particular when the fungus was incubated at 18°C. F. psychrophila produces polysaccharide degrading enzymes that, when compared to enzymes from the ascomycete fungus Aspergillus niger, retain a larger proportion of their activity at lower temperatures. This indicates that F. psychrophila could be used as a source for novel industrial enzymes that are active at 4-15°C.