| Abstract | Fungi populate deep Oceans in extreme habitats characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, low temperature and absence of sunlight. Marine fungi are potential major contributors to biogeochemical events, critical for marine communities and food web equilibrium under climate change conditions and a valuable source of novel extremozymes and small molecules. Despite their ecophysiological and biotechnological relevance, fungal deep-sea biodiversity has not yet been thoroughly characterized. In this study, we describe the culturable mycobiota associated with the deepest margin of the European Western Continental Shelf: sediments sampled at the Porcupine Bank and deep-water corals and sponges sampled in the Whittard Canyon. Eighty-seven strains were isolated, belonging to 43 taxa and mainly Ascomycota. Ten species and four genera were detected for the first time in the marine environment and a possible new species of Arachnomyces was isolated from sediments. The genera Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most frequent and detected on both substrates, followed by Candida and Emericellopsis. Our results showed two different fungal communities: sediment-associated taxa which were predominantly saprotrophic and animal-associated taxa which were predominantly symbiotic. This survey supports selective fungal biodiversity in the deep North Atlantic, encouraging further mycological studies on cold water coral gardens, often overexploited marine habitats. |
| Text | 461477 2021 10.1111/1462 2920.15560 Scopus 2 s2.0 85105455690 fungi cold corals marine habitats Fungi populate deep sea coral gardens as well as marine sediments in the Irish Atlantic Ocean Marchese P.; Garzoli L.; Young R.; Allcock L.; Barry F.; Tuohy M.; Murphy M. Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland, , Ireland; MEG Molecular Ecology Group, Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy CNR IRSA , Verbania, 28922, MEG Molecular Ecology Group, Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy CNR IRSA , Verbania, 28922, Italy, , Italy; Martin Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Martin Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland, , Ireland; Molecular Glycobiotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Molecular Glycobiotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland, , Ireland Fungi populate deep Oceans in extreme habitats characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, low temperature and absence of sunlight. Marine fungi are potential major contributors to biogeochemical events, critical for marine communities and food web equilibrium under climate change conditions and a valuable source of novel extremozymes and small molecules. Despite their ecophysiological and biotechnological relevance, fungal deep sea biodiversity has not yet been thoroughly characterized. In this study, we describe the culturable mycobiota associated with the deepest margin of the European Western Continental Shelf sediments sampled at the Porcupine Bank and deep water corals and sponges sampled in the Whittard Canyon. Eighty seven strains were isolated, belonging to 43 taxa and mainly Ascomycota. Ten species and four genera were detected for the first time in the marine environment and a possible new species of Arachnomyces was isolated from sediments. The genera Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most frequent and detected on both substrates, followed by Candida and Emericellopsis. Our results showed two different fungal communities sediment associated taxa which were predominantly saprotrophic and animal associated taxa which were predominantly symbiotic. This survey supports selective fungal biodiversity in the deep North Atlantic, encouraging further mycological studies on cold water coral gardens, often overexploited marine habitats. 23 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85105455690 origin=inward Fungi populate deep sea coral gardens as wellas marine sediments in the Irish Atlantic Ocean Articolo pdf Marchese et al 2021_Fungi deep sea corals.pdf Articolo in rivista Blackwell Science. 1462 2912 Environmental microbiology Print Environmental microbiology Print Environ. microbiol. Print laura.garzoli GARZOLI LAURA |
