Adaptive Melanin Response of the Soil Fungus Aspergillus niger to UV Radiation Stress at “Evolution Canyon”, Mount Carmel, Israel

Singaravelan, Natarajan; Grishkan, Isabella; Beharav, Alex; Wakamatsu, Kazumasa; Ito, Shosuke; Nevo, Eviatar

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002993

Cited by 109 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The adaptive melanin response of the soil fungus Aspergillus niger to UV radiation was clearly demonstrated in EC I (38). Mean conidial melanin concentration of 80 strains was threefold higher on the sunny AS than on the shady ES (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“Evolution Canyon,” a potential microscale monitor of global warming across life

Nevo

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Climatic change and stress is a major driving force of evolution. The effects of climate change on living organisms have been shown primarily on regional and global scales. Here I propose the "Evolution Canyon" (EC) microscale model as a potential life monitor of global warming in Israel and the rest of the world. The EC model reveals evolution in action at a microscale involving biodiversity divergence, adaptation, and incipient sympatric speciation across life from viruses and bacteria through fungi, plants, and animals. The EC consists of two abutting slopes separated, on average, by 200 m. The tropical, xeric, savannoid, "African" south-facing slope (AS = SFS) abuts the forested "European" north-facing slope (ES = NFS). The AS receives 200-800% higher solar radiation than the ES. The ES represents the south European forested maquis. The AS and ES exhibit drought and shade stress, respectively. Major adaptations on the AS are because of solar radiation, heat, and drought, whereas those on the ES relate to light stress and photosynthesis. Preliminary evidence suggests the extinction of some European species on the ES and AS. In Drosophila, a 10-fold higher migration was recorded in 2003 from the AS to ES. I advance some predictions that could be followed in diverse species in EC. The EC microclimatic model is optimal to track global warming at a microscale across life from viruses and bacteria to mammals in Israel, and in additional ECs across the planet.climate and evolution | species extinction | climate impact | adaptive response | natural selection C limate variation and change are major abiotic stresses driving life's evolution (1-22). Parmesan and Yohe (9), analyzing results for 1,700 species, showed that recent biological trends match climate-change predictions. Global meta-analyses documented significant range shifts averaging 6.1 km per decade northward (or 6.1 m per decade upward) and significant mean advancement of spring events by 2.3 d per decade. A significant globally coherent fingerprint of climate change across natural systems was identified for 289 species (9). Parmesan (7) reviewed evidence of climate change indicating that climate change is already affecting living systems in diverse perspectives, including phenological changes, species interactions, range shifts, contractions and abundance, elevation shifts, marine communities' shifts, pest and disease shifts, tree-line patterns, extinctions, and evolutionary genetic and plasticity changes. New concerns have been raised about the ability of the earth's biodiversity of plants and animals to maintain a viable foothold on the planet if temperatures continue to rise. (See ref. 21 for an alternative point of view). In a recent review on global warming, during the last three decades in wild cereals, the progenitors of cultivated wheat and barley showed earliness in flowering time and in genetic changes (22) and global decline in cultivars' crops (19). Rapid range shifts of species are associated with high levels of climate warming, shifting to ...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“Evolution Canyon,” a potential microscale monitor of global warming across life

Nevo

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…We have begun a study of colony asymmetry in the soil fungus Aspergillus niger (Trichocomaceae: Ascomycota) from "Evolution Canyon." The conidia of populations on the south-facing slope have greater melanin content than do those on the north-facing slope [290]. This is presumably an adaptation to UV-stress on the exposed south-facing slope.…”

Section: Fungimentioning

confidence: 91%

Fluctuating Asymmetry: Methods, Theory, and Applications

et al. 2010

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Fluctuating asymmetry consists of random deviations from perfect symmetry in populations of organisms. It is a measure of developmental noise, which reflects a population's average state of adaptation and coadaptation. Moreover, it increases under both environmental and genetic stress, though responses are often inconsistent. Researchers base studies of fluctuating asymmetry upon deviations from bilateral, radial, rotational, dihedral, translational, helical, and fractal symmetries. Here, we review old and new methods of measuring fluctuating asymmetry, including measures of dispersion, landmark methods for shape asymmetry, and continuous symmetry measures. We also review the theory, developmental origins, and applications of fluctuating asymmetry, and attempt to explain conflicting results. In the process, we present examples from the literature, and from our own research at "Evolution Canyon" and elsewhere.

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“…24,25) This pigment, formed by oxidative polymerization of phenolic or indolic compounds, is not essential for fungal growth or development but has been reported to act as 'fungal armour' because of its ability to protect the microorganisms from harmful environmental conditions such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, extreme temperatures, hydrolytic enzymes, heavy metal toxicity, and antimicrobial drugs. [25][26][27] Previously, we showed that melanin isolated from the MEL1 mutant of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans, which produces high levels of this pigment, is a potential hypochlorous acid scavenger and may be a promising component for cosmetic formulations that protect the skin against oxidative damage.…”

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confidence: 99%

Inhibition of Nitric Oxide and Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Production in Peritoneal Macrophages by <i>Aspergillus nidulans</i> Melanin

Gonçalves

Kitagawa

Raddi

et al. 2013

Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin

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The naturally occurring pigment, melanin is found in organisms of all phylogenetic kingdoms, including fungi, and exhibits a wide range of biological activities. Our objective was to investigate the effects of melanin extracted from the fungus Aspergillus nidulans on the production of the pro-inflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in peritoneal macrophages and on the viability of McCoy mouse fibroblasts. The results showed that A. nidulans melanin did not stimulate NO production in macrophages, but it inhibited the NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages by approximately 82%. Similarly, A. nidulans melanin inhibited LPS-stimulated TNF-α production by 52% and showed a slight stimulatory effect on TNF-α production in macrophages. In addition, the toxicity of A. nidulans melanin to McCoy cells was much lesser (IC 50 373.5 2.4 µg/mL) than that of known agents such as cisplatin (IC 50 41.2 µg/mL). The viability of peritoneal macrophages was greater than 90% at the highest melanin concentration tested (100 µg/mL). Thus, the combination of low cytotoxicity and marked inhibition of TNF-α and NO production suggests that A. nidulans melanin has potential as an anti-inflammatory agent and may be used in the future for development of new drugs with therapeutic utility.

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Adaptive Melanin Response of the Soil Fungus Aspergillus niger to UV Radiation Stress at “Evolution Canyon”, Mount Carmel, Israel

Cited by 109 publications

References 34 publications

“Evolution Canyon,” a potential microscale monitor of global warming across life

“Evolution Canyon,” a potential microscale monitor of global warming across life

Fluctuating Asymmetry: Methods, Theory, and Applications

Inhibition of Nitric Oxide and Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Production in Peritoneal Macrophages by <i>Aspergillus nidulans</i> Melanin

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