Long-Term Investigation of Marine-Derived Aspergillus Diversity in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Aspergillus species play a crucial role in terrestrial environments as degraders and are well known for producing various secondary metabolites. Recently, Aspergillus species have been discovered in marine environments, exhibiting adaptability to high salinity and producing diverse secondary metabolites with valuable properties. However, limited research has focused on their marine diversity, leading to inaccurate species identification. The current study addresses this gap by investigating diverse marine habitats in the Republic of Korea, including sediment, seawater, seaweed, and marine animals. From three coasts of the Korean Peninsula, 472 Aspergillus strains were isolated from the various marine habitats. A total of 41 species were accurately identified using multigenetic markers: internal transcribed spacer, calmodulin, and β-tubulin. The findings underscore the importance of accurate identification and provide a basis for elucidating the functional role of marine-derived Aspergillus species in marine ecosystems.

The Effects of Salinity and Genotype on the Rhizospheric Mycobiomes in Date Palm Seedlings

“…An A. sydowii strain was differentially accumulated in ‘Zabad’ in response to salinity. Recently, Aspergillus species have been identified in marine settings, showing their capacity to thrive in environments with elevated salinity levels [ 36 ]. In this regard, A. sydowii is a halophilic fungus commonly found in different marine ecosystems and is considered a model organism for studying molecular adaptations of filamentous fungi to hyperosmolarity [ 37 ].…”