Papers by Francesco Vinale
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 20, 2021
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 19, 2020
Fungi of the genus Trichoderma produce secondary metabolites having several biological activities... more Fungi of the genus Trichoderma produce secondary metabolites having several biological activities that affect plant metabolism. We examined the effect of three Trichoderma bioactive metabolites (BAMs), namely, 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6PP), harzianic acid (HA), and hydrophobin 1 (HYTLO1), on yield, fruit quality, and protein representation of strawberry plants. In particular, 6PP and HA increased the plant yield and number of fruits, when compared to control, while HYTLO1 promoted the growth of the roots and increased the total soluble solids content up to 19% and the accumulation of ascorbic acid and cyanidin 3-Oglucoside in red ripened fruits. Proteomic analysis showed that BAMs influenced the representation of proteins associated with the protein metabolism, response to stress/external stimuli, vesicle trafficking, carbon/energy, and secondary metabolism. Results suggest that the application of Trichoderma BAMs affects strawberry plant productivity and fruit quality and integrate previous observations on deregulated molecular processes in roots and leaves of Trichoderma-treated plants with original data on fruits.
Journal of Plant Pathology, Mar 1, 2010
Brassica napus cultivars resistant to Leptosphaeria maculans have been widely used to control the... more Brassica napus cultivars resistant to Leptosphaeria maculans have been widely used to control the blackleg disease. The B. napus cv. Surpass 400, with major gene resistance derived from B. rapa ssp. sylvestris, was inoculated either with a virulent or an avirulent isolate of L. maculans, and changes in the cotyledon protein patterns were studied by proteomic analysis. The two dimensional (2D) protein gels indicated a plant response quantitatively and qualitatively different, when the compatible and the incompatible interactions were compared. Many differential spots were found in the B. napus proteome subjected to trypsin digestion and analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF), together with data available in the literature, allowed the identification of many proteins involved in stress-related and antioxidant responses, CO 2 fixation, nutrient metabolism, etc. The putative role of some of the identified factors in plant susceptibility or resistance to blackleg disease is discussed.
Molecular Plant-microbe Interactions, Mar 1, 2009
Successful biocontrol interactions often require that the beneficial microbes involved are resist... more Successful biocontrol interactions often require that the beneficial microbes involved are resistant or tolerant to a variety of toxicants, including antibiotics produced by themselves or phytopathogens, plant antimicrobial compounds, and synthetic chemicals or contaminants. The ability of Trichoderma spp., the most widely applied biocontrol fungi, to withstand different chemical stresses, including those associated with mycoparasitism, is well known. In this work, we identified an ATP-binding cassette transporter cell membrane pump as an important component of the above indicated resistance mechanisms that appears to be supported by an extensive and powerful cell detoxification system. The encoding gene, named Taabc2, was cloned from a strain of Trichoderma atroviride and characterized. Its expression was found to be upregulated in the presence of pathogen-secreted metabolites, specific mycotoxins and some fungicides, and in conditions that stimulate the production in Trichoderma spp. of antagonism-related factors (toxins and enzymes). The key role of this gene in antagonism and biocontrol was demonstrated by the characterization of the obtained deletion mutants. They suffered an increased susceptibility to inhibitory compounds either secreted by pathogenic fungi or possibly produced by the biocontrol microbe itself and lost, partially or entirely, the ability to protect tomato plants from Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani attack.
Journal of nutritional ecology and food research, Sep 1, 2013
ABSTRACT Fungi of the genus Sepedonium have been studied for their properties as antagonist agent... more ABSTRACT Fungi of the genus Sepedonium have been studied for their properties as antagonist agents of various plant pathogens, as well as antibiotic and pigment producers. We investigated the antimi-crobial ability of S. chrysospermum strain 704 isolated from fruit bodies of wild basidiomycetes and found to be not pathogenic on cultivated mushrooms. A strong antagonistic activity versus differ-ent pathogenic fungi and a high level of production of enzymes and antibiotic compounds were observed. The best growth conditions for the production of specific hydrolytic enzymes were deter-mined. From fungal culture filtrate we purified and characterised a metabolite that strongly inhibit spore germination and hyphal growth of the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. The metabolite was identified as a 3,6-dimethyl--resorcylaldehyde, and showed a strong inhibition of the pathogen at concentrations starting from 0.05 ppm. Furthermore, a low level of phytotoxicity of the purified antibiotic, analysed by infiltration in bean leaves, was observed.
Plants, Oct 28, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Frontiers in Microbiology, Aug 30, 2018
The present study investigated the transcriptomic and metabolomic changes elicited in tomato plan... more The present study investigated the transcriptomic and metabolomic changes elicited in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom) following treatments with the biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum strain M10 or its purified secondary metabolite harzianic acid (HA), in the presence or the absence of the soil-borne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. Transcriptomic analysis allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that play a pivotal role in resistance to biotic stress. Overall, the results support the ability of T. harzianum M10 to activate defense responses in infected tomato plants. An induction of hormone-mediated signaling was observed, as shown by the up-regulation of genes involved in the ethylene and jasmonate (ET/JA) and salicylic acid (SA)-mediated signaling pathways. Further, the protective action of T. harzianum on the host was revealed by the over-expression of genes able to detoxify cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the other hand, HA treatment also stimulated tomato response to the pathogen by inducing the expression of several genes involved in defense response (including protease inhibitors, resistance proteins like CC-NBS-LRR) and hormone interplay. The accumulation of steroidal glycoalkaloids in the plant after treatments with either T. harzianum or HA, as determined by metabolomic analysis, confirmed the complexity of the plant response to beneficial microbes, demonstrating that these microorganisms are also capable of activating the chemical defenses.
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture
Background Fungi biosynthesize a wide range of chemically diverse secondary metabolites during pr... more Background Fungi biosynthesize a wide range of chemically diverse secondary metabolites during processes of competition with other micro- and macro-organisms, symbiosis, parasitism, or pathogenesis. Some of these natural compounds have antibiotic properties, which allow the microbe to inhibit and/or kill their microbial competitors. Results In the course of an ongoing search for novel bioactive metabolites from Trichoderma harzianum M10 using OSMAC (One Strain MAny Compounds) strategy, a bioactive chromone derivative has been isolated. The 5-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-7-methoxychromone (1), purified for the first time from T. harzianum M10 and induced in specific medium (potato dextrose broth, PDB) and condition (light and shaking), has been obtained as pure crystals and its structure has been fully characterized using X-ray and spectroscopic methods. This metabolite revealed a significant antibiotic activity against Rhizoctonia solani (45% of growth inhibition after 24 h of incubation at...
Toxins
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium, which can be found, as a commensal microorgan... more Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium, which can be found, as a commensal microorganism, on the skin surface or in the nasal mucosa of the human population. However, S. aureus may become pathogenic and cause severe infections, especially in hospitalized patients. As an opportunistic pathogen, in fact, S. aureus interferes with the host Ca2+ signaling, favoring the spread of the infection and tissue destruction. The identification of novel strategies to restore calcium homeostasis and prevent the associated clinical outcomes is an emerging challenge. Here, we investigate whether harzianic acid, a bioactive metabolite derived from fungi of the genus Trichoderma, could control S. aureus-induced Ca2+ movements. First, we show the capability of harzianic acid to complex calcium divalent cations, using mass spectrometric, potentiometric, spectrophotometric, and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Then, we demonstrate that harzianic acid significantly modulates Ca2+ increas...
Molecules, 2022
Rare-earth elements are emerging contaminants of soil and water bodies which destiny in the envir... more Rare-earth elements are emerging contaminants of soil and water bodies which destiny in the environment and effects on organisms is modulated by their interactions with natural ligands produced by bacteria, fungi and plants. Within this framework, coordination by harzianic acid (H2L), a Trichoderma secondary metabolite, of a selection of tripositive rare-earth cations Ln3+ (Ln3+ = La3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, and Gd3+) was investigated at 25 °C, and in a CH3OH/0.1 M NaClO4 (50/50 w/w) solvent, using mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, and pH measurements. Experimental data can be satisfactorily explained by assuming, for all investigated cations, the formation of a mono-complex (LnL+) and a bis-complex (LnL2−). Differences were found between the formation constants of complexes of different Ln3+ cations, which can be correlated with ionic radius. Since gadolinium is the element that raises the most concern among lanthanide elements, its effects on organisms at diff...
Toxics, 2021
Some Trichoderma strains are known for their capacity to produce harzianic acid, a metabolite bel... more Some Trichoderma strains are known for their capacity to produce harzianic acid, a metabolite belonging to the tetramic acid derivatives. Harzianic acid has interesting biological properties, such as antimicrobial activities against phytopathogenic fungi and promotion of plant growth. It also possesses remarkable chemical properties, including the chelating properties toward essential transition metals, which might be related to the biological activities. Increasing knowledge on chelating properties might be relevant for understanding the various beneficial effects of harzianic acid in the interaction between the producer fungi and plants. In this work, the coordination capacity of harzianic acid was studied to evaluate the formation and stability of complexes formed with toxic heavy metals (i.e., Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+), which might have a crucial role in the tolerance of plants growing in metal-contaminated soils and in abiotic stress.
Pathogens, 2021
Alternaria alternata isolates C1, S1, and X3 were isolated respectively from the weeds Convolvulu... more Alternaria alternata isolates C1, S1, and X3 were isolated respectively from the weeds Convolvulus arvensis, Sonchus oleraceus, and Xanthium strumarium in Algiers during 2016 and identified by morphological and molecular analyses. The aim of this investigation was to chemically characterize the exometabolome of these fungi and to evaluate the myco-herbicidal potential of their culture filtrates, crude extracts, or fractions towards target weeds. Results revealed a great heterogeneity in the biochemical profiles of the exometabolome with the remarkable presence of two compounds: tenuazonic acid (TeA) and triprenyl phenol-7 (SMTP-7). To the best of our knowledge, SMTP-7—found in all the isolates—as well as 12-methoxycitromycin detected in the culture filtrate of isolate C1, have never been reported to be produced by A. alternata. Some fractions of isolates C1 and S1 showed symptoms (necrosis and chlorosis) on the detached leaves of C. arvensis and S. oleraceus, respectively with up to...
Agriculture, 2020
An extensive literature search was performed to review current knowledge about endophytic fungi i... more An extensive literature search was performed to review current knowledge about endophytic fungi isolated from plants included in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) dossier. The selected genera of plants were Acacia, Albizia, Bauhinia, Berberis, Caesalpinia, Cassia, Cornus, Hamamelis, Jasminus, Ligustrum, Lonicera, Nerium, and Robinia. A total of 120 fungal genera have been found in plant tissues originating from several countries. Bauhinia and Cornus showed the highest diversity of endophytes, whereas Hamamelis, Jasminus, Lonicera, and Robinia exhibited the lowest. The most frequently detected fungi were Aspergillus, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Penicillium, Phyllosticta, and Alternaria. Plants and plant products represent an inoculum source of several mutualistic or pathogenic fungi, including quarantine pathogens. Thus, the movement of living organisms across continents during international trade represents a serious threat to ecosystems and biosecurity measures should be take...
Molecules, 2020
Harzianic acid is a secondary metabolite of Trichoderma, structurally belonging to the dienyltetr... more Harzianic acid is a secondary metabolite of Trichoderma, structurally belonging to the dienyltetramic acid subgroup of the tetramic acids. Biological activities of harzianic acid are of great interest for its antimicrobial and plant growth-promoting activities, which might be related to its chelating properties. In the present work harzianic acid, isolated from cultures of a strain of Trichoderma pleuroticola associated to the gastropod Melarhaphe neritoides, was studied as a complexant agent of a number of biologically relevant transition metals (i.e., Zn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+), using UV-VIS, potentiometry, MS and NMR techniques. Our findings show the coordination capacity of harzianic acid toward the above cations through the formation of neutral or charged complexes in a variable ratio depending on the metal and pH conditions.
Microorganisms, 2020
Biofilm protects bacteria against the host’s immune system and adverse environmental conditions. ... more Biofilm protects bacteria against the host’s immune system and adverse environmental conditions. Several studies highlight the efficacy of lytic phages in the prevention and eradication of bacterial biofilms. In this study, the lytic activity of Xccφ1 (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris-specific phage) was evaluated in combination with 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (a secondary metabolite produced by Trichoderma atroviride P1) and the mineral hydroxyapatite. Then, the antibiofilm activity of this interaction, called a φHA6PP complex, was investigated using confocal laser microscopy under static and dynamic conditions. Additionally, the mechanism used by the complex to modulate the genes (rpf, gumB, clp and manA) involved in the biofilm formation and stability was also studied. Our results demonstrated that Xccφ1, alone or in combination with 6PP and HA, interfered with the gene pathways involved in the formation of biofilm. This approach can be used as a model for other biofilm-producing bac...
Natural Product Research, 2020
The emerging concern about the increase of antibiotic resistance has encouraged research efforts ... more The emerging concern about the increase of antibiotic resistance has encouraged research efforts to develop effective alternatives to counteract bacterial infections. Herein, we studied a new perspective to therapeutic treatment against Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, an opportunistic pathogen documented as the major cause of skin, ear, and post-operative bacterial infections in dogs and cats. Antimicrobial activity of secondary metabolites produced by selected microbial strains belonging to Trichoderma, Talaromyces, Clonostachys and Coniothyrium fungal genera has been tested against S. pseudintermedius. Several extracts, particularly those obtained from Trichoderma harzianum E45 and ET45, showed a significant antimicrobial activity toward S. pseudintermedius methicillin-resistant (MRSP) and methicillin-susceptible (MSSP) strains. Bioassay guided fractionation of E45 and ET45 extracts allowed to isolate harzianic acid as the major compound responsible for biological activities (e.g. antimicrobial, antibiofilm formation and biofilm disaggregation).
Pest Management Science, 2020
BACKGROUND: The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (OLF) is a major agricultural pest, whos... more BACKGROUND: The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (OLF) is a major agricultural pest, whose control primarily relies on the use of chemical insecticides. Therefore, development of sustainable control strategies is highly desirable. The primary endosymbiotic bacterium of OLF, 'Candidatus Erwinia dacicola', is essential for successful larval development in unripe olive fruits. Therefore, targeting this endosymbiont with antimicrobial compounds may result in OLF fitness reduction and may exert control on natural populations of OLF. RESULTS: Here, we evaluate the impact of compounds with antimicrobial activity on the OLF endosymbiont. Copper oxychloride (CO) and the fungal metabolite viridiol (Vi), produced by Trichoderma spp., were used. Laboratory bioassays were carried out to assess the effect of oral administration of these compounds on OLF fitness and molecular analyses (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) were conducted to measure the load of OLF-associated microorganisms in treated flies. CO and Vi were both able to disrupt the symbiotic association between OLF and its symbiotic bacteria, determining a significant reduction in the endosymbiont and gut microbiota load as well as a decrease in OLF fitness. CO had a direct negative effect on OLF adults. Conversely, exposure to Vi significantly undermined larval development of the treated female's progeny but did not show any toxicity in OLF adults. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insights into the symbiotic control of OLF and pave the way for the development of more sustainable strategies of pest control based on the use of natural compounds with antimicrobial activity.
Natural Product Communications, 2012
Recently, there have been many exciting new developments relating to the use of Trichoderma spp. ... more Recently, there have been many exciting new developments relating to the use of Trichoderma spp. as agents for biocontrol of pathogens and as plant growth promoters. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the positive effects of these microorganisms on the plant host. One factor that contributes to their beneficial biological activities is related to the wide variety of metabolites that they produce. These metabolites have been found not only to directly inhibit the growth and pathogenic activities of the parasites, but also to increase disease resistance by triggering the system of defence in the plant host. In addition, these metabolites are also capable of enhancing plant growth, which enables the plant to counteract the disease with compensatory vegetative growth by the augmented production of root and shoot systems. This review takes into account the Trichoderma secondary metabolites that affect plant metabolism and that may play an important role in the complex inter...
Marine Drugs, 2018
The impact of bioactive compounds from natural sources on human life, particularly in pharmacolog... more The impact of bioactive compounds from natural sources on human life, particularly in pharmacology and biotechnology, has challenged the scientific community to explore new environmental contexts and the associated microbial diversity. [...]
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), Jan 19, 2018
Talarodiolide, a new 12-membered macrodiolide, was isolated and characterized from the culture fi... more Talarodiolide, a new 12-membered macrodiolide, was isolated and characterized from the culture filtrate of strain LT6 of . The structure of (Z)-4,10-dimethyl-1,7-dioxa-cyclododeca-3,9-diene-2,8-dione was assigned essentially based on NMR and MS data. Furthermore, several known compounds were isolated and identified in the crude extract of the culture filtrate and mycelium of this strain. EI mass spectrum at 70 eV of all isolated metabolites was acquired and compiled in a custom GC/MS library to be employed to detect metabolites in the crude extracts.
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Papers by Francesco Vinale