TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - Photoregulation of Metabolism in Plant- & Rock-associated Black Fungi N2 - Fungi that share light-flooded habitats with phototrophs may profit from excess photosynthetic products. But to cope with sunlight-associated stresses it is important for fungi to accurately sense and respond to changes in light. To test the hypothesis that light is an environmental cue that Ascomycota use to coordinate growth, stress responses as well as to establish pathogenic or symbiotic relationships, the photoreceptor (PR) distribution in species from different ecological niches was analysed. The genomes of black fungi from phyllosphere and exposed solid surfaces contain multiple photoreceptors (PRs). The filamentous foliar plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea (Leotiomycetes) has a highly sophisticated photosensory and signalling system that helps to avoid light and to locate susceptible hosts. Rock-inhabiting Dothideo- and Eurotiomycetes including Knufia petricola possess equal numbers of PRs along with the same set of protective pigments. This similarity between black fungi from plant and rock surfaces suggests that photoperception and photoregulation are important for fungi that avoid loss of energy and nutrients through cooperation with phototrophs. T2 - European Fungal Secondary Metabolism Symposium CY - Hannover, Germany DA - 30.09.2019 KW - Fungi KW - Secondary metabolism KW - Light regulation KW - Pigments PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49638 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Esparza, M. A1 - Davis, H. A1 - Margy, A. T1 - Infection stage and pathogen life cycle determine collective termite behaviour N2 - Social insects nesting in soil environments are in constant contact with entomopathogens and have evolved disease resistance mechanisms within a colony to prevent the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases. Among these mechanisms: mutual grooming reduces the cuticular load of pathogens, and burial of cadavers and cannibalism can prevent pathogens from replicating within the group. We explored how the rate and type of collective behavioural response is determined by stepwise infection dynamics operating at the level of the individual. Specifically, we infected the eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes with different types of infectious particle and infection route of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and recorded behavioural responses of nestmates to individuals at different times during the progression of infections. As expected, termites groomed conidia-exposed individuals significantly more than controls. Interestingly, grooming was significantly elevated after fungal germination than before, suggesting that pathogen growth cues act as strong stimulators of allogrooming. Conidia-exposed termites were cannibalized, but only after they became visibly ill. By contrast, termites did not groom blastospore-injected individuals more than controls at any time-point following infection. Instead, we found that blastospore-injected individuals were continually cannibalized at a low-level following injection with either viable or heat-killed blastospores, with a marked increase in cannibalism after termites injected with viable blastospores became visibly ill and were close to death. Together, these findings point to the importance of host condition as a cue for social hygienic behavior, and that the host itself appears to emit essential sickness cues that act as targets for its own sacrifice. This demonstrates that termites have independently evolved to both identify and destructively respond to sickness. T2 - VI Central European Meeting of the IUSSI 2019 CY - Wien, Austria DA - 19.03.2019 KW - Termite KW - Evolution KW - Social immunity PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49643 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - The evolution of termite immunity N2 - The termites are a derived eusocial lineage of otherwise non-social cockroaches. Understanding the proximal and ultimate drivers of this major evolutionary transition represents an important goal in biology. One outstanding question concerns the evolution of termite immunity, which is thought to have undergone broad-sweeping adaptations in order to enhance group-level immune protection. To understand the evolutionary origins of termite immunity, we conducted qualitative and quantitative transcriptome analyses along a gradient of sociality. Firstly, we aimed to identify large-scale genetic shifts in immune traits linked to eusociality by comparing immune gene repertoires in solitary and subsocial cockroaches and across a range of eusocial termite lineages. Secondly, we compared the responses of a solitary cockroach, a subsocial wood-roach and different castes of a lower termite species to a non-specific immune challenge, in order to understand how sociality may have influenced the evolution of immune gene regulation. Firstly, we found that termites have a broadly representative repertoire of canonical immune genes as compared to gregarious cockroaches and subsocial wood-roaches. Secondly, with respect to immune challenge, the solitary cockroach and the subsocial wood-roach displayed a similarly comprehensive induced response, while the termite response was considerably dampened by comparison and strongly influenced by caste; with reproductives displaying a generally higher constitutive level of immune-gene expression compared to sterile castes. In summary we did not find termite eusociality to be associated with significant changes in immune gene diversity, but rather to be linked with significant modifications to the regulation of immunity following the origin of division of labour. T2 - Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Lecture Series, Universität Münster CY - Münster, Germany DA - 20.02.2019 KW - Immunity KW - Evolution KW - Ecology KW - Termite KW - Molecular PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49644 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - G-BOP kick-off meeting proposal ideas Ecology and evolution of termite immunity N2 - Results suggest a reduction in immune gene repertoires in termites and possible complementary expression between termite castes. With comparative genomics we will investigate the evolution of gene families related to immunity, try to understand where reductions and expansions take place and relate these changes to shifts in sociality and ecology. The role of TEs in expansions and contractions of immune gene families will be investigated. For these analyses, we propose to generate high quality, highly contiguous genomes of species from different levels of sociality, covering all major termite families. With comparative transcriptomics we will investigate the expression of immune genes in different castes. Via network analyses we will identify pathways indicated in differential immunity between castes and between species of different sociality levels. We will investigate how these pathways have been rewired along the transitions to higher levels of sociality and how, intra-specifically, they change between castes. T2 - Rundgespräch zur Vorbereitung eines SPP G-BOP - Genomic Basis Of Phenotypic Innovations in Insect Evolution CY - Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum, Bonn, Germany DA - 16.05.2019 KW - Bioinformatics KW - Evolution KW - Termites PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49645 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - The evolution of termite immunity N2 - A broad suite of immune adaptations have evolved in social insects which hold close parallels with the immune systems of multicellular individuals. However, comparatively little is known about the evolutionary origins of immunity in social insects. We tackle this by identifying immune genes from 18 cockroach and termite species, spanning a gradient of social lifestyles. Termites have undergone contractions of major immune gene families during the early origin of the group, particularly in antimicrobial effector and receptor proteins, followed by later re-expansions in some lineages. In a comparative gene expression analysis, we find that reproductive individuals of a termite invest more in innate immune regulation than other castes. When colonies encounter immune-challenged nestmates, gene expression responses are weak in reproductives but this pattern is reversed when colony members are immune-challenged individually, with reproductives eliciting a greater response to treatment than other castes. Finally, responses to immune challenge were more comprehensive in both subsocial and solitary cockroaches compared to termites, indicating a reduced overall ability to respond to infection in termites. Our study indicates that the emergence of termite sociality was associated with the evolution of a tapered yet caste-adapted immune system. T2 - 112th Annual Meeting of the German Zoological Society CY - Jena, Germany DA - 10.09.2019 KW - Social KW - E$volution KW - Termite KW - Immunity PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49646 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bucek, A. A1 - Sobotnik, J. A1 - He, Shulin A1 - Shi, M. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Holmes, E.C. A1 - Roisin, Y. A1 - Lo, N. A1 - Bourguignon, T. T1 - Evolution of Termite Symbiosis Informed by Transcriptome-Based Phylogenies N2 - Termitidae comprises 80% of all termite species that play dominant decomposer roles in Tropical cosystems. Two major events during Termite evolution were the loss of cellulolytic gut protozoans in the ancestor of Termitidae and the subsequent gain in the termitid subfamily Macrotermitinae of fungal symbionts cultivated externally in ‘‘combs’’ constructed within the nest. How these symbiotic transitions occurred remains unresolved. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial data previously suggested that Macrotermitinae is the earliest branching termitid lineage, followed soon after by Sphaerotermitinae, which cultivates bacterial symbionts on combs inside its nests. This has led to the hypothesis that comb building was an important evolutionary step in the loss of gut protozoa in ancestral termitids. We sequenced genomes and transcriptomes of 55 termite species and reconstructed phylogenetic trees from up to 4,065 orthologous genes of 68 species. We found strong support for a novel sister-group relationship between the bacterial comb-building Sphaerotermitinae and fungus comb-building Macrotermitinae. This key finding indicates that comb building is a derived trait within Termitidae and that the creation of a comb-like ‘‘external rumen’’ involving bacteria or fungi may not have driven the loss of protozoa from ancestral termitids, as previously hypothesized. Instead, associations with gut prokaryotic symbionts, combined with dietary shifts from wood to other plant-based substrates, may have played a more important role in this symbiotic transition. Our phylogenetic tree provides a platform for future studies of comparative termite evolution and the evolution of symbiosis in this taxon. KW - Molecular clock KW - Fungiculture KW - Gut symbionts KW - Insect evolution KW - Isoptera PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.076 VL - 29 IS - 21 SP - 3728 EP - 3734.e4 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-49647 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Voigt, Oliver A1 - Heeger, Felix A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - A Genetic Toolbox for Exploring the Life Style of the Rock-inhabiting Black Fungus Knufia petricola N2 - After their discovery on rock surfaces in cold and hot deserts, a polyphyletic group of ascomycetous black fungi was found to dominate a range of hostile environments – natural and man-made, from salterns to dishwashers, roofs and solar panels. Together with bacteria and algae they may establish sub-aerial biofilms and cause weathering of the surfaces they grow on. Their impressive survival abilities as well as their constitutive protective pigmentation and cluster-like microcolony organisation are similar in environmental isolates as well as in heat-tolerant opportunistic pathogens of animals and humans. The exact genetic properties that ensure their survival in extreme environments can be studied if some black fungi were amenable to genetic manipulations. We selected the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (class Eurotiomycetes, order Chaetothyriales) that grows moderately in axenic culture and exhibits all the characteristics of black yeasts such as yeast-like cell growth, absence of reproductive structures and constitutive dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanogenesis. For this environmental strain we developed protocols to efficiently generate and transform protoplasts resulting in stable homokaryotic transformants by targeting genes involved in pigment synthesis and expressing fluorescent reporter genes. Hence, endogenous and foreign genes can be expressed from episomal AMA1-containing plasmids and genome-integrated DNA constructs. Moderate rates of homologous recombination allow for both ectopic and targeted integrations. CRISPR-Cas9 was further validated as a strategy for obtaining selection marker-free mutants and silencing via RNA interference as an approach to study essential genes. Availability of this genetic toolbox and an annotated genome sequence is paving the way for studying interactions of K. petricola and other black yeasts with environmental stressors, material surfaces, soil matrices and phototrophic symbionts. T2 - VAAM symposium 'Molecular Biology of Fungi' CY - Göttingen, Germany DA - 19.09.2019 KW - Knufia petricola KW - Rock-inhabiting fungus KW - Genetics KW - Crispr-Cas9 PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49634 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Abdallah, Khaled A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Breitenbach, Romy A1 - Dementyeva, Polina A1 - Voigt, Oliver A1 - Gerrits, Ruben A1 - Schumacher, Julia A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Developing a genetic toolbox for Knufia petricola A95: a model for stress-tolerant and symbiose-competent rock-inhabiting fungi N2 - Black microcolonial fungi (MCF) are persistent inhabitants of rock surfaces in hostile desert environments. In these niches, MCF have evolved mineral-weathering and symbiotic capabilities as well as mechanisms to cope with multiple stresses such as solar irradiation, temperature extremes and low water activity. Due to their stress tolerance these ascomycetes are prominent in modern terrestrial ecosystems – like man-made material surfaces from roof to solar panels. MCF interactive capabilities support their facultative symbiotic relationships with cyanobacteria and ensure their rock-weathering geochemical activity. Using the rock-inhabiting fungus K. petricola A95 (Chaetothyriales), we developed transformation protocols and deleted genes responsible for production of the protective pigments melanins and carotenoids. To confirm that the mutant phenotypes were not due to hidden mutations, melanin synthesis was restored by complementing the mutants with the respective wild type genes. Strains of K. petricola carrying gene variants for fluorescent proteins EGFP and DsRed are available. We successfully labelled the cytoplasm, nuclei, peroxisomes and mitochondria. Targeted and ectopic integrations result in stable transformants suitable for further phenotypical characterization. As K. petricola is a non-pathogenic fungus with all characteristic features of MCF, including meristematic growth, melanized cell-walls, extracellular polymeric substances and extensive pigment production, our results will shed light on protective role of pigments during cell wall maturation and oxidative stress defence in rock-inhabiting MCF. Genes involved in environmental sensing or substrate and phototroph interactions are currently targeted. With the help of a mutant collection and fluorescently labelled K. petricola we will be able to investigate interactions of MCF with environmental stressors, mineral substrates, soil matrices and phototrophic symbionts. T2 - Fungal Genetics Conference 2019 CY - Asilomar, CA, USA DA - 12.03.2019 KW - Knufia petricola KW - Genetics KW - Melanin PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49635 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia A1 - Heeger, Felix A1 - Whitfield, Daniel A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Nai, Corrado A1 - Schumacher, Julia A1 - Broughton, William A1 - Cuomo, C. A1 - de Souza, E. A1 - Lespinet, O. A1 - Mazzoni, C. A1 - Monaghan, M. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Exploring the genome of the black yeast Knufia petricola N2 - Black yeasts form a polyphyletic group of Ascomycota that colonize bare surfaces like rocks, facades of buildings, and solar panels. Their protective adaptations enable an adequate response to fluctuating and diverse temperature, water and UV radiation stresses. Together with bacteria and algae they form sub-aerial biofilms (SAB) this way discoloring and weathering the surfaces they grow on. Strain A95 of Knufia petricola (Eurotiomycetes, Chaetothyriales) displays both typical yeast-like cell growth and constitutive dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanogenesis. Along with the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme as photobiont, it is already used in a model system for studying SAB formation and bio-weathering. Applying the recently developed tools for the generation of deletion mutants will allow to define gene functions and to identify genes critical for abiotic and biotic interactions. We present a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation for K. petricola A95. The genome was assembled with MaSuRCA using a hybrid assembly approach of Illumina MiSeq and PacBio SMRT sequencing data. The resulting assembly consists of 17 contigs including the complete mitochondrial genome and five complete chromosomes. It shows indication of repeat-induced point mutations (RIP). Supported by RNA sequencing data from eight different growth conditions, 10,994 genes were predicted with the BRAKER2 pipeline. Functional annotation of genes was obtained from general functional annotation databases and the fungal specific database FungiPath. Comparative analyses are in progress to identify genes specific to black yeasts, that may facilitate the survival on exposed surfaces. In sum, the genome sequence of K. petricola is a valuable resource to gain insight into the protein inventory and functional pathways of extremotolerant and symbiosis-capable fungi. T2 - Fungal Genetics Conference 2019 CY - Asilomar, CA, USA DA - 12.03.2019 KW - Knufia petricola KW - Black fungus KW - Genome sequence PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49636 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - Photoregulation in Plant- & Rock-associated Black Fungi N2 - Fungi that share light-flooded habitats with phototrophs may profit from excess photosynthetic products. But to cope with sunlight-associated stresses it is important for fungi to accurately sense and respond to changes in light. To test the hypothesis that light is an environmental cue that Ascomycota use to coordinate growth, stress responses as well as to establish pathogenic or symbiotic relationships, the photoreceptor (PR) distribution in species from different ecological niches was analysed. The genomes of black fungi from phyllosphere and exposed solid surfaces contain multiple photoreceptors (PRs). The filamentous foliar plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea (Leotiomycetes) has a highly sophisticated photosensory and signalling system that helps to avoid light and to locate susceptible hosts. Rock-inhabiting Dothideo- and Eurotiomycetes including Knufia petricola possess equal numbers of PRs along with the same set of protective pigments. This similarity between black fungi from plant and rock surfaces suggests that photoperception and photoregulation are important for fungi that avoid loss of energy and nutrients through cooperation with phototrophs. T2 - Scientific Colloquium at the Department of Genetics, University of Seville CY - Seville, Spain DA - 24.10.2019 KW - Light sensing KW - Knufia petricola KW - Botrytis cinerea PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49637 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, U. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Rolff, J. T1 - Exposure of the wild bee Osmia bicornis to the honey bee pathogen Nosema ceranae N2 - Wild bees are important pollinators for agricultural crops and solitary species such as Osmia bicornis are particularly suitable for pollination management. Wild bees share floral resources with managed honey bees and may be exposed to emerging infectious diseases. Although studies have explored the prevalence of pathogens in solitary wild bee species, data regarding the impact of pathogens on solitary bee health are lacking. We carried out experiments examining whether the solitary bee species O. bicornis is susceptible to infection with the emerging pathogen The results obtained indicate that N. ceranae may be able to infect O. bicornis but its impact on host fitness is negligible: survival rates did not differ between Control and inoculated bees, although male survival was marginally lower after infection. To explore the possible field-relevance of our findings, we collected wild bees near an infected and a non-infected hive and showed that N. ceranae was shared between managed and wild bees, although only the in presence of infected honey bees. The findings of the present study show that O. bicornis is susceptible to pathogen spillover and could act as a potential reservoir host for N. ceranae in pollinator networks. Additional studies on this species incorporating sublethal effects, multiple infections and other interacting stressors are warranted. KW - Wild bees KW - Nosema ceranae KW - Osmia bicornis KW - Pathogen spillover KW - Survival rates PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12338 SN - 1461-9555 SN - 1461-9563 VL - 21 IS - 4 SP - 363 EP - 371 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-49648 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bramke, K. A1 - Müller, U. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Rolff, J. T1 - Exposure of Larvae of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornis to the Honey Bee Pathogen Nosema ceranae Aects Life History N2 - Wild bees are important pollinators of wild plants and agricultural crops and they are threatened by several environmental stressors including emerging pathogens. Honey bees have been suggested as a potential source of pathogen spillover. One prevalent pathogen that has recently emerged as a honey bee disease is the microsporidian Nosema ceranae. While the impacts of N. ceranae in honey bees are well documented, virtually nothing is known about its effects in solitary wild bees. The solitary mason bee Osmia bicornis is a common pollinator in orchards and amenable to Commercial management. Here, we experimentally exposed larvae of O. bicornis to food contaminated with N. ceranae and document spore presence during larval development. We measured mortality, growth parameters, and timing of pupation in a semi-field experiment. Hatched individuals were assessed for physiological state including fat body mass, wing muscle mass, and body size. We recorded higher mortality in the viable-spore-exposed group but could only detect a low number of Spores among the individuals of this treatment. Viable-spore-treated individuals with higher head capsule width had a delayed pupation start. No impact on the physiological status could be detected in hatched imagines. Although we did not find overt evidence of O. bicornis infection, our findings indicate that exposure of larvae to viable N. ceranae spores could affect bee development. KW - Bee diseases KW - Wild bees KW - Nosema ceranae KW - Osmia bicornis KW - Pathogen transmission KW - Solitary bees KW - Bee health PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-496497 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10110380 VL - 10 IS - 11 SP - 380 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-49649 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Vallée, A. A1 - Bally, P. A1 - Bruel, C. A1 - Chandat, L. A1 - Choquer, M. A1 - Dieryckx, C. A1 - Dupuy, J.W. A1 - Kaiser, S. A1 - Latorse, M.-P. A1 - Loisel, E. A1 - Mey, G. A1 - Morgant, G. A1 - Rascle, C. A1 - Schumacher, Julia A1 - Simon, A. A1 - Souibgui, E. A1 - Viaud, M. A1 - Villalba, F. A1 - Poussereau, N. T1 - A similar secretome disturbance as a hallmark of non-pathogenic Botrytis cinerea ATMT-mutants? N2 - The gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen able to infect hundreds of host plants, including high-value crops such as grapevine, strawberry and tomato. In order to decipher its infectious strategy, a library of 2,144 mutants was generated by random insertional mutagenesis using Agrobacterium tumefaciensmediated transformation (ATMT). Twelve mutants exhibiting total loss of virulence toward different host plants were chosen for detailed analyses. Their molecular characterization revealed a single T-DNA insertion in different loci. Using a proteomics approach, the secretome of four of these strains was compared to that of the parental strain and a common profile of reduced lytic enzymes was recorded. Significant variations in this profile, notably deficiencies in the secretion of proteases and hemicellulases, were observed and validated by biochemical tests. They were also a hallmark of the remaining eight non-pathogenic strains, suggesting the importance of these secreted Proteins in the infection process. In the twelve non-pathogenic mutants, the Differentiation of infection cushions was also impaired, suggesting a link between the Penetration structures and the secretion of proteins involved in the virulence of the pathogen. KW - Fungus KW - Plant pathogen KW - Virulence PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-502710 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02829 SN - 1664-302X VL - 10 SP - Article 2829 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-50271 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lasota, S. A1 - Horn, M. A1 - Noll, M. A1 - Stephan, Ina A1 - Otto, W. T1 - Copper in wood preservatives delayed wood decomposition and shifted soil fungal but not bacterial community composition N2 - Copper-based fungicides are routinely used for wood and plant protection, which can lead to an enrichment of copper-tolerant microbial communities in soil. To investigate the effect of such wood preservatives on the soil fungal and bacterial community compositions, five different vineyard and fruit-growing soil environments were evaluated using incubation studies over time. Pine sapwood specimens were impregnated with either water or different biocide treatment solutions containing a mixture of copper, triazoles, and quaternary ammonium compounds (CuTriQAC), a mixture of triazoles and quaternary ammonium compounds (TriQAC), or copper alone (Cu). Specimens were incubated in soil from each sample site for 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks. The effects of preservative treatment on the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the wood specimens and on the soil fungal as well as bacterial community composition at the soil-wood interface were assessed by quantitative PCR and amplicon sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Specimens impregnated with CuTriQAC and Cu showed decreased MOE and reduced fungal and bacterial copy numbers over time compared to those impregnated with water and TriQAC. Fungal but not bacterial community composition was significantly affected by wood preservative treatment. The relative abundance of members of the family Trichocomaceae compared to other genera increased in the presence of the Cu and CuTriQAC treatments at three sites, suggesting these to be Cu-tolerant fungi. In conclusion, the copper-containing treatments resulted in marginally increased MOE, lowered microbial gene copy numbers compared to those in the TriQAC and water treatments, and thus enhanced wood protection against soil microbial wood degradation KW - 16S rRNA gene KW - ITS region KW - Amplicon sequencing KW - Community composition KW - Copper-based wood preservatives KW - Soil incubation study PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02391-18 SN - 1098-5336 SN - 0099-2240 VL - 85 IS - 4 SP - e02391-18, 1 EP - 13 PB - American Society for Microbiology CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-47370 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gerrits, Ruben A1 - Pokharel, R. A1 - Breitenbach, Romy A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Wirth, R. A1 - Schuessler, J. A. A1 - Benning, L. G. A1 - von Blanckenburg, F. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Feldmann, Ines T1 - Olivine weathering by the genetically amenable rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola A95 N2 - In arid sun-exposed environments, rock-inhabiting fungi dominate microbial communities on rock surfaces. Fungi are known to enhance rock weathering, although the exact mechanisms are not completely understood. These natural processes can be simulated by reproducible experimental systems. Particularly attractive are genetically amenable rock-weathering fungi, where certain traits can be knocked-out to identify weathering-relevant functions. Here, we studied the effect of the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola A95 and its melanin-deficient mutant (ΔKppks) on the weathering of a Fe-bearing olivine. We examined the olivine dissolution kinetics and looked at the olivine-fungus interface. For the former we inoculated olivine powder with the fungus in batch and mixed flow reactors and analysed the medium solution by ICP-OES, for the latter biofilm-covered olivine sections from flow-through reactors were analysed by FIB-TEM. In general olivine dissolution was lower when olivine was incubated without fungi: the abiotic olivine dissolution rates were lowest and the surface of the abiotically reacted olivine sections showed no etching. Various chemical analyses show Fe (oxyhydr)oxide precipitation on top of the abiotically reacted olivine, indicating its role in inhibiting olivine dissolution. Both the wild type (WT) and ΔKppks solubilised and bound significant amounts of Fe released by olivine dissolution. Fe (oxyhydr)oxide precipitation was thus reduced, explaining the enhanced olivine dissolution in their presence. Particularly efficient at preventing Fe precipitation were attached WT cells: the inhibition of olivine dissolution almost completely disappeared. The attachment capacity of the WT is most likely caused by the production of WT-specific extracellular polymeric substances. Our presented experimental systems allowed the precipitation of Fe (oxyhydr)oxides and included a rock-inhabiting fungus and thus simulated weathering processes relevant to natural ecosystems. T2 - ISEB 2019 CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 23.09.2019 KW - Olivine KW - Weathering KW - Fungus PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49585 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kayser, Y. A1 - Pollakowski-Herrmann, Beatrix A1 - Hönicke, P. A1 - Friese, Carmen A1 - Seeger, Stefan A1 - Cara, E. A1 - Boarino, L. A1 - Gianotti, V. A1 - Laus, M. A1 - Beckhoff, Burkhard T1 - AEROMET – Traceable and reliable chemical analysis of aerosols by X-ray spectrometry N2 - Traceable and reliable chemical element analysis of aerosols by X-ray spectrometry was investigated using aerosol samples from field campaigns which have been measured in the GIXRF-beamline at BESSY. The reference-free XRF approach allows for a traceable analysis of the mass deposition. Traceable quantification by means of XRF can be transfered to benchtop instrumentation used in the laboratory Chemical and dimensional analysis of deposited aerosol allows for a comprehensive analysis of aerosols, e.g. for toxicity assessment and determination of the source The folowing elements could be identified and quantified in the field samples: Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, W, Pb. T2 - European Aerosol Conference EAC 2019 CY - Gothenburg, Sweden DA - 25.08.2019 KW - TXRF KW - Element mass concetration KW - Ambient aerosol KW - Cascade impactor PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49583 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bucar, K. A1 - Zitnik, M. A1 - Stabile, L. A1 - Ozan, J. A1 - Seeger, Stefan T1 - Performance of a Sharp GP2Y low-cost aerosol PM sensor N2 - Simple particulate matter sensors are gaining popularity due to their low price, easy handling and good temporal resolution. In this presentation, we report on the performance of a Sharp optical PM sensor GP2Y1010AU0F, which costs less than 15 €. The sensor is built around an infrared emitting diode (ILED) and a phototransistor detecting the light scattered from the aerosol particle. An electronic circuit shapes the detected light in a pulsed signal. The manufacturer advises sampling the output signal 280 microseconds after the ILED pulse. The measured output voltage is an indicator of dust concentration. We have built two identical simple PM monitoring devices using Raspberry Pi 3 computer interfacing the PM sensor with Microchip’s MCP3002 ADC via SPI. The ADC is capable of more than 100 ksamples/s at 10-bit resolution. The Rpi3 was pulsing the sensor at 10Hz, digitizing and saving the data and sending the results wirelessly. Sensor’s output pulse shape was sampled with 10 microsecond time steps and saved, thus making offline analysis possible. A time jitter of output pulses can be observed and suggests a peak fitting as a better approach to the signal readout compared to the single sampling at a fixed time after pulse triggering We compared both methods. T2 - European Aerosol Coference EAC 2019 CY - Gothenburg, Sweden DA - 25.08.2019 KW - Aerosol KW - Low cost aerosol PM sensor KW - PM PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49581 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -