@article{Gentile2019, author = {Gentile, Luca}, title = {Assessment of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Ecotoxicity on Regeneration and Homeostasis in the Replacement Model System Schmidtea mediterranea}, series = {Altex}, journal = {Altex}, number = {36(4)/2019}, doi = {10.14573/altex.1902061}, pages = {583 -- 596}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are used in a number of applications from food to cosmetics and from medical applications to magnetic storage. In spite of the 550 tons produced each year in Europe alone, no effective dose limit recommendations are established and the overall risks connected to IONs are still debated. The incorporation of IONs in daily life raises a concern about their effects on the environment, on living organisms, and on human health. In this study, we used freshwater planarians to assess the nanoecotoxicity of IONs. Planarians are free-living invertebrates known for their astonishing regenerative ability. Because of their sensitivity to toxicants, they are often used to determine the effects of toxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic environmental compounds with an approach in line with the 3Rs (Reduce, Refine, Replace) principle. Planarians were exposed to IONs at concentrations up to 1 mg/ml and their effects were evaluated at the behavioral, morphofunctional, and molecular levels, with a special emphasis on the regeneration process. Our results indicate that IONs did not affect the stem cell population dynamics, nor did they induce substantial changes in either homeostatic or regenerating planarians. As positive controls, gold nanoparticles coated with the pro-apoptotic anti-cancer drug hexadecylmethylammonium bromide and highly concentrated polystyrene nanoparticles were used; these all elicited toxic effects. Therefore, we conclude that IONs at environmental concen- trations are safe for planarians, and that the planarian is a powerful model system that can replace vertebrate animal models in nanoecotoxicology research and for nanoecotoxicology studies.}, language = {en} } @article{ScharfenbergerSchmeerStahlEdoetal.2022, author = {Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren and Stahl, Lea Franziska and Edo, Manon and Nonnenmacher, Timon and Reif, Daniela and Rex, Friederike and Wegmann-Herr, Pascal and Kortekamp, Andreas and Fischer-Schuch, Jochen and Thines, Eckhard}, title = {Ozonized Oleic Acid as a New Viticultural Treatment? Study of the Effect of LIQUENSO® Oxygenate on the Carpoplane Microbial Community and Wine Microorganisms Combining Metabarcoding and In Vitro Assays}, volume = {2022}, number = {3}, publisher = {ecologies}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/ecologies3030023}, pages = {292 -- 307}, year = {2022}, abstract = {In this study, an amplicon metagenomic approach was used to determine the effect of repeated treatments with ozonized oleic acid on the microbial community of grapevine carpoplane. Differences in community composition of treated vineyards were compared to non-treated and conventionally treated samples regarding the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiome at two developmental stages (BBCH 83, BBCH 87). The results showed effects both on occurrence and on abundance of microorganisms and the community assembly. Wine-relevant genera such as Acetobacter and members of the former genus Lactobacillus could be identified as part of the natural microbiota. The impact of the new viticultural treatment on these organisms was assessed in liquid culture-based microtiter assays. Therefore, we investigated an array of two acetic acid bacteria (AAB), four lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and nine saccharomyces and non-saccharomyces yeasts. Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pediococcus sp. and Acetobacter aceti revealed the highest sensitivities against ozonized oleic acid (LIQUENSO® Oxygenat). Culture growth of these organisms was significantly reduced at an ozonide concentration of 0.25\% (v/v), which corresponded to a quarter of the concentration used in the vineyard. The metabarcoding approach in combination with complementary in vitro assays allow new insights into treatment effects on the community and species scale.}, language = {en} } @article{ScharfenbergerSchmeerBackmannSchmidtmannetal.2024, author = {Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren and Backmann, Louis and Schmidtmann, Katharina and Wegmann-Herr, Pascal and J{\"u}rgens, Andreas}, title = {Molecular Biological Methods to Assess Different Botrytis cinerea Strains on Grapes}, volume = {2024}, number = {2}, publisher = {microbiology research}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/microbiolres15020037}, pages = {567 -- 581}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Botrytis cinerea is a well-known pathogen that can be challenging to control in crops, such as wine grapes. To adapt to the increasing problems of climate change and strain resistance, it is important to find new methods to detect Botrytis cinerea and differentiate strains. These methods include strain differentiation and classification by simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and early detection of the fungus by qPCR. Various strains were analysed using SSR markers and either agarose gel electrophoresis or capillary sequencing via PCR. A sensitive qPCR method was refined to achieve an early detection method for the pathogen. The results demonstrate promising ways to distinguish between strains using both agarose gel electrophoresis and capillary sequencing as well as to detect infection before it becomes visible on grapes. This can be used to further understand and analyse different Botrytis cinerea strain characteristics such as laccase activity, regional or annual effects. The early detection method can be used to better prepare growers for an impending infection so that targeted efforts can be made.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosHarionetal.2023, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Harion, Felix and Wu, Shujie and N{\"u}rnberg, Dennis J. and Bellamoli, Francesco and Antonio, Guillen and Leira, Manuel}, title = {Dark blue-green: Cave-inhabiting cyanobacteria as a model for astrobiology}, volume = {2023}, publisher = {Frontiers}, address = {Lausanne}, doi = {10.3389/fspas.2023.1107371}, pages = {9}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Subterranean environments on Earth serve as an analog for the study of microbes on other planets, which has become an active area of research. Although it might sound contradictory that photosynthetic cyanobacteria thrive in extreme low light environments, they are frequent inhabitants of caves on Earth. Throughout the phylum these cyanobacteria have developed unique adaptations that cannot only be used for biotechnological processes but also have implications for astrobiology. They can, for example, both accommodate for the low light conditions by producing specific pigments that allow photosynthesis in near-infrared (IR) radiation/far-red light, and they can synthesize bioplastic compounds and calcium carbonate sheaths which represent valuable resources during human colonization of other planets or rock bodies. This article will highlight the potential benefits of cave-inhabiting cyanobacteria and will present a suitable bioreactor technique for the utilization of these special microbes during future space missions.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosPaperetal.2023, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Paper, Michael and Koch, Max and Nilges, Tom and Br{\"u}ck, Thomas B.}, title = {Stripped: contribution of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances to the adsorption of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions}, volume = {2023}, publisher = {Frontiers}, address = {Lausanne}, doi = {10.3389/fbioe.2023.1299349}, pages = {13}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The transformation of modern industries towards enhanced sustainability is facilitated by green technologies that rely extensively on rare earth elements (REEs) such as cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), terbium (Tb), and lanthanum (La). The occurrence of productive mining sites, e.g., is limited, and production is often costly and environmentally harmful. As a consequence of increased utilization, REEs enter our ecosystem as industrial process water or wastewater and become highly diluted. Once diluted, they can hardly be recovered by conventional techniques, but using cyanobacterial biomass in a biosorption-based process is a promising eco-friendly approach. Cyanobacteria can produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that show high affinity to metal cations. However, the adsorption of REEs by EPS has not been part of extensive research. Thus, we evaluated the role of EPS in the biosorption of Ce, Nd, Tb, and La for three terrestrial, heterocystous cyanobacterial strains. We cultivated them under N-limited and non-limited conditions and extracted their EPS for compositional analyses. Subsequently, we investigated the metal uptake of a) the extracted EPS, b) the biomass extracted from EPS, and c) the intact biomass with EPS by comparing the amount of sorbed REEs. Maximum adsorption capacities for the tested REEs of extracted EPS were 123.9-138.2 mg g-1 for Komarekiella sp. 89.12, 133.1-137.4 mg g-1 for Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03, and 103.5-129.3 mg g-1 for Nostoc sp. 20.02. A comparison of extracted biomass with intact biomass showed that 16\% (Komarekiella sp. 89.12), 28\% (Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03), and 41\% (Nostoc sp. 20.02) of REE adsorption was due to the biosorption of the extracellular EPS. The glucose- rich EPS (15\%-43\% relative concentration) of all three strains grown under nitrogen-limited conditions showed significantly higher biosorption rates for all REEs. We also found a significantly higher maximum adsorption capacity of all REEs for the extracted EPS compared to cells without EPS and untreated biomass, highlighting the important role of the EPS as a binding site for REEs in the biosorption process. EPS from cyanobacteria could thus be used as efficient biosorbents in future applications for REE recycling, e.g., industrial process water and wastewater streams.}, language = {en} } @article{ScharfenbergerSchmeerBackmannUmberathetal.2025, author = {Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren and Backmann, Louis and Umberath, Kim Marie and Wegmann-Herr, Pascal and Weber, Fabian and J{\"u}rgens, Andreas}, title = {Putting Laccase Gene Differences on Genomic Level into Context: An Analysis of Botrytis cinerea Strains from Grapes}, volume = {2025}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms13030483}, pages = {21}, year = {2025}, abstract = {One of the most important crop pathogens is Botrytis cinerea. It overcomes plant defenses using laccase, an enzyme which is frequently researched. Yet the differences between strains regarding their laccase activity is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze laccase genes in the context of the regionality, vintage, and laccase activity of the strains. Eight strains were analyzed using whole genome sequencing, and the laccase activity was assessed. The strains were differentiated by SSR-PCR. We looked at all 14 known laccase genome regions as well as the promoter and terminator regions using variant metrics and phylogenetic trees. The laccase genes seem to be correlated with the regionality of the strains rather than the laccase activity, which provides new understanding to the study of pathogen adaption in specific environments. Some of the laccase gene regions showed little to no evolutionary change, while other regions showed a great variety of changes. This research highlights taking different laccase gene regions into context. We provide fundamental information for further research. Further studies, especially on gene expression, could provide insightful information regarding the potential of pathogen infection.}, language = {en} } @article{JungSommerKarstenetal.2022, author = {Jung, Patrick and Sommer, Veronika and Karsten, Ulf and Lakatos, Michael}, title = {Salty Twins: Salt-Tolerance of Terrestrial Cyanocohniella Strains (Cyanobacteria) and Description of C. rudolphia sp. nov. Point towards a Marine Origin of the Genus and Terrestrial Long Distance Dispersal Patterns}, volume = {2022}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms10050968}, pages = {18}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The ability to adapt to wide ranges of environmental conditions coupled with their long evolution has allowed cyanobacteria to colonize almost every habitat on Earth. Modern taxonomy tries to track not only this diversification process but also to assign individual cyanobacteria to specific niches. It was our aim to work out a potential niche concept for the genus Cyanocohniella in terms of salt tolerance. We used a strain based on the description of C. rudolphia sp. nov. isolated from a potash tailing pile (Germany) and for comparison C. crotaloides that was isolated from sandy beaches (The Netherlands). The taxonomic position of C. rudolphia sp. nov. was evaluated by phylogenetic analysis and morphological descriptions of its life cycle. Salt tolerance of C. rudolphia sp. nov. and C. crotaloides was monitored with cultivation assays in liquid medium and on sand under salt concentrations ranging from 0\% to 12\% (1500 mM) NaCl. Optimum growth conditions were detected for both strains at 4\% (500 mM) NaCl based on morpho-anatomical and physiological criteria such as photosynthetic yield by chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements. Taking into consideration that all known strains of this genus colonize salty habitats supports our assumption that the genus might have a marine origin but also expands colonization to salty terrestrial habitats. This aspect is further discussed, including the ecological and biotechnological relevance of the data presented.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosLehnertetal.2022, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Lehnert, Lukas W. and Bendix, J{\"o}rg and Lentendu, Guillaume and Grube, Martin and Alfaro, Fernando D. and del Rio, Camilo and Alvarado, Jos{\´e} Luis Guti{\´e}rrez and van den Brink, Liesbeth}, title = {The grit crust: A poly-extremotolerant microbial community from the Atacama Desert as a model for astrobiology}, volume = {2022}, publisher = {Frontiers}, address = {Lausanne}, doi = {10.3389/fspas.2022.1052278}, pages = {9}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The grit crust is a recently discovered, novel type of biocrust made of prokaryotic cyanobacteria, eukaryotic green algae, fungi, lichens and other microbes that grow around and within granitoid stone pebbles of about 6 mm diameter in the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert, Chile. The microbial community is very well adapted towards the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert, such as the highest irradiation of the planet, strong temperature amplitudes and steep wet-dry cycles. It also has several other striking features making this biocrust unique compared to biocrusts known from other arid biomes on Earth. It has already been shown that the grit crust mediates various bio-weathering activities in its natural habitat. These activities prime soil for higher organisms in a way that can be envisioned as a proxy for general processes shaping even extra-terrestrial landscapes. This mini-review highlights the potential of the grit crust as a model for astrobiology in terms of extra-terrestrial microbial colonization and biotechnological applications that support human colonization of planets.}, language = {en} } @article{JungBaumannEmrichetal., author = {Jung, Patrick and Baumann, Karen and Emrich, Dina and Springer, Armin and Felde, Vincent J.M.N.L. and Dultz, Stefan and Baum, Christel and Frank, Marcus and B{\"u}del, Burkhard and Leinweber, Peter}, title = {Lichens Bite the Dust - A Bioweathering Scenario in the Atacama Desert}, series = {iScience}, volume = {23}, journal = {iScience}, number = {11}, issn = {2589-0042}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101647}, pages = {1 -- 29}, abstract = {Bioweathering mediated by microorganisms plays a significant role in biogeo-chemical cycles on global scales over geological timescales. Single processes induced by specific taxa have been described but could rarely be demonstrated for complex communities that dominate whole landscapes. The recently discovered grit crust of the coastal Atacama Desert, which is a transitional community between a cryptogamic ground cover and a rock-bound lithic assemblage, offers the unique chance to elucidate various bioweathering processes that occur simultaneously. Here, we present a bioweathering scenario of this biocenosis including processes such as penetration of the lithomatrix, microbial responses to wet-dry cycles, alkalinolysis, enzyme activity, and mineral re-localization. Frequently occurring fog, for example, led to a volume increase of microorganisms and the lithomatrix. This, together with pH shifts and dust accumulation, consequently results in biophysical breakdown and the formation of a terrestrial protopedon, an initial stage of pedogenesis fueled by the grit crust.}, language = {en} } @article{JungD’AgostinoBuedeletal., author = {Jung, Patrick and D'Agostino, Paul M. and B{\"u}del, Burkhard and Lakatos, Michael}, title = {Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov., the Right Fischerella ambigua 108b: Half a Decade of Research on Taxonomy and Bioactive Compounds in New Light}, series = {Microorganisms}, volume = {9}, journal = {Microorganisms}, number = {4}, issn = {2076-2607}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms9040745}, abstract = {Since 1965 a cyanobacterial strain termed 'Fischerella ambigua 108b' was the object of several studies investigating its potential as a resource for new bioactive compounds in several European institutes. Over decades these investigations uncovered several unique small molecules and their respective biosynthetic pathways, including the polychlorinated triphenyls of the ambigol family and the tjipanazoles. However, the true taxonomic character of the producing strain remained concealed until now. Applying a polyphasic approach considering the phylogenetic position based on the 16S rRNA and the protein coding gene rbcLX, secondary structures and morphological features, we present the strain 'Fischerella ambigua 108b' as Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28. Although there is the type species (holotype) S. sinense C.-C. Jao 1944 there is no authentic living strain or material for genetic analyses for the genus Symphyonema available. Thus we suggest and provide an epitypification of S. bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28 as a valid reference for the genus Symphyonema. Its affiliation to the family Symphyonemataceae sheds not only new light on this rare taxon but also on the classes of bioactive metabolites of these heterocytous and true-branching cyanobacteria which we report here. We show conclusively that the literature on the isolation of bioactive products from this organism provides further support for a clear distinction between the secondary metabolism of Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28 compared to related and other taxa, pointing to the assignment of this organism into a separate genus.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosBrandetal.2024, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Brand, Rebekah and Briegel-Williams, Laura and Werner, Lina and Jost, Emily and Lentendu, Guillaume and Singer, David and Athavale, Rujuta and N{\"u}rnberg, Dennis J. and Alfaro, Fernando D. and B{\"u}del, Burkhard}, title = {The symbiotic alga Trebouxia fuels a coherent soil ecosystem on the landscape scale in the Atacama Desert}, volume = {2024}, publisher = {BioMed Central}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1186/s40793-024-00601-5}, pages = {21}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Biocrusts represent associations of lichens, green algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, colonizing soils in varying proportions of principally arid biomes. The so‑called grit crust represents a recently discovered type of biocrust situated in the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert (Chile) made of microorganisms growing on and in granitoid pebbles, resulting in a checkerboard pattern visible to the naked eye on the landscape scale. This specific microbiome fulfills a broad range of ecosystem services, all probably driven by fog and dew‑induced photosyn‑ thetic activity of mainly micro‑lichens. To understand its biodiversity and impact, we applied a polyphasic approach on the phototrophic microbiome of this biocrust, combining isolation and characterization of the lichen photobionts, multi‑gene phylogeny of the photobionts and mycobionts based on a direct sequencing and microphotography approach, metabarcoding and determination of chlorophylla+b contents. Metabarcoding showed that yet unde‑ scribed lichens within the Caliciaceae dominated the biocrust together with Trebouxia as the most abundant eukary‑ ote in all plots. Together with high mean chlorophylla+b contents exceeding 410 mg m-2 , this distinguished the sym‑ biotic algae Trebouxia as the main driver of the grit crust ecosystem. The trebouxioid photobionts could be assigned to the I (T. impressa/gelatinosa) and A (T. arboricola) clades and represented several lineages containing five potential species candidates, which were identified based on the unique phylogenetic position, morphological features, and developmental cycles of the corresponding isolates. These results designate the grit crust as the only known coherent soil layer with significant landscape covering impact of at least 440 km 2 , predominantly ruled by a single symbiotic algal genus.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosBriegelWilliamsetal.2024, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Briegel-Williams, Laura and Dultz, Stefan and Neff, Carina and Heibrock, Gunnar and Monger, Curtis and Pietrasiak, Nicole and Keller, Lena and Hale, Julia and Friedek, Jan and Schmidt, Timo and Guggenberger, Georg}, title = {Hard shell, soft blue-green core: Ecology, processes, and modern applications of calcification in terrestrial cyanobacteria}, volume = {2024}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2024.111280}, pages = {23}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Cyanobacteria are the oldest photoautotrophic lineage that release oxygen during photosynthesis, an ability that possibly evolved as far as 3.5 billion years ago and changed the Earth's environment—both in water and on land. Linked to the mechanism of carbon accumulation by cyanobacteria during photosynthesis are their calcifying properties, a process of biologically mediated mineralization of CO 2 by precipitation with calcium to CaCO 3. In recent decades, scientific research has mainly focused on calcifying cyanobacteria from aquatic habitats, while their terrestrial relatives have been neglected. This review not only presents the ecology of terrestrial calcifying cyanobacteria in caves and biocrusts but also discusses recent biotechnological applications, such as the production of living building materials through microbial-induced carbonate precipitation for structural engineering, which has the potential to open a new and efficient pathway for mitigating climate change, e.g., as carbon capture and storage technology.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosBriegelWilliamsetal.2024, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Briegel-Williams, Laura and B{\"u}del, Burkhard and Schultz, Matthias and N{\"u}rnberg, Dennis J. and Grube, Martin and D'Agostino, Paul M. and Kaštovsk{\´y}, Jan and Mares, Jan and Lorenz, Maike and Gil Gonz{\´a}les, Manuel Luis and Dal Forno, Manuela and Westberg, Martin and Chrismas, Nathan and Pietrasiak, Nicole and Whelan, Paul and Dvoř{\´a}k, Petr and Košuthov{\´a}, Alica and Gkelis, Spyros and Bauersachs, Thorsten and Schiefelbein, Ulf and Phi Giao, V{\~o} Thị}, title = {The underestimated fraction: diversity, challenges and novel insights into unicellular cyanobionts of lichens}, volume = {2024}, publisher = {Oxford Academic}, address = {Oxford}, doi = {10.1093/ismeco/ycae069}, pages = {11}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Lichens are remarkable and classic examples of symbiotic organisms that have fascinated scientists for centuries. Yet, it has only been for a couple of decades that significant advances have focused on the diversity of their green algal and/or cyanobacterial photobionts. Cyanolichens, which contain cyanobacteria as their photosynthetic partner, include up to 10\% of all known lichens and, as such, studies on their cyanobionts are much rarer compared to their green algal counterparts. For the unicellular cyanobionts, i.e. cyanobacteria that do not form filaments, these studies are even scarcer. Nonetheless, these currently include at least 10 different genera in the cosmopolitan lichen order Lichinales. An international consortium (International Network of CyanoBionts; INCb) will tackle this lack of knowledge. In this article, we discuss the status of current unicellular cyanobiont research, compare the taxonomic resolution of photobionts from cyanolichens with those of green algal lichens (chlorolichens), and give a roadmap of research on how to recondition the underestimated fraction of symbiotic unicellular cyanobacteria in lichens.}, language = {en} } @article{JungLakatosWerneretal.2023, author = {Jung, Patrick and Lakatos, Michael and Werner, Lina and Briegel-Williams, Laura and Emrich, Dina}, title = {Roccellinastrum, Cenozosia and Heterodermia: Ecology and phylogeny of fog lichens and their photobionts from the coastal Atacama Desert}, volume = {2023}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, address = {Sofia}, doi = {10.3897/mycokeys.98.107764}, pages = {32}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Some deserts on Earth such as the Namib or the Atacama are influenced by fog which can lead to the formation of local fog oases - unique environments hosting a great diversity of specialized plants and lichens. Lichens of the genera Ramalina, Niebla or Heterodermia have taxonomically been investigated from fog oases around the globe but not from the Atacama Desert, one of the oldest and driest deserts. Conditioned by its topography and the presence of orographic fog, the National Park Pan de Az{\´u}car in the Atacama Desert is considered to be such a lichen hotspot. Applying multi-gen loci involving phylogenetic analyses combined with intense morphological and chemical characterization, we determined the taxonomic position of five of the most abundant epiphytic lichens of this area. We evaluated Roccellinastrum spongoideum and Heterodermia follmannii which were both described from the area but also finally showed that the genus Cenozosia is the endemic sister genus to Ramalina, Vermilacinia, Namibialina and Niebla. As a result, we have described the species Heterodermia adunca, C. cava and C. excorticata as new lichen species. This work provides a comprehensive dataset for common fog lichen genera of the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert that can be used as a baseline for monitoring programs and environmental health assessments.}, language = {en} }