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White-nose disease, caused by the dermatophyte Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is a devastating pathology that has caused a massive decline in the US bat populations. In Europe, this fungus and the related infection in bats have been recorded in several countries and for many bat species, although no mass mortality has been detected. This study reports for the first time the presence of P. destructans in Italy. The fungus was isolated in the Rio Martino cave, a site located in the Western Alps and included in the Natura 2000 network. Twenty bats, belonging to five different species, were analysed. The fungus was retrieved on eight individuals of Myotis emarginatus. The allied keratolytic species P. pannorum was observed on two other individuals, also belonging to M. emarginatus. Strains were isolated in pure culture and characterized morphologically. Results were validated through molecular analyses. Future work should be dedicated to understand the distribution and the effects of the two Pseudogymnoascus species on Italian bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides can help reduce yield losses caused by pests, pathogens, and weeds, but their overuse causes serious environmental pollution. They are persistent in the environment and are biomagnified through the food chain, becoming a serious health hazard for humankind. Bioremediation, where microbes are used to degrade pesticides in situ, is a useful technology. This review summarizes data on the fungi involved in the biodegradation of chemical pesticides and their application in soil and water bioremediation. Indications for future studies in this field are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In semi-arid Mediterranean environments, fungal activity is fundamental for buffering biotic and abiotic stress to the plant and for sustaining a vegetation cover. Despite the important role that fungi play in habitats stability, mycological data from Mediterranean ecosystems are scarce and fragmentary. We investigated fungal diversity in several areas characterized by Mediterranean maquis, from continental Italy, Sicily, and Greece in order to contribute to the analysis of distribution, ecology, and diversity of macrofungi in evergreen sclerophyllous shrublands at different elevation and distance from the seashore across the Mediterranean Basin. Several fungal taxa that are remarkable due to their ecology, rarity, and limited geographical distribution were recovered. Among them, the ectomycorrhizal speciesAmanita dunensisandA. valenswere recorded for the first time in Italy. The wood-inhabiting macrofungi,Aleurodiscus dextrinoideocerussatus,Peniophorella tsugae,Perenniporia meridionalis,Phanerochaete martelliana,Vararia ochroleuca, and sixPeniophoraspecies were reported for the first time in Greece. Some species, such asGloeodontia columbiensis,Ceriporia aurantiocarnescens,Peniophora pithya, andP. tamaricicolawere collected on new substrates. For the two rare basidiomycetesAmanita eliaeandBattarrea phalloides, molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis gave valuable information on their relationship with similar taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living organisms establish complex networks of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions in nature, which impact strongly on their own survival and on the stability of the whole population. Fungi, in particular, can shape natural as well as man-managed ecosystems due to their ubiquitous occurrence and the range of interactions they establish with plants, animals and other microbes. This review describes some examples of mutualistic and antagonistic fungal interactions that are of particular interest for their ecological role, or because they can be exploited by man to improve plant health and/or productivity in sustainable agriculture and forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrestrial orchid, Orchis pauciflora Ten., growing in poor grassland and garrigue of Central Mediterranean region, is local and rare and has been included in the red lists of several Italian regions. We investigated the diversity of fungal associates in O. pauciflora adult plants collected in two protected areas of Tuscany (Central Italy). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycorrhizal roots of 12 orchid plants and the fungal ITS were amplified and sequenced. Several fungal associates, belonging to different taxa of basidiomycetes (Tulasnellaceae) and ascomycetes such as Leptodontidium, Exophiala and Phialophora species, were recovered. The trophic role of these fungi and their impact on O. pauciflora growth and conservation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The kingdom Fungi comprises one of the most diverse groups of living organisms. They are numerous, ubiquitous and undertake many roles both independently and in association with other organisms. Fungi display a wide diversity of forms also mirrored by functional diversity and play such a dominant role in human society that they are arguably biotechnologically the most important group of organisms. Ex situ conservation of fungi, not only guarantees correct management and conservation of biodiversity, but also its exploitation in different fields. This article describes the major biological resource centres dealing with fungi in Italy and gives several examples of fungal exploitation in different fields of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A remarkable increase in knowledge of fungal biodiversity in Italy has occurred in the last five years. The authors report up-to-date numbers of fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) by regions together with distributional and ecological data on hypogeous fungi. Specific case studies such as alpine fungi, orchid mycorrhizas symbionts, invasive species, and the use of macrofungi as food by red squirrels are analyzed. In situ conservation strategies carried out on target species and/or taxonomic groups are also indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Current knowledge about Italian wood-decay fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) is surveyed: 1582 taxa belonging to Ascomycota (341) and Basidiomycota (1241) have been reported, including 23 species new to science of Basidiomycota described from Italy within the last five years. Evaluating diversity of wood-decay fungi can provide a more accurate estimation of species richness for fungi which are an important functional component of ecosystems. Aphyllophoroid and Ascomycota species play an important role in habitat conservation and management. Sardinia, Sicily, the Alps and the Apennines are “hot spots” for wood-decay Basidiomycota in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]