Since the first experiments in 1950s, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of fila... more Since the first experiments in 1950s, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of filamentous fungi have contributed extensively to understand their structure and to reveal the mechanisms of apical growth. Additionally, also in combination with the use of affinity techniques (such as the gold complexes), several aspects of plant-fungal interactions were elucidated. Nowadays, after the huge of information obtained from -omics techniques, TEM studies and ultrastructural observations offer the possibility to support these data, considering that the full comprehension of the mechanisms at the basis of fungal morphogenesis and the interaction with other organisms is closely related to a detailed knowledge of the structural features. Here, the contribution of these approaches on fungal biology is illustrated, focusing both on hyphae cell ultrastructure and infection structures of pathogenic and mycorrhizal fungi. Moreover, a concise appendix of methods conventionally used for t...
Roasting is known to affect the protein profile and allergenicity of hazelnuts (Corylus avellana ... more Roasting is known to affect the protein profile and allergenicity of hazelnuts (Corylus avellana cv TGL). The aim of the study was to investigate whether roasting techniques based on different heat transfer methods (hot air and infrared), differently affect the protein solubility and the IgE-binding capacities of both the soluble and insoluble hazelnut protein fractions. The immune-reactivity of the Cor a 9, Cor a 11 and Cor a 14 allergens resulted to be stable after roasting at 140 °C, for both types of treatment, while roasting at 170 °C caused a reduction in IgE-binding, which was particularly noticeable after infrared processing, that led to an almost complete disappearance of allergenicity. Microscopical analyses showed that roasting caused cytoplasmic network disruption, with a loss of lipid compartmentalization, as well as an alteration of the structure of the protein bodies and of the cell wall organization.
Background It is known that breastfeeding protects the infant from enteric and respiratory infect... more Background It is known that breastfeeding protects the infant from enteric and respiratory infections; however, the antiviral properties of human milk against enteric and respiratory viruses are largely unexplored. Research aims To explore the antiviral activity of human preterm colostrum against rotavirus and respiratory syncytial virus and to assess whether the derived extracellular vesicle contribute to this activity. Methods We used a cross-sectional, prospective two-group non-experimental design. Colostra were collected from mothers of preterm newborns ( N = 10) and extracellular vesicles were purified and characterized. The antiviral activity of colostra and derived extracellular vesicles were tested in vitro against rotavirus and respiratory syncytial virus and the step of viral replication inhibited by extracellular vesicles was investigated. Results Each sample of colostrum and colostrum-derived extracellular vesicles had significant antiviral activity with a wide interpers...
Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are widespread, ancient endosymbiotic associations that contribute si... more Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are widespread, ancient endosymbiotic associations that contribute significantly to soil nutrient uptake in plants. We have previously shown that initial fungal penetration of the host root is mediated via a specialized cytoplasmic assembly called the prepenetration apparatus (PPA), which directs AM hyphae through the epidermis (Genre et al., 2005). In vivo confocal microscopy studies performed on Medicago truncatula and Daucus carota, host plants with different patterns of AM colonization, now reveal that subsequent intracellular growth across the root outer cortex is also PPA dependent. On the other hand, inner root cortical colonization leading to arbuscule development involves more varied and complex PPA-related mechanisms. In particular, a striking alignment of polarized PPAs can be observed in adjacent inner cortical cells of D. carota, correlating with the intracellular root colonization strategy of this plant. Ultrastructural analysis of these PPA...
A number of soil-borne fungi are able to form typical ericoid mycorrhizae with plants belonging t... more A number of soil-borne fungi are able to form typical ericoid mycorrhizae with plants belonging to Ericales. Together with Hymenoscyphus ericae, the first isolate from roots of ericaceous plants, other fungal species belonging to the genus Oidiodendron and many sterile mycelia have been recognized as mycorrhizal by several authors. A high genetic diversity was even found when a population of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi isolated from a single plant of Calluna vulgaris was analysed with morphological and molecular techniques. Ericoid fungi have a relevant saprotrophic potential, as they can degrade several organic polymers present in the soil matrices. Different cell wall degrading enzymes, which are part of this arsenal and are produced in vitro by several ericoid fungi, have been investigated biochemically. Immunocytochemical studies on the production of pectin degrading enzymes during the infection process of host and non-host plants suggest that regulation mechanisms for the product...
Achlorophyllous plants that are dependent on an association with fungi linked to photosynthetic p... more Achlorophyllous plants that are dependent on an association with fungi linked to photosynthetic plants for their carbon source are known as mycoheterotrophs. Arachnitis uniflora Phil., a monotypic member of the monocotyledonous family Corsiaceae, fits this category, as it relies on a glomalean fungus belonging to Glomus Group A for carbon acquisition. Although basic structural features of root colonization have been reported for A. uniflora, the nutrient exchange interface has not been studied. This is the first study to use confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and cytochemical procedures to study the interface between a glomalean fungus and the roots of a mycoheterotrophic species. Results showed that arbuscules are never formed, and that the “vesicles in bundles” reported earlier are unlike typical glomalean vesicles, in that they form in clusters by the enlargement of hyphal branches and have a complex multilayered wall. The thick inner wall layer consists prima...
Arbutus unedo (the strawberry tree) is a Mediterranean shrub which forms arbutoid mycorrhizae wit... more Arbutus unedo (the strawberry tree) is a Mediterranean shrub which forms arbutoid mycorrhizae with a variety of Asco- and Basidiomycetes. After the discovery of the mycorrhizal symbiosis between A. unedo and Tuber borchii, in this study, arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthetized in greenhouse with Tuber aestivum and Tuber melanosporum. Six months after inoculation, both species colonized the roots of all inoculated A. unedo seedlings, but mature mycorrhizae were only observed after 12 months. Ultrastructure analysis of Tuber arbutoid mycorrhizae was described for the first time, showing, as observed in typical endosymbiosis, a rearrangement of host cells and the creation of an interface compartment with both truffle species. Immunolabelling experiments suggested that pectins are not present in the interface matrix surrounding the intracellular hyphae. Thus, the ability to establish symbiosis with A. unedo seems to be a common feature in the genus Tuber, opening up the possibility to use...
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is cultivated worldwide. Its stigmas represent the highest-priced spi... more Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is cultivated worldwide. Its stigmas represent the highest-priced spice and contain bioactive compounds beneficial for human health. Saffron cultivation commonly occurs in open field, and spice yield can vary greatly, from 0.15 to 1.5 g m-2, based on several agronomic and climatic factors. In this study, we evaluated saffron cultivation in soilless systems, where plants can benefit from a wealth of nutrients without competition with pathogens or stresses related to nutrient-soil interaction. In addition, as plant nutrient and water uptake can be enhanced by the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), we also tested two inocula: a single species (Rhizophagus intraradices) or a mixture of R. intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae. After one cultivation cycle, we evaluated the spice yield, quality (ISO category), antioxidant activity, and bioactive compound contents of saffron produced in soilless systems and the effect of the applied AMF inocula....
Since the first experiments in 1950s, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of fila... more Since the first experiments in 1950s, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of filamentous fungi have contributed extensively to understand their structure and to reveal the mechanisms of apical growth. Additionally, also in combination with the use of affinity techniques (such as the gold complexes), several aspects of plant-fungal interactions were elucidated. Nowadays, after the huge of information obtained from -omics techniques, TEM studies and ultrastructural observations offer the possibility to support these data, considering that the full comprehension of the mechanisms at the basis of fungal morphogenesis and the interaction with other organisms is closely related to a detailed knowledge of the structural features. Here, the contribution of these approaches on fungal biology is illustrated, focusing both on hyphae cell ultrastructure and infection structures of pathogenic and mycorrhizal fungi. Moreover, a concise appendix of methods conventionally used for t...
Roasting is known to affect the protein profile and allergenicity of hazelnuts (Corylus avellana ... more Roasting is known to affect the protein profile and allergenicity of hazelnuts (Corylus avellana cv TGL). The aim of the study was to investigate whether roasting techniques based on different heat transfer methods (hot air and infrared), differently affect the protein solubility and the IgE-binding capacities of both the soluble and insoluble hazelnut protein fractions. The immune-reactivity of the Cor a 9, Cor a 11 and Cor a 14 allergens resulted to be stable after roasting at 140 °C, for both types of treatment, while roasting at 170 °C caused a reduction in IgE-binding, which was particularly noticeable after infrared processing, that led to an almost complete disappearance of allergenicity. Microscopical analyses showed that roasting caused cytoplasmic network disruption, with a loss of lipid compartmentalization, as well as an alteration of the structure of the protein bodies and of the cell wall organization.
Background It is known that breastfeeding protects the infant from enteric and respiratory infect... more Background It is known that breastfeeding protects the infant from enteric and respiratory infections; however, the antiviral properties of human milk against enteric and respiratory viruses are largely unexplored. Research aims To explore the antiviral activity of human preterm colostrum against rotavirus and respiratory syncytial virus and to assess whether the derived extracellular vesicle contribute to this activity. Methods We used a cross-sectional, prospective two-group non-experimental design. Colostra were collected from mothers of preterm newborns ( N = 10) and extracellular vesicles were purified and characterized. The antiviral activity of colostra and derived extracellular vesicles were tested in vitro against rotavirus and respiratory syncytial virus and the step of viral replication inhibited by extracellular vesicles was investigated. Results Each sample of colostrum and colostrum-derived extracellular vesicles had significant antiviral activity with a wide interpers...
Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are widespread, ancient endosymbiotic associations that contribute si... more Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are widespread, ancient endosymbiotic associations that contribute significantly to soil nutrient uptake in plants. We have previously shown that initial fungal penetration of the host root is mediated via a specialized cytoplasmic assembly called the prepenetration apparatus (PPA), which directs AM hyphae through the epidermis (Genre et al., 2005). In vivo confocal microscopy studies performed on Medicago truncatula and Daucus carota, host plants with different patterns of AM colonization, now reveal that subsequent intracellular growth across the root outer cortex is also PPA dependent. On the other hand, inner root cortical colonization leading to arbuscule development involves more varied and complex PPA-related mechanisms. In particular, a striking alignment of polarized PPAs can be observed in adjacent inner cortical cells of D. carota, correlating with the intracellular root colonization strategy of this plant. Ultrastructural analysis of these PPA...
A number of soil-borne fungi are able to form typical ericoid mycorrhizae with plants belonging t... more A number of soil-borne fungi are able to form typical ericoid mycorrhizae with plants belonging to Ericales. Together with Hymenoscyphus ericae, the first isolate from roots of ericaceous plants, other fungal species belonging to the genus Oidiodendron and many sterile mycelia have been recognized as mycorrhizal by several authors. A high genetic diversity was even found when a population of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi isolated from a single plant of Calluna vulgaris was analysed with morphological and molecular techniques. Ericoid fungi have a relevant saprotrophic potential, as they can degrade several organic polymers present in the soil matrices. Different cell wall degrading enzymes, which are part of this arsenal and are produced in vitro by several ericoid fungi, have been investigated biochemically. Immunocytochemical studies on the production of pectin degrading enzymes during the infection process of host and non-host plants suggest that regulation mechanisms for the product...
Achlorophyllous plants that are dependent on an association with fungi linked to photosynthetic p... more Achlorophyllous plants that are dependent on an association with fungi linked to photosynthetic plants for their carbon source are known as mycoheterotrophs. Arachnitis uniflora Phil., a monotypic member of the monocotyledonous family Corsiaceae, fits this category, as it relies on a glomalean fungus belonging to Glomus Group A for carbon acquisition. Although basic structural features of root colonization have been reported for A. uniflora, the nutrient exchange interface has not been studied. This is the first study to use confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and cytochemical procedures to study the interface between a glomalean fungus and the roots of a mycoheterotrophic species. Results showed that arbuscules are never formed, and that the “vesicles in bundles” reported earlier are unlike typical glomalean vesicles, in that they form in clusters by the enlargement of hyphal branches and have a complex multilayered wall. The thick inner wall layer consists prima...
Arbutus unedo (the strawberry tree) is a Mediterranean shrub which forms arbutoid mycorrhizae wit... more Arbutus unedo (the strawberry tree) is a Mediterranean shrub which forms arbutoid mycorrhizae with a variety of Asco- and Basidiomycetes. After the discovery of the mycorrhizal symbiosis between A. unedo and Tuber borchii, in this study, arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthetized in greenhouse with Tuber aestivum and Tuber melanosporum. Six months after inoculation, both species colonized the roots of all inoculated A. unedo seedlings, but mature mycorrhizae were only observed after 12 months. Ultrastructure analysis of Tuber arbutoid mycorrhizae was described for the first time, showing, as observed in typical endosymbiosis, a rearrangement of host cells and the creation of an interface compartment with both truffle species. Immunolabelling experiments suggested that pectins are not present in the interface matrix surrounding the intracellular hyphae. Thus, the ability to establish symbiosis with A. unedo seems to be a common feature in the genus Tuber, opening up the possibility to use...
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is cultivated worldwide. Its stigmas represent the highest-priced spi... more Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is cultivated worldwide. Its stigmas represent the highest-priced spice and contain bioactive compounds beneficial for human health. Saffron cultivation commonly occurs in open field, and spice yield can vary greatly, from 0.15 to 1.5 g m-2, based on several agronomic and climatic factors. In this study, we evaluated saffron cultivation in soilless systems, where plants can benefit from a wealth of nutrients without competition with pathogens or stresses related to nutrient-soil interaction. In addition, as plant nutrient and water uptake can be enhanced by the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), we also tested two inocula: a single species (Rhizophagus intraradices) or a mixture of R. intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae. After one cultivation cycle, we evaluated the spice yield, quality (ISO category), antioxidant activity, and bioactive compound contents of saffron produced in soilless systems and the effect of the applied AMF inocula....
Uploads
Papers by Antonella Faccio