气候变化领域集成服务门户

In Antarctica, fungi occupy different niches and interact with different living things; but its importance in these niches and interactions is still poorly understood. An example of an interaction reported from Antarctica involves fungi and the Antarctic mosses, in which the fungi formed rings on the carpets of mosses. However, due to the complexity of these fungi, information about these is limited, and they have not been completely characterized yet. The Antarctic region is vulnerable to climatic change, and abiotic factors can influence the growth of fungi. This may impact the pathogenic interactions between the mosses and the fungi. The aim of this study was to identify, characterize, and evaluate the pathogenic potential of a fungus isolated from moss samples Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske. The material for this study was collected from King George Island during the Brazilian Antarctic Expedition XXXI. Through taxonomic, molecular, and phylogenetic methods, the isolate was identified as belonging to the genus Trichoderma. The isolate inhibited the growth of the moss Physcomitrium acutifolium Broth. in vitro and caused complete discolouration of its gametophytes. The physiological characterization of the isolate revealed that it was psychrotolerant with optimal growth at 20 degrees C, producing amylase and protease at temperatures of both 10 and 30 degrees C and cellulase at 10 degrees C only. These results suggest that an increase in temperature may enhance the occurrence of ring-forming fungi in mosses in Antarctica.