FUNGI (PART 1)

• Marine Fungi - Fungi are heterotrophic osmotrophs, feeding by the secretion of extracellular enzymes and absorbing the products of digestion of macromolecules.
• Spartina roots - first description of a marine fungus
• Ascomycota and Basidiomycota phyla - majority of fungi indentified in marine environments
• Deep sea - filamentous fungi and yeast
• Chytridiomycota (chytrids) - early diverging lineages
• Sub-sea floor - Yeasts and filamentous fungi
• Hydrothermal vents - Yeasts and chytridiomycetes
• Coastal and ocean water - Ascomycota, Chytridiomycota, Basidiomycota and Rozellomycota
• Polar Systems - Chytridiomycota, Rozellomycota, Basidiomycota and Ascomycota
• Pang et al (2016) - proposed the broad definition that a marine funfus is any fungus that is recovered repeatedly from marine habitats
• Fungi interact with the Marine Biosphere is through

  1. Parasitism
  2. Mutualism
  3. Commensalism
  4. Saprotrophism
  5. predation
• Parasitism - presence of fungi in association with prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), plants, and animal life forms has expanded, initially based largely on the pioneering work of the groups of Kohlmeyer and Kohlmeyer (1979) and Jones (2011).
• Commensalism - certain marine fungi may attach to the surface of a host organism, such as a seagrass blade or a rock, without causing any harm or benefit to the host.
• Mutualism - Marine fungi can form mutualistic relationships with other organisms, such as sponges, corals, and algae
• Saprotrophism - Marine fungi can act as decomposers, breaking down dead or decaying organic matter in the water column or on the seafloor
• Chytrid (Chytridiomycota) associations with phytoplankton - example of fungal pathogenicitiy in aquatic environments
• Malassezia - second prominent fungus-host association
• Predation - Some marine fungi can act as predators, consuming other microorganisms such as bacteria or small protists.
• Marine Carbon Cycle - is a vital earth system process driven by photosynthetic phytoplankton in the surface euphotic zone
• Aspergillus spp.: These fungi are commonly found in marine sediments and can break down organic matter, helping to recycle nutrients in marine ecosystems.
• Penicillium spp - These fungi produce antibiotics that can help protect marine organisms from harmful bacteria.
• Lulworthia spp -These fungi are important decomposers, breaking down dead organic matter in marine environments.
• Corollospora spp - These fungi produce compounds that have potential applications in medicine, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents.
• Alosphaeriaceae - These fungi can form mutualistic relationships with marine plants, helping to increase nutrient uptake and growth.