Microorganism thread: Fungi and bacteria, specifically what they accomplish.

[Frankster]

Bacillus (Latin "stick") is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria, a member of the phylum Firmicutes, with 266 named species.
--------------------------------------------------

Bacillus pumilus spores: generally have a high level of resistance against environmental stressors including UV and peroxides.

The cellular structure of B. pumilus is similar to other Bacillus species such as B. subtilis, B. megaterium, and B. cereus. Pumilus is covered by teichoic and lipoteichoic acids same as the most other Gram positive bacteria. These acids contain polyglycosyl phosphates with mono- and disaccharides as their monomers that can play a role in adhesion to different surfaces like the host cells. On the other hand, these phosphate groups on the surface of B. pumilus can provide net negative charge on the cell surface that allowing to capture some essential cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ that are necessary for cell life.

Bacillus pumilus strain GB34 is used as an active ingredient in agricultural fungicides. Growth of the bacterium on plant roots prevents Rhizoctonia and Fusarium spores from germinating.
----------------------------------------------------

Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide.
It has also been observed to parasitize other moths such as Cadra calidella—in laboratory experiments working with C. calidella, many of the moths were diseased due to this parasite.
During sporulation, many Bt strains produce crystal proteins (proteinaceous inclusions), called δ-endotoxins, that have insecticidal action.
--------------------------------------------------

Bacillus coagulans is a lactic acid-forming bacterial species. Sporeforming B. coagulans strains are used in some countries as probiotics for patients on antibiotics .
---------------------------------------------------
Bacillus megaterium is a rod-like, Gram-positive, mainly aerobic spore forming bacterium found in widely diverse habitats With a cell length of up to 4 µm and a diameter of 1.5 µm, B. megaterium is amongst the biggest known bacteria. The cells often occur in pairs and chains.

Recently, its popularity has started increasing in the field of biotechnology for its recombinant protein production capacity. It has been recognized as an endophyte and is a potential agent for the biocontrol of plant diseases. Nitrogen fixation has been demonstrated in some strains of B. megaterium.
B. megaterium has been an important industrial organism for decades. It produces penicillin amidase used to make synthetic penicillin and several enzymes
Further, it is used for the production of pyruvate, vitamin B12 and molecules with fungicidal and antiviral properties. Several of these bioactive compounds are cyclic lipopeptides, belonging to the surfactin, iturin and fengycin lipopeptide families, which are also produced by several other Bacillus species.
In addition to being a common soil bacterium and an endophyte, it can be found in various foods (including honey and bee pollen.
--------------------------------------------------
Bacillus azotoformans is a species of bacteria within the genus Bacillus. Novel nitrite reductases have been isolated from strains of this species.
--------------------------------------------------
Bacillus licheniformis is a bacterium commonly found in the soil. It is found on bird feathers, especially chest and back plumage, and most often in ground-dwelling birds (like sparrows) and aquatic species (like ducks).
It is a gram-positive, mesophilic bacterium.
High capacity of secretion of the alkaline serine protease has made B. licheniformis one of the most important bacteria in industrial enzyme production, is used as a detergent protease.
B. licheniformis is used as a probiotic, Some isolates have also been found to be probotic in humans.
B. licheniformis also shows possible applications in bioremediation, biomineralization.
---------------------------------------------------

 

[Frankster]

Paenibacillus polymyxa, also known as Bacillus polymyxa, is a Gram-positive bacterium capable of fixing nitrogen. It is found in soil, plant tissues, marine sediments and hot springs. It may have a role in forest ecosystems and potential future applications as a biofertilizer and biocontrol agent in agriculture.
P. polymyxa might have possible future applications as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. Biofilms of P. polymyxa growing on plant roots have been shown to produce exopolysaccharides which protect the plants from pathogens. The interactions between this bacterial species and plant roots also cause the root hairs to undergo physical changes.
Surfactant complexes isolated from P. polymyxa have been shown to be effective in disrupting biofilms of Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus bovis.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Paenibacillus durus, previously known as Clostridium durum and Paenibacillus azotofixans, is a bacterial species belonging to the Firmicutes

 

[Frankster]

Azotobacter chroococcum is a bacterium that has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
A. chroococcum is a microaerophilic plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGRP), which is bacillus in shape and is Gram negative.
As a mesophile, this bacterium grows best in moderate-temperature soils and requires a neutral pH environment. It is able to fix nitrogen under aerobic conditions. The soil cannot be poor in phosphorus or else nitrogen fixing can be hindered. In addition to phosphorus, these bacteria needed potassium, "sulphur, magnesium, and calcium" to grow. To fix nitrogen A. chrococcum produces three enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) to "neutralise" reactive oxygen species. It also forms the dark-brown, water-soluble pigment melanin at high levels of metabolism during the fixation of nitrogen, which is thought to protect the nitrogenase system from oxygen.
Research has been carried out into A. chroococcum's potential applications in improving crop production. At least one study has so far shown a significant increase in crop production linked to the production of "auxins, cytokinins, and GA–like substances" by A. chroococcum.[6] In addition to these biomolecules, this bacterium has been found to be able to produce "siderophores, ammonia, and ACC deaminase", as well as indoleacetic acid, which all are known to assist with the growth of crops.
On top of helping with the growth of crops in general, A. chroococcum has also been shown to help crops grow in polluted soils. A. chroococcum is able to survive and improve the growth of crops in soils polluted with heavy metals when seeds are inoculated with the bacterium prior to planting.
In addition to treating soils polluted with heavy metals, A. chroococcum can act as a fungicide that can be used to treat soils and plants inflicted with fungal infections, specifically fungi that are susceptible to "fungicidal substances of the anisomycin group"
This bacterium can also be used to determine the nutrient composition of the soil. Since plants and A.chroccoccum both need phosphorus and potassium to grow, this bacterium can be used to determine if the soil is fit for crop growth, as it would thrive in soils that have these nutrients.
------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Frankster]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (/ˌsɛrəˈvɪsi.iː/) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungus microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times.
It is one of the most intensively studied eukaryotic model organisms in molecular and cell biology.
Owing to the high cost of commercial CO2 cylinder systems, CO2 injection by yeast is one of the most popular DIY approaches followed by aquaculturists for providing CO2 to underwater aquatic plants. The yeast culture is, in general, maintained in plastic bottles, and typical systems provide one bubble every 3–7 seconds. Various approaches have been devised to allow proper absorption of the gas into the water.

 

[Frankster]

Pseudomonas chlororaphis is a bacterium used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. It can act as a biocontrol agent against certain fungal plant pathogens via production of phenazine-type antibiotics
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pseudomonas fluorescens is a common Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium.
Pseudomonas fluorescens has multiple flagella. It has an extremely versatile metabolism, and can be found in the soil and in water. It is an obligate aerobe, but certain strains are capable of using nitrate instead of oxygen as a final electron acceptor during cellular respiration.
Some P. fluorescens strains (CHA0 or Pf-5, for example) present biocontrol properties, protecting the roots of some plant species against parasitic fungi such as Fusarium or the oomycete Pythium, as well as some phytophagous nematodes
It is not clear exactly how the plant growth-promoting properties of P. fluorescens are achieved; theories include:

The bacteria might induce systemic resistance in the host plant, so it can better resist attack by a true pathogen.
The bacteria might outcompete other (pathogenic) soil microbes, e.g., by siderophores, giving a competitive advantage at scavenging for iron.
The bacteria might produce compounds antagonistic to other soil microbes, such as phenazine-type antibiotics or hydrogen cyanide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pseudomonas aureofaciens is a yellowish, aerobic, Gram-negative, motile, polar-flagellated, rod-shaped bacterium isolated from clay near the River Maas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Frankster]

Onward to the fungi kingdom:

gigaspora margarita The Gigasporaceae are a family of fungi in the order Diversisporales. Species in this family are widespread in distribution, and form arbuscular mycorrhiza in roots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Glomus is a genus of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and all species form symbiotic relationships (mycorrhizas) with plant roots. Glomus is the largest genus of AM fungi, with ca. 85 species described, but is currently defined as non-monophyletic.
Glomus is likely related to the fossil fungus Glomites, discovered in the Rhynie chert deposits from the Early Devonian (400 million years ago).
As with other AM fungi, all Glomus species are thought to be obligate symbionts, dependent on their mycorrhizal association with plant roots to complete their life cycle.
Glomus species are found in nearly all terrestrial habitats, including arable land, deserts, grasslands, tropical forests, and tundras.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can provide numerous benefits to their plant hosts, including improved nutrient uptake, drought resistance, and disease resistance.
Glomus species were considered to be entirely asexual until recently . Spores are produced at the tips of hyphae either within the host root or outside the root in the soil. Thought to be chlamydospores, these spores germinate and the germination tube that is produced grows through the soil until it comes into contact with roots. The fungus then penetrates the root and grows between root cells, or it may penetrate the cell wall and grow within root cells. Inside the root, the fungus forms arbuscules, which are highly branched hyphal structures that serve as sites of nutrient exchange with the plant. Arbuscules are formed within plant cell walls but are surrounded by an invaginated cell membrane, so remain within the apoplast. The fungus may also form vesicles, swollen structures which are thought to function as food storage organs.
Several species of Glomus, including G. aggregatum, are cultured and sold as mycorrhizal inoculant for agricultural soils.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Glomus aggregatum is an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. Like other species in this phylum it forms obligate symbioses with plant roots, where it obtains carbon (photosynthate) from the host plant in exchange for nutrients and other benefits.
The large scale application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi such as G. aggregatum to human activities is its presence in commercial agriculture as an inoculum. Mycorrhizal relationships are important in this context because long-term agriculture tends to drain nutrients like phosphorus from the soil. For this reason, modern agriculture must apply vast amounts of phosphorus and other nutrient to fields yearly. Artificial and stimulated mycorrhizal associations can help plants mobilize phosphorus from the soil and utilize it. This can lead to higher yields and can also lessen the need for artificial phosphorus fertilization. It has also been suggested that selective inoculation of mycorrhiza into certain crops can increase water retention and help mitigate toxic factors in major food sources such as rice.
G. aggregatum and other members of Glomeromycota may also help in soil detoxification processes and ecosystem-level metabolic pathways.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhizophagus irregularis (previously known as Glomus intraradices is an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. In addition, it is one of the best mycorrhizal varieties of fungi available to mycoforestry, but as it does not produce fruiting bodies it "has virtually no market value as an edible or medicinal mushroom.
Rhizophagus irregularis colonization peaks earlier than many of the other fungi in the Glomus genus. There tends to be extensive hyphal networking and intense intraradical spores associated with older roots of host plants.
Generally host plants must be vascular plants, but not always.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Trichoderma harzianum is a fungus that is also used as a fungicide. It is used for foliar application, seed treatment and soil treatment for suppression of various disease causing fungal pathogens. Commercial biotechnological products such as 3Tac have been useful for treatment of Botrytis, Fusarium and Penicillium sp.. It is also used for manufacturing enzymes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Trichoderma koningii is a very common soil dwelling saprotroph with a worldwide distribution. It has been heavily exploited for agricultural use as an effective biopesticide, having been frequently cited as an alternative biological control agent in the regulation of fungi-induced plant diseases. They are endosymbionts associated with plant root tissues, exhibiting mycoparasitism and promoting plant growth due to their capacity to produce different secondary metabolites.
Trichoderma koningii is a species belonging to the genus Trichoderma. Fungi in this genus are able to adapt to different ecological niches and can colonize their habitats effectively, allowing them to be powerful antagonists and biocontrol agents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ektos, "outside", μύκης mykes, "fungus", and ῥίζα rhiza, "root"; pl. ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobiont, and the roots of various plant species. The mycobiont is often from the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, and more rarely from the Zygomycota. Ectomycorrhizas form on the roots of around 2% of plant species

Rhizopogon villosulus is an ectomycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhizopogon luteolus is an ectomycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhizopogon amylopogon is a sub-genus of Rhizopogon containing seven species.
They are also classified by a specific and obligate symbiosis with members of Monotropoideae through a process known as myco-heterotrophy. Monotropoideae species depend on Amylopogon fungi for carbon which they in turn acquire from members of Pinus in a host specific tripartite hartig net exchange.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pisolithus arhizus is a widespread earth-ball like fungus, which may in fact be several closely related species. Common names include dead man's foot and dyeball. It is known in Australia as the horse dung fungus, in South Africa as perdebal, and in Europe as the Bohemian truffle. This puffball's black viscous gel is used as a natural dye for clothes. Pisolithus arhizus is a major component in mycorrhizal fungus mixtures that are used in gardening as powerful root stimulators.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laccaria laccata, commonly known as the deceiver, or waxy laccaria, is a white-spored species of small edible mushroom found throughout North America and Europe. L. laccata is mycorrhizal with several types of trees.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scleroderma cepa is an ectomycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. It is poisonous.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suillus granulatus is a pored mushroom of the genus Suillus in the family Suillaceae. It is similar to the related S. luteus, but can be distinguished by its ringless stalk. Like S. luteus, it is an edible mushroom that often grows in a symbiosis (mycorrhiza) with pine.
Bioleaching is the industrial process of using living organisms to extract metals from ores, typically where there is only a trace amount of the metal to be extracted. It has been found that Suillus granulatus can extract trace elements (Titanium, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium and Lead) from wood ash and apatite.[
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suillus punctipes, commonly known as the spicy suillus, is a bolete fungus in the family Suillaceae. Suillus is a genus of basidiomycete fungi in the family Suillaceae and order Boletales. Species in the genus are associated with trees in the pine family

 

[Misanthrope]

This is an amazing distillation of relevant data, it was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you, good sir!