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Symbiotic Marine Bacteria Chemically Defend Crustacean Embryos from a Pathogenic Fungus THE PRODUCTION OF SECONDARY metabolites, or allelochemicals [1], by microbes is thought to be an important adaptation allowing microbes [...]

FK506, FK520 and rapamycin, produced by Streptomyces sp., Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. ascomyceticus and Streptomyces hygroscopicus, respectively, were observed to inhibit the growth of competing cells of the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans and and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Experiments involving yeast and fungal mutants were able to determine the role of FKBP12 in mediating the immunosuppressive and antimicrobial activities of the Streptomyces toxins.

A study on pathogenic fungi reports on the detailed characterization of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis cerebrosides by 1- and 2-D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and GC-MS. Findings of the study along with structures of cerebrosides from two strains of Aspergillus fumigatus reported in previous experiments have led to an observation of ceramide fatty acyl dimorphism dependent on hexose structure. Experimental methods and results are discussed.

Research was conducted to examine local adaptation in the insect-transmitted fungal pathogen Microbotryum violaceum and its perennial host plant Silene latifolia. Fungal strains and host plants from 14 populations were used to compare fungal infection success on allopatric and sympatric hosts in a cross-inoculation study. Results suggest that parasite-mediated selection for host resistance is more effective than its host-mediated selection for new virulence types in the pathogen.

In the article 'Genes from mycoparasitic fungi as a source for improving plant resistance to fungal pathogens' by Matteo Lorito, Sheridan L. Woo, Irene Garcia Fernandez, Gabriella Colucci, Gary E. Harman, Jose A. Pintor-Toro, Edgardo Filippone, Simona Muccifora, Christopher B. Lawrence, Astolfo Zoina, Sadik Tuzun, and Felice Scala, which appeared in number 14, July 7, 1998, of Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (95, 7860-7865), the following correction should be noted. The third author's name was erroneously written as Irene Garcia Fernandez. It should be Irene Garcia.