Asunción Morte

University of Murcia | UM · Department of Vegetal Biology

Complex interactions between mycorrhizal helper bacteria (MHBs) and mycorrhizal fungi have rarely been studied in the context of drought. Separately, both MHB inoculation and moderate drought stress have previously shown to enhance desert truffle mycorrhization in Helianthemum almeriense plants, but the combined effect of both of them has not been...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina , Colletotrichum araujiae on leaves, stems and fruits of Araujia hortorum . Australia , Agaricus pateritonsus on soil, Curvularia fraserae on dying leaf of Bothriochloa insculpta , Curvularia millisiae from yellowing leaf tips of Cyperus aromat...

Desert truffle crop is a pioneer in southeastern Spain, a region where native edible hypogeous fungi are adapted to the semiarid areas with low annual rainfall. Terfezia claveryi Chatin was the first species of desert truffle to be cultivated, and has been increasing in recent years as an alternative rainfed crop in the Iberian Peninsula. However,...

Here, we report the genome sequence of the mycorrhizal helper bacterium (MHB) Pseudomonas mandelii strain 29. This is the genome of an MHB associated with ascocarps of the desert truffle Terfezia claveryi . The genome is complete and consists of 6,302,122 bp and 5,812 predicted protein-coding sequences.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Agaricus albofoetidus , Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii , Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis , Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and...

Desert truffle is becoming a new crop in semiarid areas. Climatic parameters and the presence of microorganisms influence the host plant physiology and alter desert truffle production. Desert truffle plants present a typical summer deciduous plant phenology divided into four stages: summer dormancy, autumn bud break, winter photosynthetic activity,...

A PLE (pressurized liquid extraction) method was adjusted following a full-factorial experimental design to obtain bioactive-enriched fractions from Tuber aestivum and Terfezia claveryi. Temperature, time and solvent (water, ethanol and ethanol–water 1:1) parameters were investigated. The response variables investigated were: obtained yield and the...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antartica, Cladosporium austrolitorale from coastal sea sand. Australia, Austroboletus yourkae on soil, Crepidotus innuopurpureus on dead wood, Curvularia stenotaphri from roots and leaves of Stenotaphrum secundatum and Thecaphora stajsicii from capsules...

Desert truffles are hypogeous edible fungi that have been exclusively harvested in wild areas for hundreds of years. Land-use changes coupled with shifts in precipitation pattern and volume, as a result of climate change, have led to a decline in wild production of these fungi. Due to their high nutritional value, as well as rising market prices, e...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Algeria, Phaeoacremonium adelophialidum from Vitis vinifera. Antarctica, Comoclathris antarctica from soil. Australia, Coniochaeta salicifolia as endophyte from healthy leaves of Geijera salicifolia, Eremothecium peggii in fruit of Citrus australis, Micr...

Desert truffles are edible hypogeous (forming fruit bodies below ground) fungi that grow in semi-arid and arid areas. They are highly valued for both their culinary and medicinal properties in the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and the Gulf areas. Desert truffles form mycorrhizae mostly with plants belonging to the Cistaceae family, mainly wi...

The desert truffle Terfezia claveryi is one of the few mycorrhizal fungi currently in cultivation in semiarid and arid areas. Agroclimatic parameters seem to affect its annual yield, but there is no information on the influence of biotic factors. In this study, fungal diversity was analyzed by high‐throughput sequencing of the ITS2 rDNA region from...

Truffles are a well-known worldwide product mainly appreciated by their unique aroma, which is composed by more than 50 volatile compounds. However, to this day, no one has accomplished to find the aromatic key that evokes the real aroma of truffles for its use as food flavoring. Among them, black truffle was selected for extraction with supercriti...

Among all edible mushrooms, truffles are the most expensive ones. This study assessed the nutritional properties and phylogenic characteristics of black truffles grown in two regions of southern Iran.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Austroboletus asper on soil, Cylindromonium alloxyli on leaves of Alloxylon pinnatum, Davidhawksworthia quintiniae on leaves of Quintinia sieberi, Exophiala prostantherae on leaves of Prostanthera sp., Lactifluus lactiglaucus on soil, Linterom...

Desert truffles are edible hypogeous fungi forming ectendomycorrhizal symbiosis with plants of Cistaceae family. Knowledge about the reproductive modes of these fungi and the molecular mechanisms driving the ectendomycorrhizal interaction is lacking. Genomes of the highly appreciated edible desert truffles Terfezia claveryi Chatin and Tirmania nive...

Predicted increases in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) coupled with increased temperatures and drought are expected to strongly influence the development of most of the plant species in the world, especially in areas with high risk of desertification like the Mediterranean basin. Helianthemum almeriense is an ecologically importan...

The cultivation of desert truffle Terfezia claveryi using Helianthemum almeriense as a host plant has recently become a solid alternative crop in the Mediterranean region due to its adaptation to arid and semiarid ecosystems, which are expected to increase during the following years because of climate change. However, management models are still be...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antarctica, Cladosporium arenosum from marine sediment sand. Argentina, Kosmimatamyces alatophylus (incl. Kosmimatamyces gen. nov.) from soil. Australia, Aspergillus banksianus, Aspergillus kumbius, Aspergillus luteorubrus, Aspergillus malvicolor and Asp...

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are gaining in importance and recognition in recent decades, both in the EU and in Spain, mainly due to the relevance they may have for rural development as generators of employment and as ecological products with a high added value. Currently, the basic information on each of the products is atomized, it is difficu...

A review of the results obtained so far on the biology of desert truffles, and especially in the symbiosis between Helianthemum almeriense and Terfezia claveryi, is presented with the aim of making a socio-economic use of this natural resource from the southeast of Spain and the Mediterranean Basin. The mycorrhizal morphology between different spec...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antarctica , Apenidiella antarctica from permafrost, Cladosporium fildesense from an unidentified marine sponge. Argentina , Geastrum wrightii on humus in mixed forest. Australia , Golovinomyces glandulariae on Glandularia aristigera , Neoanungitea eucal...

Desert truffles have become an alternative agricultural crop in semiarid areas of the Iberian Peninsula due to their much appreciated edible value and their low water requirements for cultivation. Although most studies related to desert truffle production point to the sole importance of precipitation, this work is the first systematic study carried...

Nudix (for nucleoside diphosphatases linked to other moieties, X) hydrolases are a diverse family of proteins capable of cleaving an enormous variety of substrates, ranging from nucleotide sugars to NAD+-capped RNAs. Although all the members of this superfamily share a common conserved catalytic motif, the Nudix box, their substrate specificity lie...

Terfezia claveryi Chatin is a mycorrhizal fungus that forms ectendomycorrhizal associations with plants of Helianthemum genus. Its appreciated edibility and drought resistance make this fungus a potential alternative crop in arid and semiarid areas of the Mediterranean region. In order to increase the knowledge about the biology of this fungus in t...

The identity of the isotype specimen of Terfezia trappei (≡ Elaphomyces trappei) is studied with both morphological and molecular techniques. The obtained results demonstrate that T. trappei is a heterotypic synonym of Terfezia fanfani.

Terfezia claveryi Chatin is a mycorrhizal fungus that forms ectendomycorrhizal associations with plants of Helianthemum genus. Its appreciated edibility and drought resistance make this fungus a potential alternative crop in arid and semiarid areas of the Mediterranean region. In order to increase the knowledge about the biology of this fungus in t...

Recently, some strategies focused on the control of climatic parameters or the study of beneficial native bacteria, have been carried out in order to improve the desert truffle cultivation between Helianthemum almeriense x Terfezia claveryi [1]. In order to increase the field production of ascocarps is necessary to know how the microorganisms inter...

Terfezia fanfani Mattirolo (1900: 65) is an ecologically distinctive species that is widely distributed in southern Europe in areas with Mediterranean climates, on acidic grasslands, associated with Tuberaria guttata (Cistaceae) from March to May (Bordallo et al. 2013).

Eight new species presented are Calostoma areolatum collected in Wuyishan National Park (China), Crinipellis bidens from Hubei Province (China), Lactifluus sainii from Himalayan India, Inocybe elata from Yunnan (China), Inocybe himalayensis from Pakistan. Specimens previously identified as Massalongia carnosa represent a new species, namely M. pata...

An experiment was conducted with seedlings of Citrus macrophylla Wester to study the effects of P nutrition on plants inoculated with a mixture (Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae) of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of two factors: mycorrhization (-AM: non-inoculated plants, and +...

Terfezia claveryi Chatin was the first desert truffle species to be cultivated, the mycorrhizal plants being successfully produced by using both desert truffle spores and mycelia. However, it is more advisable to use mycelium than spores whenever possible and profitable. Given the low yields of mycelia obtained using traditional culture methods of...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Chaetopsina eucalypti on Eucalyptus leaf litter, Colletotrichum cobbittiense from Cordyline stricta × C. australis hybrid, Cyanodermella banksiae on Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha, Discosia macrozamiae on Macrozamia miquelii, Elsinoë bank...

A new Terfezia species associated with Tuberaria guttata, Terfezia lusitanica sp. nov., is described from Spain and Portugal. This claim it’s based on the specimen’s distinct morphology and unique ITS-rDNA sequence. Macro and micro descriptions and phylogenetic analyses of ITS data are provided for T. lusitanica and discussed in relation to similar...

Despite of the integrity of their RNA, some desert truffles present a non-canonical profile of rRNA where 3.3 kb is absent, 1.8 kb is clear and a band of 1.6 kb is observed. A similar rRNA profile was identified in organisms belonging to different life kingdoms, with the exception of the Kingdom Fungi, as a result of a split LSU rRNA called hidden...

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to am...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia: Banksiophoma australiensis (incl. Banksiophoma gen. nov.) on Banksia coccinea, Davidiellomyces australiensis (incl. Davidiellomyces gen. nov.) on Cyperaceae, Didymocyrtis banksiae on Banksia sessilis var. cygnorum, Disculoides calophyllae on C...

This chapter summarizes the latest basic and applied advances in desert truffle research carried out to improve our knowledge of the biodiversity, physiology, biotechnology, and cultivation of these hypogeous and edible fungi. ITS-rDNA sequences in phylo-geographic studies and host plant and soil pH characteristics have been the key to describing e...

Aquaporins are membrane integral proteins responsible for the transmembrane transport of water and other small neutral molecules. Despite their well-acknowledged importance in water transport, their significance in gas transport processes remains unclear. Growing evidence points to the involvement of plant aquaporins in CO2 delivery for photosynthe...

Most Terfezia species establish mycorrhizal symbiosis with plants from family Cistaceae, mainly with perennial and annual Helianthemum species and with trees from different phyla (Bordallo et al. 2013). The soils of desert truffles show a remarkable variability that reflects the climatic conditions in which they form. Terfezia species (or their hos...

Sixty-four native bacterial colonies were isolated from mycorrhizal roots of Helianthemum almeriense colonized by Terfezia claveryi, mycorrhizosphere soil, and peridium of T. claveryi to evaluate their effect on mycorrhizal plant production. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA partial sequence, 45 different strains from 17 genera wer...

An efficient and robust system of shoot organogenesis for lemon has been developed as an initial step in the transformation and in vitro mutagenesis protocols. In vitro adventitious organogenesis was studied and histologically characterized using mature nodal explants of two important cultivars of Citrus limon, ‘Verna 51’ and ‘Fino 49’. The effects...

Artículo que destaca la importancia del recurso micológico como elemento de diversificación en la producción forestal y el desarrollo rural.

Two new species of Terfezia, Terfezia grisea and Terfezia cistophila, are documented from Spain and Greece, based on morphology and ITS-rDNA sequence data. Macro and micro descriptions with illustrations and ITS phylogenetic data for the two species are provided, which are discussed in relation to similar species in this genus and their host plants...

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an archaeophyte in Spain and is the iconic species of an introduced mixed irrigated agricultural system of food crops, animal feed, grasses, and livestock. Traditionally, date palms are propagated from seed and grown for their fruits, as well as for products derived from the leaves and stem wood. The seedli...

Hypogeous fungi are common in arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin and, in particular, they are found in Italy, Spain, northern African countries (especially in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), and in the Middle East. These fungi and, in particular, some species belonging to the genus Tuber and the desert truffles (Terfezia spp. and T...

Desert truffle fructification should occur 1–3 years after plantation, depending on mycorrhized seedling quality, site suitability, season and frame of the plantation as well as management practices, mostly irrigation and weed elimination. The results of 12 years of experience in desert truffle orchards are analysed and discussed. Moreover, in orde...

In this chapter the main chemical and physical properties of soils where desert truffles grow are summarized. A remarkable variability is found and depends on the different climatic areas, hence on the amounts of water available for soil development. In drylands, such as the Southern Africa or some Middle East zones, soils are always sandy (Arenoso...

The first step towards maximising desert truffle production in orchards is to use high-quality mycorrhizal plants. For this purpose, a suitable host plant species should be chosen, taking into account edaphic and bioclimatic conditions and, if possible, it is better to use a perennial species than an annual one. For plant propagation, a photoautotr...

It has long been known that under suboptimal conditions mycorrhized plants fare better than their non-mycorrhized counterparts. This applies to desert truffles as well: when conditions are less than favorable, plants that enter into mycorrhizal associations with desert truffles exhibit higher levels of transpiration, stomatal conductance, and photo...

The colonisation of a root system by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi depends on different root anatomical characteristics, e.g. thickening of the cell walls of the rhizodermis, exodermis and outer cortex or the presence of aerenchyma in the inner cortex. As a result, only some root orders are susceptible of being colonised. The type of mycorrhiza...

The aim of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the properties of several enzymes, included in the classes oxidoreductases (tyrosinase and lipoxygenase) and hydrolases (esterase and phosphatase), that were isolated from ascocarps of the desert truffle Terfezia claveryi Chatin. T. claveryi tyrosinase catalyzes the oxidation of monophenols...

The commercial value of Terfezia claveryi, an edible desert truffle with important gastronomic, nutritional and antioxidant properties, has led to growing interest in its cultivation. The erratic and slow growth of T. claveryi mycelium in vitro represents an impairment to obtaining mycorrhizal plants and it makes necessary to find a new culture med...

We have performed the isolation, functional characterization and expression analysis of aquaporins in roots and leaves of Helianthemum almeriense, in order to evaluate their roles in tolerance to water deficit. Five cDNAs, named HaPIP1;1, HaPIP1;2, HaPIP2;1, HaPIP2;2 and HaTIP1;1, were isolated from H. almeriense. A phylogenetic analysis of deduced...

A phylogenetic analysis of Iberian Terfezia collections indicates eight clades, of which three correspond with previously described species (T. alsheikhii, T. fanfani, T. olbiensis) and five are described as new species — T. albida, T. eliocrocae, T. extremadurensis, T. pini, and T. pseudoleptoderma. These results are supported by the morphology of...

The invention relates to a method for producing plants of the Cistaceae family mycorrhized with various species of desert truffles. The method uses the cultivation of seeds/explants in photoautotrophic conditions. The vegetable matter is progressively adapted to a relative humidity that decreases until it reaches ambient values. The inoculation of...

In the present study, Triton X‐114 (TX‐114) is used to extract and partially purify alkaline phosphatase (ALP) from a membranous fraction of Arthrospira platensis Gomont containing cell wall, plasma membrane, thylakoids, and sheath. TX‐114 has a double effect: solubilizing cell components to liberate the enzyme and, after phase partitioning, removi...

The influence of inorganic and organic phosphorus (P) and the absence of P in the culture medium on the type of mycorrhizal colonization formed (ecto-, ectendo-, or endomycorrhiza) during Helianthemum almeriense x Terfezia claveryi symbiosis in in vitro conditions was analyzed. This is the first time that the relative proportions of the different m...

Since the first plantation of Terfezia mycorrhizal plants was established in 1999 in Murcia (Spain), an increasing demand for this crop, not only in Spain but also in other countries, has prompted research into new strategies and aspects that will enable us to pass from the experimental scale to medium- to large-scale cultivation. As a consequence...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is thought to increase host resistance to salinity stress, a characteristic that could be interesting in areas where the scarcity of irrigation waters forces growers to use low-quality irrigation water. To test this hypothesis seedlings of the rootstocks Mandarin Cleopatra (Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan.), Sour or...