Sabrina Sarrocco

Università di Pisa | UNIPI · Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE)

Introduction: Oomycetes cause several damaging diseases of plants and animals, and some species also act as biocontrol agents on insects, fungi, and other oomycetes. RNA silencing is increasingly being shown to play a role in the pathogenicity of Phytophthora species, either through trans-boundary movement of small RNAs (sRNAs) or through expressio...

Mushrooms and derivates are well known to the scientific community for having different health benefits and exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities, including lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antimicrobic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, immunomod-ulating, neuroprotective and osteoprotective actions. In Europe...

Biological control of plant disease by beneficial (micro)organisms is one of the main tools available to preserve plant health within the wider context of One Health and in line with the goals of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The commercial development of biocontrol agents, together with a new perspective on the resident microbial co...

Mycotoxins contamination and pest infestation of foods and feeds represent a pivotal threat for food safety and security worldwide, with crucial implications for human and animal health. Controlled atmosphere could be a sustainable strategy to reduce mycotoxins content and counteract the vitality of deleterious organisms in foodstuff. Ozone treatme...

Verticillium species are known as plant pathogens responsible for wilt diseases in a large variety of dicotyledon plants and crops in many parts of the world. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. (strain VdGL16) isolated in Italy from the invasive alien species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.; commonly known as tree-of...

KP4 killer toxins are secreted proteins that inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in target organisms. In Fusarium graminearum, KP4-like (KP4L) proteins contribute to fungal virulence in wheat seedling rot and are expressed during Fusarium head blight development. However, fungal KP4L proteins are also hypothesized to support fungal antagonism...

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major fungal disease that causes severe yield and quality loss in wheat. Biological control can be integrated with other management strategies to control FHB. For this purpose, Trichoderma gamsii strain T6085 is a potential biocontrol agent to limit the infection of F. graminearum and F. culmorum in wheat. However, t...

Ink disease is a devastating disease of chestnut (Castanea sativa) worldwide, caused by Phytophthora species. The only management measures of this disease are chemical and agronomic interventions. This work focuses on the evaluation of the in vitro antagonistic capacity of 20 isolates of Trichoderma spp. selected in a diseased chestnut orchard in T...

In line with the actual increasing request of innovative and alternative tools aimed to reduce the use of chemicals in favor of more sustainable agriculture and food systems, natural products, such as essential oils (EOs), represent a valid alternative to pesticides. Essential oils contain antioxidant and antimicrobial constituents able to act agai...

The wide adaptability of fungi to survive in different environmental conditions is generally recognized as a consequence of the huge and versatile repertoire of secondary metabolites (SMs) they can produce. Even if not indispensable for their survival, SMs give an important contribution to fungal lifestyles being actively involved in the interactio...

The global sustainability agenda is increasing the demand for reduction in inputs into agricultural production whilst maintaining profitable yield of quality products. Plant diseases are a major constraint for both yield and product quality, but often tools for their control are ineffective or lacking. Biological control using antagonistic microorg...

Species of fungal genus Trichoderma are characterized by a versatile lifestyle, high adaptability to the changing environmental conditions and the ability to establish sophisticated interactions with other organisms. Due to their ability to antagonize plant pathogens and to elicit the plant defence responses against biotic/abiotic stresses, Trichod...

The global sustainability agenda is increasing the demand for reduction in inputs into agricultural production whilst maintaining profitable yield of quality products. Plant diseases are a major constraint for both yield and product quality, but often tools for their control are ineffective or lacking. Biological control using antagonistic microorg...

With the idea of summarizing the outcomes of studies focusing on the resistance induced by Trichoderma spp. against Botrytis cinerea in tomato, the present paper shows, for the first time, results of a meta-analysis performed on studies published from 2010 to 2021 concerning the cross-talk occurring in the tomato–Trichoderma-B. cinerea system. Star...

The ninth International Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurements Techniques was organized by CNR-IBE in collaboration with Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, and Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean and under the patronage of University of Florence, Accademia dei Lincei, Accademia dei Ge...

In forest environments, the spread of pathogens compromises the ecosystem stability affecting biodiversity and forest services. A new frontier to successfully control forest pathogens is the application of locally selected biocontrol agents (BCAs). In Italy, the project LIFE MycoRestore is dealing with the biocontrol of the causal agent of Ink Dise...

Colletotrichum is a fungal genus (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Glomerellaceae) that includes many economically important plant pathogens that cause devastating diseases of a wide range of plants. In this work, using a combination of long- and short-read sequencing technologies, we sequenced the genome of Colletotrichum lupini RB221, isolated from w...

Plant diseases represent a major constraint on agricultural production. Finding sustainable novel means for their control is an important challenge. The ever‐increasing knowledge and understanding of plant–microbe interactions has led to several ingenious transgenic approaches to combat disease. The first transgenic disease resistant plants express...

Plant diseases represent a major constraint on agricultural production. Finding sustainable novel means for their control is a major challenge. The ever increasing knowledge and understanding of plant microbe interactions has led to several ingenious transgenic approaches to combat disease. The first transgenic disease resistant plants expressed si...

Questo volume, coordinato dal Prof. Giovanni Vannacci dell'Università di Pisa, presenta le più aggiornate conoscenze scientifiche e tecniche su organismi patogeni e malattie delle piante, metodologie diagnostiche e strategie di difesa. La trattazione generale è seguita da una raccolta di Schede in cui sono discussi esempi di malattie importanti in...

The Biolog® Phenotype MicroArrays™ (PM) system offers a simple and cheap tool to rapidly providing a high throughput of information about the phenotypes of fungal isolates in a short lapse of time. In order to improve the use of the PM system in fungal ecology studies, in the present work we propose a new statistical protocol based on two approache...

Despite the interest on fungi as eukaryotic model systems, the molecular mechanisms regulating the fungal non-self-recognition at a distance have not been studied so far. This paper investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating the cross-talk at a distance between two filamentous fungi, Trichoderma gamsii and Fusarium graminearum which establish...

Aquatic ecosystems represent one of the largest reservoirs of phytoplankton accounting for most of the primary production of the Earth. The Lake Massaciuccoli located in Tuscany (Italy) is one of the largest swamps that in ancient times entirely covered the Versilia coastal plain. Despite its peculiar features, especially the eutrophic characterist...

Trichoderma gamsii T6085 has been investigated for many years as a beneficial isolate for use in the biocontrol of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat caused primarily by Fusarium graminearum. Previous work focused on application of T6085 to wheat spikes at anthesis, whereas application to soil before and/or at sowing has received limited attention...

Trichoderma is a fungal genus comprising species used as biocontrol agents in crop plant protection and with high value for industry. The beneficial effects of these species are supported by the secondary metabolites they produce. Terpenoid compounds are key players in the interaction of Trichoderma spp. with the environment and with their fungal a...

Mycotoxigenic fungi and pests are responsible for quality losses during medium to long-term storage of grain. Since gas composition is considered one of the most important abiotic conditions that influence fungal and pest growth, the use of a controlled atmosphere with a very high N2 concentration is a valid tool to control grain quality in post-ha...

Paraphaeosphaeria genus includes plant pathogens or biocontrol agents, as well as bioremediators and endophytic fungi. Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa 10515 was isolated in 2013 as an endophyte of Festuca spp. collected on Mount Etna at 1832 m above the sea level. Here we present the first draft whole-genome sequence of a P. sporulosa endophytic isolat...

Blowfly, Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is a problematic synanthropic insect pest, a vector of microbial pathogens, and the causal agent of secondary myasis. Fungal biopesticides are considered eco-friendly tools, alternative to synthetic pesticides, for the control of arthropod pests; however, to date, little is known about their bioac...

Colletotrichum lupini: is the causal agent of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) anthracnose, a destructive seed-borne disease affecting stems and pods. Despite that several biological studies have been carried out on this pathogen, the production of secondary metabolites has not yet been investigated. Thus, a strain of C. lupini, obtained from symptomatic...

The growing world population requires an efficient management and control of diseases in crop production to guarantee both food security and safety (FAO, 2018; Sarrocco and Vannacci, 2018). The development of the so called NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) techniques has been positively welcomed as a new tool for understanding the nature of plant di...

Crop plants are continuously under attack by many pathogens, both during pre and post-harvest stages, often causing economically important food losses. Chemical treatments pose a serious treat to human health and the environment, and there is therefore a pressing need to develop more effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly tools for dis...

Among plant fungal diseases, those affecting cereals represent a huge problem in terms of food security and safety. Cereals, such as maize and wheat, are very often targets of mycotoxigenic fungi. The limited availability of chemical plant protection products and physical methods to control mycotoxigenic fungi and to reduce food and feed mycotoxin...

Background: The growing importance of the ubiquitous fungal genus Trichoderma (Hypocreales, Ascomycota) requires understanding of its biology and evolution. Many Trichoderma species are used as biofertilizers and biofungicides and T. reesei is the model organism for industrial production of cellulolytic enzymes. In addition, some highly opportunis...

Trichoderma gamsii T6085 was used in combination with a Fusarium oxysporum isolate (7121) in order to evaluate, in a multitrophic approach, their competitive ability against F. graminearum, one of the main causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat. The two antagonists and the pathogen were coinoculated on two different natural substrates...

Background Fungal pathogens are the main factors responsible for the most severe diseases affecting plants, leading to significant reduction in yield and crop quality and causing enormous economic losses worldwide. It is estimated that around 30% of the emerging di seases are caused by fungi (Giraud et al., 2010) thus requiring new strategies to im...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01598.].

Phenolic compounds represent a large class of secondary metabolites, involved in multiple functions not only in plant life cycle, but also in fruit during post-harvest. phenolics play a key role in the response to biotic and abiotic stresses, thus their accumulation is regulated by the presence of environmental stimuli. The present work aimed to in...

L'Informatore Agrario n.33/2018 -pag. 45-48

Juglans regia (walnut) is a species belonging to the family Juglandaceae. Broadly spread in diverse temperate and subtropical regions, walnut is primarily cultivated for its nuts. In France, Colletotrichum sp. on walnut was detected for the first time in 2007; in 2011 the disease led to 50–70% losses in nut production. A combined approach of metaba...

The article Geosmithia-Ophiostoma: a New Fungus-Fungus Association, written by Alessia L. Pepori, Priscilla P. Bettini, Cecilia Comparini, Sabrina Sarrocco, Anna Bonini, Arcangela Frascella, Luisa Ghelardini, & Aniello Scala, Giovanni Vannacci, Alberto Santini.

Colletotrichum orchidophilum is a plant-pathogenic fungus infecting a wide range of plant species belonging to the family Orchidaceae. In addition to its economic impact, C. orchidophilum has been used in recent years in evolutionary studies because it represents the closest related species to the C. acutatum species complex. Here, we present the f...

In Europe as in North America, elms are devastated by Dutch elm disease (DED), caused by the alien ascomycete Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. Pathogen dispersal and transmission are ensured by local species of bark beetles, which established a novel association with the fungus. Elm bark beetles also transport the Geosmithia fungi genus that is found in scoly...

Durante lo stoccaggio molti fattori biotici e abiotici possono compromettere la qualità e la salubrità delle derrate alimentari; i cereali in particolare risultano soggetti all’attacco di insetti infestanti e di funghi micotossigeni. Il presente lavoro ha avuto l’obiettivo di testare il contenimento di tali avversità mediante l’utilizzo di un siste...

The medfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera Tephritidae), is a major insect pest affecting fruit production worldwide whose control is mainly based on the use of protein baits laced with chemical insecticides. Entomopathogenic fungi are wellknown to be effective against a wide spectrum of insect pests and are commonly utilized in integrated...

Fusarium graminearum is among the main causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB), or scab, of wheat and other cereals, caused by a complex of Fusarium species, worldwide. Besides causing economic losses in terms of crop yield and quality, F. graminearum poses a severe threat to animal and human health. Here, we present the first draft whole-genom...

The continuous pursuit of food quality, the need to feed an increasing global population and the legislative requirement to reduce the input of chemicals in the environment and in agriculture are seen as a very pressing "sword of Damocles", all highlighting the importance of the discovery and development of alternative strategies to guarantee food...

Many biotic factors, such as mycotoxigenic fungi and pests, can affect cereals quality during storage. The use of modified atmosphere with low O2 concentration replaced by N2 is a promising tool to control mycotoxigenic fungi and pests during post-harvest. Aim of the present work is to evaluate (in a system patented by Eurosider sas) the effect of...

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the most important diseases of wheat, causing losses in yield and quality, this last due to mycotoxins production by the main causal agent Fusarium graminearum (FG). The early detection and control of trichothecene-producing Fusarium spp. is crucial to prevent toxins entering in the food chain. Biocontrol of FHB...

Genome editing of filamentous fungi through the CRISPR-Cas9 technology has increased in recent years. Actually, there are few reports about CRISPR-engineered filamentous fungi related to biocontrol and crop plant pathology. Our goal was to use this technique as a proof of concept of its feasibility to edit the genome of a Trichoderma afro-harzianum...

In October 2016, rotting grape berries were detected on grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in Livorno (Nugola, Tuscany, Italy). Symptoms on grape berry skins varied from circular brown spots to rotting fruits. Both berries and petioles were covered with creamy salmon-colored masses of conidia. Rotten grape berries lost turgor and turned into ‘mummies’ over...

Trichoderma spp. are opportunistic fungi some of which are commonly present in the rhizosphere. Several species, such as Trichoderma virens, are also efficient biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi and exert beneficial effects on plants. These effects are the consequence of interactions between Trichoderma and plant roots, which trigger e...

Aim of this work was to apply a screening procedure to select one or more antagonistic Trichoderma isolates effective against Fusarium wilting of wild rocket in experimental glasshouse conditions set up to simulate real farming environment.

Background Many species belonging to the genus Colletotrichum cause anthracnose disease on a wide range of plant species. In addition to their economic impact, the genus Colletotrichum is a useful model for the study of the evolution of host specificity, speciation and reproductive behaviors. Genome projects of Colletotrichum species have already o...

Herbivorous mammal dung supports a large variety of fimicolous fungi able to produce different bioactive secondary metabolites to compete with other organisms. Recently, the organic extracts of the Solid State Fermentation (SSF) cultures of Cleistothelebolus nipigonensis and Neogymnomyces virgineus, showing strong antifungal activity, were prelimin...