title: Fungi associated with rocks of the Atacama Desert: taxonomy, distribution, diversity, ecology and bioprospection for bioactive compounds.
abstract: This study assessed the diversity of cultivable rock-associated fungi from Atacama Desert. A total of 81 fungal isolates obtained were identified as 29 Ascomycota taxa by sequencing different regions of DNA. Cladosporium halotolerans, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium cf. citrinum were the most frequent species, which occur at least in four different altitudes. The diversity and similarity indices ranged in the fungal communities across the latitudinal gradient. The Fisher-α index displayed the higher values for the fungal communities obtained from the siltstone and fine matrix of pyroclastic rocks with finer grain size, which are more degraded. A total of 23 fungal extracts displayed activity against the different targets screened. The extract of P. chrysogenum afforded the compounds α-linolenic acid and ergosterol endoperoxide, which were active against Cryptococcus neoformans and methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Our study represents the first report of a new habitat of fungi associated with rocks of the Atacama Desert and indicated the presence of interesting fungal community, including species related with saprobes, parasite/pathogen and mycotoxigenic taxa. The geological characteristics of the rocks, associated with the presence of rich resident/resilient fungal communities suggests that the rocks may provide a favourable microenvironment fungal colonization, survival and dispersal in extreme conditions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vívian N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Oxford, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cantrell
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Oxford, MS, USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wedge
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Geografia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron (LNLS), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3265-2527
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galante
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia M A
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Policarpo A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murta
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.|Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alvaro J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Romanha
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emerson C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erna G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Kroon
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ-MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jaquelline G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Department and Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
authors.forename: Benito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gomez-Silva
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Department and Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galetovic
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002677:Chile; D002963:Cladosporium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects*; D003889:Desert Climate; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010407:Penicillium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*