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2013 APS Annual Meeting Abstract

 

Poster Session: Mycology

65-P

Nutritional capability and substrate suitability of psychrophilic species of Geomyces from the United States.
D. B. RAUDABAUGH (1), D. L. Lindner (2), A. Porras-Alfaro (3), A. N. Miller (4)
(1) Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, U.S.A.; (2) U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Center for Forest Mycology Research, Madison, WI, U.S.A.; (3) Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, U.S.A.; (4) Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, U.S.A.

Geomyces destructans, the causal agent of Bat White Nose Syndrome, was first discovered in New York State in 2006 and has been implicated in the deaths of nearly six million bats as its distribution continues to spread throughout the United States and Canada. Recently, numerous Geomyces species have been isolated directly from bats and from cave soil. The objective of this research is to understand the nutritional capabilities (carbons and nitrogen) and substrate suitability (water potential) for the various Geomyces species to ascertain biological and reservoir requirements. Currently thirty-three Geomyces isolates, including three Geomyces destructans isolates, are being assayed for various enzymatic activities including lipases, esterases, proteinase, chitinase, keratinase, and cellulases. Preliminary data indicate that only 36% of the Geomyces isolates demonstrated chitinase activity within four weeks, and several isolates displayed keratinase activity at pH 10.8. All isolates demonstrated varying degrees of lipase, esterase, gelatinase, and β-glucosidase activity as well as Class 2 nitrogen utilization with increased growth on all sole nitrogen sources (urea, nitrate, nitrite, L-alanine, and ammonium) at pH 7 to pH 8. The majority of Geomyces isolates (60%) appeared to be intolerant to matric-induced water stress with maximum growth between -1.0 MPa and -1.75 MPa, which is typical of most soil fungi.

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