Fungal Genomics & Biology
Open Access
ISSN: 2165-8056
ISSN: 2165-8056
Eviatar Nevo
Institute of Evolution,
Mount Carmel, Haifa
Israel
Mini Review
Evolution under Ecological Stress: Fungal Divergent Adaptive Melanization at Evolution Canyons in Israel
Author(s): Eviatar NevoEviatar Nevo
Environmental stress, both biotic and antibiotic, is a major driving force of evolution. I revisit our earlier study on the effects of solar radiation on melanin concentration in the soil fungus Aspergillus niger, at Evolution Canyon I (EC I), Mount Carmel, the first and most explored of four Evolution Canyons, investigated in Israel. The Evolution "Canyon" model is a microsite, optimal for studying biodiversity evolution, adaptation and incipient sympatric ecological speciation. At AC I, the tropical African (AS), south facing slope (SFS) receives 200-800% more solar radiation than the temperate European slope. We measured conidial melanin concentration of 80 strains of A. niger from the opposite slopes and from sunny versus shady micro niches in each slope. A. niger on AS had threefold more melanin than on the ES. As expected, AS strains of A. niger resisted UVA irradiation better t.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2165-8056.1000149