Some Lichens of Tropical Africa. II. Usnea

Fungus-specific SSR markers in the Antarctic lichens Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota)1

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra (Parmeliaceae) are common lichens in the maritime Antarctic. These species share the same habitats on King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) and are distinguishable based on reproductive strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS We developed 23 fungus-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that cross-amplify between the...

Some recent studies on the metabolites of fungi and lichens.

Various anthraquinonoid colouring matters grouped into (a) monomeric anthraquinones, (b) bianthraquinones and (c) modified bianthraquinones were isolated from Pen icillium islandicum, P. rugulosum, and other fungi. The unusual cagelike structures of hepatotoxic luteoskyrin, (—)rubroskyrin, (+ )rugulosin and their analogues are elucidated. The absolute stereochemical structures of these fungal c...

Cardiomegaly in tropical Africa.

The term "cardiomegaly" is found in 5-7% of chest X-ray film evaluations in tropical Africa. However, "cardiomegaly" is a descriptive term, devoid of any aetiological meaning. Therefore, providing information about the aetiological factors leading to heart enlargement in a group of Africans (Nigerians) was the purpose of this study. In the years 2002-2011, 170 subjects (aged 17-80 years, mean a...

Bilharziasis in tropical Africa.

Lichens

What are lichens? The term lichen refers to a symbiotic association between a filamentous fungus, the ‘mycobiont’, and at least one photosynthetic organism, the ‘photobiont’, consisting of a micro alga, a cyanobacterium, or both (Figure 1). Although the symbiotic nature of lichens was first revealed in 1867, the development of a lichen thallus is often so integrated (Figure 1D) that they have b...