Dutch elm disease (DED) is a destructive tracheomycosis caused by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi , an ascomycete probably originating in East-Asia that devastating natural populations throughout Europe, North America and Asia. The fungus mainly spread bark beetles complete their life cycle between healthy diseased elms. Recently, it has been highlighted some fungi of the genus Geosmithia which are simila...

Microbial modification of starch with Ophiostoma spp. was investigated, with the purpose of developing a novel packaging material for the food or pharmaceutical industries. Various starch sources, such as tapioca, potato, corn, rice and amylopectin were tested as raw materials. The initial screening demonstrated that tapioca and potato starch had better performance for biopolymer production. Th...

BACKGROUND The ascomycete Ophiostoma piceae produces a sterol esterase (OPE) with high affinity towards p-nitrophenol, glycerol and sterol esters. Its hydrolytic activity on natural mixtures of triglycerides and sterol esters has been proposed for pitch biocontrol in paper industry since these compounds produce important economic losses during paper pulp manufacture. RESULTS Recently, this en...

Forest decline is a significant issue affecting critical ecosystem processes worldwide. Here, we describe mortality in Pinus sylvestris L. monitored trees caused by the inhabitation of pine bark beetles (Tomicus minor Hart.) symbiosis with ophiostomatoid fungi (Ophiostoma piceae (Munch) H. et P. Sydow) infection forest-steppe central Siberia. Stem sap flow (Q) and stem diameter fluctuations (dR...