Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples
The Bay of Naples, Italy, is renowned for its archaeological heritage. However, this heritage is threatened by the combination of weathering and the biological activity of microorganisms. Fungi are among the major agents of microbial deterioration of cultural heritage since they can cause cracks and...
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4327 |
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| author | Mariagioia Petraretti Karl J. Duffy Angelo Del Mondo Antonino Pollio Antonino De Natale |
| author_facet | Mariagioia Petraretti Karl J. Duffy Angelo Del Mondo Antonino Pollio Antonino De Natale |
| author_sort | Mariagioia Petraretti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Bay of Naples, Italy, is renowned for its archaeological heritage. However, this heritage is threatened by the combination of weathering and the biological activity of microorganisms. Fungi are among the major agents of microbial deterioration of cultural heritage since they can cause cracks and lesions in monuments due to the penetrating force of their hyphae. Such biodeterioration may weaken the stone structures and threaten the longevity of these culturally important monuments. To address this, we collected, identified, and maintained in culture filamentous fungi that colonize the external surface of monuments at five important archaeological sites near Naples, namely Cuma, Ercolano, Nola, Oplonti, and Pompei. We isolated a total of 27 fungal taxa, all of which can be cultivated in the laboratory, and form a part of our reference collection. Many of the described fungal taxa we found belong to groups that are involved in stone biodeterioration and can thus be considered as model organisms for in vitro studies. These results emphasize the importance of identifying and cultivating fungal stock cultures for non-invasive studies on biodeterioration. Our newly developed reference collection represents a useful resource that is available to other researchers to rapidly identify potentially hazardous fungi on other monuments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:32:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-660264699e4143fc9e3f99cb43bb2679 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:32:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-660264699e4143fc9e3f99cb43bb26792023-11-21T19:05:56ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-05-011110432710.3390/app11104327Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of NaplesMariagioia Petraretti0Karl J. Duffy1Angelo Del Mondo2Antonino Pollio3Antonino De Natale4Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Napoli, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Napoli, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Napoli, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Napoli, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Napoli, ItalyThe Bay of Naples, Italy, is renowned for its archaeological heritage. However, this heritage is threatened by the combination of weathering and the biological activity of microorganisms. Fungi are among the major agents of microbial deterioration of cultural heritage since they can cause cracks and lesions in monuments due to the penetrating force of their hyphae. Such biodeterioration may weaken the stone structures and threaten the longevity of these culturally important monuments. To address this, we collected, identified, and maintained in culture filamentous fungi that colonize the external surface of monuments at five important archaeological sites near Naples, namely Cuma, Ercolano, Nola, Oplonti, and Pompei. We isolated a total of 27 fungal taxa, all of which can be cultivated in the laboratory, and form a part of our reference collection. Many of the described fungal taxa we found belong to groups that are involved in stone biodeterioration and can thus be considered as model organisms for in vitro studies. These results emphasize the importance of identifying and cultivating fungal stock cultures for non-invasive studies on biodeterioration. Our newly developed reference collection represents a useful resource that is available to other researchers to rapidly identify potentially hazardous fungi on other monuments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4327fungiex situ collectionbiodeteriorationbiodegradationcultural heritage |
| spellingShingle | Mariagioia Petraretti Karl J. Duffy Angelo Del Mondo Antonino Pollio Antonino De Natale Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples Applied Sciences fungi ex situ collection biodeterioration biodegradation cultural heritage |
| title | Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples |
| title_full | Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples |
| title_fullStr | Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples |
| title_short | Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples |
| title_sort | community composition and ex situ cultivation of fungi associated with unesco heritage monuments in the bay of naples |
| topic | fungi ex situ collection biodeterioration biodegradation cultural heritage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4327 |
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