The DOI matches its Crossref record; 38 of the 42 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 14 of the 67 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Ionizing radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin
Open accessAbstract
Life on Earth has always existed in the flux of ionizing radiation. However, fungi seem to interact with the ionizing radiation differently from other inhabitants of the Earth. Recent data show that melanized fungal species like those from Chernobyl's reactor respond to ionizing radiation with enhanced growth. Fungi colonize space stations and adapt morphologically to extreme conditions. Radiation exposure causes upregulation of many key genes, and an inducible microhomology-mediated recombination pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes. The discovery of melanized organisms in high radiation environments, the space stations, Antarctic mountains, and in the reactor cooling water combined with phenomenon of 'radiotropism' raises the tantalizing possibility that melanins have functions analogous to other energy harvesting pigments such as chlorophylls.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This review argues that melanized fungi can not only survive ionizing radiation but in some cases respond to it with directed growth or faster growth, possibly through melanin-mediated energy transduction and radioprotection. It synthesizes environmental, space, and laboratory evidence and proposes mechanisms while noting methodological caveats in some radiotropism studies.
Key findings
- Melanized fungi occupy extreme radiation environments, including Chernobyl reactor surfaces and cooling water, Antarctic/Arctic sites, and spacecraft. In Israel’s “Evolution Canyon,” the south-facing slope receives 200–800% more solar radiation, and *Aspergillus niger* there contains three times more melanin; isolates from that slope grew faster after exposure to up to 4,000 Gy of ⁶⁰Co radiation than north-slope isolates.
- Chernobyl-associated fungi showed “radiotropism”: across 27 fungus–radiation interactions, 18 (66.7%) displayed positive growth toward the radiation source, with significant directed growth to a ¹⁰⁹Cd source for several isolates. Later work reported radiation-promoted spore germination, or “radiostimulation,” and a “radioadaptive response” only for fungi from contaminated regions, though the authors note possible technical limitations.
- Irradiation changed melanin’s electron spin resonance signal, and irradiated melanin showed a fourfold greater capacity to reduce NADH. Melanized *Cryptococcus neoformans*, *Wangiella dermatitidis*, and *Cladosporium sphaerospermum* showed increased metabolic activity or growth after radiation about 500 times background, including threefold greater ¹⁴C-acetate incorporation; melanin’s protective effects were attributed to free-radical quenching and its spherical arrangement.
- Yeast studies linked radiation responses to cell-cycle, DNA-processing, repair, recombination, and stress genes. A microhomology-mediated recombination pathway induced by 50 Gy gamma-rays in *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* was proposed as a possible route to adaptive evolution, but the authors consider it unlikely to explain rapid growth effects in irradiated melanized fungi.
Methods
- Narrative review synthesizing published studies on fungi in high-radiation environments, spacecraft, melanin–radiation interactions, and genetic responses to radiation; no new primary experiments are reported.
- Evidence discussed includes Chernobyl isolates, ⁶⁰Co exposures up to 4,000 Gy, collimated ³²P and ¹⁰⁹Cd beams, ¹²¹Sn and ¹³⁷Cs sources, International Space Station surveys, a 7-month open-space exposure, melanin ESR/HPLC assays, XTT/MTT metabolic assays, CFU/dry-weight/¹⁴C-acetate measurements, and yeast microarray and recombination studies.
- Main analysis is qualitative synthesis and hypothesis generation rather than systematic review or meta-analysis.
Limitations
- Stated by the authors: later radiotropism/radiostimulation studies used radioactive sources roughly 1,000-fold less active than earlier work, possibly too weak to stimulate hyphal growth; low-energy ¹²¹Sn and ¹³⁷Cs beta particles may have been absorbed by the Petri dish, meaning actual doses could have been overestimated.
- Evident from the text: as a review, it lacks a systematic search strategy, formal quality appraisal, or meta-analysis, and many conclusions depend on cited studies with varied organisms, radiation sources, and endpoints.
- Evident from the text: the proposal that melanin acts like an energy-harvesting pigment analogous to chlorophyll is explicitly speculative and requires future experimental testing.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
14 of 67 cited sources checked · 11 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Recent data show that melanized fungal species like those from Chernobyl’s reactor respond to ionizing radiation with enhanced growth.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > Abstract
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [25] source
The Results identify C. sphaerospermum as a dominant species inhabiting the damaged Chernobyl reactor and report increased growth of its melanized colonies under radiation. The Abstract also reports radiation-enhanced growth in melanized fungal species. Page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.92)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Aspergillus niger which contain 3 times more melanin than the same species from the north-facing slope (10).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING ENVIRONMENTS WITH HIGH RADIATION LEVELS
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [10] source
The Results (Melanin concentration) report that mean conidial melanin in A. niger strains from the sunny slope was about three times that in strains from the shady slope. The Site description identifies these as the south-facing and north-facing slopes, respectively; page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“It has two slopes - north facing “European” slope and south-facing “African” slope with the latter receiving 200–800% higher solar radiation than the north slope”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING ENVIRONMENTS WITH HIGH RADIATION LEVELS
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [10] source
The Introduction explicitly says that Evolution Canyon’s south-facing “African” slope receives 200–800% higher solar radiation than its north-facing “European” slope. The Abstract (Background) repeats the same comparison. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“being populated by many species of melanized fungi such Aspergillus niger which contain 3 times more melanin than the same species from the north-facing slope (10).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING ENVIRONMENTS WITH HIGH RADIATION LEVELS
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [10] source
The Discussion (page unavailable) says melanic fungi were prevalent in sunny habitats on the south-facing African slopes. The Introduction identifies Aspergillus niger as the fungus studied on those slopes, and the Results report about threefold higher mean melanin concentration in its south-slope strains than in north-slope strains. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Chan et al. studied MHMR in S. cerevisiae irradiated with 50 Gy gamma-rays (35) and showed that a DSB-induced genome-wide MHMR pathway could lead to large-scale genomic rearrangements after a single DSB end invades another genomic location.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > GENETIC EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [35] source
The Results and γ-Irradiation Methods report exposing yeast cells to 50 Gy of γ-rays. The Discussion states that DSBs induce a genome-wide MHMR pathway and says it is plausible that this pathway could cause large-scale genomic rearrangements after a single DSB end invades another genomic location. The citing sentence preserves that possibility rather than claiming the rearrangements were observed. (LLM, conf=0.94)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Irradiated melanin manifested a 4-fold increase in its capacity to reduce NADH relative to non-irradiated melanin.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [25] source
The Abstract states the claim verbatim. The Results section reports that 40 minutes of irradiation produced a fourfold increase in the velocity of the NADH/ferricyanide coupled reaction compared with non-irradiated melanin. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“radiation enhanced the growth of melanized C. sphaerospermum cells under limited nutrients conditions.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [25] source
The Results section reports that irradiated melanized C. sphaerospermum colonies grew more than controls both with limited sucrose and without sucrose. It concludes that irradiated melanized cells experienced increased growth even under starvation conditions. (LLM, conf=0.94)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
In the paper
“Radiation exposure causes upregulation of many key genes, and an inducible microhomology-mediated recombination pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [30] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“many fungi, especially melanized ones are very radioresistant, with LD10 values approaching or exceeding 1 kGy (Table 1).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > COMPARATIVE RADIOSENSITIVITY OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Table 1
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
In the paper
“melanized fungal species are found in the so-called reactor cooling pool water.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING ENVIRONMENTS WITH HIGH RADIATION LEVELS
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [13]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Not matched
- Probably not a substantial claim. 5
- It may state two separate claims as one. 17
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“an inducible microhomology-mediated recombination pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > Abstract
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [35] source
The Discussion explicitly proposes that an inducible MHMR pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes. The claim preserves the paper’s tentative wording. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is considered the most radioresistant microorganism known with an LD10 for some strains approaching 15 kGy (14).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > COMPARATIVE RADIOSENSITIVITY OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [14] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Background reports D. radiodurans with D10 ≈ 15 kGy and describes it as a model for studying radiation resistance. It does not establish that it is the most radioresistant microorganism known; the Background also gives D. geothermalis a D10 of approximately 15 kGy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Melanized W. dermatitidis and C. neoformans cells exposed to ionizing radiation approximately 500 times higher than background grew significantly faster as indicated by higher CFUs, more dry weight biomass and 3-fold greater incorporation of 14C-acetate than non-irradiated melanized cells or irradiated albino mutants.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [25] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“ionizing irradiation changed the electron spin resonance (ESR) signal of melanin, consistent with changes in electronic structure (25).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [25] source
The Methodology/Principal Findings passage states the claim directly. The Results section reports a large change in the ESR signal after irradiation, and the Discussion interprets ESR amplitude changes as evidence of altered electronic structure. No page numbers are provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“They concluded that inducible MHMR pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > GENETIC EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [35] source
In the Discussion, the authors explicitly propose that an inducible MHMR pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptive evolution in eukaryotes. The citing sentence preserves the proposal’s tentative wording. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“The observations that melanized fungal cells manifested increased growth relative to non-melanized cells after exposure to ionizing radiation raised the intriguing possibility that melanin can function in energy capture and utilization (25).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [25] source
The Results section reports that irradiated melanized colonies grew more than irradiated melanin-deficient cells. The Discussion cautiously suggests that melanin may allow fungi to harness radiation for metabolic energy, matching the citing sentence’s description of a possibility rather than an established mechanism. (LLM, conf=0.94)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“These observations might explain the radioadaptive response in fungi described by Zhdanova group (18–20), but are an unlikely explanation for the enhanced growth effects of irradiated melanized organisms, which responded within hours.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > GENETIC EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [18] source
- Not matchedcites [19]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [20] source
- Partly supportedcites [35] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports an inducible radiation-related recombination process in yeast and proposes that it could contribute to adaptive evolution under genotoxic stress. It does not examine the radioadaptive response reported by the Zhdanova group or the within-hours growth of irradiated melanized organisms; those comparisons are the citing authors’ interpretation. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Fungi colonize space stations and adapt morphologically to extreme conditions.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [24]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“When melanin ‘ghosts’ isolated from melanized cells were crushed - they lost much of their radioprotective shielding properties indicating that the spherical arrangement of melanin particles in the hollow shell contributed to radioprotection.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [29] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Non-melanized C. neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum are highly resistant to radiation but the presence of melanin further enhanced survival at higher doses.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [29] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Melanized fungi inhabit some remarkably extreme environments on the planet including Arctic and Antarctic regions and high altitude terrains, with the latter habitats being characterized by the naturally occurring higher radiation levels than lower altitudes (9).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING ENVIRONMENTS WITH HIGH RADIATION LEVELS
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [9] source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Contrary to their previous results (17) they observed the “radiostimulation” only for the species from contaminated regions but not for isolates from the clean areas. They named this phenomenon “radioadaptive response”.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > RADIOTROPISM OF CHERNOBYL-ASSOCIATED FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [18] source
- Not matchedcites [19]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“A remarkable aspect of melanins is their ability to absorb all types of electromagnetic radiation (36) which endows them with the capacity for both energy transduction and shielding.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > MELANINS AND RADIATION IN PERSPECTIVE
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [36] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The survey of the environmental contamination on board of the International Space Station (ISS) revealed many fungal species on the surfaces and in the air (Table 2) with Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Saccharomyces sp. being the most dominant genera among fungi.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING THE SPACE CRAFT
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [22] source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“We concluded that melanin protected fungi against ionizing radiation and its radioprotective properties were a function of its chemical composition, free radical quenching and spherical spatial arrangement (29).”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > SUGGESTED MECHANISM OF RADIATION ENERGY UTILIZATION BY FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [29] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“the activity of the radioactive sources used in the later studies (18–20) was approximately 1,000 lower than used in earlier work (17) which might have been insufficient to promote the hyphal growth.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > RADIOTROPISM OF CHERNOBYL-ASSOCIATED FUNGI
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“the beta particles from 137Cs might have been absorbed by the material of the Petri dish with the fungi as the collimated beam was coming from beneath and thus have not contributed to the actual radiation doses which could have been overestimated.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > RADIOTROPISM OF CHERNOBYL-ASSOCIATED FUNGI
What the sources say
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The levels of ionizing radiation that these fungi encounter in the space stations – approximately 4 cGy per year (23) are not fungicidal (4–7, 13) and allow fungi to thrive provided the humidity levels are sufficient.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING THE SPACE CRAFT
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [23]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [4] source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [5] source
- Not matchedcites [6]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [7]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [13]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Altogether 27 responses of interactions between fungal isolates and radiation source were investigated. Of these, 18 (66.7%) showed positive stimulation of growth towards the radiation source (low mean return angle), and eight showed no response.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > RADIOTROPISM OF CHERNOBYL-ASSOCIATED FUNGI
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [17] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“the polysaccharide capsule and melanin layer in P. expansum were significantly increased in comparison with control samples, as well the numbers of mitochondria and vacuoles in space-exposed fungi were much higher than in controls.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING THE SPACE CRAFT
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [24]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“many of the microorganisms inhabiting the space station – both bacteria and fungi – were found to be pigmented or melanized, which hints at the usefulness of pigments presence in those cells under the extreme conditions.”
§ Ionizing Radiation: how fungi cope, adapt, and exploit with the help of melanin > FUNGI INHABITING THE SPACE CRAFT
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
Citations
Cites
The physical and chemical properties of eumelanin
Meredith, P., & Sarna, T. (2006) · Pigment Cell Research · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0749.2006.00345.x · Cited by 1,033 · cited 1×
“A remarkable aspect of melanins is their ability to absorb all types of electromagnetic radiation [36] that endows them with the capacity for both energy transduction and shielding.”
BackgroundCold adaptation in Arctic and Antarctic fungi
Robinson, C. H. (2001) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00177.x · Cited by 520 · cited 1×
“Fungi inhabiting environments with high radiation levels Melanized fungi inhabit some remarkably extreme environments on the planet including Arctic and Antarctic regions and high altitude terrains, with the latter habitats being characterized by the naturally occurring higher radiation levels than those at lower alti…”
BackgroundDadachova, E., Bryan, R. A., Huang, X., Moadel, T., Schweitzer, A. D., Aisen, P., Nosanchuk, J. D., & Casadevall, A. (2007) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000457 · Cited by 463
Self-citationGenes required for ionizing radiation resistance in yeast
Bennett, C. B., Lewis, L. K., Karthikeyan, G., Lobachev, K. S., Jin, Y. H., Sterling, J. F., Snipe, J. R., & Resnick, M. A. (2001) · Nature Genetics · doi:10.1038/ng778 · Cited by 328 · cited 1×
“cerevisiae are actually responsible for resistance to ionizing radiation and found that many of these genes were responsible for such important functions such as repair (RAD50, RAD51), recombination (HRP1), chromosome stability (CHL1, CTF4), endocytosis (VID21), ubiquitin degradation (GRR1), transcription (BUR2), and…”
BackgroundSurvey of environmental biocontamination on board the International Space Station
Novikova, N., De Boever, P., Poddubko, S., Deshevaya, E., Polikarpov, N., Rakova, N., Coninx, I., & Mergeay, M. (2006) · Research in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.resmic.2005.07.010 · Cited by 251
Dadachova, E., Bryan, R. A., Howell, R. C., Schweitzer, A. D., Aisen, P., Nosanchuk, J. D., & Casadevall, A. (2008) · Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research · doi:10.1111/j.1755-148x.2007.00430.x · Cited by 182
Self-citationPrinciples and Practice of Nuclear Medicine
Early, P., & Sodee, D. B. (1995) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 172
Fungi and ionizing radiation from radionuclides
Dighton, J., Tugay, T. I., & Zhdanova, N. N. (2008) · FEMS Microbiology Letters · doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01076.x · Cited by 158
Ionizing radiation attracts soil fungi
Zhdanova, N. N., Tugay, T., Dighton, J., Zheltonozhsky, V., & Mcdermott, P. (2004) · Mycological Research · doi:10.1017/s0953756204000966 · Cited by 133 · cited 3×
“Contrary to their previous results [17] they observed the ‘radiostimulation’ only for the species from contaminated regions but not for isolates from the clean areas.”
BackgroundMethodResultSingaravelan, N., Grishkan, I., Beharav, A., Wakamatsu, K., Ito, S., & Nevo, E. (2008) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002993 · Cited by 129
Flagged first, then by citations
4 of the 42 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Zhdanova, 1994, Tropism of soil micromycetes under the influence of ionizing radiation, Mycologiya i Fitopatologiya, 28, 8
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Based Nanomedicine
Yang, B., Chen, Y., & Shi, J. (2019) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00626 · Cited by 2,477
The Fungal Cell Wall: Structure, Biosynthesis, and Function
Gow, N. A. R., Latge, J.-P., & Munro, C. A. (2017) · Microbiology Spectrum · doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.funk-0035-2016 · Cited by 1,423
The good viruses: viral mutualistic symbioses
Roossinck, M. J. (2011) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro2491 · Cited by 633
“, and melanin, a pigment that is associated with abiotic-stress tolerance in fung”
BackgroundMelanized Fungi in Human Disease
Revankar, S. G., & Sutton, D. A. (2010) · Clinical Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1128/cmr.00019-10 · Cited by 577
“Melanin is extremely resistant to a variety of physicochemical agents, including free radical compounds, toxic metals, desiccation, and even ionizing radiation (165, 249, 331, 795).”
BackgroundSolano, F. (2014) · New Journal of Science · doi:10.1155/2014/498276 · Cited by 598
“Those fungi colonize stations and are able to adapt morphologically to extreme conditions due to the eumelanin [199].”
BackgroundA new perspective on radiation resistance based on Deinococcus radiodurans
Daly, M. J. (2009) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro2073 · Cited by 497
“In radiation-resistant fungi and cyanobacteria, it is possible that resistance is conferred by different sorts of antioxidants, perhaps based on melani”
BackgroundMelanins and melanogenesis: from pigment cells to human health and technological applications
d’Ischia, M., Wakamatsu, K., Cicoira, F., Mauro, E. D., García-Borrón, J. C., Commo, S., Galván, I., Ghanem, G., Kenzo, K., Meredith, P., et al. (2015) · Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research · doi:10.1111/pcmr.12393 · Cited by 499
“It is relevant in this connection that after the Chernobyl disaster black and highly melanized fungi responded to ionizing radiation with enhanced growth (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundFunctions of fungal melanin beyond virulence
Cordero, R. J. B., & Casadevall, A. (2017) · Fungal Biology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.fbr.2016.12.003 · Cited by 420
“…it onto life-nurturing chemical processes (Dadachova et al., 2007; Robertson et al., 2012; Turick et al., 2003; Turick et al., 2002) (Beatty et al., 2005; Dadachova et al., 2007; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Robertson et al., 2012; Turick et al., 2003; Turick et al., 2011; Turick et al., 2002).”
BackgroundSelf-citationStrong coupling of plant and fungal community structure across western Amazonian rainforests
Peay, K., Baraloto, C., & Fine, P. V. A. (2013) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/ismej.2013.66 · Cited by 375
Paulussen, C., Hallsworth, J. E., Álvarez‐Pérez, S., Nierman, W. C., Hamill, P. G., Blain, D., Rediers, H., & Lievens, B. (2016) · Microbial Biotechnology · doi:10.1111/1751-7915.12367 · Cited by 368
“…this pigment protects against oxidative stress, ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation and high temperature by enhancing the rigidity of the cell wall (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Schmaler-Ripcke et al. , 2009; Allam and Abd El-Zaher, 2012; Upadhyay et al. , 2013; Ludwig et al. , 2014).”
BackgroundMelanosomes: Biogenesis, Properties, and Evolution of an Ancient Organelle
D’Alba, L., & Shawkey, M. D. (2018) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00059.2017 · Cited by 264
“Thus melanin protects against damaging UV rays (44, 136) and, in the fungus Cryptococcus, against gamma radiation (31, 66).”
BackgroundPhylogeny of rock-inhabiting fungi related to Dothideomycetes
Ruibal, C., Gueidan, C., Selbmann, L., Gorbushina, A. A., Crous, P. W., Groenewald, J. Z., Muggia, L., Grube, M., Isola, D., Schoch, C. L., et al. (2009) · Studies in Mycology · doi:10.3114/sim.2009.64.06 · Cited by 240
“Melanisation protects cells against UV radiations (Dadachova & Casadevall 2008), whereas the typical isodiametrical (meristematic) growth form ensures an optimal volume : surface ratio and, therefore, allows them to survive extreme temperatures and desiccation (Wollenzien et al. 1995).”
BackgroundFungi in hot and cold deserts with particular reference to microcolonial fungi
Sterflinger, K., Tesei, D., & Zakharova, K. (2012) · Fungal ecology · doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2011.12.007 · Cited by 200
Lin, J., Wang, M., Hu, H., Yang, X., Wen, B., Wang, Z., Jacobson, O., Song, J., Zhang, G., Niu, G., et al. (2016) · Advanced Materials · doi:10.1002/adma.201505700 · Cited by 196
Exploring the genomic diversity of black yeasts and relatives ( Chaetothyriales , Ascomycota )
Teixeira, M. M., Moreno, L. F., Stielow, J. B., Muszewska, A., Hainaut, M., Gonzaga, L., Abouelleil, A., Patané, J. S. L., Priest, M., de Souza, R. M., et al. (2017) · Studies in Mycology · doi:10.1016/j.simyco.2017.01.001 · Cited by 187
“Fungi growing on surfaces with direct sunlight exposure are highly adapted to cope with ionizing radiation via the constitutive presence of melanin, which acts as energy transduction molecules (Dadachova & Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundMelanin pigments of fungi under extreme environmental conditions (Review)
Гесслер, Н. Н., Егорова, А. С., & Belozerskaya, T. A. (2014) · Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology · doi:10.1134/s0003683814020094 · Cited by 179
Enzymatic Bioremediation of Organophosphate Compounds—Progress and Remaining Challenges
Thakur, M., Medintz, I. L., & Walper, S. A. (2019) · Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · doi:10.3389/fbioe.2019.00289 · Cited by 162
Egidi, E., de Hoog, S., Isola, D., et al. (2014) · Fungal Diversity · doi:10.1007/s13225-013-0277-y · Cited by 149
“2008), protecting against UV and ionizing radiation (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Selbmann et al. 2011), while meristematic growth (isodiametric cellular expansion, resulting in minimal surface/volume ratio) facilitates survival to extreme temperatures and desiccation (Wollenzien et al.”
BackgroundThe effects of natural variation in background radioactivity on humans, animals and other organisms
Møller, A. P., & Mousseau, T. A. (2012) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.2012.00249.x · Cited by 142
“This has led to speculation that these redox properties might even be used to transduce energy for cell metabolism, thereby enhancing growth (Dadachova et al., 2007; Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundThe Martian subsurface as a potential window into the origin of life
Michalski, J. R., Onstott, T. C., Mojzsis, S. J., Mustard, J. F., Chan, Q. H. S., Niles, P. B., & Johnson, S. S. (2017) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-017-0015-2 · Cited by 144
Natural Melanin: Current Trends, and Future Approaches, with Especial Reference to Microbial Source
El‐Naggar, N. E., & Saber, W. I. A. (2022) · Polymers · doi:10.3390/polym14071339 · Cited by 127
“Species of melanized fungi is another group of melanin producers that have been found to thrive in regions of high-radiation capacity as Chernobyl, and in cooling pool water of nuclear reactors, similarly, numerous laboratory investigations have shown that melanized fungi are tolerant to different levels of UV and ion…”
BackgroundInfluentialRock black fungi: excellence in the extremes, from the Antarctic to space
Selbmann, L., Zucconi, L., Isola, D., & Onofri, S. (2014) · Current Genetics · doi:10.1007/s00294-014-0457-7 · Cited by 126
Melanin Pigments of Fungi under Extreme Environmental Conditions (Review)
Гесслер, Н. Н., Егорова, А. С., & Belozerskaya, T. A. (2014) · Прикладная биохимия и микробиология · doi:10.7868/s0555109914020093 · Cited by 124
Polyextremotolerant black fungi: oligotrophism, adaptive potential, and a link to lichen symbioses
Gostinčar, C., Muggia, L., & Grube, M. (2012) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00390 · Cited by 120
“Rocks, as the most abundant natural substrate of oligotrophic black fungi, are colonized in all climatic zones, including the most hostile environments on Earth such as Antarctic dry valleys, the Atacama Desert, or high alpine habitats in the Himalayas (Onofri et al., 2007; Selbmann, pers. comm.).”
BackgroundInfluentialGueidan, C., Ruibal, C., de Hoog, S., & Schneider, H. (2011) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.04.002 · Cited by 117
Pacelli, C., Bryan, R. A., Onofri, S., Selbmann, L., Shuryak, I., & Dadachova, E. (2017) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.13681 · Cited by 114
Self-citationRadiation, radionuclides and bacteria: An in-perspective review
Shukla, A., Parmar, P., & Saraf, M. S. (2017) · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.09.013 · Cited by 111
Seager, S., Petkowski, J. J., Gao, P., Bains, W., Bryan, N. C., Ranjan, S., & Greaves, J. (2020) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2244 · Cited by 108
“…environments (they were detected in space stations, Antarctic mountains, and in the nuclear reactor cooling water) opens the possibility that fungal melanins could have functions analogous to other energy harvesting pigments such as chlorophylls in algae and plants (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
Melanin, a promising radioprotector: Mechanisms of actions in a mice model
Kunwar, A., Adhikary, B., Jayakumar, S., Barik, A., Chattopadhyay, S., Raghukumar, S., & Priyadarsini, K. I. (2012) · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.taap.2012.08.002 · Cited by 106
Artificial Allomelanin Nanoparticles
Zhou, X., McCallum, N. C., Hu, Z., Cao, W., Gnanasekaran, K., Feng, Y., Stoddart, J. F., Wang, Z., & Gianneschi, N. C. (2019) · ACS Nano · doi:10.1021/acsnano.9b02160 · Cited by 105
Advances in space microbiology
Bijlani, S., Stephens, E. N., Singh, N. K., Venkateswaran, K. J., & Wang, C. C. C. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102395 · Cited by 108
“Cryptococcus neoformans and Cladosporium sphaerospermum exhibited increased growth in the presence of ionizing radiations due to changes in melanin synthesis (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundExophiala dermatitidis: Key issues of an opportunistic fungal pathogen
Kirchhoff, L., Olsowski, M., Rath, P., & Steinmann, J. (2019) · Virulence · doi:10.1080/21505594.2019.1596504 · Cited by 98
“and its oxidation-reduction properties contribute to the gain of metabolic energy in melanized fungi [112,113].”
BackgroundRen, X., Zou, Q., Yuan, C., Chang, R., Xing, R., & Yan, X. (2019) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.201814575 · Cited by 93
Microbial applications for sustainable space exploration beyond low Earth orbit
Koehle, A. P., Brumwell, S. L., Seto, E. P., Lynch, A. M., & Urbaniak, C. (2023) · npj Microgravity · doi:10.1038/s41526-023-00285-0 · Cited by 110
No need for speed: slow development of fungi in extreme environments
Gostinčar, C., Zalar, P., & Gunde‐Cimerman, N. (2021) · Fungal Biology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.fbr.2021.11.002 · Cited by 92
Robertson, K. L., Mostaghim, A., Cuomo, C. A., Soto, C. M., Lebedev, N. N., Bailey, R. F., & Wang, Z. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048674 · Cited by 95
“Fungi are generally highly radioresistant when inhabiting environments characterized by elevated levels of ionizing radiation [1,2].”
BackgroundFungal biodiversity to biotechnology
Chambergo, F. S., & Morante, E. Y. V. (2016) · Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s00253-016-7305-2 · Cited by 97
“…mats, and plant trichomes) (Cantrell et al. 2011); and (vii) areas with naturally higher radiation levels or that are radioactively contaminated (such as space stations, Antarctic mountains, and the Chernobyl exclusion zone) (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Dighton et al. 2008; Tugay et al. 2011).”
BackgroundScalable Biosynthesis of Melanin by the Basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes
Ribera, J., Panzarasa, G., Stobbe, A., et al. (2018) · Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05071 · Cited by 87
Stress Signaling Pathways for the Pathogenicity of Cryptococcus
Bahn, Y.-S., & Jung, K.-W. (2013) · Eukaryotic Cell · doi:10.1128/ec.00218-13 · Cited by 84
“resented by its ability to survive high radiation conditions (21);”
BackgroundBeyond the extremes: Rocks as ultimate refuge for fungi in drylands
Coleine, C., Stajich, J., Rı́os, A. D. L., & Selbmann, L. (2020) · Mycologia · doi:10.1080/00275514.2020.1816761 · Cited by 86
The Fungal Cell Wall: Structure, Biosynthesis, and Function
Gow, N. A. R., Latgé, J., & Munro, C. A. (2017) · ASM Press eBooks · doi:10.1128/9781555819583.ch12 · Cited by 92
The Utility of Macroecological Rules for Microbial Biogeography
Dickey, J. R., Swenie, R. A., Turner, S., Winfrey, C. C., Yaffar, D., Padukone, A., Beals, K. K., Sheldon, K. S., & Kivlin, S. N. (2021) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.633155 · Cited by 80
Ragon, M., Restoux, G., Moreira, D., Møller, A. P., & López‐García, P. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021764 · Cited by 81
“The protective role of melanin is related to its physical shielding properties combined with the ability of quenching cytotoxic free radicals [11].”
BackgroundInfluentialMorsy, M. R., Oswald, J., He, J., et al. (2010) · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications · doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.09.034 · Cited by 80
López-Fernández, M., Jroundi, F., Ruiz-Fresneda, M. Á., & Merroun, M. L. (2020) · Microbial Biotechnology · doi:10.1111/1751-7915.13718 · Cited by 83
“In addition, these Chernobyl-associated fungi are able to harvest usable energy from forms of ionizing radiation, phenomenon termed as radiotrophism (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundThe self-organizing fractal theory as a universal discovery method: the phenomenon of life
Kurakin, A. V. (2011) · Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling · doi:10.1186/1742-4682-8-4 · Cited by 84
“Consequently, it has been proposed that melanin may function as a broad-band radiation energy harvester, in a manner similar to chlorophyll [100].”
BackgroundFungal strategies for dealing with environment- and agriculture-induced stresses
Rangel, D. E. N., Finlay, R. D., Hallsworth, J. E., Dadachova, E., & Gadd, G. M. (2018) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2018.02.002 · Cited by 78
Self-citationMelanin of fungi: from classification to application
Liu, R., Meng, X., Mo, C., et al. (2022) · World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s11274-022-03415-0 · Cited by 78
“This resistance to ionizing radiation is determined by the chemical composition, free radical quenching and spherical spatial arrangement of melanin (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundMicrobial radiation-resistance mechanisms
Jung, K., Lim, S., & Bahn, Y. (2017) · The Journal of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s12275-017-7242-5 · Cited by 77
“In addition to pathological property, C. neoformans exhibits high resistance to radiation similar to other melanized fungi (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundCharacterization of Aspergillus niger Isolated from the International Space Station
Romsdahl, J., Blachowicz, A., Chiang, A. J., Singh, N. K., Stajich, J., Kalkum, M., Venkateswaran, K. J., & Wang, C. C. C. (2018) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00112-18 · Cited by 75
“enhanced growth and upregulation of many proteins (19, 20), some of which may”
BackgroundResultInfluentialRapid Phenotypic and Metabolomic Domestication of Wild Penicillium Molds on Cheese
Bodinaku, I., Shaffer, J., Connors, A. B., Steenwyk, J. L., Biango‐Daniels, M. N., Kastman, E. K., Rokas, A., Robbat, A., & Wolfe, B. E. (2019) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.02445-19 · Cited by 76
“Mycotoxin production and pigment production are thought to be traits that are important for filamentous fungi to compete with other microbes or tolerate oxidative stress (21, 22); however, these traits are frequently lost within fungal populations, suggesting that they are costly (23).”
BackgroundInteractions of Melanin with Electromagnetic Radiation: From Fundamentals to Applications
Xie, W., Dhinojwala, A., Gianneschi, N. C., & Shawkey, M. D. (2024) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00858 · Cited by 78
Fungal Diversity and Its Role in Mycoremediation
Shourie, A., & Vijayalakshmi, U. (2022) · Geomicrobiology Journal · doi:10.1080/01490451.2022.2032883 · Cited by 71
“Some fungi inhabiting the Chernobyl nuclear reactor site were found to be radiotrophic as they were able to harvest the energy from radioactive material (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundKim, E., Kang, M., Tschirhart, T., Malo, M. E., Dadachova, E., Cao, G., Yin, J., Bentley, W. E., Wang, Z., & Payne, G. F. (2017) · Biomacromolecules · doi:10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01166 · Cited by 70
Self-citationJiang, H., Liu, N.-N., Liu, G.-L., et al. (2016) · Extremophiles · doi:10.1007/s00792-016-0843-9 · Cited by 69
Proteomic and Metabolomic Characteristics of Extremophilic Fungi Under Simulated Mars Conditions
Blachowicz, A., Chiang, A. J., Elsaesser, A., Kalkum, M., Ehrenfreund, P., Stajich, J., Torok, T., Wang, C. C. C., & Venkateswaran, K. J. (2019) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.01013 · Cited by 66
“, 2003; Gonsalves, 2012), or radiation (Zhdanova et al., 2004; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Fendrihan et al., 2009; StanLotter and Fendrihan, 2013).”
Selenomelanin: An Abiotic Selenium Analogue of Pheomelanin
Cao, W., McCallum, N. C., Ni, Q. Z., Li, W., Boyce, H., Mao, H., Zhou, X., Sun, H. R., Thompson, M. P., Battistella, C., et al. (2020) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/jacs.0c05573 · Cited by 67
Review of microbial resistance to chronic ionizing radiation exposure under environmental conditions
Shuryak, I. (2018) · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.10.012 · Cited by 65
Protective mechanisms and responses of micro-fungi towards ultraviolet-induced cellular damage
Wong, H. J., Mohamad‐Fauzi, N., Rizman‐Idid, M., Convey, P., & Alias, S. A. (2018) · Polar Science · doi:10.1016/j.polar.2018.10.001 · Cited by 71
“This enables them to be excellent photoprotectants in many fungi today (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Huijser et al., 2011; Schweitzer et al., 2009).”
Turick, C. E., Ekechukwu, A. A., Milliken, C. E., Casadevall, A., & Dadachova, E. (2011) · Bioelectrochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.bioelechem.2011.04.009 · Cited by 65
Self-citationJung, K., Yang, D., Kim, M., Seo, H. S., Lim, S., & Bahn, Y. (2016) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.01483-16 · Cited by 62
“The basidiomycetous fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans , which causes fatal meningoencephalitis in humans (25), was found to be a dominant species in highly radioactive environments, such as the cooling pools of nuclear reactors, the strato-sphere, and the damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl (26).”
Shed Light in the DaRk LineagES of the Fungal Tree of Life—STRES
Selbmann, L., Benkő, Z., Coleine, C., de Hoog, S., Donati, C., Druzhinina, I. S., Emri, T., Ettinger, C. L., Gladfelter, A. S., Gorbushina, A. A., et al. (2020) · Life · doi:10.3390/life10120362 · Cited by 58
A Naganishia in high places: functioning populations or dormant cells from the atmosphere?
Schmidt, S. K., Vimercati, L., Darcy, J. L., Arán, P., Gendron, E. M. S., Solon, A. J., Porazinska, D. L., & Dorador, C. (2017) · Mycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology · doi:10.1080/21501203.2017.1344154 · Cited by 61
“…of 1.75 h starting at 12:15 h. Temperature data were originally reported in Lynch et al. (2012) and light data are previously unpublished. have also been found in the International Space Station where high levels of ionising radiation are a persistent stressor (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundInfluentialRageh, M. M., El-Gebaly, R. H., Abou-Shady, H., & Amin, D. G. (2014) · Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry · doi:10.1007/s11010-014-2232-y · Cited by 57
“The radioprotective properties of melanin in microorganisms result from a combination of physical shielding and quenching of cytotoxic-free radicals [17–19].”
BackgroundMicrobial cells can cooperate to resist high-level chronic ionizing radiation
Shuryak, I., Matrosova, V. Y., Gaidamakova, E. K., Tkavc, R., Grichenko, O., Klimenkova, P., Volpe, R. P., & Daly, M. J. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189261 · Cited by 57
Blachowicz, A., Raffa, N., Bok, J. W., Choera, T., Knox, B. P., Lim, F. Y., Huttenlocher, A., Wang, C. C. C., Venkateswaran, K. J., & Keller, N. P. (2020) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.03415-19 · Cited by 64
“Several studies have correlated increased conidial melanin content with UV protection in highly irradiated areas, including Chernobyl Power Plant accident sites, the ISS, and “Evolution Canyon” (20–22).”
Mesquita, N., Portugal, A., Piñar, G., Loureiro, J., Coutinho, A. P., Trovão, J., Nunes, I., Botelho, M. L., & Freitas, H. M. D. O. (2012) · International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation · doi:10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.05.008 · Cited by 55
“This higher resistance of A. niger to 3 kGy dose may be probably a consequence of its high melanin content, being capable to absorb electromagnetic radiation (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundSelbmann, L., Isola, D., Egidi, E., et al. (2013) · Fungal Diversity · doi:10.1007/s13225-013-0234-9 · Cited by 56
Revskaya, E., Chu, P., Howell, R. C., Schweitzer, A. D., Bryan, R. A., Harris, M., Gerfen, G. J., Jiang, Z., Jandl, T. A., Kim, K., et al. (2012) · Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals · doi:10.1089/cbr.2012.1318 · Cited by 56
“Dramatic examples of such radiation protection are provided by the reports that melanized microorganisms are colonizing the highly radioactive environment inside the damaged nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, cooling pools in nuclear reactors, and space stations.(2) The mechanism of melanin interaction with ionizing radiat…”
Self-citationWhat are the 100 most cited fungal genera?
Bhunjun, C. S., Chen, Y. J., Phukhamsakda, C., Boekhout, T., Groenewald, J. Z., McKenzi, E. H. C., Francisco, E. C., Frisvad, J. C., Groenewald, M., Hurdeal, V. G., et al. (2024) · Studies in Mycology · doi:10.3114/sim.2024.108.01 · Cited by 58
Bryan, R. A., Jiang, Z., Howell, R. C., Morgenstern, A., Bruchertseifer, F., Casadevall, A., & Dadachova, E. (2010) · The Journal of Infectious Diseases · doi:10.1086/654813 · Cited by 53
“Melanin is a known virulence factor for C. neoformans [3], and melanization BRIEF REPORT • JID 2010:202 (15 August) • 637 protects C. neoformans from external g radiation (as reviewed by Dadachova and Casadevall [10]).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationSelbmann, L., Pacelli, C., Zucconi, L., Dadachova, E., Moeller, R., Vera, J.-P. P. D., & Onofri, S. (2017) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2017.10.012 · Cited by 51
Self-citationUnveiling the Hidden Diversity of Rock-Inhabiting Fungi: Chaetothyriales from China
Sun, W. Y., Su, L., Yang, S. F., et al. (2020) · Journal of Fungi · doi:10.3390/jof6040187 · Cited by 53
“Highly melanized cell walls and the biosynthesis of mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids protect RIF against UV radiation [84,85].”
BackgroundCao, R., Wan, Q., Tan, L., Xu, X., Wu, G., Wang, J., Xu, H., Huang, T., & Wen, G. (2020) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128700 · Cited by 54
Osmotolerance as a determinant of microbial ecology: A study of phylogenetically diverse fungi
Araújo, C. A. S., Ferreira, P. C., Pupin, B., Dias, L. P., Ávalos, J., Edwards, J., Hallsworth, J. E., & Rangel, D. E. N. (2019) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2019.09.001 · Cited by 51
Protein patterns of black fungi under simulated Mars-like conditions
Zakharova, K., Marzban, G., Vera, J.-P. P. D., Lorek, A., & Sterflinger, K. (2014) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep05114 · Cited by 51
Rock-inhabiting fungi: terminology, diversity, evolution and adaptation mechanisms
Liu, B., Fu, R., Wu, B., Liu, X., & Xiang, M. (2021) · Mycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology · doi:10.1080/21501203.2021.2002452 · Cited by 52
“…from radiant energy transduction by melanin, it was also proposed that upregulation of many key genes caused by radiation stimulation and an inducible microhomologymediated recombination pathway could be a potential mechanism of adaptative evolution in eukaryotes (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundKhajo, A., Bryan, R. A., Friedman, M., Burger, R. M., Levitsky, Y., Casadevall, A., Magliozzo, R. S., & Dadachova, E. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025092 · Cited by 58
“the stratosphere, in space stations, and inside the damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl (reviewed in [10]).”
Self-citationJi, C., Liu, N., Tu, J., Li, Z., Han, G., Li, J., & Sheng, C. (2019) · ACS Infectious Diseases · doi:10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00197 · Cited by 51
Seager, S., Petkowski, J. J., Gao, P., Bains, W., Bryan, N. C., Ranjan, S., & Greaves, J. S. (2020) · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · Cited by 48
Solar disinfection of fungal spores in water: Kinetics, influencing factors, mechanisms and regrowth
Xia, Y., Wan, Q., Xu, X., Cao, R., Li, Y., Wang, J., Xu, H., Huang, T., & Wen, G. (2021) · Chemical Engineering Journal · doi:10.1016/j.cej.2021.132065 · Cited by 50
Coleine, C., Masonjones, S., Sterflinger, K., Onofri, S., Selbmann, L., & Stajich, J. (2020) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2020.01.005 · Cited by 45
Alves, V., Zamith‐Miranda, D., Frasés, S., & Nosanchuk, J. D. (2025) · Journal of Fungi · doi:10.3390/jof11020093 · Cited by 55
“The protective capabilities of melanin against ionizing radiation significantly enhance the survival and growth of fungi in high-radiation environments [36].”
Grishkan, I., & Nevo, E. (2010) · Fungal ecology · doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2010.01.003 · Cited by 45
Melanin‐like Hydrogels Derived from Gallic Macromers
Fisher, O. Z., Larson, B. L., Hill, P. S., et al. (2012) · Advanced Materials · doi:10.1002/adma.201104437 · Cited by 45
Kang, M., Kim, E., Temoçin, Z., Li, J., Dadachova, E., Wang, Z., Panzella, L., Napolitano, A., Bentley, W. E., & Payne, G. F. (2018) · Chemistry of Materials · doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b02428 · Cited by 43
Self-citationRomsdahl, J., Blachowicz, A., Chiang, A. J., Chiang, Y., Masonjones, S., Yaegashi, J., Countryman, S. M., Karouia, F., Kalkum, M., Stajich, J., et al. (2018) · Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s00253-018-9525-0 · Cited by 43
Zhu, S., Yan, Y.-X., Qu, Y., Wang, J., Feng, X., Liu, X., Lin, F., & Lu, J. (2020) · Microbiological Research · doi:10.1016/j.micres.2020.126620 · Cited by 45
Blasi, B., Tafer, H., Tesei, D., & Sterflinger, K. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127103 · Cited by 44
“dermatitidis—show increased cell growth—division and cell size—when exposed to ionizing radiation [6,7].”
BackgroundBlachowicz, A., Chiang, A. J., Romsdahl, J., Kalkum, M., Wang, C. C. C., & Venkateswaran, K. J. (2019) · Fungal Genetics and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2019.01.001 · Cited by 41
Bryan, R. A., Jiang, Z., Friedman, M., & Dadachova, E. (2011) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.04.003 · Cited by 43
Self-citationSun Exposure Shapes Functional Grouping of Fungi in Cryptoendolithic Antarctic Communities
Coleine, C., Zucconi, L., Onofri, S., Pombubpa, N., Stajich, J., & Selbmann, L. (2018) · Life · doi:10.3390/life8020019 · Cited by 38
El‐Sayed, E. R., Ismaiel, A. A., Ahmed, A. S., et al. (2019) · Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.bcab.2019.01.034 · Cited by 41
Nutritional Requirements and Their Importance for Virulence of Pathogenic Cryptococcus Species
Watkins, R. A., King, J., & Johnston, S. A. (2017) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms5040065 · Cited by 45
“neoformans showed increased metabolic activity, faster growth, and increased dry weight biomass than irradiated non-melanised cells [119,120].”
BackgroundWarpeha, K. M., Park, Y., & Williamson, P. R. (2013) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.03697-12 · Cited by 38
“Such coated fungal cells have an increased resistance to cell death caused by oxidants produced by UV radiation and macrophages (56).”
BackgroundBlack yeasts in the omics era: Achievements and challenges
Moreno, L. F., Vicente, V. A., & de Hoog, S. (2017) · Medical Mycology · doi:10.1093/mmy/myx129 · Cited by 41
Czirják, G. Á., Møller, A. P., Mousseau, T. A., & Heeb, P. (2010) · Microbial Ecology · doi:10.1007/s00248-010-9716-4 · Cited by 39
“in Evolution Canyon, Israel or in the Andean Altiplano) [11], another very important sources of anthropogenic radiation, with both”
BackgroundBlack Fungi Research: Out-of-This-World Implications
Tesei, D. (2022) · Encyclopedia · doi:10.3390/encyclopedia2010013 · Cited by 37
“Moreover, melanin electrochemical properties change in re‐ sponse to irradiation [62].”
BackgroundThe Cosmic Zoo: The (Near) Inevitability of the Evolution of Complex, Macroscopic Life
Bains, W., & Schulze‐Makuch, D. (2016) · Life · doi:10.3390/life6030025 · Cited by 37
“Melanin in melanised fungi can generate electrochemical gradients in response to ionizing radiation [79,80] and possibly UV and visible light [81], although very inefficiently compared to bacteriorhodopsin- or chlorophyll-based systems.”
BackgroundMousseau, T. A. (2021) · Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024827 · Cited by 37
Metadata
- Authors
- Dadachova, E., & Casadevall, A.
- Affiliations
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dadachova, Ekaterina
- Casadevall, Arturo
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Microbiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 525-531
- ISSN
- 1369-5274 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2677413
- OpenAlex
- W2018461548
- Cited by
- 399
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 0.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ai052733-16, 5r37ai033142-24)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI-033774, R01AI033142, R37-AI033142, AI60507, AI033142, R01-AI052733, R56AI060507, R01AI060507, R01AI033774)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Fungal and yeast genetics research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Effects of Radiation Exposure
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Microbial Metabolism and Applications
- Keywords
- ionizing radiation, fungi, melanin, radiation adaptation, microhomology-mediated recombination, adaptive evolution, gene upregulation
- MeSH terms
- Fungi, Melanins, Radiation, Ionizing
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-09-28, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-09-28 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
