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.
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Cites
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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
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Items 101–200 of 402
Pacelli, C., Selbmann, L., Zucconi, L., Coleine, C., Vera, J.-P. P. D., Rabbow, E., Böttger, U., Dadachova, E., & Onofri, S. (2018) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1631 · Cited by 37
“In addition, melanized fungi are highly resistant to heat, cold, extreme pH, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, ionizing radiation, heavy metals, salt, and dryness (Gadd and de Rome 1988; Gunde-Cimerman et al., 2000; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Gorbushina et al., 2008; Onofri et al., 2008; Selbmann et al., 2008, 2011; St…”
Self-citationBarretto, D. A., & Vootla, S. K. (2020) · World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s11274-020-02924-0 · Cited by 35
To infinity and beyond: Strategies for fabricating medicines in outer space
Seoane‐Viaño, I., Ong, J. J., Basit, A. W., & Goyanes, Á. (2022) · International Journal of Pharmaceutics X · doi:10.1016/j.ijpx.2022.100121 · Cited by 38
Pacelli, C., Bryan, R. A., Onofri, S., Selbmann, L., Zucconi, L., Shuryak, I., & Dadachova, E. (2018) · Environmental Microbiology Reports · doi:10.1111/1758-2229.12632 · Cited by 33
Self-citationPhotosynthesis in Hydrogen-Dominated Atmospheres
Bains, W., Seager, S., & Zsom, A. (2014) · Life · doi:10.3390/life4040716 · Cited by 34
“The ability to capture the energy of electromagnetic radiation has evolved at least three times on Earth, with mechanisms mediated by chlorophyll [1–3], rhodopsin-like proteins [4,5], which can capture light energy for biosynthesis [6,7], and fungal melanin-based systems that capture short wavelength light and ionizin…”
BackgroundHuman presence impacts fungal diversity of inflated lunar/Mars analog habitat
Blachowicz, A., Mayer, T., Bashir, M., Pieber, T. R., de León, P., & Venkateswaran, K. J. (2017) · Microbiome · doi:10.1186/s40168-017-0280-8 · Cited by 34
“Fungi are extremophiles that can survive harsh conditions such as low nutrient [33], desiccation [34], high/ low temperatures [35, 36], acidic/alkaline [37, 38], radiation [39, 40], and other environments [41, 42].”
BackgroundThe Astrobiology of Alien Worlds: Known and Unknown Forms of Life
Irwin, L. N., & Schulze‐Makuch, D. (2020) · Universe · doi:10.3390/universe6090130 · Cited by 34
“Nevertheless, it has been suggested that certain organisms (specific fungi) might be able to harvest ionizing radiation despite those challenges [72].”
BackgroundEcological Stress: Melanization as a Response in Fungi to Radiation
Grishkan, I. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-4-431-53898-1_54 · Cited by 35
Fukuda, S., Kawasaki, Y., & Izawa, S. (2019) · Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering · doi:10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.12.008 · Cited by 31
Fungi and Mycotoxins in Space—A Review
Middeleer, G. D., Leys, N., Sas, B., & Saeger, S. D. (2019) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2018.1854 · Cited by 30
“Fungi are not only present on Earth but also colonize spacecraft and space stations and are able to adapt to these extreme conditions (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Yamazaki et al., 2012; Yamaguchi et al., 2014).”
InfluentialDisaster Microbiology—a New Field of Study
Smith, D. F. Q., & Casadevall, A. (2022) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.01680-22 · Cited by 35
Self-citationIonizing radiation and melanism in Chornobyl tree frogs
Burraco, P., & Orizaola, G. (2022) · Evolutionary Applications · doi:10.1111/eva.13476 · Cited by 26
“…be found in areas with high natural (i.e. background) radiation such as those exposed to high cosmic radiation at the International Space Station (Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008), and they can even colonize highly radio- contaminated structures such as the interior of the damaged Chornobyl reactor…”
BackgroundInfluentialSterflinger, K., Lopandić, K., Pandey, R. V., et al. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109908 · Cited by 31
“Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found evidence that these fungi possess another talent called ‘‘radiotropism’’: the capacity to use radioactivity as an energy source for ATP generation [10].”
BackgroundLi, Y., Li, K., Wan, Q., Xu, X., Cao, R., Wang, J., Huang, T., & Wen, G. (2022) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129611 · Cited by 29
Atri, D. (2016) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 · Cited by 36
“The authors concluded that melanin played a major role in protecting the organism against ionizing radiation and these radioprotective properties arise due to its chemical composition, free radical quenching, and spherical spatial arrangement (Dadachova et al., 2008).”
Exploring the Agricultural Applications of Microbial Melanin
Muñoz-Torres, P., Cárdenas-Ninasivincha, S., & Aguilar, Y. (2024) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms12071352 · Cited by 29
Feng, W., Zhang, Y., Lai, Z., Qin, S., Yan, R., Sun, Y., & She, W. (2020) · Land Degradation and Development · doi:10.1002/ldr.3844 · Cited by 29
“Studies on host-dependent soil eukaryotes have found that these organisms are not subjected to direct physiological stress under extreme edaphic conditions (Peay, Baraloto, & Fine, 2013), and many common eukaryotes can thrive under extreme environmental conditions (Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundLim, S., Bijlani, S., Blachowicz, A., Chiang, Y., Lee, M.-S., Török, T., Venkateswaran, K. J., & Wang, C. C. C. (2021) · Fungal Genetics and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103567 · Cited by 29
Melanin biopolymers from microbial world with future perspectives—a review
Michael, H. S. R., Subiramanian, S. R., Thyagarajan, D., Bobby, M. N., Saravanakumar, V. K., Govindaraj, M., Maheswari, K. M., Karthikeyan, N., & Kumar, C. R. (2023) · Archives of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s00203-023-03642-5 · Cited by 31
Smith, D. J., Queiroz‐Telles, F., Rabenja, F. R., Hay, R. J., Bonifáz, A., Grijsen, M. L., Blaizot, R., Messina, F. A., Song, Y., Lockhart, S. R., et al. (2024) · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0012562 · Cited by 30
Experimental evolution of extremophile resistance to ionizing radiation
Bruckbauer, S. T., & Cox, M. M. (2021) · Trends in Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.tig.2021.04.011 · Cited by 28
“One recent study has even proposed that these fungi have developed radiotropism, and are capable of using the energy of IR to carry out metabolism in a process dubbed 'radiosynthesis' [40], an idea we regard with skepticism.”
BackgroundInfluentialThe relevance of fungi in astrobiology research – Astromycology
Simões, M., Cortesão, M., Azua-Bustos, A., Bai, F., Canini, F., Casadevall, A., Cassaro, A., Cordero, R., Fairén, A., González-Silva, C., et al. (2023) · Mycosphere · doi:10.5943/mycosphere/14/1/13 · Cited by 25
Self-citationMicrobial melanin physiology under stress conditions and gamma radiation protection studies
El-Bialy, H. A., El-Gamal, M. S., El-Sayed, M. A., Saudi, H. A., & Khalifa, M. A. (2019) · Radiation Physics and Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.radphyschem.2019.05.002 · Cited by 31
Bayram, S. (2021) · Archives of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s00203-021-02437-w · Cited by 27
Mishra, S., Duarte, G. T., Horemans, N., Ruytinx, J., Gudkov, D. I., & Danchenko, M. (2024) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171567 · Cited by 33
Shuryak, I. (2019) · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106128 · Cited by 26
Soil nematode assemblages as bioindicators of radiation impact in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Lecomte-Pradines, C., Bonzom, J., Della-Vedova, C., et al. (2014) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.115 · Cited by 26
“In addition, fungi were reported to be resistant to ionising radiation, more specifically melanised strains which develop in an extreme radioactive environment (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Dighton et al., 2008).”
Pro- and Anti-oxidant Properties of Redox-Active Catechol-Chitosan Films
Kim, E., Kang, M., Liu, H., Cao, C., Liu, C., Bentley, W. E., Qu, X., & Payne, G. F. (2019) · Frontiers in Chemistry · doi:10.3389/fchem.2019.00541 · Cited by 26
“In nature, catechols are believed to confer diverse functions to materials: the photo and free radical protection of melanins (Seagle et al., 2005; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Panzella et al., 2013); the hardening of the insect cuticle through crosslinking (Andersen, 2010; Sugumaran and Barek, 2016; Whitten and Co…”
BackgroundShukla, A., Parmar, P., Goswami, D., et al. (2021) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-82863-4 · Cited by 26
Watkinson, S. C. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-382034-1.00005-0 · Cited by 26
A biomimetic approach to shielding from ionizing radiation: The case of melanized fungi
Vasileiou, T., & Summerer, L. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229921 · Cited by 26
Melanins as Sustainable Resources for Advanced Biotechnological Applications
Galeb, H. A., Wilkinson, E. L., Stowell, A. F., Lin, H., Murphy, S. T., Martin‐Hirsch, P. L., Mort, R. L., Taylor, A. M., & Hardy, J. G. (2020) · Global Challenges · doi:10.1002/gch2.202000102 · Cited by 27
Mateo, F., Mateo, E. M., Tarazona, A., García-Esparza, M. Á., Soria, J. M., & Jiménez, M. (2025) · Toxins · doi:10.3390/toxins17050231 · Cited by 29
Natural selection drives population divergence for local adaptation in a wheat pathogen
Pereira, D., Croll, D., Brunner, P. C., & McDonald, B. A. (2020) · Fungal Genetics and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103398 · Cited by 24
Radiosensitivity and transgenerational effects in non-human species
Adam‐Guillermin, C., Hertel‐Aas, T., Oughton, D. H., Blanchard, L., Alonzo, F., Armant, O., & Horemans, N. (2018) · Annals of the ICRP · doi:10.1177/0146645318756844 · Cited by 24
Shuryak, I., Tkavc, R., Matrosova, V. Y., Volpe, R. P., Grichenko, O., Klimenkova, P., Conze, I. H., Balygina, I. A., Gaidamakova, E. K., & Daly, M. J. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47007-9 · Cited by 24
Averesch, N. J. H., Shunk, G. K., & Kern, C. A. (2022) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.877625 · Cited by 23
“Nevertheless, different isolates of the mold from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant showed a positive response to irradiation, including a control sample obtained from uncontaminated soil (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundInfluentialMutawila, C., Halleen, F., & Mostert, L. (2014) · BioControl · doi:10.1007/s10526-014-9647-y · Cited by 23
“Ionising radiation, particularly gamma radiation, causes deleterious single or double-strand breaks and DNA crosslinks which on repair results in chromosomal rearrangements and gene disruption (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
Recyclable One-Step Extraction and Characterization of Intact Melanin from Alpaca Fibers
Liang, Y., Han, Q., Byrne, N., Sun, L., & Wang, X. (2018) · Fibers and Polymers · doi:10.1007/s12221-018-8144-9 · Cited by 24
Kothamasi, D., Wannijn, J., Hees, M. V., Nauts, R., Gompel, A. V., Vanhoudt, N., & Vandenhove, H. (2018) · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.11.005 · Cited by 23
Melanization as unfavorable factor in amelanotic melanoma cell biology
Skoniecka, A., Cichorek, M., Tymińska, A., Pelikant‐Małecka, I., & Dziewíatkowski, J. (2021) · PROTOPLASMA · doi:10.1007/s00709-021-01613-5 · Cited by 23
Overview on the Fungal Metabolites Involved in Mycopathy
Al-Fakih, A. (2014) · Open Journal of Medical Microbiology · doi:10.4236/ojmm.2014.41006 · Cited by 19
“Even when not directly involved in pathogenesis, melanins provide structural strength [199] and protect fungi against environmental stresses such as oxygen free radicals [200], UV radiation [201]-[204], wall-degrading enzymes produced by antagonist microbes [205] [206], high salinity [207] and heavy metals toxicity [2…”
BackgroundLiving with Pigments: The Colour Palette of Antarctic Life
Marizcurrena, J. J., Cerdá, M. F., Alem, D., & Castro‐Sowinski, S. (2019) · Springer polar sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02786-5_4 · Cited by 23
Melanin as an Energy Transducer and a Radioprotector in Black Fungi
Malo, M. E., & Dadachova, E. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-19030-9_10 · Cited by 25
Self-citationSong, Y., Liu, X., Stielow, J. B., de Hoog, S., & Li, R. (2022) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.966457 · Cited by 21
Coleine, C., Gevi, F., Fanelli, G., Onofri, S., Timperio, A. M., & Selbmann, L. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233805 · Cited by 22
Shunk, G. K., Gómez, X., Kern, C. A., & Averesch, N. J. H. (2020) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2020.07.16.205534 · Cited by 21
The Third International Symposium on Fungal Stress – ISFUS
Alder-Rangel, A., Idnurm, A., Brand, A., Brown, A. J. P., Gorbushina, A. A., Kelliher, C., de Campos, C. B. L., Levin, D. E., Bell‐Pedersen, D., Dadachova, E., et al. (2020) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2020.02.007 · Cited by 20
Self-citationNicolau‐Lapeña, I., Rodríguez‐Bencomo, J. J., Colás‐Medà, P., et al. (2022) · Food and Bioprocess Technology · doi:10.1007/s11947-022-02943-9 · Cited by 20
“In fact, it is suggested that melanin-like compounds may help microorganisms protect themselves from irradiation (Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundEnlisting electrochemistry to reveal melanin's redox-related properties
Kim, E., Wang, Z., Phua, J. W., Bentley, W. E., Dadachova, E., Napolitano, A., & Payne, G. F. (2024) · Materials Advances · doi:10.1039/d3ma01161e · Cited by 23
Self-citationVijayakumar, R., Al-Aboody, M. S., & Sandle, T. (2015) · Journal of Applied Microbiology · doi:10.1111/jam.12888 · Cited by 20
“Melanin is very resistant to a variety of physicochemical agents, including free radical compounds, toxic metals, desiccation, and even ionizing radiation (Haselwandter and Ebner 1994; Fogarty and Tobin 1996; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundMalo, M. E., Bryan, R. A., Shuryak, I., & Dadachova, E. (2017) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2017.08.010 · Cited by 20
Self-citationBrück, S. A., Contato, A. G., Gamboa-Trujillo, P., et al. (2022) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms10020282 · Cited by 20
“Images taken of the growth behavior in culture dishes of PDA indicate a dark brown colorization of mycelia, which possibly shows intense melanin pigmentation as a protective adaptation to the strong radiation in their natural habitat as formerly described [53,54] (Figure S3d–f).”
BackgroundSchultzhaus, Z. S., Chen, A., Kim, S.-W., Shuryak, I., Chang, M., & Wang, Z. (2019) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.14550 · Cited by 19
Endolithic Fungal Species Markers for Harshest Conditions in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Coleine, C., Pombubpa, N., Zucconi, L., et al. (2020) · Life · doi:10.3390/life10020013 · Cited by 19
Kapoor, U., & Jayaraman, A. (2020) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00226 · Cited by 20
Diversity of Microfungi in a High Radon Cave Ecosystem
Martín-Pozas, T., Nováková, A., Jurado, V., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.869661 · Cited by 18
The second International Symposium on Fungal Stress: ISFUS
Alder-Rangel, A., Bailão, A. M., da Cunha, A. F., Soares, C. M. A., Wang, C., Bonatto, D., Dadachova, E., Hakalehto, E., Eleuthério, E. C. A., Fernandes, É. K. K., et al. (2017) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2017.10.011 · Cited by 18
Self-citationEnemies with benefits: mutualistic interactions of viruses with lower eukaryotes
Jagdale, S. S., & Joshi, R. S. (2018) · Archives of Virology · doi:10.1007/s00705-017-3686-5 · Cited by 18
“In addition, an elevated level of melanin due to overexpression of scytalone dehydratase (SCD), provides protection from extreme temperature and radiation [7, 12].”
BackgroundTesei, D., Chiang, A. J., Kalkum, M., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Genetics · doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.638708 · Cited by 18
“The discovery of melanized fungi in extreme environments has prompted researchers to investigate microbial physiology at the absolute edges of adaptability, aiming at a deeper understanding of the limits for life (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Tesei et al., 2012; Zakharova et al., 2013).”
BackgroundNiches and Adaptations of Polyextremotolerant Black Fungi
Grube, M., Muggia, L., & Gostinčar, C. (2013) · Cellular origin, life in extreme habitats and astrobiology · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6488-0_25 · Cited by 20
Bland, J., Astuto-Gribble, L. M., Hamel, M. C., Wright, J. B., Moormann, G. C., Bachand, M., Wright, G., & Bachand, G. D. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-16063-z · Cited by 16
Determination of toxicity and radioprotective properties of bacterial and fungal eumelanin pigments
Bayram, S., Aygün, B., Karadayı, M., Alaylar, B., Güllüce, M., & Karabulut, A. (2023) · International Journal of Radiation Biology · doi:10.1080/09553002.2023.2204957 · Cited by 16
“…microorganisms produce energy by using ionizing radiation and use this energy for metabolic activities (radiosynthesis), but the mechanism of this phenomenon has not been fully elucidated yet (Dadachova et al. 2007; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Casadevall et al. 2017; Purkis et al. 2022).”
BackgroundPereira, V. L., Caramês, E. T. D. S., Almeida, N. A., Chiappim, W., Pessoa, R. S., Filho, G. P., & Rocha, L. D. O. (2023) · Food Control · doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.110108 · Cited by 17
RupestriomycesandSpissiomyces, two new genera of rock-inhabiting fungi from China
Su, L., Guo, L., Hao, Y., et al. (2015) · Mycologia · doi:10.3852/14-305 · Cited by 17
“The extremotolerance of RIF to harsh environments such as UV radiation (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008), extreme temperatures, desiccation (Wollenzien et al. 1995) and even Mars-like conditions (Zakharova et al. 2014) support the hypothesis that RIF in Dothideomycetes originated from dry climate in…”
BackgroundResponses of entomopathogenic fungi to the mutagen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide
Araújo, C. A. S., Dias, L. P., Ferreira, P. C., et al. (2018) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2018.03.007 · Cited by 17
The response of the melanized yeast Exophiala dermatitidis to gamma radiation exposure
Schultzhaus, Z. S., Romsdahl, J., Chen, A. Y.-C., Tschirhart, T., Kim, S. W., Leary, D. H., & Wang, Z. (2020) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.14936 · Cited by 17
Extremotolerant Black Fungi from Rocks and Lichens
Ametrano, C. G., Muggia, L., & Grube, M. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-19030-9_7 · Cited by 21
Eye color as a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: A review
Mujica‐Mota, M. A., Schermbrucker, J., & Daniel, S. J. (2014) · Hearing Research · doi:10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.002 · Cited by 17
Rapid, high-titer biosynthesis of melanin using the marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens
Smith, A. D., Tschirhart, T., Compton, J. R., Hennessa, T. M., VanArsdale, E. S., & Wang, Z. (2023) · Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1239756 · Cited by 17
“, 2018), ionizing radiation resistance (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008), pathogen virulence (Nosanchuk and Casadevall, 2006), antibacterial activity (Correa et al.”
BackgroundAn Extended Dose–Response Model for Microbial Responses to Ionizing Radiation
Siasou, E., Johnson, D., & Willey, N. (2017) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · doi:10.3389/fenvs.2017.00006 · Cited by 15
“, 2009) and of melanin synthesizing fungi that have a greater ability to tolerate radioactivity than those that do not (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundMeng, D., Mukhitov, N., Neitzey, D., et al. (2021) · Metabolic Engineering · doi:10.1016/j.ymben.2021.01.006 · Cited by 16
Molecular mechanism of radio-resistance and heavy metal tolerance adaptation in microbes
Kumar, V., Kumari, A., Pandey, M., & Sharma, M. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822945-3.00003-8 · Cited by 17
The International Symposium on Fungal Stress: ISFUS
Rangel, D. E. N., Alder-Rangel, A., Dadachova, E., Finlay, R. D., Dijksterhuis, J., Braga, G. Ú. L., Corrochano, L. M., & Hallsworth, J. E. (2015) · Current Genetics · doi:10.1007/s00294-015-0501-2 · Cited by 15
Self-citationMathematical Modeling Predicts Enhanced Growth of X-Ray Irradiated Pigmented Fungi
Shuryak, I., Bryan, R. A., Nosanchuk, J. D., & Dadachova, E. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085561 · Cited by 14
“nonmelanized fungi after high-dose acute irradiation [13], and also with data from radioactively-contaminated environments, where melanized fungal forms tend to be over-represented in comparison with non-melanized ones [2,7,9], presumably because even a small competitive advantage provided by melanin would be sufficie…”
BackgroundSelf-citationLower prevalence but similar fitness in a parasitic fungus at higher radiation levels near Chernobyl
Aguileta, G., Badouin, H., Hood, M. E., Møller, A. P., Prieur, S. L., Snirc, A., Siguenza, S., Mousseau, T. A., Shykoff, J. A., Cuomo, C. A., et al. (2016) · Molecular Ecology · doi:10.1111/mec.13675 · Cited by 15
“Indeed, ionizing radiation promotes growth of some fungi that produce the polymer melanin, transferring electrons to melanin and potentially even exploiting redox properties to trans-duce energy for cell metabolism (Dadachova et al. 2007; Dadachova & Casadevall 2008).”
Detection of a pheomelanin-like pigment by EPR spectroscopy in the mycelium of Plenodomus biglobosus
Pukalski, J., Marcol-Rumak, N., Wolan, N., Plonka, P. M., Ryszka, P., Kowalski, T., & Latowski, D. (2020) · Acta Biochimica Polonica · doi:10.18388/abp.2020_5405 · Cited by 14
“…et al., 2015; Bolognese et al., 2019), plants (Varga, 2016; Shoeva et al., 2020), animals and humans (Barek et al., 2018; Ali & Naaz, 2018; Słominski et al., 2005b), slime molds (Płonka & Rakoczy, 1997) and fungi (Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008; Nosanchuk et al., 2015; Suwannarach et al., 2019).”
BackgroundBoniek, D., de Abreu, C. S., dos Santos, A. F. B., et al. (2021) · Folia Microbiologica · doi:10.1007/s12223-021-00880-2 · Cited by 14
Purkis, J. M., Bardos, R. P., Graham, J., & Cundy, A. B. (2022) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114620 · Cited by 14
A comparative characterization study between fungal and bacterial eumelanin pigments
Bayram, S. (2022) · Indian Journal of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s12088-022-01012-1 · Cited by 14
Solar and terrestrial radiations explain continental-scale variation in bird pigmentation
Galván, I., Jorge, A., Pacheco, C., Spencer, D., Halley, D. J., Christian, I., Korňan, J., Nielsen, J. T., Ollila, T., Sein, G., et al. (2018) · Oecologia · doi:10.1007/s00442-018-4238-8 · Cited by 14
Wang, Z. (2006) · Biodiversity Science · doi:10.1360/biodiv.060072 · Cited by 14
Aletaha, R. (2018) · Mycosphere · doi:10.5943/mycosphere/9/4/1 · Cited by 14
“In fact, melanin has the same behavior to chlorophyll (Dadachova & Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundAdaptive and Pathological Outcomes of Radiation Stress-Induced Redox Signaling
Pohjoismäki, J., & Goffart, S. (2022) · Antioxidants and Redox Signaling · doi:10.1089/ars.2021.0257 · Cited by 13
“Therefore, they are [with few exceptions (26)] not adapted to ionizing radiation.”
Gregory, S. P., Mackie, J. R. M., & Barnett, M. J. (2024) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fuae001 · Cited by 13
Wen, G., Tan, L., Cao, R., Wan, Q., Xu, X., Wu, G., Wang, J., & Huang, T. (2021) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129764 · Cited by 12
Coleine, C., Selbmann, L., Singh, B. K., & Delgado‐Baquerizo, M. (2022) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.15969 · Cited by 12
“…such as meristematic growth (i.e., conversion towards isodiametric expansion), thick multi-layered cell walls, and exopolysaccharide production (Sterflinger, 2006; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Sterflinger et al., 2012; Selbmann et al., 2015; Cordero and Casadevall, 2017; Mattoon et al., 2021).”
BackgroundInfluentialShuryak, I. (2018) · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.016 · Cited by 13
Draft Genome Sequence of an Antarctic Isolate of the Black Yeast Fungus Exophiala mesophila
Coleine, C., Selbmann, L., Masonjones, S., et al. (2019) · Microbiology Resource Announcements · doi:10.1128/mra.00142-19 · Cited by 13
Romão, D., Sabino, R., Veríssimo, C., et al. (2015) · Current Fungal Infection Reports · doi:10.1007/s12281-015-0230-5 · Cited by 13
Selbmann, L., de Hoog, S., Zucconi, L., Isola, D., & Onofri, S. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-39681-6_8 · Cited by 26
“due to weakened or absent magnetic field of the Earth (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundImpact of Horizontal Gene Transfer on Adaptations to Extreme Environments
Zhaxybayeva, O., & Nesbø, C. L. (2025) · Journal of Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169403 · Cited by 12
Class-wide genomic tendency throughout specific extremes in black fungi
Coleine, C., Kurbessoian, T., Calia, G., Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., Cestaro, A., Pindo, M., Armanini, F., Asnicar, F., Isola, D., Segata, N., et al. (2024) · Fungal Diversity · doi:10.1007/s13225-024-00533-y · Cited by 12
“Highly melanized fungi, in general, are skilled to survive also radioactive environments (Dadachova et al. 2007; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008b; Robertson et al. 2012) and those isolated from Ant-arctic endolithic communities in particular represent notable examples of radio-resistant organisms.”
Zaki, A. G., El‐Shatoury, E. H., Ahmed, A. S., et al. (2020) · Letters in Applied Microbiology · doi:10.1111/lam.13435 · Cited by 12
“The radiation withstanding property of Alternaria spp was due to their characteristic melanin pigments that could absorb the electromagnetic radiation for both energy transduction and shielding purposes (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundCassaro, A., Pacelli, C., Baqué, M., Cavalazzi, B., Gasparotto, G., Saladino, R., Botta, L., Böttger, U., Rabbow, E., Vera, J.-P. P. D., et al. (2022) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.15995 · Cited by 13
Terranova, M. L., & Tamburri, E. (2021) · Polymer · doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123952 · Cited by 12
10 Evolution of Genes for Secondary Metabolism in Fungi
Teichert, I., & Nowrousian, M. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-19974-5_10 · Cited by 12
Bioburden assessment and gamma radiation inactivation patterns in parchment documents
Nunes, I., Mesquita, N., Verde, S. C., et al. (2013) · Radiation Physics and Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.radphyschem.2013.03.031 · Cited by 12
Das, T., Al-Tawaha, A. R., Pandey, D. K., Nongdam, P., Shekhawat, M. S., Dey, A., Choudhary, K., & Sahay, S. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-16-4907-3_9 · Cited by 16
Tracing the serendipitous genesis of radiation resistance
Ujaoney, A. K., Anaganti, N., Padwal, M. K., & Basu, B. (2023) · Molecular Microbiology · doi:10.1111/mmi.15208 · Cited by 11
“Melanin pigments absorb all types of electromagnetic radiation and protect DNA by quenching free radicals, thus, melanized fungi enjoy higher radioresistance ( > 1 kGy) compared with nonmelanized spe - cies (Dadachova & Casadevall, 2008).”
Background
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
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