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
Flagged first, then by citations
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Items 201–300 of 402
Zhu, W., Zhan, J., & McDonald, B. A. (2018) · Fungal Genetics and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2018.04.002 · Cited by 10
LET dependence on killing effect and mutagenicity in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa
Ma, L., Kazama, Y., Hirano, T., Morita, R., Tanaka, S., Abe, T., & Hatakeyama, S. (2018) · International Journal of Radiation Biology · doi:10.1080/09553002.2019.1524940 · Cited by 11
“In Ustilago maydis, these characteristics were explained by the effectiveness of HR proteins (Kojic et al. 2002, 2003; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundRcLS2F – A Novel Fungal Class 1 KDAC Co-repressor Complex in Aspergillus nidulans
Bauer, I., Gross, S., Merschak, P., Kremser, L., Karahoda, B., Bayram, Ö. S., Abt, B., Binder, U., Gsaller, F., Lindner, H. H., et al. (2020) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00043 · Cited by 11
“Fungi colonize all kinds of habitats, either as free-living forms or associated with other organisms, including commercial crops or animals in symbiotic, commensal, or pathogenic frameworks (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundRomsdahl, J., Schultzhaus, Z. S., Chen, A. Y.-C., Liu, J., Ewing, A., Hervey, W. J., & Wang, Z. (2020) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.15285 · Cited by 12
Schultzhaus, Z. S., Chen, A. Y.-C., Shuryak, I., & Wang, Z. (2021) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.609996 · Cited by 13
“This has been spurred on by the apparent enrichment of melanized fungi at sites of high background IR [22], and E.”
BackgroundRen, X., Zou, Q., Yuan, C., Chang, R., Xing, R., & Yan, X. (2019) · Angewandte Chemie · doi:10.1002/ange.201814575 · Cited by 11
Global Proteomics of the Extremophile Black Fungus Cryomyces antarcticus Using 2D-Electrophoresis
Zakharova, K., Sterflinger, K., Razzazi‐Fazeli, E., Nöbauer, K., & Marzban, G. (2014) · Natural Science · doi:10.4236/ns.2014.612090 · Cited by 11
“992 black fungi have numerous outstanding abilities including the survival of radioactivity and the capacity to use radioactivity as an energy source for ATP generation—so-called “radiotropism” [70], the whole protein pool might be a treasure box containing novel proteins with interesting and novel functions as well a…”
BackgroundSakauchi, K., & Otaki, J. M. (2024) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms12020364 · Cited by 11
“…of the earliest studies, from 1986 to 1989, within the 30 km zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP), called the exclusion zone, found radioresistant mycobiota and discovered an increase in melanized mycelia [60,61], whose function has been extensively investigated since the 2000s [62–64].”
BackgroundCampos, L., & Patoine, P.-L. (2022) · Open Book Publishers · doi:10.11647/obp.0303 · Cited by 16
Wang, W., Zhang, K., Lin, C., et al. (2023) · Foods · doi:10.3390/foods12112135 · Cited by 10
“and neutralizes antimicrobial peptides and antibiotics drugs, inhibits enzyme activation, and confers dehydration tolerance [2,3].”
BackgroundJones, M. P., & Bismarck, A. (2024) · RSC Sustainability · doi:10.1039/d3su00398a · Cited by 11
Effect of the oscillating magnetic field on airborne fungal
Villalpanda, M. A., Gámez‐Espinosa, E., Valdés, O., Guzmán, T. M., & Borrego, S. F. (2021) · Archives of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s00203-021-02193-x · Cited by 10
Wäli, P. P., Huhtinen, S., Pino‐Bodas, R., et al. (2014) · Fungal Biology · doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2014.08.007 · Cited by 10
Rock-Inhabiting Fungi in Antarctica: New Frontiers of the Edge of Life
Gonçalves, V. N., Alves, I. M. S., de Oliveira, F. S., Schaefer, C. E. G. R., Rangel, C. V. G. T., Rosa, C. A., & Rosa, L. H. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18367-7_5 · Cited by 11
Pandey, S., Meshram, V., Yehia, H. M., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1320116 · Cited by 9
Synthesis and characterization of allomelanin model from 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene autooxidation
Pukalski, J., Mokrzynski, K. T., Chyc, M., Potrzebowski, M. J., Makowski, T., Dulski, M., & Latowski, D. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-84405-0 · Cited by 9
Toapanta-Alban, C. E., Ordoñez, M. E., & Blanchette, R. A. (2022) · Journal of Fungi · doi:10.3390/jof8020203 · Cited by 9
The pulsed X-ray treatment of wheat against pathogenic fungi
Isemberlinova, A. A., Egorov, I. S., Nuzhnyh, S. A., et al. (2021) · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms · doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2021.07.011 · Cited by 9
Response of soil microbial communities to natural radionuclides along specific-activity gradients
Feng, G., Yong, J., Liu, Q., et al. (2022) · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114156 · Cited by 9
Effects of radiation type and delivery mode on a radioresistant eukaryote Cryptococcus neoformans
Shuryak, I., Bryan, R. A., Broitman, J., Marino, S. A., Morgenstern, A., Apostolidis, C., & Dadachova, E. (2015) · Nuclear Medicine and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2015.02.006 · Cited by 9
“Many fungi tolerate large radiation doses not only under laboratory conditions, but also survive (or even gain a competitive advantage) in environments heavily contaminated by radioisotopes [10–14].”
BackgroundSelf-citationMelanin pigments in the fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus (thom) samson
Егорова, А. С., Гесслер, Н. Н., & Belozerskaya, T. A. (2011) · Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics · doi:10.1134/s1607672911020086 · Cited by 9
Melatonin and abeta, macular degeneration and alzheimers disease: same disease, different outcomes?
Bajić, V., & Panfoli, I. (2012) · Medical Hypothesis Discovery & Innovation in Ophthalmology · Cited by 9
Ascomycete fungi on dimension stone of the “Burg Gleichen”, Thuringia
Hallmann, C., Fritzlar, D., Stannek, L., et al. (2011) · Environmental Earth Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12665-011-1076-y · Cited by 9
“Melanization is an essential feature for protection against high light intensities, ultraviolet and even ionizing radiation (Bell and Wheeler 1986; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008.”
BackgroundRodriguez‐Palacios, A., Aladyshkina, N. A., Retuerto, M., Hager, C. L., Ilić, S., Ghannoum, M. A., & Cominelli, F. (2016) · Journal of Pathogens · doi:10.1155/2016/5748745 · Cited by 9
“sydowii is a saprophytic fungi of decaying plant matter that could be used for animal feed preparation) [9] served as source of spores that survived irradiation [18].”
BackgroundPigments from fungi, an opportunity of production for diverse applications
Muro, C., Gracida, J., Corona, A. A., et al. (2016) · Biologia · doi:10.1515/biolog-2016-0144 · Cited by 9
The survival of micromycetes exposed to space conditions
Ponizovskaya, V. B., Dyakov, M. Y., Antropova, A. B., Биланенко, Е. Н., Мокеева, В. Л., & Ilyin, V. (2017) · Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin · doi:10.3103/s0096392517010023 · Cited by 9
“versicolor also dominated on equipment onboard the “MIR” station [12] and on surfaces in ISS [23], and even could survive after 7 months of exposal in outer space on spacecraft materials [10].”
BackgroundInfluentialCheng, F., Huang, X., Qin, Q., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2023.1184582 · Cited by 8
“Most fungi exhibit amazing adaptability to radiation (Dadachova and Casadeval, 2008).”
BackgroundEvolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation
Car, C., Quevarec, L., André Gilles, A., Réale, D. J. F., & Bonzom, J. (2024) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123692 · Cited by 8
Cui, W., Li, X., Hull, L., et al. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42778-7 · Cited by 8
Yang, X., Li, S., Song, G., Xu, X., & Hu, D. (2021) · Acta Astronautica · doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.07.027 · Cited by 7
Yang, X., Xu, X., & Hu, D. (2020) · Ecological Modelling · doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109270 · Cited by 8
Human perception of ionizing radiation
Rowe, C., Santiago, N., Warner, J., Tsytsarev, V., Rozhkova, E. A., Ngwu‐Hyacinth, O., & Bolding, M. (2025) · Physics of Life Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2025.02.002 · Cited by 7
Mortazavi, S. M. J., Rabiee, S., Fallah, A., Rashidfar, R., Sarhad, Z. S., Vafapour, H., Mortazavi, A., Makarempour, F., Kherad, Z., Abdollahi, M., et al. (2025) · Dose-Response · doi:10.1177/15593258251385632 · Cited by 8
“14,15 In 2002, an international team conducted a seminal study on human populations in Ramsar, Iran — an area known for its exceptionally high natural radiation levels.”
Rodríguez-Piña, A. L., Juárez‐Montiel, M., Hernández-Sánchez, I. E., Rodríguez-Hernández, A. A., Bautista, E., Becerra-Flora, A., López‐Villegas, E. O., & Jiménez-Bremont, J. F. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47133-4 · Cited by 7
Yuzon, J. D., Schultzhaus, Z. S., & Wang, Z. (2023) · Microbiology Spectrum · doi:10.1128/spectrum.02219-23 · Cited by 8
“DNA repair, including the DNA synthesis, ligation, replication, and recombination machinery, can, therefore, be expected to be part of the general biological response to IR exposure (9, 14, 16, 17, 23); and indeed, E.”
BackgroundMelanin—The Éminence Grise of Melanoma and Parkinson’s Disease Development
Krasowska, D., Małek, A., Kurzepa, J., Kapka‐Skrzypczak, L., Krasowska, D., & Kurzepa, J. (2023) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers15235541 · Cited by 7
Shuryak, I., & Dadachova, E. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147696 · Cited by 7
Self-citationDevelopment of effective and safe compound disinfectant for space cabins
Li, L., Fu, Y., & Liu, H. (2019) · Acta Astronautica · doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.01.037 · Cited by 7
Global Proteomics of Extremophilic Fungi: Mission Accomplished?
Tesei, D., Sterflinger, K., & Marzban, G. (2019) · Fungi in Extreme Environments: Ecological Role and Biotechnological Significance · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-19030-9_12 · Cited by 7
Infection of Nigrospora nonsegmented RNA Virus 1 Has Important Biological Impacts on a Fungal Host
Wang, X., Lai, J., Hu, H., et al. (2022) · Viruses · doi:10.3390/v14040795 · Cited by 7
“infection promotes melanin biosynthesis [21], which was reported to be associated with fungal thermotolerance [22,23].”
Backgrounddo Monte, C. A. (2025) · E-Acadêmica · doi:10.52076/eacad-v6i1.600 · Cited by 6
Tibolla, M. H., & Fischer, J. (2025) · Research Society and Development · doi:10.33448/rsd-v14i1.47965 · Cited by 6
Villegas, D., Sepúlveda-Hernández, C., Salamé, M. J., et al. (2025) · Plant Stress · doi:10.1016/j.stress.2025.100834 · Cited by 6
Hennessa, T. M., Irie, L. M., Dong, H., et al. (2025) · Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s00253-025-13597-w · Cited by 6
“…with resistance to environmental stressors, such as UV radiation, ionizing radiation, extreme temperatures, and toxic heavy metals (Cordero et al. 2018; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Gadd and Derome 1988; Gostincar et al. 2012; Kejzar et al. 2013; Onofri et al. 2008; Selbmann et al. 2015).”
Unusual thermal resistance of spores of mesophilic fungi
(2021) · Asian Journal of Mycology · doi:10.5943/ajom/4/1/1 · Cited by 7
“The presence of melanin pigment is known to afford protection to fungi against several abiotic stressors including heat (Ravishankar et al. 1995, Money et al. 1998, Paolo et al. 2006, Dadachova & Casadevall 2008, Geib et al. 2016).”
BackgroundGeography and environmental pressure are predictive of class‐specific radioresistance in black fungi
Aureli, L., Coleine, C., Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., Ahrén, D., Cemmi, A., Sarcina, I. D., Onofri, S., & Selbmann, L. (2023) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16510 · Cited by 6
Yang, X., Song, G., Liu, H., & Hu, D. (2021) · Life Sciences in Space Research · doi:10.1016/j.lssr.2021.08.003 · Cited by 6
Li, Y., Zheng, X., Pei, M., et al. (2024) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy14020251 · Cited by 6
Vaginal Mucosal Melanoma Cell Activation in Response to Photon or Carbon Ion Irradiation
Charalampopoulou, A., Barcellini, A., Bistika, M., Ivaldi, G., Lillo, S., Magro, G., Orlandi, E. M., Pullia, M. G., Ronchi, S., de Fatis, P. T., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Particle Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.ijpt.2024.100630 · Cited by 6
“57 Besides, it is thought that one of the ways that fungus and tree frogs at Chernobyl zones acquire radioprotective qualities by means of enhanced melanin production 58,59 (Figure 7).”
BackgroundThe fungal treasure chest: Spore origins?
Keller, N. P. (2011) · Fungal Biology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.fbr.2011.01.004 · Cited by 6
Knudsen, S. M., Gunnarsen, L., & Madsen, A. M. (2017) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.09.014 · Cited by 6
Radioactivity to Rethink the Earth's Energy Balance
Terranova, M. L. (2021) · Global Challenges · doi:10.1002/gch2.202000094 · Cited by 6
Cassaro, A., Pacelli, C., Baqué, M., Maturilli, A., Boettger, U., Moeller, R., Fujimori, A., Vera, J.-P. P. D., & Onofri, S. (2022) · International Journal of Astrobiology · doi:10.1017/s1473550422000180 · Cited by 6
“In some cases, fungi, even in living condition, have been isolated from highly radiative environments (e.g. cooling pools of nuclear reactors, the stratosphere, the International Space Station (ISS), and inside the damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008), suggesting the role of pigments i…”
BackgroundMicrobial Community in the Soil Determines the Forest Recovery Post-Exposure to Gamma Irradiation
Shah, V., Shah, S., Mackey, H., Kambhampati, M. S., Collins, D., Dowd, S. E., Colichio, R., McDonnell, K. T., & Green, T. (2013) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es400923k · Cited by 6
Persistence of Fungi in Atypical, Closed Environments: Cultivation to Omics
Blachowicz, A., Venkateswaran, K. J., & Wang, C. C. C. (2018) · Methods in microbiology · doi:10.1016/bs.mim.2018.07.006 · Cited by 7
WP15 ConCorD state-of-the-art report (container corrosion under disposal conditions)
Muñoz, A. G., Abdelouas, A., Alonso, Ú., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering · doi:10.3389/fnuen.2024.1404739 · Cited by 5
Irie, L. M., Lewis, B., Nensel, A. K., Latawiec, E. I., Kuningas, A. J., Wasielewski, M. R., Wang, Z., Shull, K. R., & Gianneschi, N. C. (2025) · ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · doi:10.1021/acsami.5c05674 · Cited by 5
Grishkan, I., Kidron, G. J., & Wei, X. (2021) · Geomicrobiology Journal · doi:10.1080/01490451.2021.1949646 · Cited by 5
Study of the Effect of Gamma Rays on the Melanin Physical Properties and Its Release from Liposomes
El-Azeem, S. A. A., & Alajmi, A. M. (2023) · Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering · doi:10.1007/s13369-023-08144-6 · Cited by 5
“It neutralizes cytotoxic short-lived free radicals, preventing DNA damage [15].”
Fungal Peptidomelanin: A Novel Biopolymer for the Chelation of Heavy Metals
Kolipakala, R. S., Basu, S., Sarkar, S., Biju, B. M., Salazar, D., Reddy, L., Pradeep, P., Yuvapriya, M. K., Nath, S., Gall, R., et al. (2024) · ACS Omega · doi:10.1021/acsomega.4c03704 · Cited by 5
Antwis, R. E., Preziosi, R. F., & Fidgett, A. (2014) · The Journal of zoo and aquarium research · doi:10.19227/jzar.v2i3.70 · Cited by 5
“There is evidence that some fungi can harvest ionising radiation to enhance proliferation (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
BackgroundIs There a Trade-Off between Radiation-Stimulated Growth and Metabolic Efficiency?
Mitz, C., Thome, C., Cybulski, M. E., et al. (2017) · Radiation Research · doi:10.1667/rr14665.1 · Cited by 5
Transgenic Plants for Remediation of Radionuclides
Reddy, P. C. O., Raju, K. S., Konduru, S., Sekhar, A. C., & Reddy, M. K. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-814389-6.00010-9 · Cited by 10
Mycoremediation: A Step towards Sustainability
Mishra, M., & Srivastava, D. (2020) · International Journal of Plant and Environment · doi:10.18811/ijpen.v6i04.09 · Cited by 5
Chang, R., Cao, W., Wang, Y., Li, S. N., Li, X., Bose, T. K., & Si, H.-L. (2022) · Fungal Systematics and Evolution · doi:10.3114/fuse.2022.09.01 · Cited by 5
“The best models of nucleotide substitution were determined by using jModelTest v. 2.1.6 (Darriba et al. 2012).”
InfluentialNopnakorn, P., Zhang, Y., Yang, L., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.942428 · Cited by 5
“Furthermore, melanized fungal species, such as those found in Chernobyl’s reactor, respond to ionizing radiation with enhanced growth (Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008).”
BackgroundProminent Roles and Conflicted Attitudes of Eumelanin in the Living World
Terranova, M. L. (2023) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms24097783 · Cited by 5
“A proof that EU was able not only to assure the viability but also to increase the metabolic activity of living species containing DHI and DHICA oligomers was obtained later by comparing EPR spectra of melanized and non-melanized species exposed to controlled doses of β and γ radiations [23,72].”
BackgroundLee, K., & Dighton, J. (2013) · Soil biology · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-39339-6_3 · Cited by 5
“Melanin has been shown to be an agent for entrapment of ionizing radiation for transfer of energy from radioactive sources for fungal growth (Dadachova et al. 2007; Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Dighton et al. 2008; Tugay et al. 2006).”
BackgroundSIMONETTI, F. L., CABRAL, L., CHÁVEZ, R., et al. (2024) · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências · doi:10.1590/0001-3765202420230598 · Cited by 4
Talal, M., Chen, X., Iqbal, I., & Ali, I. (2025) · Forests · doi:10.3390/f16050855 · Cited by 7
Protein Intrinsic Disorder and Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Resilience of Chaos
Uversky, V. N. (2025) · Journal of Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169547 · Cited by 5
Aguilar‐Trigueros, C. A., Boddy, L., & Fricker, M. D. (2025) · Ecology Letters · doi:10.1111/ele.70281 · Cited by 4
“Similarly, increases in colony colour, such as melanin deposition in hyphae, provide protection against environmental stressors including UV radiation and desiccation (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
Inhibition of viability of microorganisms in [18F]-labeled radiopharmaceuticals
Jörg, G., Fosselmann, M., Leis, W., et al. (2016) · Nuclear Medicine and Biology · doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2016.09.002 · Cited by 4
Pavan, H. V., Murthy, S. M., & Jogaiah, S. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822919-4.00021-1 · Cited by 5
Aletaha, R., & Sinegani, A. A. S. (2020) · Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transactions A Science · doi:10.1007/s40995-020-00901-8 · Cited by 4
Natural selection drives population divergence for local adaptation in a wheat pathogenPreprint
Pereira, D., Croll, D., Brunner, P., & McDonald, B. (2019) · bioRxiv · doi:10.1101/805127 · Cited by 18
“446 Melanin is a secondary metabolite found broadly across eukaryotes that often 447 displays complex phenotypic variation across an organism's life cycle (Butler and Day, 448 1998; Chumley and Valent, 1990; Dadachova and Casadevall, 2008; Singaravelan et al., 449 2008; Sturm and Duffy, 2012).”
BackgroundPerspectives on Coupling Nonthermal Plasma Generated in Gas–Liquid Water Environments with Microbes
Locke, B. R., Petkus, E., & Rodríguez, C. (2024) · Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing · doi:10.1007/s11090-024-10530-3 · Cited by 3
Skubała, K., Chowaniec, K., Kowaliński, M., Mrozek, T., Bąkała, J., Latkowska, E., & Myśliwa‐Kurdziel, B. (2025) · IMA Fungus · doi:10.3897/imafungus.16.145477 · Cited by 3
“Melanin can absorb a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including X-rays and gamma rays, giving it a shielding capacity against ionizing radiation that is about half that of lead (Dadachova et al. 2008).”
Schiele, A., Timofeev, S. M., Mota, A., & Cortesão, M. (2025) · International Journal of Astrobiology · doi:10.1017/s147355042510013x · Cited by 3
“Since radiation levels in LEO are not fungicidal, this hypothesis is further supported by Berger et al .”
InfluentialA Broad-Spectrum Copper Oxidase Synthesizes Fungal Peptidomelanin
Srivatsan, S., Pramanik, S., Pradeep, P., Sarkar, S., Chandrappa, S. P., Gall, R., Singh, A., Chamraj, B., Kasala, B., Majumder, U., et al. (2025) · ACS Omega · doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c07332 · Cited by 3
Suárez-Vergel, G., García-Ortiz, N., Loera, O., et al. (2026) · World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1007/s11274-026-04806-3 · Cited by 3
“This pigment is synthesized by microorganisms and helps them withstand various stressors (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008; Gessler et al. 2014), including heat, cold, and desiccation (Rehnstrom and Free 1996; Rosas and Casadevall 1997; Paolo et al. 2006; Fernandez and Koide 2013).”
Hahlbohm, A., Struck, C., Dobers, E. S., & Strehlow, B. (2024) · Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection · doi:10.1007/s10343-024-01021-8 · Cited by 4
Climate Change Impacts on Environmental Fungi: Human Health and Fungal Disease
Irizarry, P. R., Smith, D. F. Q., & Gusa, A. A. (2025) · Current topics in microbiology and immunology · doi:10.1007/82_2025_305 · Cited by 3
Cui, W., Li, X., Hull, L., & Xiao, M. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207071 · Cited by 3
Life on top: cryptoendolithic ascomycetes and microalgae isolated from over 6000 m altitude
Cometto, A., Ametrano, C. G., & Muggia, L. (2022) · Plant and Fungal Systematics · doi:10.35535/pfsyst-2022-0001 · Cited by 3
“The strong melanization of their cell walls (Dadachova & Casadevall 2008) provides them with a polyextremotolerance towards a multiplicity of abiotic stress factors (Gostinčar et al. 2011, 2012b; Pacelli et al. 2020), while the typical isodiametrical (meristematic) growth allows them to reach the…”
BackgroundMozafari, F., Rashidzadeh, H., Ghaffarlou, M., Salehiabar, M., Ertaş, Y. N., Ramazani, A., Abazari, M., Rahmati, M.-A., Javed, Y., Sharma, S. K., et al. (2022) · Nanomedicine and nanotoxicology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-04071-9_10 · Cited by 5
Elleuche, S., Sahm, K., Grote, R., et al. (2012) · Biologie in unserer Zeit · doi:10.1002/biuz.201210478 · Cited by 3
Metabolic responses in opposite sun-exposed Antarctic cryptoendolithic communitiesPreprint
Coleine, C., Gevi, F., Fanelli, G., Onofri, S., Timperio, A. M., & Selbmann, L. (2019) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/725663 · Cited by 3
“The presence of black fungi play, therefore, a crucial role in the survival of the whole community under in these highly stressful conditions characterized by drastic temperature fluctuations, elevated radiation exposure, high osmotic pressure, oxidative stresses, low water activity and nutrient availability and inten…”
BackgroundJones, R. M., Thurston, A. K., Barbato, R. A., & Barnes, E. V. (2020) · US Army Corps of Engineers: Engineer Research and Development Center (Knowledge Core) · doi:10.21079/11681/38641 · Cited by 3
Kurbessoian, T., Ahmed, S. A., Quan, Y., de Hoog, S., & Stajich, J. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.06.12.598762 · Cited by 3
“…radioprotection (physical shielding and quenching of cytotoxic free radicals), protection from desiccation, interacting with a range of electromagnetic radiation frequencies and mechanical-98 chemical cellular strength (Dadachova et al. 2008; Casadevall et al. 2003; Gorbushina et al. 2003).”
BackgroundNew Challenges in Terrestrial and Marine Radioecology
Pulhani, V., Saradhi, I. V., & Kumar, A. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-97-2795-7_16 · Cited by 2
Modulating the γ-ray Protection Properties of Melanin via a Highly Conjugated Catechol Structure
Li, Y., Chen, W., Zhang, X., et al. (2024) · ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering · doi:10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c02058 · Cited by 2
Balasubrahmaniam, N., Nastasi, N., Hegarty, B., Horack, J. M., Meyer, M. E., Haines, S. R., & Dannemiller, K. C. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-09534-6 · Cited by 2
“Melanin is a ubiquitous compound found in many microbes and its structure makes it a very stable molecule, resistant to a variety of destructive physicochemical processes such as radiation 37,38 .”
Gulacsi, E., Sabou, M., & Olsen, T. (2025) · International Journal of Radiation Biology · doi:10.1080/09553002.2025.2550438 · Cited by 2
“Research into fungi’s ability to absorb nuclear and electro-magnetic radiation began after radiotrophic species were discovered at Chernobyl (Dadachova and Casadevall 2008).”
An Overview of Microbes Present in the Extreme Environment
Taufiq, A., Singh, S. P., & Singh, T. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-07096-8_12 · Cited by 1
Volpe, R. P., Hwang, H. J., & Cox, R. T. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-31545-6 · Cited by 2
Hennessa, T. M., VanArsdale, E. S., Leary, D. H., Yang, J., Davis, R. R., Barrila, J., Schultzhaus, Z. S., Romsdahl, J., Smith, A. D., Scholes, A. N., et al. (2026) · npj Microgravity · doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00560-w · Cited by 3
Xenobiology: An expanded semantical review
Wicaksono, A., & Cristy, G. P. (2021) · Notulae Scientia Biologicae · doi:10.15835/nsb13210929 · Cited by 2
Shepherd‐Barr, K., & Simpson, H. (2022) · Open Book Publishers · doi:10.11647/obp.0303.12 · Cited by 2
Spectroscopic investigations of fungal biomarkers after exposure to heavy ion irradiation
Cassaro, A., Pacelli, C., Baqué, M., Maturilli, A., Böttger, U., Fujimori, A., Moeller, R., Vera, J.-P. P. D., & Onofri, S. (2023) · Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy · doi:10.1016/j.saa.2023.123073 · Cited by 2
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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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.
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