Role of Fungi in Biodeterioration

Zbornik Matice srpske za prirodne nauke / Proc. Nat. Sci, Matica Srpska Novi Sad, ¥ 116, 245—251, 2009
UDC 582.288:57.04]:725 DOI:10.2298/ZMSPN0916245L

M i l i c a V. L j a l j e v i ã G r b i ã J e l e n a B. V u k o j e v i ã
Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden “Jevremovac", University of Belgrade, Takovska 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

ROLE OF FUNGI IN BIODETERIORATION PROCESS OF STONE IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS
ABSTRACT: Fungal ability in production of pigments and organic acids have crucial role in discoloration and degradation of different types of stone in cultural heritage objects. Additionally, stone objects may support novel communities of microorganisms that are active in biodeterioration process. This investigation focuses on mycological analyses of microbial biofilm from two important buildings, made of granite and sandstone, and which were heavily colonized by fungi. The 23 fungal taxa including filamentous microfungi and yeasts with specific distribution on sandstone and granite substrate were isolated. Melanized fungi from Dematiaceae (Deuteromycotina) were dominant. The identified microfungi cause discoloration, as well as mechanical exfoliation of building stone material that was analyzed through mechanical hyphae penetration and production of dark pigments and organic acids. KEY WORDS: biodegradation, cultural heritage, fungi

INTRODUCTION Numerous factors affect the stone durability. Stone surfaces are continuously exposed to physical, chemical and biological degradation. Physical, chemical, and biological agents act in co-association, ranging from synergistic to antagonistic, to the deterioration. Among biological agents miroorganisms have critical importance, in stone deterioration. They can cause various damages on the stone surface, such as: formation of biofilm, chemical reactions with substrate, physical penetration into the substrate as well as pigments production. Numerous studies have been dealing with establishing the role of

References: A r x, J. A., von (1974): The Genera of Fungi. Sporulating in Pure Culture, J. Cramer. B o c k, E., S a n d, W. (1993): The microbiology of masonry biodeterioration, J. Appl. Bacteriolo. 74: 503—514. B o o t h, C. (1971): Fungal culture media. In: C. Booth, Ed., Methods in Microbiology, Vol. 4, Academic Press, London, New York, 49—94. B u r f o r d, P. E., K i e r a n s, M., G a d d, M. G. (2003): Geomycology: fungi in mineral substrata, Mycologyst 17: 98—107. E l l i s, M. B., E l l i s, P. J. (1997): Microfungi on Land Plants, An Identification Handbook. The Richmond Publishing Co., Ltd. M a y, E., L e w i s, F. J., P e r e i r a, S., T a y l e r, S., S e a w a r d, M. R. D. and A l l s o p p, D. (1993): Microbial deterioration of building stone — a review, Biodeterioration Abstracts 7: 109—123. M a y, E. (2003): Microbes on building stone — for good or ill? Culture Vol 24: 5—8. 250 P i t t, J. I. (1979): The Genus Penicillium and Its Teleomorphic State Eupenicillium and Talaromyces, Academic Press, London, New York, Toronto, Sidney, San Francisco. P o c h o n, J., J a t o n, C. (1968): Biological factors in the alteration of stone. In: A. H. Wolters, C. C. Elphick, Eds., Biodeterioration of Materials, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 258—268. P r i e t o, B., S i l v a, B. (2005): Estimation of potential bioreceptivity of granitic rocks from their intrinsic properties, Int. Biodeterioration Biodegrad. 56: 206—215. R a p e r, B. K., F e n n e l, D. I. (1965): The Genus Aspergillus, The Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore. Š i m o n o v i å o v á, A., G ó d y o v á, M., Š e v c, J. (2004): Airborne and soil microfungi as contaminants of stone in a hypogean cemetery, Int. Biodeterioration Biodegrad. 54: 7—11. S u i h k o, L. M., A l a k o m i, L. H., G o r b u s h i n a, A. A., F o r t u n e, I., M a r q u a r d t, S a a r e l a, M. (2007): Characterization of Aerobic Bacterial and Fungal Microbiota on Surfaces of Historic Scottish Monuments, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 30: 494—508. W a r s c h e i d, Th., B r a a m s, J. (2000): Biodeterioration of stone: a review, Int. Biodeterioration Biodegrad. 46: 343—368. ULOGA GQIVA U PROCESU BIODETERIORACIJE KAMENA ISTORIJSKIH GRAÐEVINA Milica V. Qaqeviã Grbiã, Jelena B. Vukojeviã Institut za botaniku i Botaniåka bašta „Jevremovac", Biološki fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu, Takovska 43, Beograd, Srbija Rezime Sposobnost gqiva da interreaguju sa mineralima, metalima i organskim materijama åini ih idealnim agensima koji putem mehaniåkih i biohemijskih procesa deluju degradirajuãe na stene i graðevinski kamen. Pigmenti i organske kiseline, koje produkuju gqive, imaju esencijalnu ulogu u diskoloraciji i degradaciji razliåitih tipova kamena kulturno-istorijskih objekata. Ova istraÿivawa obuhvataju mikološku analizu biofilma poreklom sa dva istorijska objekta u Beogradu: Spomenika neznanom junaku na Avali i Brankovog mosta na Savi. Izolovano je ukupno 23 taksona filamentoznih gqiva, sa dominacijom melanizovanih mikromiceta (Alternaria spp., Aureobasidium pululans var. melanigerum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. sphaerospermum, Drechlera dematoidea, Epicoccum purpurascens., Phoma sp.) i specifiånim rasporedom na granitnom supstratu i kamenu pešåaru koji su istraÿivani. Mikološka analiza biofilma sa površine graðevinskog kamena je vaÿna karika u sprovoðewu dobre konzervacije i ne moÿe biti izostavqena u savremenom konceptu konzervacije koji ukquåuje tesnu saradwu izmeðu konzervatora i mikrobiologa. 251