''Trichoderma viride'' is a

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately fr ...

and a biofungicide. It is used for seed- and soil treatment for suppression of various diseases caused by fungal pathogens.

Biology

''T. viride'' is a mold which produces spores asexually, by mitosis. It is the

anamorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an a ...

of ''Hypocrea rufa'', its teleomorph, which is the sexual reproductive stage of the fungus and produces a typical fungal fruiting body. The mycelium of ''T. viride'' can produce a variety of enzymes, including

cellulase Cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4; systematic name 4-β-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase) is any of several enzymes produced chiefly by fungi, bacteria, and protozoans that catalyze cellulolysis, the decomposition of cellulose and of some related polysaccha ...

s and chitinases which can degrade cellulose and chitin respectively. The mould can grow directly on wood, which is mostly composed of cellulose, and on fungi, the cell walls of which are mainly composed of

chitin Chitin ( C8 H13 O5 N)n ( ) is a long-chain polymer of ''N''-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is probably the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cellulose); an estimated 1 billion tons of chit ...

. It parasitizes the

mycelia Mycelium (plural mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrates. A typical single spore germinates in ...

and fruiting bodies of other fungi, including cultivated

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

s, and it has been called the "green mould disease of mushrooms". The affected mushrooms are distorted and unattractive in appearance and the crop is reduced.Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month
/ref> Trichoderma viride is the causal agent of green mold rot of onion. A strain of Trichoderma viride is a known cause of dieback of Pinus nigra seedlings.

Uses

The fungicidal activity makes ''T. viride'' useful as a biological control against plant pathogenic fungi. It has been shown to provide protection against such pathogens as ''

Rhizoctonia ''Rhizoctonia'' is a genus of fungi in the order Cantharellales. Species form thin, effused, corticioid basidiocarps (fruit bodies), but are most frequently found in their sterile, anamorphic state. ''Rhizoctonia'' species are saprotrophic, bu ...

'', ''

Pythium ''Pythium'' is a genus of parasitic oomycetes. They were formerly classified as fungi. Most species are plant parasites, but ''Pythium insidiosum'' is an important pathogen of animals, causing pythiosis. The feet of the fungus gnat are frequen ...

'' and even ''

Armillaria ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the ''Armillaria mellea, A. mellea'' species known as honey fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armill ...

''. It is found naturally in soil and is effective as a seed dressing in the control of seed and soil-borne diseases including ''

Rhizoctonia solani ''Rhizoctonia solani'' is a species of fungus in the order Cantharellales. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are thin, effused, and web-like, but the fungus is more typically encountered in its anamorphic state, as hyphae and sclerotia. The name '' ...

'', ''

Macrophomina phaseolina ''Macrophomina phaseolina'' is a Botryosphaeriaceae plant pathogen fungus that causes damping off, seedling blight, collar rot, stem rot, charcoal rot, basal stem rot, and root rot on many plant species. Hosts, symptoms, and signs One of the ...

'' and ''

Fusarium ''Fusarium'' is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the soil mi ...

'' species. When it is applied at the same time as the seed, it colonizes the seed surface and kills not only the pathogens present on the

cuticle A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...

, but also provides protection against soil-borne pathogens. A closely related species, ''

Trichoderma reesei ''Trichoderma reesei'' is a mesophilic and filamentous fungus. It is an anamorph of the fungus ''Hypocrea jecorina''. ''T. reesei'' can secrete large amounts of cellulolytic enzymes (cellulases and hemicellulases). Microbial cellulases have in ...

'', is used in the creation of

stonewashed jeans Stone washing is a textile manufacturing process used to give a newly manufactured cloth garment a worn-in (or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as ca ...

.Heikinheimo, L., Buchert, J., Miettinen-Oinonen, A., & Suominen, P. (2000). Treating Denim Fabrics with Trichoderma Reesei Cellulases. Textile Research Journal, 70(11), 969–973. https://doi.org/10.1177/004051750007001106 The

produced by the fungus partially degrade the cotton material in places, making it soft and causing the jeans to look as if they had been washed using stones.

References

External links

Index Fungorum

USDA ARS Fungal Database
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3915697 Fungal plant pathogens and diseases Root vegetable diseases Trichoderma Fungi of Europe Fungi described in 1794 Taxa named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon