Sara Arsenijević

Cave ecosystems represent environmentally constrained habitats that host diverse and highly specialized fungal communities. Many cave-dwelling fungi act as decomposers, transient colonizers, or cave fauna symbionts. During a mycological survey of Sesalačka cave (Serbia), a previously undescribed species was isolated from the skin of a Miniopterus schreibersii. The aim of this study was to characterize this isolate using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphology, physiology, and multilocus phylogenetics. The fungus was cultured on different media under and its morphophysiological traits were recorded. DNA sequences of ITS, LSU, SSU, and TEF1α were compared with existing Gamsia species and phylogenetic analysis placed the isolate within the Gamsia clade, forming a well-supported lineage the most closely related to G. aggregata, but differing from it by 8–12 base pairs across loci. Distinctive morphological features of this species include obovoid to pyriform polyblastic conidia, hyaline to pale-brown annelloconidia, and reduced conidiophores, clearly separating the species from described congeners. It is psychrotolerant and does not grow at 37 °C, suggesting it is a cave-associated saprobe rather than a mammalian pathogen. This study expands the known diversity of Gamsia species and contributes to the growing evidence that subterranean habitats harbor numerous undescribed fungal kingdom members.

Bats reflect environmental quality in diverse habitats, from cities to forests. This study aimed to reveal element bioaccumulation and DNA damage in the long-fingered bat (Myotis capaccinii) using non-lethal methods. Twenty-four hair samples and 15 blood samples were taken from bats caught at two locations in Eastern Serbia between July and September of 2024. Hair analysis by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) detected As, Cr, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, and Zn, while Cd, Co, Cu and, Pb were below detection limits. The degree of DNA damage in peripheral blood was determined using the alkaline comet assay. In M. capaccinii, there was a significant difference in element concentrations between sexes, with females having higher concentrations of Cr, Fe, and Mn, and between seasons, with samples from summer having higher concentrations of Ni and Mn. A significant difference in zinc concentration was observed between adults and juveniles. DNA damage was higher in the summer season. Significant correlations were confirmed between element concentrations in hair (Cr–Fe, Cr–Zn, Cr–Mn, Fe–Zn, and Fe–Mn) and between Cr and Zn concentrations and DNA damage in blood cells. The Cr–DNA damage link highlights hair as a marker for sustained environmental exposure. Every significant correlation that included Zn was negative. This is the first genotoxic study of bats in Serbia and of M. capaccinii globally, laying the groundwork for future research in other bat species and the wider Central Balkans. It marks an initial step toward using bats as bioindicators for noninvasive pollution monitoring.