Abstract

Oxidative stress poses significant challenges for fungi inhabiting extreme environments. Elevated salinity frequently induces the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cellular components and impair growth. In response, fungi—common inhabitants of extreme environments—activate coordinated adaptive mechanisms, including antioxidant defense systems and other stress-related pathways. In the present study, a newly isolated strain, Trichoderma afroharzianum B2.2, obtained from the poorly studied saline habitat of Atanasovsko Lake (Bulgaria), was investigated. The cellular response of this moderately halotolerant strain to increased salinity was characterized. Biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated, and the involvement of key enzymes from glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway in the strain’s adaptation to elevated salinity was examined. Understanding adaptations to salt environments is crucial not only for elucidating fungal survival mechanisms under extreme conditions but also for their potential applications in biotechnology, ecology, and food safety, particularly in the context of increasing ecosystem salinization and climate change.

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