Fungal and Bacterial Communities in Tuber melanosporum Plantations from Northern Spain

Sergio Armenteros,Jaime Olaizola,Olaya Mediavilla,María Hernández-Rodríguez,James Mcdermott,Stefano Mauceri,Celia Herrero De Aza

doi:10.3390/f13030385

Sergio Armenteros, Jaime Olaizola + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f13030385

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Abstract

Tuber melanosporum (Ascomycota, Pezizales) is an ectomycorrhizal fungus that produces highly appreciated hypogeous fruiting bodies called black truffles. The aim of this paper was to research the composition of ectomycorrhiza-associated fungal and bacterial communities in T. melanosporum oak plantations. Results of this paper showed the competitive effect of T. melanosporum on other fungal species, especially other mycorrhizal and pathogenic species. T. melanosporum was shown to be associated mainly with bacteria, some of them important for their properties as mycorrhizal helper bacteria. A dendrogram analysis of co-occurrence showed that T. melanosporum tended to co-occur with the following bacteria species: Singulisphaera limicola, Nannocistis excedens and Sporosarcina globispora. In addition, it was linked to fungal species such as Mortierella elongata, M. minutissima, Cryptococcus uzbekistanensis, C. chernovii and C. aerius. This study provides an exhaustive analysis of the diversity, structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities associated with T. melanosporum to enhance understanding of the biology, composition and role of these communities in truffle plantations.

Highlights

IntroductionThis study provides an exhaustive analysis of the diversity, structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities associated with T. melanosporum to enhance understanding of the biology, composition and role of these communities in truffle plantations
Bacterial communities are the third partner in the symbiosis between fungi and plant roots [18,19], which seem to be crucial in the complex biological processes of exchange involving nutrients [20,21]
Our results provide a comprehensive description of the microbiomes found in truffle orchards in Northern Spain, as well as the fungal and bacterial species most significantly associated with T. melanosporum mycelium in the soil

Summary

Introduction

This study provides an exhaustive analysis of the diversity, structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities associated with T. melanosporum to enhance understanding of the biology, composition and role of these communities in truffle plantations. Ectomycorrhizal fungi form a symbiosis with trees and certain shrub species They influence nutrient and water uptake and absorption [14], plant growth and survival [15,16], and plant resistance to plant pathogens [17]. It has been shown that bacteria can promote the establishment of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis [20,24], and some bacterial species are involved in the production of truffles [25]. Truffle orchards provide a interesting case for studying soil microorganisms, as the high metabolic activity of black truffle mycelium likely influences other fungal and bacterial soil species

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