Abstract
Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides L., has considerable potential for landscape reclamation, food, medicinal, and cosmetics industries. In this study, we analyzed fungal microorganism populations associated with carposphere of sea buckthorn harvested in Lithuania. An amplicon metagenomic approach based on the ITS2 region of fungal rDNA was used to reveal the ripening-affected fungal community alterations on sea buckthorn berries. According to alpha and beta diversity analyses, depending on the ripening stage, sea buckthorn displayed significantly different fungal communities. Unripe berries were shown to be prevalent by Aureobasidium, Taphrina, and Cladosporium, while ripe berries were dominated by Aureobasidium and Metschnikowia. The selected yeast strains from unripe and mature berries were applied for volatile organic compounds identification by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. It was demonstrated that the patterns of volatiles of four yeast species tested were distinct from each other. The current study for the first time revealed the alterations of fungal microorganism communities colonizing the surface of sea buckthorn berries at different ripening stages. The novel information on specific volatile profiles of cultivable sea buckthorn-associated yeasts with a potential role in biocontrol is important for the development of the strategies for plant cultivation and disease management, as well as for the improvement of the quality and preservation of the postharvest berries. Management of the fungal microorganisms present on the surface of berries might be a powerful instrument for control of phytopathogenic and potentially antagonistic microorganisms affecting development and quality of the berries.
Highlights
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is garden and landscaping shrub widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America, distinguished for good adaptation to barren soils and harsh climates [1]
The clustering of the sequences generated a total of 1615 unique amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) (1014 [338±70, hereafter median for 3 samples ± standard deviation] for fungal ITS2 from unripe berries and 601 [200±35.6] Amplicon sequence variants (ASV) for ripe berries)
The metagenomic approach based on the sequencing of ITS2 region of fungal rDNA revealed changes in the fungal community associated with the ripening of sea buckthorn berries
Summary
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is garden and landscaping shrub widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America, distinguished for good adaptation to barren soils and harsh climates [1]. The ecological impact of sea buckthorn in preventing soil erosion, improving its properties, and reducing pollution has been demonstrated [2]. Phytochemicals and essential oil generated from sea buckthorn berries and seeds reduce inflammation; have antibacterial, anticancer, and radioprotective activity; relieve pain; and promote regeneration of tissues [3,6,7]. Secretion of antifungal compounds, and killer toxins allow for fruit-associated microorganisms to demonstrate increased antagonistic activity, an ability to modulate carposphere microbiota structure, and might mediate interactions with insects [12,13,14,15,16]. The role of bacterial and fungal microorganisms as producers of chemical indicators for the attraction of insects and their communication has been revealed [17,18]. The chemical composition of each blend of volatiles may vary depending on the producing yeast and the ecological niche where the cross-talking species are growing [14,16]
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