Solid waste dumping differentially impacts soil prokaryotic, fungal, and viral communities: Insights from metagenomics.

Long-term soil warming may alter microbial community structure and functioning in forest soils, thereby affecting carbon and nutrient cycling processes. We examined the effects of >14 years of soil warming (+4°C during snow-free seasons) on the fungal biomass marker ergosterol, and on fungal and bacterial communities in a spruce dominated mountain forest in the Austrian Alps. Soil warming decreased ergosterol, and the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass carbon (MBC) ratio at 0-10 and 10-20 cm soil depth, with a stronger decline in ergosterol, indicating a higher sensitivity of fungi than bacteria to long-term warming. Warming also shifted the fungal community at both soil depths, favoring Boletus luridus , an ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus, which emerged as the dominant OTU in warmed plots. The dominance of ECM over saprotrophic fungi (SAP) under warming at topsoil likely resulted from increased fine root production and enhanced competition for substrates and nutrients. Bacterial abundance and community composition remained mostly unaffected at both depths, likely due to their greater resilience to elevated temperatures and their high taxonomic diversity. Our findings therefore suggest that long-term warming primarily affects fungal community composition and functional traits, thereby enhancing the contribution of ECM with fine roots to the carbon cycle in the calcareous forest soil. • Warming reduced fungal biomass more than microbial biomass. • Warming increased the abundance of ectomycorrhiza fungi. • Bacterial abundance and composition were mostly unaffected by warming.

Influence of plant species identity, phylogeny, and functional traits on twig-associated fungal communities.

Nutrient supply shapes fungal community structure and co-occurrence networks in biocrusts: Key roles of intermediate and rare taxa

Impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on fractions and fungal communities of mineral-associated organic carbon in subtropical coastal wetlands of China

Plant rhizosphere enhances biochar's immobilization of cadmium: Divergent effects in flooded and unsaturated cultivation soils.

Trichoderma-driven shifts in microbial communities improve spent mushroom substrate composting and disease-suppressive capacity.

Elucidation of the fungal community composition and quality of medium-high temperature Daqu: A study based on second-generation sequencing and electronic sensor technologies

Sustainable land use and agricultural management enhance arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and soil health

Tobacco fermentation is a crucial process for improving tobacco quality by reducing undesirable substances and enhancing aroma characteristics. In this study, an enzyme-microbe combined fermentation strategy was established and evaluated. Cytobacillus oceanisediminis C4 combined with amylase pretreatment was applied in the fermentation of tobacco powder (TP) to improve the quality of tobacco, yielding an enhanced sensory score of 84.50, compared with 82.00 in the untreated TP. Compared with the control, the reducing sugar content increased significantly, whereas starch and protein contents decreased markedly after combined fermentation. Furthermore, total aromatic components of TP increased by 34.77 %, along with noticeable changes in TP surface structure. Bacterial community structure analysis revealed a noteworthy shift at the genus level, with the relative abundance of Bacillus and Pseudomonas escalating from 0.30 % and 1.15 % to 74.67 % and 4.40 %, respectively. Additionally, fungal community structure analysis revealed that the relative abundance of Monascus surged from 1.69 % to 87.59 %. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that fermentation reprogrammed the metabolic profile toward flavor-active and aroma-precursor compounds, characterized by increased levels of amino acids and phenolic acids and decreased levels of lipids and flavonoids. These coordinated changes contributed to enhanced aroma, reduced irritation, and overall improvement in tobacco quality. Overall, this study establishes an effective enzyme-microbe combined fermentation strategy, demonstrates its applicability for improving heat-not-burn (HnB) tobacco products, and provides multi-omics insights into the underlying mechanisms of quality enhancement.

Effects of prosulfocarb and hydrogels on soil fungal communities.

Climate change is reshaping fungal communities associated with maize, creating new risks for food safety and crop productivity. Hotter and drier summers favour xerophilic fungi, while wetter conditions promote hydrophilic ones. This study aimed to characterize fungal populations colonizing maize grains in Spain during 2023-2024 harvesting seasons, and to evaluate the influence of kernel type on fungal incidence. Ninety-one maize samples were collected in northeastern Spain. Kernels were disinfected, plated on Malachite Green and Potato Dextrose agars, and incubated for mould morphological classification. Molecular identification was performed for isolates from the two major genera observed: Fusarium and Aspergillus. Results revealed major shifts in fungal incidence between seasons. In 2023, hotter and drier conditions favoured a codominance of Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. (both ∼40% infected samples). In contrast, the wetter 2024 season reduced Aspergillus spp. incidence to <5%, while Fusarium spp. maintained their dominance, accompanied by increases of Epicoccum spp. (+15.3%) and Phoma spp. (+6.2%). Fusarium proliferatum was unexpectedly the most frequent Fusarium species, surpassing Fusarium verticillioides. Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri reached similar levels, with Aspergillus flavus/oryzae as the main species. Popcorn was significantly more susceptible to Aspergillus spp., while there was no significant difference for the other maize types. Overall, these findings demonstrate how weather variability and kernel traits can reshape maize mycobiota. Continuous monitoring is therefore needed to anticipate shifts in fungal dominance and assure food safety and crop production under the current climate change scenario.

Decade-long fertilization and Bradyrhizobium inoculation reconfigure soybean rhizosphere microecology through fungal community assembly and metabolic niche partitioning

The redclaw crayfish ( Cherax quadricarinatus ), a highly valued freshwater aquaculture species, is renowned for its rapid growth, environmental adaptability, and nutritional quality. However, the intensification of aquaculture practices has led to increased disease outbreaks, prompting the widespread use of disinfectants such as formaldehyde. While formaldehyde is effective against bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections, its impact on the gut microbiota of redclaw crayfish remains poorly understood. This study employed metagenomic sequencing to investigate the effects of formaldehyde exposure on the gut microbial community of redclaw crayfish. Results revealed significant alterations in microbial diversity and structure, with a marked decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in potential pathogens. Fungal and archaeal communities were also affected, with shifts in dominant taxa such as Zygotorulaspora and Haloarcula . Functional analysis indicated disruptions in metabolic pathways related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and immune response. These results indicate the regulatory mechanism of formaldehyde exposure on the structure and functional characteristics of the intestinal microbial community of red claw crayfish, revealing the multiple effects of formaldehyde on the host body by changing the composition of gut microbial, interfering with metabolic pathways, and destroying the balance of microecology.

Research on the diversity and community structure of marine benthic fungi is limited. This study explores the relationships between these fungal communities and key elements (carbon and nitrogen), abiotic factors (pH, salinity, and depth), and exometabolites, with a focus on the role of marine exometabolites. The findings demonstrate that exometabolites, particularly organic acids, significantly influence the structure of benthic fungal communities. These results enhance our understanding of successional processes within these communities and clarify the interactions between benthic fungi and exometabolites, offering valuable insights into the formation of marine benthic fungal communities.

Patterns in Marine Fungal Diversity and Community Structure on Native Versus Invasive Macroalgae at a Local Geographic Scale.

Distance decay of plant and fungal communities at the mesotopographical scale of the Arctic tundra

Post-fire Succession and Soil Chemical Properties Shape Soil Fungal Community Structure and Diversity in Hemiboreal Scots Pine Forests in Estonia.

Pesticide use is widespread in agricultural systems in Iraq, raising concerns about their potential impact on the gut mycobiome. This study investigated how residues of a fungicide containing metalaxyl-M and azoxystrobin affect the gut fungal microbiome using a mouse model. Thirty 12-week-old male Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) weighing 30–40 g were divided into two groups: a control group (n=15) fed a regular diet and a treatment group (n=15) fed the same diet supplemented with 10 ppm of fungicide. Due to high inter-individual variation observed in preliminary analysis and cost constraints, fecal samples from mice within each group were pooled (5 pools per group, 3 mice per pool) prior to DNA extraction, effectively resulting in n=5 biological replicates per group for sequencing. Metagenetic libraries of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene were generated and analyzed using QIIME2, DESeq2, DECIPHER, and Phangorn. A total of 191 amplicon sequence variants of fungal taxa were identified across all samples. The bioinformatic analysis revealed that the gut fungal community was significantly altered by fungicide treatment. Some species were enriched, including uncultured Nakazawaea and Neosartorya hiratsukae, and others were reduced, including Trichomonascus ciferrii, Alternaria conjuncta, and Ophiostoma canum. This study reveals that fungicides used in Iraq have profound effects on gut microbiome communities in mice, and it is recommended to pursue these aspects towards the further development of a research agenda focused on the health implications of dietary fungicide exposure and also on the methods of minimization.

The Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation District in China has long been influenced by flood irrigation and intensive fertilizer input under its particular geological and climatic constraints, and this region is characterized by low soil organic matter, poor nutrient status, low permeability, high pH, and widespread salinization. This cross-sectional field study compared the soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities among saline–alkali soil (SAS), straw-returning farmland (SR), and traditionally managed farmland (FM). EC was higher in SAS (approximately 4.21 dS·m−1) than in SR and FM (approximately 0.23 and 0.30 dS·m−1, respectively), whereas TOC and C/N were higher in SR (approximately 1.00% and 10.58, respectively) than in FM (approximately 0.78% and 8.69) and SAS (approximately 0.43% and 8.81). Bacterial and fungal communities showed different distribution patterns among the three farmland types. Compared with fungi, bacterial community structure and richness varied more clearly across soils differing in salinity and organic matter status. Variations in microbial community composition were accompanied by differences in soil salinity and carbon- and nitrogen-related properties. Acidobacteriota was positively correlated with soil carbon and nitrogen variables and negatively correlated with pH and EC, while Ascomycota was positively correlated with total carbon (TC) and TOC. These results show that straw-returning farmland differed from saline–alkali soil and traditionally managed farmland in both soil properties and microbial community characteristics, highlighting potential soil–microbe associations in saline-affected agricultural systems.