Rhizosphere Fungal Communities Research Articles

Pythium oligandrum induces growth promotion in starch potato without significantly altering the rhizosphere microbiome

Plant health promoting organisms, including microbial biological control agents, are of increasing importance for the development of more sustainable agriculture. To understand the function of these microbes as biological control agents under field conditions and their overall impact on soil and plant health, we need to learn more about the impact of plant beneficial microbes on the rhizosphere microbiome of crops such as potato. The plant beneficial oomycete Pythium oligandrum has previously been reported both as a biocontrol agent and as a plant growth promoter, or biostimulant, in several crop species. To investigate the potential of P. oligandrum as a biostimulant in potato, we performed a series of controlled-environment bioassays in three cultivars. We showed that biostimulation of potato by P. oligandrum is plant genotype-specific. We confirmed the biostimulation by P. oligandrum in the starch potato cultivar Kuras under field conditions. We further investigated the effects of P. oligandrum on the potato rhizosphere microbiome, sampling individual potato plants at three time points over the growing season (representing the vegetative growth phase, flowering, and the onset of senescence). Metabarcoding using ITS and 16S amplicon sequencing revealed no significant overall effect of P. oligandrum application on the bacterial and fungal rhizosphere communities. However, some genera were significantly differentially abundant after P. oligandrum application, including some classified as plant-beneficial microbes. We conclude that P. oligandrum has a cultivar-dependent growth-promoting effect in potato and only minor effects on the rhizosphere microbiome.

The Diversity and Community Composition of Three Plants’ Rhizosphere Fungi in Kaolin Mining Areas

Mining activities in the kaolin mining area have led to the disruption of the ecological health of the mining area and nearby soils, but the effects on the fungal communities in the rhizosphere soils of the plants are not clear. Three common plants (Conyza bonariensis, Artemisia annua, and Dodonaea viscosa) in kaolin mining areas were selected and analyzed their rhizosphere soil fungal communities using ITS sequencing. The alpha diversity indices (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, observed-species, pielou-e) of the fungal communities decreased to different extents in different plants compared to the non-kauri mining area. The β-diversity (PCoA, NMDS) analysis showed that the rhizosphere soil fungal communities of the three plants in the kaolin mine area were significantly differentiated from those of the control plants grown in the non-kaolin mine area, and the extent of this differentiation varied among the plants. The analysis of fungal community composition showed that the dominant fungi in the rhizosphere fungi of C. bonariensis and A. annua changed, with an increase in the proportion of Mycosphaerella (genus) by about 20% in C. bonariensis and A. annua. An increase in the proportion of Didymella (genus) by 40% in D. viscosa was observed. At the same time, three plant rhizosphere soils were affected by kaolin mining activities with the appearance of new fungal genera Ochrocladosporium and Plenodomus. Predictive functional potential analysis of the samples revealed that a significant decrease in the potential of functions such as biosynthesis and glycolysis occurred in the rhizosphere fungal communities of kaolin-mined plants compared to non-kaolin-mined areas. The results show that heavy metals and plant species are the key factors influencing these changes, which suggests that selecting plants that can bring more abundant fungi can adapt to heavy metal contamination to restore soil ecology in the kaolin mining area.

Relationships between rhizosphere microbial communities, soil abiotic properties and root trait variation within a pine species

Abstract Rhizosphere microbes play important roles in plant performance and ecosystem functioning. It is becoming increasingly clear that rhizosphere communities vary with soil properties and variation in root traits among plant species. However, less is known about whether and how variation in root traits within plant species influences the rhizosphere microbial communities. We evaluated the intraspecific root traits variation and explored their associations with bacterial and fungal communities in rhizosphere by focusing on an ectomycorrhizal tree species, that is Pinus massoniana, in 22 sites in subtropical China. The first dimension of the principal component analysis on root traits revealed evidence for the ‘conservation’ gradient of the root economics space. Overall, root traits explained more variation in fungal communities than in bacterial communities in the rhizosphere. Functional composition of rhizosphere microbial communities changed significantly along the ‘conservation’ gradient, with fast‐growing copiotrophic bacteria and symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi were significantly enriched on the ‘acquisition’ side, while slow‐growing oligotrophic bacteria were significantly enriched on the ‘conservation’ side of the gradient. Synthesis: Our study demonstrates that intraspecific variation in plant roots significantly influence rhizosphere microbial communities, which in turn can influence plant nutrition and therefore plant performance within the community.

Mediterranean pine forest decline: A matter of root-associated microbiota and climate change

Forest ecosystems worldwide currently face worrying episodes of forest decline, which have boosted weakening and mortality of the trees. In the Mediterranean region, especially in the southeast Iberian Peninsula, Pinus sylvestris forests are severely affected by this phenomenon, and it has been commonly attributed to drought events. Remarkably, the role of root microbiota on pine decline has been overlooked and remains unclear. We therefore used metabarcoding to identify the belowground microbial communities of decline-affected and unaffected pine trees. Taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal rhizosphere communities, and fungal populations dwelling in root endosphere showed different profiles depending on the health status of the trees. The root endosphere of asymptomatic trees was as strongly dominated by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’ as the root of decline-affected pines, accounting for >99 % of the total bacterial sequences in some samples. Notwithstanding, the titer of this phytopathogen was four-fold higher in symptomatic trees than in symptomless ones. Furthermore, the microbiota inhabiting the root endosphere of decline-affected trees assembled into a less complex and more modularized network. Thus, the observed changes in the microbial communities could be a cause or a consequence of forest decline phenomenon. Moreover, ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pini’ is positively correlated to Pinus sylvestris decline events, either as the primary cause of pine decline or as an opportunistic pathogen exacerbating the process once the tree has been weaken by other factors.

The Effects of Salinity and Genotype on the Rhizospheric Mycobiomes in Date Palm Seedlings.

Salinity severely affects the health and productivity of plants, with root-associated microbes, including fungi, potentially playing a crucial role in mitigating this effect and promoting plant health. This study employed metagenomics to investigate differences in the structures of the epiphyte mycobiomes in the rhizospheres of seedlings of two distinct date palm cultivars with contrasting salinity tolerances, the susceptible cultivar, 'Zabad', and the tolerant cultivar, 'Umsila'. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA was utilized as a DNA barcoding tool. The sequencing of 12 mycobiome libraries yielded 905,198 raw sequences of 268,829 high-quality reads that coded for 135 unique and annotatable operational taxonomic units (OTUs). An OTU analysis revealed differences in the rhizofungal community structures between the treatments regardless of genotype, and non-metric dimensional scaling (N-MDS) analyses demonstrated distinct separations between the cultivars under saline stress. However, these differences were not detected under the control environmental conditions, i.e., no salinity. The rhizospheric fungal community included four phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Mucoromycota), with differences in the abundances of Aspergillus, Clonostachys, and Fusarium genera in response to salinity, regardless of the genotype. Differential pairwise comparisons showed that Fusarium falciforme-solani and Aspergillus sydowii-versicolor increased in abundance under saline conditions, providing potential future in vitro isolation guidelines for plant growth-promoting fungi. This study highlights the intricate dynamics of the rhizosphere microbial communities in date palms and their responses to salt stress. Additionally, we found no support for the hypothesis that indigenous epiphytic fungal communities are significantly involved in salinity tolerance in date palms.

Turning Waste into Wealth: Utilizing Trichoderma’s Solid-State Fermentation to Recycle Tea Residue for Tea Cutting Production

Trichoderma is a widely recognized plant-growth-promoting fungus that has been extensively utilized in various agricultural applications. However, research on the economic production of Trichoderma spores and their effects on tea cuttings must be further advanced. In this study, T. guizhouense NJAU 4742 (NJAU 4742) emerged as a growth-promoting strain for tea cuttings, and the spore-production conditions of NJAU 4742 attained through solid-state fermentation (SSF) using tea residues were optimized. In a pot experiment, nursery substrates containing different concentrations of NJAU 4742 spores were tested for their influence on tea cutting growth and the rhizosphere fungal community. The optimal conditions for spore yield were determined as a 7:3 (w/w) ratio of tea residue to rice bran, a material thickness of 3 cm, an inoculum concentration of 15% (v/w), and an incubation time of 4 days, resulting in a spore count of 1.8 × 109 CFU/g. Applying NJAU 4742 spore products significantly increased the biomass of tea cuttings and influenced the fungal community composition. Moreover, higher concentrations of NJAU 4742 spores yielded better growth performance, and applying nursery substrate with 1.0 × 107 CFU/mL spores was the most economically viable option. Notably, among the top ten fungal genera with the highest relative abundance, Trichoderma showed a positive correlation with the fresh weight of tea cuttings, while the others exhibited a negative correlation. Overall, utilizing tea residue for SSF to produce NJAU 4742 was a feasible approach, and the application of NJAU 4742 spores enhanced the growth of tea cuttings by increasing the relative abundance of Trichoderma.

Trichoderma application methods differentially affect the tomato growth, rhizomicrobiome, and rhizosphere soil suppressiveness against Fusarium oxysporum.

Trichoderma spp. are widely used to enhance crop growth and suppress diverse diseases. However, inconsistent field efficacy remains a major barrier to their use as a reliable alternative to synthetic pesticides. Various strategies have been investigated to enhance the robustness of their application. Here, we evaluated how T. virens application methods (pre-, at-, and post-transplant) affect the growth of two tomato varieties and their rhizosphere fungal and bacterial communities. Although the greatest rhizosphere abundance of T. virens was observed in the post-transplant application, the at-transplant application promoted tomato growth the most, indicating that greater rhizosphere abundance does not necessarily result in better tomato growth. None of the application methods significantly altered the global rhizosphere fungal and bacterial communities of the tested varieties. Changes in specific microbial genera and guilds may underpin the enhanced tomato growth. We also investigated whether the resulting microbiome changes affect the mycelial growth and conidial germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, soilborne fungal pathogens of tomato, upon exposure to volatile compounds emitted by culturable rhizosphere microbes and metabolites extracted from the rhizosphere soils after Trichoderma treatments. Volatile compounds produced by cultured rhizosphere microbes after the at-transplant application suppressed the mycelial growth of both pathogens better than those after the other treatments. Similarly, water-soluble metabolites extracted from the rhizosphere soil samples after the at-transplant application most effectively suppressed the germination rate of F. oxysporum spores. Overall, our results suggest that the at-transplant application is most advantageous for promoting the growth of the tested tomato varieties and building soil suppressiveness against the tested fusaria. However, further studies are needed before applying this method to support tomato production. We discuss critical future questions.

Assemblages of rhizospheric and root endospheric mycobiota and their ecological associations with functional traits of rice.

The assembly processes and functions of root-associated mycobiota are among the most fascinating yet elusive topics in microbial ecology. Our results revealed that stochastic forces (dispersal limitation or ecological drift) act on fungal community assembly in both the rice rhizosphere and root endosphere at the early stage of plant growth. In addition, high covariations between the rhizosphere fungal community compositions and plant functional trait profiles were clearly demonstrated in the present study. This work provides empirical evidence of the root-associated fungal assembly principles and ecological relationships of plant functional traits with rhizospheric and root endospheric mycobiota, thereby potentially providing novel perspectives for enhancing plant performance.

Fungal Microbiome of Alive and Dead Korean Fir in its Native Habitats

A rapid decline of Abies koreana has been reported in most of the natural alpine habitats in Korea. It is generally accepted that this phenomenon is due to climate change even though no clear conclusions have been drawn. Most research has focused on abiotic environmental factors, but studies on the relationships between A. koreana and soil fungal microbiomes are scarce. In this study, the rhizoplane and rhizosphere fungal communities in the alive and dead Korean fir trees from its three major natural habitats including Mt. Deogyu, Mt. Halla, and Mt. Jiri in Korea were investigated to identify specific soil fungal groups closely associated with A. koreana. Soil fungal diversity in each study site was significantly different from another based on the beta diversity calculations. Heat tree analysis at the genus level showed that Clavulina, Beauveria, and Tomentella were most abundant in the healthy trees probably by forming ectomycorrhizae with Korean fir growth and controlling pests and diseases. However, Calocera, Dacrymyces, Gyoerffyella, Hydnotrya, Microdochium, Hyaloscypha, Mycosymbioces, and Podospora were abundant in the dead trees. Our findings suggested that Clavulina, Beauveria, and Tomentella are the major players that could be considered in future reforestation programs to establish ectomycorrhizal networks and promote growth. These genera may have played a significant role in the survival and growth of A. koreana in its natural habitats. In particular, the genus Gyoerffyella may account for the death of the seedlings. Our work presented exploratory research on the specific fungal taxa associated with the status of A. koreana.

Comparative Analysis of Rhizosphere and Endosphere Fungal Communities in Healthy and Diseased Faba Bean Plants.

This study used the ITS approach based on Illumina MiSeq sequencing to assess the endosphere and rhizosphere fungal communities in healthy and diseased faba bean plants. The findings indicate that the most predominant phyla in all samples were Ascomycota (49.89-99.56%) and Basidiomycota (0.33-25.78%). In healthy endosphere samples, Glomeromycota (0.08-1.17%) was the only predominant phylum. In diseased endosphere samples, Olpidiomycota (0.04-1.75%) was the only predominant phylum. At the genus level, Penicillium (0.47-35.21%) was more abundant in rhizosphere soil, while Paraphoma (3.48-91.16%) was predominant in the endosphere roots of faba bean plants. Significant differences were observed in the alpha diversity of rhizosphere samples from different germplasm resources (p < 0.05). The fungal community structures were clearly distinguished between rhizosphere and endosphere samples and between healthy and diseased endosphere samples (p < 0.05). Saccharomyces was significantly enriched in diseased endosphere samples, whereas Apiotrichum was enriched in healthy endosphere samples. Vishniacozyma and Phialophora were enriched in diseased rhizosphere samples, while Pseudogymnoascus was enriched in healthy rhizosphere samples. Diseased samples displayed more strongly correlated genera than healthy samples. Saprotrophs accounted for a larger proportion of the fungal microbes in rhizosphere soil than in endosphere roots. This study provides a better understanding of the composition and diversity of fungal communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere of faba bean plants as well as a theoretical guidance for future research on the prevention or control of faba bean root rot disease.

Shift in the rhizosphere soil fungal community associated with root rot infection of Plukenetia volubilis Linneo caused by Fusarium and Rhizopus species.

Plukenetia volubilis Linneo is an oleaginous plant belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. Due to its seeds containing a high content of edible oil and rich in vitamins, P. volubilis is cultivated as an economical plantworldwide. However, the cultivation and growth of P. volubilis is challenged by phytopathogen invasion leading to production loss. In the current study, we tested the pathogenicity of fungal pathogens isolated from root rot infected P. volubilis plant tissues by inoculating them into healthy P. volubilis seedlings. Metagenomic sequencing was used to assess the shift in the fungal community of P. volubilis rhizosphere soil after root rot infection. Four Fusarium isolates and two Rhizopus isolates were found to be root rot causative agents of P. volubilis as they induced typical root rot symptoms in healthy seedlings. The metagenomic sequencing data showed that root rot infection altered the rhizosphere fungal community. In root rot infected soil, the richness and diversity indices increased or decreased depending on pathogens. The four most abundant phyla across all samples were Ascomycota, Glomeromycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota. In infected soil, the relative abundance of each phylum increased or decreased depending on the pathogen and functional taxonomic classification. Based on our results, we concluded that Fusarium and Rhizopus species cause root rot infection of P. volubilis. In root rot infected P. volubilis, the shift in the rhizosphere fungal community was pathogen-dependent. These findings may serve as a key point for a future study on the biocontrol of root rot of P. volubilis.

Spatial variations of fungal community assembly and soil enzyme activity in rhizosphere of zonal Stipa species in inner Mongolia grassland

Rhizosphere soil fungal and enzyme activities affect the nutrient cycling of terrestrial ecosystems, and rhizosphere fungi are also important participants in the ecological process of vegetation succession, responding to changes in plant communities. Stipa is an excellent forage grass with important ecological and economic value, and has the spatial distribution pattern of floristic geographical substitution. In order to systematically investigate the synergistic response strategies of fungal communities and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere under the vegetation succession. Here we explored the turnover and assembly mechanisms of Stipa rhizosphere fungal communities and the spatial variation of metabolic activity under the succession of seven Stipa communities in northern China grassland under large scale gradients. The results indicated that the composition, abundance and diversity of fungal communities and microbial enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil differed among different Stipa species and were strikingly varied along the Stipa community changes over the geographic gradient. As the geographical distribution of Stipa community changed from east to west in grassland transect, Mortierellomycetes tended to be gradually replaced by Dothideomycetes. The null models showed that the rhizosphere fungal communities were governed primarily by the dispersal limitation of stochastic assembly processes, which showed decreased relative importance from S. grandis to S. gobica. Moreover, the MAT and MAP were the most important factors influencing the changes in the fungal community (richness, β-diversity and composition) and fungal community assembly, while SC and NP also mediated fungal community assembly processes. These findings deepen our understanding of the responses of the microbial functions and fungal community assembly processes in the rhizosphere to vegetation succession.

Effect of EDDS on the rhizosphere ecology and microbial regulation of the Cd-Cr contaminated soil remediation using king grass combined with Piriformospora indica

The negative impacts of soil heavy metals composite pollution on agricultural production and human health are becoming increasingly prevalent. The applications of green chelating agents and microorganisms have emerged as promising alternate methods for enhancing phytoremediation. The regulatory effects of root secretion composition, microbial carbon source utilization, key gene expression, and soil microbial community structure were comprehensively analyzed through a combination of HPLC, Biolog EcoPlates, qPCR, and high-throughput screening techniques. The application of EDDS resulted in a favorable rhizosphere ecological environment for the king grass Piriformospora indica, characterized by a decrease in soil pH by 0.41 units, stimulation of succinic acid and fumaric acid secretion, and an increase in carbon source metabolic activity of amino acids and carbohydrates. Consequently, this improvement enhanced the bioavailability of Cd/Cr and increased the biomass of king grass by 25.7%. The expression of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria was significantly upregulated by 99.2%, while there was no significant difference in Clostridium abundance. Furthermore, the richness of the soil rhizosphere fungal community (Ascomycota: 45.8%, Rozellomycota: 16.7%) significantly increased to regulate the proportion of tolerant microbial dominant groups, promoting the improvement of Cd/Cr removal efficiency (Cd: 23.4%, Cr: 18.7%). These findings provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of chelating agent-assisted plants-microorganisms combined remediation of heavy metals in soil.

Analysis of rhizosphere fungal community of agricultural crops cultivated in laboratory experiments on Chernevaya taiga soil.

Chernevaya taiga of Western Siberia, Russia, is a unique ecosystem characterized by fertile soil, exceptionally large herbaceous plant sizes, and extraordinarily rapid rates of plant residue degradation. We expected that growing crops on soil collected from Chernevaya taiga, which has never been used for agricultural purposes before, would result in a distinct rhizospheric fungal community. This community could potentially yield novel, potent biostimulators and biocontrol fungi for modern agriculture. To check this idea, we used high-throughput ITS sequencing to examine the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of spring wheat and radish grown in greenhouse experiments on Chernevaya and control soils. Additionally, representative fungal strains were isolated and assessed for their ability to promote growth in wheat seedlings. The study revealed that the most abundant phyla in the rhizospheric fungal community were Mortierellomycota, primarily consisting of Mortierella species, and Ascomycota. Mucor and Umbelopsis comprised the majority of Mucoromycota in the control soils. Fusarium and Oidiodendron, two potentially plant-pathogenic fungi, were only found in the rhizosphere of crops grown in the control soil. Conversely, Chernevaya soil contained a diverse range of potential biocontrol fungi for plants. Tested novel fungal isolates showed a stimulating effect on the development of wheat seedlings and positively affected their rate of biomass accumulation. The results of the study demonstrate that the soil of Chernevaya taiga do indeed contain fungi with prominent potential to stimulate agricultural plants growth.

Effects of interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria on the growth of Lotus corniculatus L.: From the perspective of regulating rhizosphere fungal community

Effects of interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria on the growth of Lotus corniculatus L.: From the perspective of regulating rhizosphere fungal community

Pedological factors as drivers of archaeal and fungal communities in maize rhizosphere: a shotgun metagenomic sequencing approach

South Africa is a semi-arid country in need of soil conservation methods for sustainable agroecosystem practices. Over time, researchers have worked extensively on the plant growth beneficial effects of fungi. However, archaeal groups in the soil and rhizosphere of different plants are under-studied. The impact of soil edaphic factors on the community structure of archaeal and fungal groups in the maize rhizosphere is the focus of this research. This will confirm the hypothesis that environmental factors have a significant impact on the plant–soil rhizobiome. To achieve this objective, a shotgun metagenomics approach was used to analyze maize rhizosphere and bulk soils collected from North West and Gauteng provinces of South Africa. Our findings revealed that both the maize rhizosphere and bulk soils have several archaeal and fungal phyla in common. Besides, Ascomycota (30‒51%), Thaumarchaeota (14‒26%), Euryarchaeota (19‒29%), and Crenarchaeota (8‒12%) have significantly dominated the maize rhizosphere and surrounding bulk soils. In comparison, genera such as Nitrosopumilus (Ls-18.32%, Lc-16.25%; Rs-15.45%, Rc-11.47%), Candidatus Nitrososphaera (Ls-15.29%, Lc-13.37%; Rs-10.53%, Rc-8.29%), Cenarchaeum (Ls-8.84%, Lc-8.16%; Rs-7.63%, Rc-5.38%), Chaetomium (Ls-25.15%, Lc-23.05%; Rs-14.83%, Rc-6.29%), and Neurospora (Ls-2.09%, Lc-1.95%; Rs-1.05%, Rc-0.99%) were significantly higher in maize rhizosphere soils compared to bulk soils (p < 0.05). Diversity indices showed that the archaeal and fungal composition were significantly different across samples with the presence of unclassified groups that could indicate the possibility of novel organisms in the sampling areas. The forward selection of soil edaphic factors predicted N–NH4, pH, and organic matter as the major contributing factors to the variation in the fungal and archaeal communities. To fully exploit the advantages possessed by these species, it is necessary to better understand the main environmental factors driving microbial assemblages of the soil microbiome. In addition, mapping out a culture-based method to unveil the unclassified groups could assist in the discovery of biotechnologically important archaeal and fungal groups for sustainable plant growth.

Black pepper pathogen suppression: Divergent rhizosphere fungal communities of healthy and diseased plants yield new insights for orchard management in Vietnam

Complex interactions involving soil physicochemical parameters and plant-associated microbial communities determine crop health. In Vietnam, this process is poorly understood in the context of black pepper production. Specifically, there is a dearth of information for improving the suppression of pathogenic fungi. Understanding the environmental dynamics influencing the distribution of these pathogens would facilitate the development and use of biological agents in black pepper pathogen management. Here, the molecular profiles of fungal communities from the rhizosphere of healthy and unhealthy Vietnamese black pepper orchards and their relationships were determined. Additionally, co-occurrence analyses with a previously constructed bacterial dataset identified taxa indicative of soil suppression. Alpha diversity of total fungi was influenced by only environmental factors, while that of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was more responsive to orchard health state. Glomus sp., Rhizophagus sp., Purpureocillium sp. and Plectosphaerella sp. were the most responsive genera to orchard health state. Potential fungal pathogens were more prevalent in the unhealthy orchards. Co-occurrence network analyses revealed that unhealthy orchards were less connected, had longer path distance and were missing putative pathogen-to-biocontrol interactions common in the healthy orchards. Soil electrical conductivity and potassium may be key factors in differentiating fungal communities of unhealthy from healthy orchards. This work highlights important microbial species and environmental considerations critical to improved black pepper management strategies.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alter rhizosphere fungal community characteristics of Acorus calamus to improve Cr resistance.

To investigate changes in fungal community characteristics under different Cr(VI) concentration stresses and the advantages of adding arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), we used high throughput sequencing to characterize the fungal communities. Cr(VI) stress reduced rhizosphere soil SOM (soil organic matter) content and AMF addition improved this stress phenomenon. There were significant differences in fungal community changes under different Cr(VI) concentrations. The fungal community characteristics changed through inhibition of fungal metabolic ability, as fungal abundance increased after AMF addition, and the fungal diversity increased under high Cr(VI) concentration. The dominant phyla were members of the Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Rozellomycota. Dominant groups relevant to Cr resistance were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi. Moreover, Fungal community characteristics were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the cytochrome c metabolic pathway, NADH dehydrogenase, and NADH: ubiquinone reductase and all these functions were enhanced after AMF addition. Therefore, Cr(VI) stress significantly affects fungal community structure, while AMF addition could increase its SOM content, and metabolic capacity, and improve fungal community tolerance to Cr stress. This study contributed to the understanding response of rhizosphere fungal community in AMF-assisted wetland phytoremediation under Cr stress.

Composition, functional, and niche differentiation of fungal communities in the rhizosphere and root endosphere of Cinnamomum migao in southwestern China.

Roots are key parts of plant material circulation and energy flow, creating two distinct niches for the plant microbiome, such as the rhizosphere and root endosphere, which interact to maintain plant growth and health. In this study, two niches of plant rhizosphere and root endosphere were selected to study the composition and differences of fungi communities in order to better understand how differences in the structure and function of plant fungi communities affect plant health. The community structure, diversity, and ecological function of fungi in the rhizosphere and root endosphere of Cinnamomum migao were studied using high-throughput sequencing techniques, traditional culture methods, and the FUNGuild database. The results of the analysis of alpha diversity showed that the diversity of rhizosphere fungal communities in C. migao was much higher than that of root endosphere communities. Some similarities and differences were noted between the two niche fungal communities, and some fungi had niche preferences. Functional prediction results demonstrated that fungi in the rhizosphere and root endosphere adopt multiple trophic modes, mostly saprophytic fungi. This study provided a basis for an in-depth understanding of the structural variation, niche differentiation, and function of plant root-related fungal microbiota. We believe that it could provide guidance on the subsequent development of beneficial fungi.

Composition of fungal communities upon multiple passaging of rhizosphere microbiome for salinity stress mitigation in Vigna radiata.

The top-down approach of microbiome-mediated rhizosphere engineering has emerged as an eco-friendly approach for mitigating stress and enhancing crop productivity. It has been established to mitigate salinity stress in Vigna radiata using multi-passaging approach. During the process of acclimatization under increasing levels of salinity stress, the structure of rhizospheric microbial community undergoes dynamic changes, while facilitating stress mitigation in plants. In this study, using ITS-based amplicon sequencing, the dynamics of rhizosphere fungal community was unravelled over successive passages under salt stress in Vigna radiata. Clear shifts were evident among the fungal community members under stress and non-stress conditions, upon application of acclimatized rhizosphere microbiome in Vigna radiata across successive passages. These shifts correlated with enhanced plant biometrics and reduced stress marker levels in plant. Significant changes in the fungal community structure were witnessed in rhizosphere across passaging cycles under salinity stress, which possibly facilitated stress mitigation in Vigna radiata.