Molecular diversity of fungal phylotypes co-amplified alongside nematodes from coastal and deep-sea marine environments

Nematodes and fungi are both ubiquitous in marine environments, yet few studies have investigated relationships between these two groups. Microbial species share many well-documented interactions with both free-living and parasitic nematode species, and limited data from previous studies have suggested ecological associations between fungi and nematodes in benthic marine habitats. This study aimed to further document the taxonomy and distribution of fungal taxa often co-amplified from nematode specimens. A total of 15 fungal 18S rRNA phylotypes were isolated from nematode specimens representing both deep-sea and shallow water habitats; all fungal isolates displayed high pairwise sequence identities with published data in Genbank (99-100%) and unpublished high-throughput 454 environmental datasets (>95%). BLAST matches indicate marine fungal sequences amplified in this study broadly represent taxa within the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, and several phylotypes showed robust groupings with known taxa in phylogenetic topologies. In addition, some fungal phylotypes appeared to be present in disparate geographic habitats, suggesting cosmopolitan distributions or closely related species complexes in at least some marine fungi. The present study was only able to isolate fungal DNA from a restricted set of nematode taxa; further work is needed to fully investigate the taxonomic scope and function of nematode-fungal interactions.     

Diversity and Characterization of Culturable Fungi from Marine Sediment Collected from St. Helena Bay, South Africa

Marine fungi are known to originate from a wide variety of habitats within the marine environment. Marine sediment represents one environmental niche, with most fungi occurring in these sediments being facultative marine fungi with terrestrial origins. It has not been proven whether these fungi merely survive the harsh environmental conditions presented by the ocean sediment, as opposed to playing an active role in this ecological niche. During this study, marine sediment was collected from St. Helena Bay, on the west coast of the Western Cape, South Africa. Using dilution, enrichment, and repetitive culturing techniques, 59 fungal isolates were obtained from marine sediments and identified to at least genus level using morphological and molecular methods. Moreover, a series of tests were performed to characterize the physical and physicochemical attributes of the isolates. Results showed that the isolates not only survived but also had the potential to grow in the natural conditions present in this environment. Extracellular cellulase was produced by the filamentous fungal isolates indicating their probable role in detrital decay processes and therefore the carbon cycle on the ocean bed. Also, denitrification patterns were observed when isolates were grown in liquid media amended with NaNO(2), NaNO(3), and (NH(4))SO(4), implicating that these fungi have the potential to play an active role in denitrification, co-denitrification, and ammonification phases of nitrogen cycles occurring in the marine sediments.     

Diversity of fungal isolates from three Hawaiian marine sponges

Sponges harbor diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. However, the nature of sponge-fungal association and diversity of sponge-derived fungi have barely been addressed. In this study, the cultivation-dependent approach was applied to study fungal diversity in the Hawaiian sponges Gelliodes fibrosa, Haliclona caerulea, and Mycale armata. The cultivated fungal isolates were representatives of 8 taxonomic orders, belonging to at least 25 genera of Ascomycota and 1 of Basidiomycota. A portion of these isolates (n=15, 17%) were closely affiliated with fungal isolates isolated from other marine habitats; the rest of the isolates had affiliation with terrestrial fungal strains. Cultivated fungal isolates were classified into 3 groups: 'sponge-generalists'-found in all sponge species, 'sponge-associates'-found in more than one sponge species, and 'sponge-specialists'-found only in one sponge species. Individuals of G. fibrosa collected at two different locations shared the same group of 'sponge-specialists'. Also, representatives of 15 genera were identified for the first time in marine sponges. Large-scale phylogenetic analysis of sponge-derived fungi may provide critical information to distinguish between 'resident fungi' and 'transient fungi' in sponges as it has been done in other marine microbial groups. This is the first report of the host specificity analysis of culturable fungal communities in marine sponges.     

Phylogenetic diversity of culturable fungi associated with the Hawaiian Sponges Suberites zeteki and Gelliodes fibrosa

Sponges are well documented to harbor large amounts of microbes. Both culture-dependent and molecular approaches have revealed remarkable bacterial diversity in marine sponges. Fungi are commonly isolated from marine sponges, yet no reports on phylogenetic diversity of sponge-inhabiting fungi exist. In this report, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of culturable fungi from the Hawaiian alien marine sponges Suberites zeteki and Gelliodes fibrosa. A total of 44 independent isolates were recovered from these two sponge species, representing 7 orders and 22 genera of Ascomycota. The majority (58%) of fungal isolates from S. zeteki resided in the Pleosporales group, while the predominant isolates (52%) from G. fibrosa were members of the Hypocreales group. Though differing in fungal species composition and structure, culturable communities of these two sponges displayed similar phylogenetic diversity. At the genus level, only two genera Penicillium and Trichoderma in the Eurotiales and Hypocreales orders, respectively, were present in both sponge species. The other genera of the fungal isolates were associated with either S. zeteki or G. fibrosa. Some of these fungal genera had been isolated from sponges collected in other marine habitats, but more than half of these genera were identified for the first time in these two marine sponges. Overall, the diversity of culturable fungal communities from these two sponge species is much higher than that observed in studies of marine sponges from other areas. This is the first report of phylogenetic diversity of marine sponge-associated fungi and adds one more dimension to our current understanding of the phylogenetic diversity of sponge-symbiotic microbes.     

Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Culturable Fungi Isolated from Six Species of the South China Sea Gorgonians

Fungi in gorgonians are now known to cause gorgonian diseases, but little attention has been paid to the nature of fungal communities associated with gorgonians. The diversity of culturable fungi associated with six species of healthy South China Sea gorgonians were investigated using a culture-dependent method followed by analysis of fungal internal transcribed spacer sequences. A total of 121 fungal isolates were recovered and identified using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search program. These belonged to 41 fungal species from 20 genera. Of these, 30 species and 12 genera are new reports for gorgonians, and the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most diverse and common in the six gorgonian species. Comparison of the fungal communities in the six gorgonian species, together with results from previous relevant studies, indicated that different gorgonian species and the same gorgonian species living in different geographic locations had different fungal communities. The gorgonian Dichotella gemmacea harbored the most fungal species and isolates, while Echinogorgia aurantiaca had the least fungal diversity. Among the six media used for fungal isolation, potato glucose agar yielded the highest isolates (27 isolates), while glucose peptone starch agar had the best recoverability of fungal species (15 species). The antimicrobial activity of the 121 fungal isolates was tested against three marine bacteria and two marine gorgonian pathogenic fungi. A relatively high proportion (38?%) of fungal isolates displayed distinct antibacterial and antifungal activity, suggesting that the gorgonian-associated fungi may aid their hosts in protection against pathogens. This is the first report comparing the diversity of fungal communities among the South China Sea gorgonians. It contributes to our knowledge of gorgonian-associated fungi and further increases the pool of fungi available for natural bioactive product screening.     

Penicillium solitum: a mesophilic, psychrotolerant fungus present in marine sediments from Antarctica

Few studies have addressed the diversity of cultivable fungi from marine sediments, especially those from Antarctica. In the present study, we evaluated the presence and distribution of cultivable fungi in marine core sediments obtained from 100, 500, 700 and 1,100 m below the Antarctic Ocean surface. Fifty-two fungal isolates were identified as Penicillium solitum by their physiological and morphological characteristics, and the identity of 12 representative isolates was further confirmed by sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and β-tubulin genes. P. solitum displayed high sequence similarity to Penicillium taxa that have been described from other marine habitats. Conidial germination of P. solitum occurred at low temperatures and high salinities. In addition, P. solitum displayed extracellular amylasic and esterasic activities. The isolation of P. solitum from marine sediments in Antarctica and its survival at low temperatures and high salt concentrations suggest that it is adapted to the cold and halophilic environment of the Antarctic oceans. Because P. solitum produces extracellular enzymes, it is an interesting eukaryotic model for the study of structure–function relationships during enzymatic biocatalysis and biotransformation under extreme conditions. Marine sediments from Antarctica may represent a unique source for obtaining extremophilic fungi. New studies using different culture media, temperatures ranges and pressure conditions as well as metagenomic techniques can assist in understanding the extremophilic fungal communities in marine sediments across the Antarctic Ocean.     

Biodiversity and Enzyme Activity of Marine Fungi with 28 New Records from the Tropical Coastal Ecosystems in Vietnam

The coastal marine ecosystems of Vietnam are one of the global biodiversity hotspots, but the biodiversity of marine fungi is not well known. To fill this major gap of knowledge, we assessed the genetic diversity (ITS sequence) of 75 fungal strains isolated from 11 surface coastal marine and deeper waters in Nha Trang Bay and Van Phong Bay using a culture-dependent approach and 5 OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) of fungi in three representative sampling sites using next-generation sequencing. The results from both approaches shared similar fungal taxonomy to the most abundant phylum (Ascomycota), genera (Candida and Aspergillus) and species (Candida blankii) but were different at less common taxa. Culturable fungal strains in this study belong to 3 phyla, 5 subdivisions, 7 classes, 12 orders, 17 families, 22 genera and at least 40 species, of which 29 species have been identified and several species are likely novel. Among identified species, 12 and 28 are new records in global and Vietnamese marine areas, respectively. The analysis of enzyme activity and the checklist of trophic mode and guild assignment provided valuable additional biological information and suggested the ecological function of planktonic fungi in the marine food web. This is the largest dataset of marine fungal biodiversity on morphology, phylogeny and enzyme activity in the tropical coastal ecosystems of Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Biogeographic aspects, ecological factors and human impact may structure mycoplankton communities in such aquatic habitats.     

三种杓兰根相关真菌多样性和生态功能

【背景】除了菌根真菌(Orchid mycorrhizal fungi,OrMF)外,兰科植物根中还有其它内生真菌,称为根相关真菌(Root-associated fungi,RAF)。【目的】采用分离培养的方法获得同一栖息地针叶林和灌木林两种不同生境西藏杓兰、黄花杓兰和无苞杓兰的RAF菌株,研究其真菌谱系、多样性和生态功能结构。【方法】从杓兰根碎屑中分离RAF,通过总DNA提取、PCR扩增及测序得到ITS(Internaltranscribedspacer)序列;进行系统发育和多样性分析,并通过NCBI数据库比对得到相似性最高序列的注释信息来分析RAF生态学特性。【结果】共分离得到278株RAF,25种OTU类型,包括23个子囊菌门OTU,2个毛霉菌门OTU。RAF物种丰富度分析发现西藏杓兰的较黄花杓兰高,不同生境没有显著差异;不同杓兰物种较不同生境的RAF群落分化程度高。生态功能分析显示25个OTU包括共生型、腐生型和致病型3种营养型,以及外生菌根菌群、植物病原菌群、内生真菌群、动物病原菌群、真菌寄生菌群、杜鹃花类菌根群、未定义的腐生菌群和不确定型8种共位群。【结论】阐明不同生境采集的不同杓兰中RAF的分布特点和生态功能,为未来研究RAF与杓兰属植物的共生关系奠定基础。     

Phylogenetic analysis and antifouling potentials of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle,China

To search for more microbial resources for screening environment-friendly antifoulants, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity and antifouling potentials of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle, China. A total of 176 isolates belonging to 57 fungal taxa were recovered and identified. The high levels of diversity and abundance of mangrove fungi from Techeng Isle were in accordance with previous studies on fungi from other mangrove ecosystems. Fifteen of the 176 isolates demonstrated high divergence (87–93%) from the known fungal taxa in GenBank. Moreover, 26 isolates recorded in mangrove ecosystems for the first time. These results suggested that mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle harbored some new fungal communities compared with other mangrove ecosystems. The antifouling activity of 57 representative isolates (belonging to 57 different fungal taxa) was tested against three marine bacteria (Loktanella hongkongensis, Micrococcus luteus and Pseudoalteromonas piscida) and two marine macrofoulers (bryozoan Bugula neritina and barnacle Balanus amphitrite). Approximately 40% of the tested isolates displayed distinct antifouling activity. Furthermore, 17 fungal isolates were found to display strong or a wide spectrum of antifouling activity in this study, suggesting that these isolates deserve further study as potential sources of novel antifouling metabolites. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the investigation of the phylogenetic diversity and antifouling potential of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle, China. These results contribute to our knowledge of mangrove fungi and further increases the pool of fungi available for natural bioactive product screening.     

Coastal marine habitats harbor novel early-diverging fungal diversity

Despite nearly a century of study, the diversity of marine fungi remains poorly understood. Historical surveys utilizing microscopy or culture-dependent methods suggest that marine fungi are relatively species-poor, predominantly Dikarya, and localized to coastal habitats. However, the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies to characterize microbial communities has challenged traditional concepts of fungal diversity by revealing novel phylotypes from both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Here, I used ion semiconductor sequencing (Ion Torrent) of the ribosomal large subunit (LSU/28S) to explore fungal diversity from water and sediment samples collected from four habitats in coastal North Carolina. The dominant taxa observed were Ascomycota and Chytridiomycota, though all fungal phyla were represented. Diversity was highest in sand flats and wetland sediments, though benthic sediments harbored the highest proportion of novel sequences. Most sequences assigned to early-diverging fungal groups could not be assigned beyond phylum with statistical support, suggesting they belong to unknown lineages.     

Molecular detection of fungal communities in the Hawaiian marine sponges Suberites zeteki and Mycale armata

Symbiotic microbes play a variety of fundamental roles in the health and habitat ranges of their hosts. While prokaryotes in marine sponges have been broadly characterized, the diversity of sponge-inhabiting fungi has barely been explored using molecular approaches. Fungi are an important component of many marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and they may be an ecologically significant group in sponge-microbe interactions. This study tested the feasibility of using existing fungal primers for molecular analysis of sponge-associated fungal communities. None of the eight selected primer pairs yielded satisfactory results in fungal rRNA gene or internal transcribed spacer (ITS) clone library constructions. However, 3 of 10 denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) primer sets, which were designed to preferentially amplify fungal rRNA gene or ITS regions from terrestrial environmental samples, were successfully amplified from fungal targets in marine sponges. DGGE analysis indicated that fungal communities differ among different sponge species (Suberites zeteki and Mycale armata) and also vary between sponges and seawater. Sequence analysis of DGGE bands identified 23 and 21 fungal species from each of the two sponge species S. zeteki and M. armata, respectively. These species were representatives of 11 taxonomic orders and belonged to the phyla of Ascomycota (seven orders) and Basidiomycota (four orders). Five of these taxonomic orders (Malasseziales, Corticiales, Polyporales, Agaricales, and Dothideomycetes et Chaetothyriomcetes incertae sedis) have now been identified for the first time in marine sponges. Seven and six fungal species from S. zeteki and M. armata, respectively, are potentially new species because of their low sequence identity (< or =98%) with their references in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis indicated sponge-derived sequences were clustered into "marine fungus clades" with those from other marine habitats. This is the first report of molecular analysis of fungal communities in marine sponges, adding depth and dimension to our understanding of sponge-associated microbial communities.     

Comparisons of the Fungal and Protistan Communities among Different Marine Sponge Holobionts by Pyrosequencing

To date, the knowledge of eukaryotic communities associated with sponges remains limited compared with prokaryotic communities. In a manner similar to prokaryotes, it could be hypothesized that sponge holobionts have phylogenetically diverse eukaryotic symbionts, and the eukaryotic community structures in different sponge holobionts were probably different. In order to test this hypothesis, the communities of eukaryota associated with 11 species of South China Sea sponges were compared with the V4 region of 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene using 454 pyrosequencing. Consequently, 135 and 721 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of fungi and protists were obtained at 97 % sequence similarity, respectively. These sequences were assigned to 2 phyla of fungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) and 9 phyla of protists including 5 algal phyla (Chlorophyta, Haptophyta, Streptophyta, Rhodophyta, and Stramenopiles) and 4 protozoal phyla (Alveolata, Cercozoa, Haplosporidia, and Radiolaria) including 47 orders (12 fungi, 35 protists). Entorrhizales of fungi and 18 orders of protists were detected in marine sponges for the first time. Particularly, Tilletiales of fungi and Chlorocystidales of protists were detected for the first time in marine habitats. Though Ascomycota, Alveolata, and Radiolaria were detected in all the 11 sponge species, sponge holobionts have different fungi and protistan communities according to OTU comparison and principal component analysis at the order level. This study provided the first insights into the fungal and protistan communities associated with different marine sponge holobionts using pyrosequencing, thus further extending the knowledge on sponge-associated eukaryotic diversity.     

Dramatic shifts in benthic microbial eukaryote communities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Benthic habitats harbour a significant (yet unexplored) diversity of microscopic eukaryote taxa, including metazoan phyla, protists, algae and fungi. These groups are thought to underpin ecosystem functioning across diverse marine environments. Coastal marine habitats in the Gulf of Mexico experienced visible, heavy impacts following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, yet our scant knowledge of prior eukaryotic biodiversity has precluded a thorough assessment of this disturbance. Using a marker gene and morphological approach, we present an intensive evaluation of microbial eukaryote communities prior to and following oiling around heavily impacted shorelines. Our results show significant changes in community structure, with pre-spill assemblages of diverse Metazoa giving way to dominant fungal communities in post-spill sediments. Post-spill fungal taxa exhibit low richness and are characterized by an abundance of known hydrocarbon-degrading genera, compared to prior communities that contained smaller and more diverse fungal assemblages. Comparative taxonomic data from nematodes further suggests drastic impacts; while pre-spill samples exhibit high richness and evenness of genera, post-spill communities contain mainly predatory and scavenger taxa alongside an abundance of juveniles. Based on this community analysis, our data suggest considerable (hidden) initial impacts across Gulf beaches may be ongoing, despite the disappearance of visible surface oil in the region.     

红树林生态系统中不同生境不同深度土壤的可培养真菌的多样性

【目的】了解八门湾红树林生态系统中不同生境(潮间带、海洋到红树区的过渡带、海桑红树区)和不同深度土壤的可培养真菌的多样性。【方法】采用稀释涂布平板法分离土壤中的真菌,利用形态学观察和ITS rDNA序列分析技术研究可培养真菌的表观和遗传多样性。【结果】从八门湾红树林生态系统的3个不同生境中分离到257株真菌,分别属于21属28种,其中青霉属(Penicillium)、曲霉属(Aspergillus)和木霉属(Trichoderma)为优势类群。来自不同生境或者同一生境不同采样深度的土壤真菌种类组成不同,并且有些真菌类群只出现在特定的样品中。从空间角度看,红树区土壤样品的真菌多样性高于其他两个生境的土壤样品;从垂直角度看,潮间带和过渡带的表层土壤样品的真菌多样性高于深层土壤样品,而红树区的深层土壤样品真菌多样性高于表层土壤样品。【结论】八门湾红树林生态系统中的可培养真菌资源丰富,种类多样性较高,但不同生境或不同深度的可培养真菌分布存在较大的差异。这些结果揭示了红树林土壤中可培养真菌的生态分布特点,也为红树林真菌资源的开发利用提供了基础的背景资料。     

Fungi ahoy! Diversity on marine wooden substrata in the high North

Marine fungi are severely understudied in the polar regions. We used molecularly identified cultures to study fungi inhabiting 50 intertidal and sea-floor logs along the North Norwegian coast. The aim was to explore the taxonomic and ecological diversity and to examine factors shaping the marine wood-inhabiting fungal communities. The 577 pure cultures analyzed clustered into 147 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on 97 % ITS sequence similarity. Ascomycota dominated, but OTUs belonging to Basidiomycota, Mucoromycotina and Chytridiomycota were also isolated. Nine OTUs could not be assigned to any fungal phylum. Almost half of the OTUs were considered non-marine. The western and eastern part of the Norwegian Barents Sea coast hosted different communities. Geography, substratum and site level variables contributed to shaping these communities. We characterized a previously overlooked fungal community in a poorly studied area, discovered high diversity and report many taxa for the first time from the marine environment.     

Tropical aquatic fungi

This paper reports on the distribution of fungal communities in aquatic habitats in tropical regions and highlights differences in the taxa observed in freshwater and marine habitats. Ascomycetes are dominant on substrata in marine environments, with few basidiomycetes and discomycetes. Equally, few freshwater basidiomycetes and discomycetes have been reported from the tropics. In marine habitats, Dothideomycetes dominate on mangrove substrata, and halosphaeriaceous species are most numerous on submerged woody substrata in coastal waters, while yeasts are common in seawater and estuarine habitats. In freshwater, Ingoldian anamorphic fungi are most numerous on decaying leaves, while ascomycetes (Dothideomycetes, Sordariomycetes) are prevalent on submerged/exposed woody substrata. Unique fungi are found in tropical waters and differ from those in temperate locations.     

Fungal palaeodiversity revealed using high‐throughput metabarcoding of ancient DNA from arctic permafrost

The taxonomic and ecological diversity of ancient fungal communities was assessed by combining next generation sequencing and metabarcoding of DNA preserved in permafrost. Twenty‐six sediment samples dated 16 000–32 000 radiocarbon years old from two localities in Siberia were analysed for fungal ITS. We detected 75 fungal OTUs from 21 orders representing three phyla, although rarefaction analyses suggested that the full diversity was not recovered despite generating an average of 6677 ± 3811 (mean ± SD) sequences per sample and that preservation bias likely has considerable effect on the recovered DNA. Most OTUs (75.4%) represented ascomycetes. Due to insufficient sequencing depth, DNA degradation and putative preservation biases in our samples, the recovered taxa probably do not represent the complete historic fungal community, and it is difficult to determine whether the fungal communities varied geographically or experienced a composition shift within the period of 16 000–32 000 bp . However, annotation of OTUs to functional ecological groups provided a wealth of information on the historic communities. About one‐third of the OTUs are presumed plant‐associates (pathogens, saprotrophs and endophytes) typical of graminoid‐ and forb‐rich habitats. We also detected putative insect pathogens, coprophiles and keratinophiles likely associated with ancient insect and herbivore faunas. The detection of putative insect pathogens, mycoparasites, aquatic fungi and endophytes broadens our previous knowledge of the diversity of fungi present in Beringian palaeoecosystems. A large group of putatively psychrophilic/psychrotolerant fungi was also detected, most likely representing a modern, metabolically active fungal community.     

Molecular analysis of deep-subsurface bacteria.

Bacterial isolates from deep-sediment samples from three sites at the Savannah River site, near Aiken, S.C., were studied to determine their microbial community composition and DNA structure by using total DNA hybridization and moles percent G + C. Standard phenotypic identification underestimated the bacterial diversity at the three sites, since isolates with the same phenotype had different DNA structures in terms of moles percent G + C and DNA homology. The G + C content of deep-subsurface bacteria ranged from 20 to 77 mol%. More than 60% of the isolates tested had G + C values similar to those of Pseudomonas spp., and 12% had values similar to those of Acinetobacter spp. No isolates from deeper formations showed the same DNA composition as isolates from upper formations. Total-DNA hybridization and DNA base composition analysis provided a better resolution than phenotypic tests for the understanding of the diversity and structure of deep-subsurface bacterial communities. On the basis of the moles percent G + C values, deep-subsurface isolates tested seemed to belong to the families Pseudomonadaceae and Neisseriaceae, which might reflect a long period of adaptation to the environmental conditions of the deep subsurface.     

ITS1 metabarcoding highlights low specificity of lichen mycobiomes at a local scale

As self‐supporting and long‐living symbiotic structures, lichens provide a habitat for many other organisms beside the traditionally considered lichen symbionts—the myco‐ and the photobionts. The lichen‐inhabiting fungi either develop diagnostic phenotypes or occur asymptomatically. Because the degree of specificity towards the lichen host is poorly known, we studied the diversity of these fungi among neighbouring lichens on rocks in an alpine habitat. Using a sequencing metabarcoding approach, we show that lichen mycobiomes clearly reflect the overlap of multiple ecological sets of taxa, which differ in their trophic association with lichen thalli. The lack of specificity to the lichen mycobiome is further supported by the lack of community structure observed using clustering and ordination methods. The communities encountered across samples largely result from the subsampling of a shared species pool, in which we identify three major ecological components: (i) a generalist environmental pool, (ii) a lichenicolous/endolichenic pool and (iii) a pool of transient species. These taxa majorly belong to the fungal classes Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Tremellomycetes with close relatives in adjacent ecological niches. We found no significant evidence that the phenotypically recognized lichenicolous fungi influence the occurrence of the other asymptomatic fungi in the host thalli. We claim that lichens work as suboptimal habitats or as a complex spore and mycelium bank, which modulate and allow the regeneration of local fungal communities. By performing an approach that minimizes ambiguities in the taxonomic assignments of fungi, we present how lichen mycobiomes are also suitable targets for improving bioinformatic analyses of fungal metabarcoding.     

Fungi associated with beetles dispersing from dead wood – Let's take the beetle bus!

Spore characteristics of wood-inhabiting fungi suggest that wind is their predominant dispersal vector. However, since they are restricted to ephemeral habitats, colonizing new patches should benefit from dispersal by animals with similar habitat preferences because the directed, resource-searching movement of animals increases the likelihood of reaching suitable habitats. Here we determine which fungal guilds are carried by wood-inhabiting beetles and what influences beetle-associated fungal communities. High-throughput sequencing identified >1800 fungal taxa from beetle communities that emerged from 64 experimental logs. Beetle-associated fungi included mutualistic, decomposing, pathogenic and mycorrhizal fungi; decomposers were the most diverse. Partial-procrustes analysis revealed that the total beetle-associated community and mutualists were correlated (p ≤ 0.05) with beetle community composition and decomposers were marginally correlated (p ≤ 0.10) with beetle community composition. All three groups were marginally correlated with the total fungal communities that inhabit the dead wood. Our results show that beetles carry a broad range of wood-inhabiting fungi and beetle-associated fungal communities are determined by environmental factors and the vectoring beetle community and to some degree by the fungal source community. This suggests that wood-inhabiting beetles contribute to fungal dispersal, including directed dispersal, which could affect fungal community assembly and ecosystem processes like wood decomposition.