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Frontiers in Microbiology 2024The genus is a Holarctic taxon composed of 21 nominal species; some of these species are well known in the world as disturbance agents of forest ecosystems. Under the...
The genus is a Holarctic taxon composed of 21 nominal species; some of these species are well known in the world as disturbance agents of forest ecosystems. Under the bark of the host tree, these insects are involved in complex and dynamic associations with phoretic ectosymbiotic and endosymbiotic communities. Unlike filamentous fungi and bacteria, the ecological role of yeasts in the bark beetle holobiont is poorly understood, though yeasts were the first group to be recorded as microbial symbionts of these beetles. Our aim was characterize and compare the gut fungal assemblages associated to 14 species of using the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region. A total of 615,542 sequences were recovered yielding 248 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The fungal diversity was represented by 4 phyla, 16 classes, 34 orders, 54 families, and 71 genera with different relative abundances among species. The α-diversity consisted of 32 genera of yeasts and 39 genera of filamentous fungi. An analysis of β-diversity indicated differences in the composition of the gut fungal assemblages among bark beetle species, with differences in species and phylogenetic diversity. A common core mycobiome was recognized at the genus level, integrated mainly by present in all bark beetles, , , , and . The bipartite networks confirmed that these fungal genera showed a strong association between beetle species and dominant fungi, which are key to maintaining the structure and stability of the fungal community. The functional variation in the trophic structure was identified among libraries and species, with pathotroph-saprotroph-symbiotroph represented at the highest frequency, followed by saprotroph-symbiotroph, and saprotroph only. The overall network suggested that yeast and fungal ASVs in the gut of these beetles showed positive and negative associations among them. This study outlines a mycobiome associated with nutrition and provides a starting point for future and omics approaches addressing potential ecological functions and interactions among fungal assemblages and beetle hosts.
PubMed: 38525076
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1360488 -
Microbial Ecology Mar 2024Chemical soil fumigation (CSF) and reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) have been proven to be effective agricultural strategies to improve soil quality, restructure...
Chemical soil fumigation (CSF) and reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) have been proven to be effective agricultural strategies to improve soil quality, restructure microbial communities, and promote plant growth in soil degradation remediation. However, it is still unclear how RSD and CSF ensure soil and plant health by altering fungal communities. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of CSF with chloropicrin, and RSD with animal feces on soil properties, fungal communities and functional composition, and plant physiological characteristics were evaluated. Results showed that RSD and CSF treatment improved soil properties, restructured fungal community composition and structure, enhanced fungal interactions and functions, and facilitated plant growth. There was a significant increase in OM, AN, and AP contents in the soil with both CSF and RSD treatments compared to CK. Meanwhile, compared with CK and CSF, RSD treatment significantly increased biocontrol Chaetomium relative abundance while reducing pathogenic Neonectria relative abundance, indicating that RSD has strong inhibition potential. Furthermore, the microbial network of RSD treatment was more complex and interconnected, and the functions of plant pathogens, and animal pathogen were decreased. Importantly, RSD treatment significantly increased plant SOD, CAT, POD activity, SP, Ca, Zn content, and decreased MDA, ABA, Mg, K, and Fe content. In summary, RSD treatment is more effective than CSF treatment, by stimulating the proliferation of probiotic communities to further enhance soil health and plant disease resistance.
Topics: Soil; Panax; Agriculture; Microbiota; Mycobiome; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 38512483
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02349-4 -
Journal of Dermatological Science Apr 2024Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder characterized by depigmented patches on the skin that majorly impact patients' quality of life. Although its etiology...
BACKGROUND
Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder characterized by depigmented patches on the skin that majorly impact patients' quality of life. Although its etiology involves genetic and environmental factors, the role of microorganisms as environmental factors in vitiligo pathology remains under-researched.
OBJECTIVES
Our study explored the presence of characteristic bacterial and fungal flora in vitiligo-affected skin and investigated their potential roles in vitiligo pathogenesis.
METHODS
We sequenced bacterial 16S rRNA and the fungal ITS1 region from skin swabs collected at frequently affected sites, namely the forehead and back, of patients with vitiligo. We analyzed bacterial and fungal flora in lesional and non-lesional areas of patients with vitiligo compared with corresponding sites in age- and sex-matched healthy subjects.
RESULTS
Our findings revealed elevated α-diversity in both bacterial and fungal flora within vitiligo lesions compared with healthy controls. Notably, bacterial flora exhibited a distinctive composition in patients with vitiligo, and the proportional representation of Enterococcus was inversely correlated with the degree of vitiligo progression. Gammaproteobacteria, Staphylococcus spp., and Corynebacterium spp. were more abundant in vitiligo patients, with notable Staphylococcus spp. prevalence during the stable phase on the forehead. Conversely, the proportion of Malassezia sympodialis was lower and that of Malassezia globosa was higher in the progressive phase on the back of vitiligo patients.
CONCLUSION
Our study identified some characteristic bacterial and fungal groups associated with vitiligo activity and prognosis, highlighting the potential roles of microorganisms in pathogenesis and offering insights into personalized disease-management approaches.
Topics: Humans; Vitiligo; Female; Male; Adult; Mycobiome; Skin; Middle Aged; Japan; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Microbiota; Case-Control Studies; Young Adult; Forehead; Back; Malassezia; Corynebacterium; Staphylococcus; East Asian People
PubMed: 38508974
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2024.02.008 -
Journal of Microorganism Control 2024The species diversity of xerophilic and halophilic fungi distributed in marine surface water was studied at four local sites located in two geographically distant...
The species diversity of xerophilic and halophilic fungi distributed in marine surface water was studied at four local sites located in two geographically distant regions in Japan. At each site, 5-10 samples were collected and isolated using an osmophilic medium. Species identification was conducted based on nucleotide sequence of calmodulin or β -tubulin and morphological characteristics for Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces, and on the sequences of rRNA internal transcribed spacer for the other taxa. Overall, 231 strains were isolated from all sites and classified into 85 species belonged to 12 orders and 33 genera. The isolates that showed better mycelial growth than the control(no NaCl added) in the halotolerance test were defined as halophilic fungi, and only 22 species(10 Aspergillus species and 12 Penicillium species) were halophilic. Comparison of the halophilic fungal flora of the two regions revealed that four species common to both regions were isolated for Aspergillus, but no such species were isolated for Penicillium. Given that 15 halophilic species(10 Aspergillus and 5 Penicillium species) are known to be xerophilic species distributed in indoor environments, it can be inferred that indoor xerophilic species are likely to be widely distributed in marine surface water.
Topics: Penicillium; Aspergillus; Sodium Chloride; Water; Japan
PubMed: 38508758
DOI: 10.4265/jmc.29.1_17 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2024Plants are associated with a large diversity of microbes, and these complex plant-associated microbial communities are critical for plant health. Welsh onion ( L.) is...
Plants are associated with a large diversity of microbes, and these complex plant-associated microbial communities are critical for plant health. Welsh onion ( L.) is one of the key and oldest vegetable crops cultivated in Taiwan. The leaf of the Welsh onion is one of the famous spices in Taiwanese cuisine, thus, it is crucial to control foliar diseases. In recent years, Welsh onion cultivation in Taiwan has been severely threatened by the occurrence of leaf blight disease, greatly affecting their yield and quality. However, the overall picture of microbiota associated with the Welsh onion plant is still not clear as most of the recent etiological investigations were heavily based on the isolation of microorganisms from diseased plants. Therefore, studying the diversity of fungal communities associated with the leaf blight symptoms of Welsh onion may provide information regarding key taxa possibly involved in the disease. Therefore, this investigation was mainly designed to understand the major fungal communities associated with leaf blight to identify key taxa potentially involved in the disease and further evaluate any shifts in both phyllosphere and rhizosphere mycobiome assembly due to foliar pathogen infection by amplicon sequencing targeting the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) 1 region of the rRNA. The alpha and beta-diversity analyses were used to compare the fungal communities and significant fungal groups were recognized based on linear discriminant analyses. Based on the results of relative abundance data and co-occurrence networks in symptomatic plants we revealed that the leaf blight of Welsh onion in Sanxing, is a disease complex mainly involving and taxa. In addition, genera such as and were abundantly found associated with the symptomatic rhizosphere. Alpha-diversity in some fields indicated a significant increase in species richness in the symptomatic phyllosphere compared to the asymptomatic phyllosphere. These results will broaden our knowledge of pathogens of Welsh onion associated with leaf blight symptoms and will assist in developing effective disease management strategies to control the progress of the disease.
PubMed: 38495366
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1352997 -
Nature Communications Mar 2024Forest soils harbor hyper-diverse microbial communities which fundamentally regulate carbon and nutrient cycling across the globe. Directly testing hypotheses on how...
Forest soils harbor hyper-diverse microbial communities which fundamentally regulate carbon and nutrient cycling across the globe. Directly testing hypotheses on how microbiome diversity is linked to forest carbon storage has been difficult, due to a lack of paired data on microbiome diversity and in situ observations of forest carbon accumulation and storage. Here, we investigated the relationship between soil microbiomes and forest carbon across 238 forest inventory plots spanning 15 European countries. We show that the composition and diversity of fungal, but not bacterial, species is tightly coupled to both forest biotic conditions and a seven-fold variation in tree growth rates and biomass carbon stocks when controlling for the effects of dominant tree type, climate, and other environmental factors. This linkage is particularly strong for symbiotic endophytic and ectomycorrhizal fungi known to directly facilitate tree growth. Since tree growth rates in this system are closely and positively correlated with belowground soil carbon stocks, we conclude that fungal composition is a strong predictor of overall forest carbon storage across the European continent.
Topics: Mycobiome; Carbon; Soil Microbiology; Forests; Trees; Soil
PubMed: 38493170
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46792-w -
Gut Microbes 2024The role of gut fungal species in tumor-related processes remains largely unexplored, with most studies still focusing on fungal infections. This review examines the... (Review)
Review
The role of gut fungal species in tumor-related processes remains largely unexplored, with most studies still focusing on fungal infections. This review examines the accumulating evidence suggesting the involvement of commensal and pathogenic fungi in cancer biological process, including oncogenesis, progression, and treatment response. Mechanisms explored include fungal influence on host immunity, secretion of bioactive toxins/metabolites, interaction with bacterial commensals, and migration to other tissues in certain types of cancers. Attempts to utilize fungal molecular signatures for cancer diagnosis and fungal-derived products for treatment are discussed. A few studies highlight fungi's impact on the responsiveness and sensitivity to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and fecal microbiota transplant. Given the limited understanding and techniques in fungal research, the studies on gut fungi are still facing great challenges, despite having great potentials.
Topics: Humans; Mycobiome; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Fungi; Carcinogenesis; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
PubMed: 38485702
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2328868 -
Mycorrhiza Apr 2024Worldwide urban landscapes are expanding because of the growing human population. Urban ecosystems serve as habitats to highly diverse communities. However, studies...
Worldwide urban landscapes are expanding because of the growing human population. Urban ecosystems serve as habitats to highly diverse communities. However, studies focusing on the diversity and structure of ectomycorrhizal communities are uncommon in this habitat. In Colombia, Quercus humboldtii Bonpl. is an ectomycorrhizal tree thriving in tropical montane forests hosting a high diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Q. humboldtii is planted as an urban tree in Bogotá (Colombia). We studied how root-associated fungal communities of this tree change between natural and urban areas. Using Illumina sequencing, we amplified the ITS1 region and analyzed the resulting data using both OTUs and Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) bioinformatics pipelines. The results obtained using both pipelines showed no substantial differences between OTUs and ASVs for the community patterns of root-associated fungi, and only differences in species richness were observed. We found no significant differences in the species richness between urban and rural sites based on Fisher's alpha or species-accumulation curves. However, we found significant differences in the community composition of fungi present in the roots of rural and urban trees with rural communities being dominated by Russula and Lactarius and urban communities by Scleroderma, Hydnangium, and Trechispora, suggesting a high impact of urban disturbances on ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. Our results highlight the importance of urban trees as reservoirs of fungal diversity and the potential impact of urban conditions on favoring fungal species adapted to more disturbed ecosystems.
Topics: Humans; Mycorrhizae; Ecosystem; Quercus; Mycobiome; Biodiversity; DNA, Fungal; Trees; Basidiomycota; Agaricales
PubMed: 38483629
DOI: 10.1007/s00572-024-01140-0 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2024Stingless bees, a social corbiculate bee member, play a crucial role in providing pollination services. Despite their importance, the structure of their microbiome,...
Stingless bees, a social corbiculate bee member, play a crucial role in providing pollination services. Despite their importance, the structure of their microbiome, particularly the fungal communities, remains poorly understood. This study presents an initial characterization of the fungal community associated with two Thai commercial stingless bee species, (Smith) and (Schwarz) from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Utilizing ITS amplicon sequencing, we identified distinct fungal microbiomes in these two species. Notably, fungi from the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, Mortierellomycota, and Rozellomycota were present. The most dominant genera, which varied significantly between species, included and . Additionally, several key enzymes associated with energy metabolism, structural strength, and host defense reactions, such as adenosine triphosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, -glucosidase, chitinase, and peptidylprolyl isomerase, were predicted. Our findings not only augment the limited knowledge of the fungal microbiome in Thai commercial stingless bees but also provide insights for their sustainable management through understanding their microbiome.
Topics: Bees; Animals; Mycobiome; Thailand; Microbiota
PubMed: 38469352
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1367010 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2024The association between the gut mycobiome and its potential influence on host metabolism in the Thai Cohort was assessed. Two distinct predominant enterotypes,...
The association between the gut mycobiome and its potential influence on host metabolism in the Thai Cohort was assessed. Two distinct predominant enterotypes, Saccharomyces (Sa) and Aspergillus/Penicillium (Ap/Pe) showed differences in gut mycobiota diversity and composition. Notably, the Sa enterotype exhibited lower evenness and richness, likely due to the prevalence of Saccharomyces, while both enterotypes displayed unique metabolic behaviors related to nutrient metabolism and body composition. Fiber consumption was positively correlated with adverse body composition and fasting glucose levels in individuals with the Sa enterotype, whereas in the Ap/Pe enterotype it was positively correlated with fat and protein intake. The metabolic functional analysis revealed the Sa enterotype associated with carbohydrate metabolism, while the Ap/Pe enterotype involved in lipid metabolism. Very interestingly, the genes involved in the pentose and glucuronate interconversion pathway, such as polygalacturonase and L-arabinose-isomerase, were enriched in the Sa enterotype signifying a metabolic capacity for complex carbohydrate degradation and utilization of less common sugars as energy sources. These findings highlight the interplay between gut mycobiome composition, dietary habits, and metabolic outcomes within the Thai cohort studies.
Topics: Humans; Mycobiome; Thailand; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Diet; Nutrients
PubMed: 38461361
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56585-2