Five years investigation of female and male genotypes in Périgord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.) revealed contrasted reproduction strategies

SummaryThe Périgord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.) is a heterothallic ascomycete that establishes ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with trees and shrubs. Small-scale genetic structures of female genotypes in truffle orchards are known, but it has not yet been studied in male genotypes. In this study, our aim was to characterize the small-scale genetic structure of both male and female genotypes over five years in an orchard to better understand the T. melanosporum sexual reproduction strategy, male genotype dynamics, and origins. Two-hundred forty-one ascocarps, 475 ectomycorrhizas, and 20 soil cores were harvested and genotyped using microsatellites and mating type genes. Isolation by distance analysis revealed pronounced small-scale genetic structures for both female and male genotypes. The genotypic diversity was higher for male than female genotypes with numerous small size genotypes suggesting an important turnover due to ascospore recruitment. Larger and perennial female and male genotypes were also detected. Only three genotypes (1.5 %) were found as both female and male genotypes (hermaphrodites) while most were detected only as female or male genotype (dioecy). Our results suggest that germinating ascospores act as male genotypes, but we also proposed that soil mycelium could be a reservoir of male genotypes.

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Lack of Linkages among Fruiting Depth, Weight, and Maturity in Irrigated Truffle Fungi Marks the Complexity of Relationships among Morphogenetic Stages

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7020102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 102

Author(s):

Sergi Garcia-Barreda ◽

Sergio Sánchez ◽

Pedro Marco ◽

Gian Maria Niccolò Benucci ◽

Vicente González

Keyword(s):

Quality Management ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Formation Process ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Tuber Melanosporum ◽

Model Species ◽

Black Truffle ◽

Development Stages ◽

Cultivation Practices

The highly prized black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) has become a model species for ectomycorrhizal fungi biology. However, several questions concerning its reproductive phase remain unanswered. To provide new hypotheses on the fruitbody formation process, we have explored the causal links among development characters of black truffle fruitbodies that are primarily linked to either the mating process, fruitbody growing stage, or maturation. Path analysis was applied to test causal models outlining the relationships among fruitbody development characters such as fruiting depth, weight, shape, and spore maturity. These characters were investigated over a two-season survey and three soil typologies (plus peat-based substrate) under irrigated conditions. We found a clear and generalized relationship between fruitbody weight and shape. Among clusters of fruitbodies we found a positive relationship between the weight of the largest fruitbody and the weight of the remaining fruitbodies. However, no generalized relationships among characters linked to different development stages appeared. Our results were noticeably consistent across soil typologies, both for fruitbodies growing singly and in clusters, indicating that early-developing fruitbody characters did not influence characters linked to subsequent morphogenetic stages. The lack of links among stages opens new perspectives for pre-harvest quality management with stage-specific cultivation practices.

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The influence of forest surroundings on the soil fungal community of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) plantations

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 469 ◽

pp. 118199

Author(s):

Daniel Oliach ◽

Carlos Colinas ◽

Carles Castaño ◽

Christine R. Fischer ◽

Francesc Bolaño ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fungal Community ◽

Tuber Melanosporum ◽

Black Truffle ◽

Soil Fungal Community

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Molecular Tools for Rapid and Accurate Detection of Black Truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) in Inoculated Nursery Plants and Commercial Plantations in Chile

Chilean journal of agricultural research ◽

10.4067/s0718-58392011000300022 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

pp. 488-494 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Cecilia Cordero ◽

Pablo Cáceres ◽

Gloria González ◽

Karla Quiroz ◽

Bravo Carmen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tuber Melanosporum ◽

Molecular Tools ◽

Black Truffle ◽

Accurate Detection

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Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Metaphire vulgaris Based on the Mitochondrial COI Gene and Microsatellites

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.686246 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Fang ◽

Jie Chen ◽

Honghua Ruan ◽

Nan Xu ◽

Ziting Que ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Coi Gene ◽

Small Scale ◽

The Novel ◽

Mitochondrial Coi ◽

Allele Number ◽

Medicinal Value ◽

Mitochondrial Coi Gene ◽

Data Content ◽

Genetic Structures

The earthworm species Metaphire vulgaris (a member of the Clitellata class) is widely distributed across China, and has important ecological functions and medicinal value. However, investigations into its genetic diversity and differentiation are scarce. Consequently, we evaluated the genetic diversity of five populations of M. vulgaris (GM, HD, NYYZ, QDDY, and QDY) in Yancheng, China via the mitochondrial COI gene and the novel microsatellites developed there. A total of nine haplotypes were obtained by sequencing the mitochondrial COI gene, among which NYYZ and QDDY populations had the greatest number of haplotypes (nh = 5). Further, the nucleotide diversity ranged from 0.00437 to 0.1243. The neighbor-joining trees and the TCS network of haplotypes indicated that earthworm populations within close geographical range were not genetically isolated at these small scale distances. Results of the identification of microsatellite molecular markers revealed that the allele number in 12 microsatellite loci ranged from 4 to 13. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.151 to 0.644, whereas the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.213 to 0.847. The polymorphism data content of most sites was >0.5, which indicated that the designed sites had high polymorphism. Structural analysis results indicated that GM, HD, and NYYZ had similar genetic structures across the five populations. The Nei’s genetic distance between HD and NYYZ populations was the smallest (Ds = 0.0624), whereas that between HD and QDY populations was the largest (Ds = 0.2364). The UPGMA tree showed that HD were initially grouped with NYYZ, followed by GM, and then with QDDY. Furthermore, cross-species amplification tests were conducted for Metaphire guillelmi, which indicated that the presented markers were usable for this species. This study comprised a preliminary study on the genetic diversity of M. vulgaris, which provides basic data for future investigations into this species.

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Soil factors that influence the fruiting of Tuber melanosporum (black truffle)

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr06046 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 44 (8) ◽

pp. 731 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

L. G. García-Montero ◽

M. A. Casermeiro ◽

J. Hernando ◽

I. Hernando

Keyword(s):

Ammonium Oxalate ◽

Principal Component ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Tuber Melanosporum ◽

Black Truffle ◽

Truffle Cultivation ◽

Soil Features ◽

Quantitative Analyses ◽

The Subject ◽

Collective Influence

Although soil is one of the factors in the biology of Tuber melanosporum (black truffle of Périgord), which has been the subject of much study, there are few quantitative analyses relating to its effects on carpophore production. The aim of this work is to establish the statistical relationship between T. melanosporum productivity in 20 soil surface horizons and their conventional soil properties (granulometric texture, pH, calcareous fractions, organic carbon, total nitrogen, exchangeable cations). The study area is situated in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula under a Mediterranean climate. Statistical analysis shows that the collective influence of these conventional soil features is low, as principal component analysis explains only 27% of the variance in T. melanosporum production. However, a high percentage of active limestone (calcium carbonate extractable with ammonium oxalate) accounts for 40% of the variance in T. melanosporum production. Active limestone is very important to T. melanosporum because it regulates soil pH and exchangeable Ca2+ availability and participates in the organisation and maintenance of the soil structure; it also plays a role in the truffle’s nutrition. These results obtained for active limestone may be of use in truffle cultivation.

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