scholarly journals Contrasting Patterns of Functional Diversity in Coffee Root Fungal Communities Associated with Organic and Conventionally Managed Fields

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth C. Sternhagen ◽  
Katie L. Black ◽  
Eliza D. L. Hartmann ◽  
W. Gaya Shivega ◽  
Peter G. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Organic Management ◽  
Rhizosphere Fungi ◽  
Calcium And Magnesium

ABSTRACT The structure and function of fungal communities in the coffee rhizosphere are influenced by crop environment. Because coffee can be grown along a management continuum from conventional application of pesticides and fertilizers in full sun to organic management in a shaded understory, we used coffee fields to hold host constant while comparing rhizosphere fungal communities under markedly different environmental conditions with regard to shade and inputs. We characterized the shade and soil environment in 25 fields under conventional, organic, or transitional management in two regions of Costa Rica. We amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of fungal DNA from coffee roots in these fields and characterized the rhizosphere fungal community via high-throughput sequencing. Sequences were assigned to guilds to determine differences in functional diversity and trophic structure among coffee field environments. Organic fields had more shade, a greater richness of shade tree species, and more leaf litter and were less acidic, with lower soil nitrate availability and higher soil copper, calcium, and magnesium availability than conventionally managed fields, although differences between organic and conventionally managed fields in shade and calcium and magnesium availability depended on region. Differences in richness and community composition of rhizosphere fungi between organic and conventionally managed fields were also correlated with shade, soil acidity, and nitrate and copper availability. Trophic structure differed with coffee field management. Saprotrophs, plant pathogens, and mycoparasites were more diverse, and plant pathogens were more abundant, in organic than in conventionally managed fields, while saprotroph-plant pathogens were more abundant in conventionally managed fields. These differences reflected environmental differences and depended on region. IMPORTANCE Rhizosphere fungi play key roles in ecosystems as nutrient cyclers, pathogens, and mutualists, yet little is currently known about which environmental factors and how agricultural management may influence rhizosphere fungal communities and their functional diversity. This field study of the coffee agroecosystem suggests that organic management not only fosters a greater overall diversity of fungi, but it also maintains a greater richness of saprotrophic, plant-pathogenic, and mycoparasitic fungi that has implications for the efficiency of nutrient cycling and regulation of plant pathogen populations in agricultural systems. As well as influencing community composition and richness of rhizosphere fungi, shade management and use of fungicides and synthetic fertilizers altered the trophic structure of the coffee agroecosystem.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Fungal Diversity in Rhizospheric Soil from Wild and Reintroduced Magnolia sinica Estimated via High-Throughput Sequencing

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 600
Author(s):  
Qingqing Shen ◽  
Junyu Yang ◽  
Daifa Su ◽  
Zhiying Li ◽  
Wei Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Rhizospheric Soil ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Opposite Pattern

Magnolia sinica is a critically endangered species and considered a “plant species with extremely small populations” (PSESP). It is an endemic species in southeastern Yunnan Province, China, with reproductive barriers. Rhizosphere fungi play a crucial role in plant growth and health. However, the composition, diversity, and function of fungal communities in wild and reintroduced M. sinica rhizospheres remain unknown. In this study, Illumina sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region was used to analyze rhizospheric soil samples from wild and reintroduced M. sinica. Thirteen phyla, 45 classes, 105 orders, 232 families, and 433 genera of fungi were detected. Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were dominant across all samples. The fungal community composition was similar between the wild and reintroduced rhizospheres, but the fungal taxa relative abundances differed. The fungal community richness was higher in the reintroduced rhizosphere than in the wild rhizosphere, but the diversity showed the opposite pattern. Soil nutrients and leaf litter significantly affected the fungal community composition and functional diversity. Here, the composition, structure, diversity, and ecological functions of the fungal communities in the rhizospheres of wild and reintroduced M. sinica were elucidated for the first time, laying a foundation for future research and endangered species protection.

scholarly journals Different Amplicon Targets for Sequencing-Based Studies of Fungal Diversity

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca De Filippis ◽  
Manolo Laiola ◽  
Giuseppe Blaiotta ◽  
Danilo Ercolini
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Ecology ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Biological Samples ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Mock Community

ABSTRACT Target-gene amplicon sequencing is the most exploited high-throughput sequencing application in microbial ecology. The targets are taxonomically relevant genes, with 16S rRNA being the gold standard for bacteria. As for fungi, the most commonly used target is the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). However, the uneven ITS length among species may promote preferential amplification and sequencing and incorrect estimation of their abundance. Therefore, the use of different targets is desirable. We evaluated the use of three different target amplicons for the characterization of fungal diversity. After an in silico primer evaluation, we compared three amplicons (the ITS1-ITS2 region [ITS1-2], 18S ribosomal small subunit RNA, and the D1/D2 domain of the 26S ribosomal large subunit RNA), using biological samples and a mock community of common fungal species. All three targets allowed for accurate identification of the species present. Nevertheless, high heterogeneity in ITS1-2 length was found, and this caused an overestimation of the abundance of species with a shorter ITS, while both 18S and 26S amplicons allowed for more reliable quantification. We demonstrated that ITS1-2 amplicon sequencing, although widely used, may lead to an incorrect evaluation of fungal communities, and efforts should be made to promote the use of different targets in sequencing-based microbial ecology studies. IMPORTANCE Amplicon-sequencing approaches for fungi may rely on different targets affecting the diversity and abundance of the fungal species. An increasing number of studies will address fungal diversity by high-throughput amplicon sequencing. The description of the communities must be accurate and reliable in order to draw useful insights and to address both ecological and biological questions. By analyzing a mock community and several biological samples, we demonstrate that using different amplicon targets may change the results of fungal microbiota analysis, and we highlight how a careful choice of the target is fundamental for a thorough description of the fungal communities.

scholarly journals Temporal and Cultivar-Specific Effects on Potato Root- and Rhizosphere Fungal Diversity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaire Loit ◽  
Liina Soonvald ◽  
Alar Astover ◽  
Eve Runno-Paurson ◽  
Maarja Öpik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Solanum Tuberosum L ◽  
Potato Cultivar ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
Sampling Time ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Fungal Community Composition

The rhizosphere fungal community can play an important role in determining plant growth and health. In this study, using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated the fungal diversity and community composition in the roots and rhizosphere soil of 21 potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. The samples were collected at three different sampling points. Furthermore, we assessed the differences in both diversity and composition of pathogen and saprotroph communities. In soil and roots, the fungal richness and relative abundance of pathogens and saprotrophs were mainly affected by sampling time. However, root fungal communities were also significantly affected by cultivar. The most substantial effect of cultivar was on root pathogen diversity. Moreover, the occurrence of most pathogens strongly varied among cultivars. Soil fungal community composition was primarily determined by sampling time; whereas in roots, the primary determinant was cultivar. Our results demonstrate changes in fungal communities over the potato growing season, as well as highlight the importance of potato cultivar on root fungal communities, and emphasise their importance in plant breeding.

scholarly journals Host Phylogenetic Relatedness and Soil Nutrients Shape Ectomycorrhizal Community Composition in Native and Exotic Pine Plantations

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Ning ◽  
Gregory Mueller ◽  
Louise Egerton-Warburton ◽  
Wenhua Xiang ◽  
Wende Yan
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Spatial Distance ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Ecm Fungi

Exotic non-native Pinus species have been widely planted or become naturalized in many parts of the world. Pines rely on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi mutualisms to overcome barriers to establishment, yet the degree to which host specificity and edaphic preferences influence ECM community composition remains poorly understood. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing coupled with soil analyses to investigate the effect of host plant identity, spatial distance and edaphic factors on ECM community composition in young (30-year-old) native (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) and exotic (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) pine plantations in China. The ECM fungal communities comprised 43 species with the majority belonging to the Thelephoraceae and Russulaceae. Most species were found associated with both host trees while certain native ECM taxa (Suillus) showed host specificity to the native P. massoniana. ECM fungi that are known to occur exclusively with Pinus (e.g., Rhizopogon) were uncommon. We found no significant effect of host identity on ECM communities, i.e., phylogenetically related pines shared similar ECM fungal communities. Instead, ECM fungal community composition was strongly influenced by site-specific abiotic factors and dispersal. These findings reinforce the idea that taxonomic relatedness might be a factor promoting ECM colonization in exotic pines but that shifts in ECM communities may also be context-dependent.

scholarly journals Contrasting Patterns and Drivers of Soil Fungal Communities between Two Ecosystems Divided by the Treeline

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2280
Author(s):  
Xueying Wang ◽  
Guixiang Li ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Keming Ma
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Formation Mechanisms ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Soil Fungal Community ◽  
Soil Fungal Community Composition

The treeline is a sensitive region of the terrestrial ecosystem responding to climate change. However, studies on the composition and formation mechanisms of soil fungal communities across the treeline are still lacking. In this study, we investigated the patterns of soil fungal community composition and interactions among functional guilds above and below the treeline using Illumina high-throughput sequencing and ecological network analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in the soil environment and soil fungal community composition between the two ecosystems above and below the treeline. At the local scale of this study, geographic distance and environmental factors affected the composition of the soil fungal community. Soil temperature was an important environmental predictor of soil fungal community composition. Species in soil fungal communities in the subalpine meadow were more closely related to each other compared to those in the montane forest. Furthermore, the soil fungal community in montane forest was more stable. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how mountain ecological functions respond to global climate change.

scholarly journals Shifts in community composition and co-occurrence patterns of phyllosphere fungi inhabiting Mussaenda shikokiana along an elevation gradient

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Qian ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Xiaoming Guo ◽  
Dan He ◽  
Miaomiao Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Phyllosphere Fungi ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Fungal Assemblages ◽  
Occurrence Patterns

The altitudinal effects on the distributions of phyllosphere fungal assemblages in conspecific plants remain poorly elucidated. To address this, phyllosphere fungal communities associated with Mussaenda shikokiana were investigated at four sites across a 350 m elevation gradient in a subtropical forest by employing Illumina metabarcoding of the fungal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region. Our results demonstrated that phyllosphere fungal assemblages with a single host possessed high taxonomic diversity and multiple trophic guilds. OTU richness was significantly influenced by elevation. The elevation gradient also entailed distinct shifts in the community composition of phyllosphere fungi, which was significantly related to geographical distance and mean annual temperature (MAT). Additionally, comparison of phyllosphere fungal networks showed reduced connectivity with increasing elevation. Our data provide insights on the distribution and interactions of the phyllosphere fungal community associated with a single host along a short elevation gradient.

scholarly journals DNA- and RNA- Derived Fungal Communities in Subsurface Aquifers Only Partly Overlap but React Similarly to Environmental Factors

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Nawaz ◽  
Witoon Purahong ◽  
Martina Herrmann ◽  
Kirsten Küsel ◽  
François Buscot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Groundwater Aquifers ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Total Dna

Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies have revolutionized our understanding of microbial diversity and composition in relation to their environment. HTS-based characterization of metabolically active (RNA-derived) and total (DNA-derived) fungal communities in different terrestrial habitats has revealed profound differences in both richness and community compositions. However, such DNA- and RNA-based HTS comparisons are widely missing for fungal communities of groundwater aquifers in the terrestrial biogeosphere. Therefore, in this study, we extracted DNA and RNA from groundwater samples of two pristine aquifers in the Hainich CZE and employed paired-end Illumina sequencing of the fungal nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region to comprehensively test difference/similarities in the “total” and “active” fungal communities. We found no significant differences in the species richness between the DNA- and RNA-derived fungal communities, but the relative abundances of various fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) appeared to differ. We also found the same set of environmental parameters to shape the “total” and “active” fungal communities in the targeted aquifers. Furthermore, our comparison also underlined that about 30%–40% of the fungal OTUs were only detected in RNA-derived communities. This implies that the active fungal communities analyzed by HTS methods in the subsurface aquifers are actually not a subset of supposedly total fungal communities. In general, our study highlights the importance of differentiating the potential (DNA-derived) and expressed (RNA-derived) members of the fungal communities in aquatic ecosystems.

scholarly journals Vegetation Restoration Alters Fungal Community Composition and Functional Groups in a Desert Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Hongyu Cao ◽  
Peishan Zhao ◽  
Xiaoshuai Wei ◽  
Guodong Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungus ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Soil Fungal Diversity

Revegetation is regarded as an effective means to improve the ecological environment in deserts and profoundly influences the potential ecological functions of the soil fungal community. Therefore, Illumina high-throughput sequencing was performed to characterize the soil fungal diversity and community composition at two soil depths (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) with four revegetation durations (natural grassland, half-mature, nearly mature, and mature Pinus. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations) in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China. The effects of soil properties on soil fungal communities were also examined to reveal the connection between fungal function and soil environment. The results indicated that 1) soil nutrient content and enzyme activity showed significant differences through the restoration durations, 2) there was no significant effect of soil depth on soil fungal diversity, while the Shannon diversity index of all fungal communities was significantly different among different revegetation durations, 3) compared with grassland, ectomycorrhizal fungi (notably, Inocybe, Tuber, and Calostoma) were abundant in plantations. The endophyte fungus Mortierella was among the top 10 genera in all soil samples and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Diversispora was the indicator genus of the grassland, and 4) catalase and total nitrogen were the main factors affecting fungal community composition and were closely related to saprotrophs and pathotrophs, respectively. This new information indicates the variation of soil fungal communities along revegetation durations and highlights the interaction between fungal functions and desert ecosystems.

scholarly journals Soil bacterial and fungal communities of six bahiagrass cultivars

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Beule ◽  
Ko-Hsuan Chen ◽  
Chih-Ming Hsu ◽  
Cheryl Mackowiak ◽  
Jose C.B. Dubeux Jr. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Soil Dna ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Soil Bacterial

BackgroundCultivars of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatumFlüggé) are widely used for pasture in the Southeastern USA. Soil microbial communities are unexplored in bahiagrass and they may be cultivar-dependent, as previously proven for other grass species. Understanding the influence of cultivar selection on soil microbial communities is crucial as microbiome taxa have repeatedly been shown to be directly linked to plant performance.ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine whether different bahiagrass cultivars interactively influence soil bacterial and fungal communities.MethodsSix bahiagrass cultivars (‘Argentine’, ‘Pensacola’, ‘Sand Mountain’, ‘Tifton 9’, ‘TifQuik’, and ‘UF-Riata’) were grown in a randomized complete block design with four replicate plots of 4.6 × 1.8 m per cultivar in a Rhodic Kandiudults soil in Northwest Florida, USA. Three soil subsamples per replicate plot were randomly collected. Soil DNA was extracted and bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA and fungal ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 genes were amplified and sequenced with one Illumina Miseq Nano.ResultsThe soil bacterial and fungal community across bahiagrass cultivars showed similarities with communities recovered from other grassland ecosystems. Few differences in community composition and diversity of soil bacteria among cultivars were detected; none were detected for soil fungi. The relative abundance of sequences assigned to nitrite-oxidizingNitrospirawas greater under ‘Sand Mountain’ than ‘UF-Riata’. Indicator species analysis revealed that several bacterial and fungal indicators associated with either a single cultivar or a combination of cultivars are likely to be plant pathogens or antagonists.ConclusionsOur results suggest a low impact of plant cultivar choice on the soil bacterial community composition, whereas the soil fungal community was unaffected. Shifts in the relative abundance ofNitrospiramembers in response to cultivar choice may have implications for soil N dynamics. The cultivars associated with presumptive plant pathogens or antagonists indicates that the ability of bahiagrass to control plant pathogens may be cultivar-dependent, however, physiological studies on plant-microbe interactions are required to confirm this presumption. We therefore suggest that future studies should explore the potential of different bahiagrass cultivars on plant pathogen control, particularly in sod-based crop rotation.

Temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal fungal communities and co-associations with grassland plant communities following experimental manipulation of rainfall

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coline Deveautour ◽  
Sally Power ◽  
Kirk Barnett ◽  
Raul Ochoa-Hueso ◽  
Suzanne Donn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Rainfall Regimes

Climate models project overall a reduction in rainfall amounts and shifts in the timing of rainfall events in mid-latitudes and sub-tropical dry regions, which threatens the productivity and diversity of grasslands. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help plants to cope with expected changes but may also be impacted by changing rainfall, either via the direct effects of low soil moisture on survival and function or indirectly via changes in the plant community. In an Australian mesic grassland (former pasture) system, we characterised plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities every six months for nearly four years to two altered rainfall regimes: i) ambient, ii) rainfall reduced by 50% relative to ambient over the entire year and iii) total summer rainfall exclusion. Using Illumina sequencing, we assessed the response of AM fungal communities sampled from contrasting rainfall treatments and evaluated whether variation in AM fungal communities was associated with variation in plant community richness and composition. We found that rainfall reduction influenced the fungal communities, with the nature of the response depending on the type of manipulation, but that consistent results were only observed after more than two years of rainfall manipulation. We observed significant co-associations between plant and AM fungal communities on multiple dates. Predictive co-correspondence analyses indicated more support for the hypothesis that fungal community composition influenced plant community composition than vice versa. However, we found no evidence that altered rainfall regimes were leading to distinct co-associations between plants and AM fungi. Overall, our results provide evidence that grassland plant communities are intricately tied to variation in AM fungal communities. However, in this system, plant responses to climate change may not be directly related to impacts of altered rainfall regimes on AM fungal communities. Our study shows that AM fungal communities respond to changes in rainfall but that this effect was not immediate. The AM fungal community may influence the composition of the plant community. However, our results suggest that plant responses to altered rainfall regimes at our site may not be resulting via changes in the AM fungal communities.

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