symbiotic fungus
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2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ningning Fu ◽  
Jiaxing Li ◽  
Ming Wang ◽  
Lili Ren ◽  
Shixiang Zong ◽  
...  

A strict relationship exists between the Sirex noctilio and the Amylostereum areolatum, which is carried and spread by its partner. The growth and development of this symbiotic fungus is key to complete the life history of the Sirex woodwasp. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is used to measure gene expression in samples of A. areolatum at different growth stages and explore the key genes and pathways involved in the growth and development of this symbiotic fungus. To obtain accurate RT-qPCR data, target genes need to be normalized by reference genes that are stably expressed under specific experimental conditions. In our study, the stability of 10 candidate reference genes in symbiotic fungal samples at different growth and development stages was evaluated using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, delta Ct methods, and RefFinder. Meanwhile, laccase1 was used to validate the stability of the selected reference gene. Under the experimental conditions of this study, p450, CYP, and γ-TUB were identified as suitable reference genes. This work is the first to systematically evaluate the reference genes for RT-qPCR results normalization during the growth of this symbiotic fungus, which lays a foundation for further gene expression experiments and understanding the symbiotic relationship and mechanism between S. noctilio and A. areolatum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria von Cräutlein ◽  
Marjo Helander ◽  
Helena Korpelainen ◽  
Päivi Helena Leinonen ◽  
Beatriz R. Vázquez de Aldana ◽  
...  

Epichloë festucae is a common symbiont of the perennial and widely distributed cool season grass, Festuca rubra. The symbiosis is highly integrated involving systemic growth of the fungus throughout above-ground host parts and vertical transmission from plant to its offspring via host seeds. However, the nature of symbiosis is labile ranging from antagonistic to mutualistic depending on prevailing selection pressures. Both the loss of fungus in the maternal host lineage and horizontal transmission through sexual spores within the host population may partly explain the detected variation in symbiosis in wild grass populations. Epichloë species are commonly considered as pathogens when they produce sexual spores and partly castrate their host plant. This is the pathogenic end of the continuum from antagonistic to mutualistic interactions. Here we examined the population genetic structure of E. festucae to reveal the gene flow, importance of reproduction modes, and alkaloid potential of the symbiotic fungus in Europe. Epichloë-species are highly dependent on the host in survival and reproduction whilst benefits to the host are largely linked to defensive mutualism attributable to fungal-origin bioactive alkaloids that negatively affect vertebrate and/or invertebrate herbivores. We detected decreased genetic diversity in previously glaciated areas compared to non-glaciated regions during the last glacial maximum period and found three major genetic clusters in E. festucae populations: southern, northeastern and northwestern Europe. Sexual reproduction may have a higher role than expected in Spanish E. festucae populations due to the predominance of unique genotypes and presence of both mating types in the region. In contrast, asexual reproduction via host seeds predominates in the Faroe Island and Finland in northern Europe due to the presence of biased mating-type ratios and large dominant genotypes in the E. festucae populations within the region. A substantially larger variation of alkaloid genotypes was observed in the fungal populations than expected, although the variability of the alkaloid genotypes within populations is considerably lower in northern than Spanish populations in southern Europe. E. festucae populations consist of different combinations of alkaloid classes from the gene clusters of ergot alkaloid and indole-terpenes, and from pyrrolopyrazine alkaloid gene. We suggest that the postglacial distribution history of the host grass, prevailing reproduction strategies of E. festucae, and local selection pressures likely explain a large part of the genetic variation observed in fungal populations among geographic regions. The identified alkaloid genotypes can be used by turfgrass breeders to improve resistance against herbivores in red fescue varieties and to develop new sustainable cultivars in Europe.


Tetrahedron ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 132599
Author(s):  
Ru-Yi Shang ◽  
Jie Cui ◽  
Jia-Xin Li ◽  
Xian-Xian Miao ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Benjamin Dauphin ◽  
Maíra Freitas Pereira ◽  
Annegret Kohler ◽  
Igor V. Grigoriev ◽  
Kerrie Barry ◽  
...  

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 562
Author(s):  
Chenglong Gao ◽  
Lili Ren ◽  
Ming Wang ◽  
Zhengtong Wang ◽  
Ningning Fu ◽  
...  

The wood-boring woodwasp Sirex nitobei is a native pest in Asia, infecting and weakening the host trees in numerous ecological and commercial coniferous forest plantations. In China, hosts of S. nitobei are diverse, so the pest has spread to several provinces of China, resulting in considerable economic and ecological damage. During female oviposition, S. nitobei venom along with arthrospores of the symbiotic fungus Amylostereum areolatum or A. chaetica is injected into host trees, and the combination of these two biological factors causes the death of xylem host trees. The presence of venom alone causes only the yellowing and wilting of needles. In this study, we constructed the venom gland transcriptome of S. nitobei for the first time and a total of 15,036 unigenes were acquired. From the unigenes, 11,560 ORFs were identified and 537 encoding protein sequences with signal peptides at the N-terminus. Then, we used the venomics approach to characterize the venom composition of female S. nitobei and predicted 1095 proteins by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. We focused on seven proteins that were both highly expressed in the venom gland transcriptome and predicted in the crude venom proteome. These seven proteins are laccase-2, laccase-3, a protein belonging to the Kazal family, chitooligosaccharidolytic β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, icarapin-like protein, and waprin-Thr1-like protein. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we also proved that the genes related to these seven proteins are specifically expressed in the venom glands. Finally, we revealed the functional role of S. nitobei venom in the physiological response of host trees. It can not only promote the colonization of symbiotic fungus but contribute to the development of eggs and larvae. This study provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of the woodwasp–pine interaction.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Dauphin ◽  
Maira de Freitas Pereira ◽  
Annegret Kohler ◽  
Igor Grigoriev ◽  
Kerrie Barry ◽  
...  

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi associated with plants constitute one of the most successful symbiotic interactions in forest ecosystems. ECM support trophic exchanges with host plants and are important factors for the survival and stress resilience of trees. However, ECM clades often harbour morpho-species and cryptic lineages, with weak morphological differentiation. How this relates to intraspecific genome variability and ecological functioning is poorly known. Here, we analysed 16 European isolates of the ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum, an extremely ubiquitous forest symbiotic fungus with no known sexual or asexual spore forming structures but with a massively enlarged genome. We carried out whole-genome sequencing to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We found no geographic structure at the European scale but divergent lineages within sampling sites. Evidence for recombination was restricted to specific cryptic lineages. Lineage differentiation was supported by extensive copy-number variation. Finally, we confirmed heterothallism with a single MAT1 idiomorph per genome. Synteny analyses of the MAT1 locus revealed substantial rearrangements and a pseudogene of the opposite MAT1 idiomorph. Our study provides the first evidence for substantial genome-wide structural variation, lineage-specific recombination and low continent-wide genetic differentiation in C. geophilum. Our study provides a foundation for targeted analyses of intra-specific functional variation in this major symbiosis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Howe ◽  
M. Schiøtt ◽  
J. J. Boomsma

AbstractQueens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator are known to infiltrate mature colonies of Acromyrmex echinatior and to exploit the host’s perennial workforce by producing predominantly reproductive individuals while suppressing host reproduction. Here we report three cases of an A. insinuator queen having joined an incipient colony of A. echinatior that contained only the founding host-queen and her small symbiotic fungus garden. We conjectured that 1:1 host-inquiline co-founding—a phenomenon that has only rarely been reported in ants—may imply that the presence of an A. insinuator queen may incur benefits to the host by increasing survival of its incipient colonies. We observed that the parasite queens neither foraged nor defended the nest against intruders. However, the parasite queens interacted with the host and fungus in a way that could be consistent with grooming and/or with contributing eggs. These observations may help explain why A. insinuator queens have maintained metapleural glands, even though they are smaller than those of host queens, and why A. insinuator has lost the large foraging worker caste but not the small worker caste.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-58
Author(s):  
CELESTE HEISECKE ◽  
JAIME ANDRÉS DUQUE BARBOSA ◽  
MARIA ALICE NEVES ◽  
ANIBAL ALVES DE CARVALHO JR

Leucoagaricus nzumbae sp. nov. (Agaricaceae) is described based on morphological and molecular data from Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This species is characterized by the delicate small basidiomes that turn completely lilac when dried, brownish color of the pileus surface, and trichodermal elements with intracellular and parietal brown pigments of the pileus covering. A lectotype and an epitype are designated for Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, a symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants. Full description, nomenclatural notes, and illustrations of fresh basidiomes in situ and of the main macro-and micromorphological features of both species are provided.


Author(s):  
Huannan Wang ◽  
Maocai Yan ◽  
Mengdi Liang ◽  
Xiujian Wei ◽  
Zhao Shang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yonathan Lukito ◽  
Kate Lee ◽  
Nazanin Noorifar ◽  
Kimberly A. Green ◽  
David J. Winter ◽  
...  

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