MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Carbon substrates utilization determine antagonistic fungal-fungal interactions among root-associated fungi

Summary

Scientists studied how different fungi in plant roots compete with disease-causing fungi. They found that fungi with different eating habits (carbon substrate preferences) fight off plant pathogens in different ways. Some fungi that eat many types of food produced toxic compounds to kill pathogens, while others competed directly for food. This discovery could help farmers use beneficial fungi to naturally protect crops from diseases.

Background

The plant microbiome assembly involves complex microbial interactions that shape plant health. While bacterial-fungal interactions have been extensively studied, fungal-fungal interactions remain poorly understood despite their importance in determining disease dynamics and community composition in the rhizosphere.

Objective

To investigate whether carbon substrate utilization profiles of root-associated fungi determine their antagonistic abilities against plant pathogens. The study examined whether specific carbon utilization signatures are associated with antifungal-mediated or competition-mediated antagonism.

Results

Antifungal-mediated antagonism was associated with higher utilization rates of diverse carbon substrates, while competition-mediated antagonism correlated with lower utilization rates of fewer substrates. Four specific carbon substrates (quinic acid, D-saccharic acid, D-melibiose, D-glucuronic acid) were identified as discriminating competitive isolates from non-competitive isolates against R. solani.

Conclusion

Carbon utilization profiles are significant markers of fungal antagonistic potential, suggesting that metabolic capabilities shape fungal-fungal interactions. The results indicate that root-associated fungi employ contrasted carbon usage strategies that determine their competitive and antifungal abilities, with implications for understanding microbiome assembly and disease management.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMC12391134; 40895481
Scroll to Top