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High temperature enhances the ability of Trichoderma asperellum to infect Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia

Summary

Researchers discovered that summer heat makes oyster mushroom crops more vulnerable to green mold disease caused by a fungus called Trichoderma asperellum. When exposed to high temperatures (36°C), the pathogenic fungus becomes more aggressive by producing more spores, germinating faster, and generating molecules like hydrogen peroxide that damage the mushroom mycelia. Meanwhile, the oyster mushroom itself becomes more susceptible to infection at these higher temperatures, explaining why green mold outbreaks are so common during hot summer months in mushroom farms.

Background

Trichoderma asperellum is a common contaminant causing green mold disease in Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) cultivation, resulting in severe economic losses. Extensive green mold disease frequently occurs when P. ostreatus mycelia are exposed to high temperatures during the spawn running period in summer, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood.

Objective

This study investigated the relationship between high temperature exposure and the infectivity of T. asperellum to P. ostreatus mycelia, and identified the mechanisms by which elevated temperatures enhance the pathogen’s ability to cause green mold disease.

Results

High temperature-treated P. ostreatus mycelia were more easily infected and covered by T. asperellum conidia, with increased conidial adsorption observed at 36°C. T. asperellum conidia produced at 36°C showed higher germination rates and faster conidium formation. High temperature enhanced CWDE activity and promoted hydrogen peroxide accumulation in dual cultures, which selectively inhibited P. ostreatus growth while T. asperellum remained less sensitive.

Conclusion

High temperature induces multiple mechanisms that enhance T. asperellum’s ability to infect P. ostreatus, including increased conidia germination, accelerated sporulation, elevated CWDE production, and hydrogen peroxide accumulation. These findings provide the first mechanistic explanation for why green mold disease outbreaks coincide with summer high temperatures during mushroom cultivation.
  • Published in:PLoS One,
  • Study Type:Experimental Laboratory Study,
  • Source: PMID: 29073211, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187055
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