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Microbial communities associated with the black morel Morchella sextelata cultivated in greenhouses

Summary

This study examined the tiny organisms living on and around cultivated black morel mushrooms grown in greenhouses in China. Researchers found that four main types of bacteria consistently live on morel fruiting bodies: Pedobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Flavobacterium. The bacteria and fungi in the soil surrounding morels appear to be important for the mushrooms’ growth and development, with different microbial communities found on different parts of the mushroom.

Background

Morels are iconic edible mushrooms with significant economic importance and a long history of human consumption. Some microbial taxa are hypothesized to be important in triggering morel primordia formation and fruiting body development. Understanding the microbial ecology of cultivated morels is essential for improving production and managing diseases.

Objective

To identify and compare fungal and prokaryotic communities in soils where Morchella sextelata is cultivated in outdoor greenhouses using ITS and 16S rDNA high throughput amplicon sequencing. The study aimed to characterize microbial indicators and potential facilitators of Morchella ecology and fruiting body production.

Results

Pedobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Flavobacterium comprised the core microbiome of M. sextelata ascocarps. A total of 29 bacterial taxa were statistically associated with Morchella fruiting bodies. Bacterial community network analysis revealed high modularity with specialized fungal niches, and dominant soil fungi included Morchella, Phialophora, and Mortierella.

Conclusion

The study provides evidence that fungal hosts selectively recruit specific bacterial taxa to their fruiting bodies. The consistent Morchella microbiome may be exclusive to this genus and provides insights into microbial facilitation of morel development. Future research should test the functional roles of these bacteria on morel fruitification and management.
  • Published in:PeerJ,
  • Study Type:Observational Study,
  • Source: 10.7717/peerj.7744, PMID: 31579614
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