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Strain and contact-dependent metabolomic reprogramming reveals distinct interaction strategies between Laccaria bicolor and Trichoderma

Summary

Scientists studied how two types of soil fungi interact with each other when grown together in laboratory conditions. By analyzing the chemicals these fungi produce and release, they discovered that the fungi actively communicate and compete with each other in different ways depending on how close they are to each other. The findings show that both airborne chemicals and chemicals released into the soil play important roles in how fungi recognize friends from foes, which could help improve the use of beneficial fungi in agriculture.

Background

Trichoderma species are widely used as biocontrol agents in agriculture and can interact with beneficial ectomycorrhizal fungi like Laccaria bicolor in shared soil environments. Understanding how these fungi recognize and compete with each other through chemical signaling is important for optimizing their use as biocontrol agents while minimizing negative impacts on beneficial fungi.

Objective

This study aimed to elucidate the metabolic reprogramming and interaction strategies between L. bicolor and four Trichoderma strains through analysis of volatile organic compounds, hyphal metabolomes, and secreted exudates across different physical contact scenarios.

Results

The study revealed strong contact- and strain-dependent growth inhibition patterns, with Trichoderma growth suppressed under shared headspace and L. bicolor more inhibited under direct contact. Metabolomic profiling showed distinct, strain-specific alterations in volatile and soluble metabolite profiles, with hundreds of discriminant mass features affected and dynamic regulation of amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways.

Conclusion

Trichoderma-Laccaria interactions are mediated by dynamic, contact-specific chemical reprogramming involving both volatile and non-volatile metabolites. These findings demonstrate that fungal recognition and competition involve coordinated changes in metabolite production and suggest potential roles for both emitted and secreted metabolites in non-self-recognition mechanisms relevant to plant-associated microbial networks.
  • Published in:Fungal Biology and Biotechnology,
  • Study Type:In vitro Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40696431, DOI: 10.1186/s40694-025-00204-w
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