wood decay – mycolab.ai

Fungus-mediated bacterial survival and migration enhance wood lignin degradation

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Researchers discovered that certain bacteria living in decaying wood can travel along fungal threads and help fungi break down tough lignin more efficiently. The bacteria consume sugar and aromatic compounds produced by the fungi, which removes substances that would otherwise slow down the fungal degradation process. This mutualistic partnership between bacteria and fungi shows how nature optimizes wood decomposition in forests, with potential applications for improving biomass conversion in industrial settings.

Organic Nitrogen Supplementation Increases Vegetative and Reproductive Biomass in a Versatile White Rot Fungus

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Researchers studied how adding nitrogen from plant litter affects the growth and mushroom production of a wood-rotting fungus called Cyclocybe aegerita. They found that adding the organic compound adenosine—which naturally occurs in plant litter—significantly boosted both the fungus’s vegetative growth and the production of mushrooms. The results suggest that fungi living in wood benefit from being able to absorb nitrogen-rich compounds from nearby plant material, which improves their ability to grow and reproduce.

Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay

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Pomegranate trees in Italy are suffering from a wood disease that causes cankers and browning of the wood, leading to plant death and crop loss. Researchers identified multiple fungal species responsible for this disease, with Neofusicoccum parvum and Diaporthe species being the main culprits. Cold winter temperatures appear to weaken trees, making them susceptible to these fungal infections. Using advanced DNA analysis along with traditional methods, scientists confirmed which fungi cause the most damage and how the disease develops.

First Report of Trametes hirsuta, Causal Agent White Rot in Avocado Trees Grown in the State of Michoacán, México

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Researchers in Mexico discovered that a wood-decay fungus called Trametes hirsuta is infecting avocado trees in the country’s main avocado-growing region, Michoacán. The fungus causes a disease called white rot, which leads to yellowing leaves, tree defoliation, and eventually tree death. This is the first time this fungus has been identified as a disease-causing agent in avocado trees, and the researchers confirmed through laboratory tests that the fungus is indeed responsible for the damage being observed in avocado orchards.

Is Ischnoderma benzoinum a competitor or contributor to Heterobasidion annosum decomposition of pine and spruce wood? A comparison to Phlebiopsis gigantea

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This research examined how three wood-decomposing fungi interact when competing for the same wood resources. Scientists tested whether Ischnoderma benzoinum helps or hinders the harmful root rot fungus Heterobasidion annosum in pine and spruce forests. They found that the outcome depends on which fungus isolates are involved and which tree species is affected, with some combinations showing strong competition while others showed cooperative decomposition.

Saprotrophic Wood Decay Ability and Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzyme System of the White Rot Fungus Crucibulum laeve: Secretome, Metabolome and Genome Investigations

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This study investigates how a forest fungus called Crucibulum laeve breaks down wood and plant material. Using specialized laboratory techniques, researchers found that this fungus uses a unique set of enzymes that work through oxidation (chemical breakdown using oxygen) rather than simple digestion. The fungus is particularly good at degrading birch wood and produces numerous copies of genes for these special enzymes, giving it an advantage in decomposing partially rotted plant material on the forest floor.

Large-scale phylogenomic insights into the evolution of the Hymenochaetales

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This study examined the evolutionary history of over 1,200 species of wood-decomposing and disease-causing fungi called Hymenochaetales using genetic analysis of 171 fungal genomes. The researchers found that these fungi likely originated in temperate regions of Asia during the age of dinosaurs and gradually spread worldwide, changing their physical forms as they diversified. The research provides important insights into how major groups of fungi evolved and adapted over millions of years.

The Structural and Functional Diversities of Bacteria Inhabiting Plant Woody Tissues and Their Interactions with Fungi

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Bacteria living in tree wood work together with fungi to break down wood and nutrients, which is important for forest health. Some bacteria can protect trees from harmful fungi by fighting them off, making them useful for controlling plant diseases. Understanding how bacteria and fungi interact in wood can help us grow healthier plants, manage tree diseases better, and improve wood decomposition processes.

Wood decay under anoxia by the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola

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Researchers discovered that a common wood-decaying fungus called Fomitopsis pinicola can break down wood even when there is no oxygen present, which happens in the interior of fallen trees. Instead of using the chemical process it normally uses in oxygen-rich conditions, the fungus switches to releasing powerful digestive enzymes that break down plant fibers. This finding explains how wood continues to decompose deep inside tree trunks and could inspire new industrial processes for breaking down plant material without oxygen.

Large-scale phylogenomic insights into the evolution of the Hymenochaetales

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Scientists studied the evolutionary history of a large group of wood-decaying fungi called Hymenochaetales using genetic information from 171 different fungal species. They discovered that these fungi likely originated in temperate regions of Asia around 167 million years ago and gradually spread worldwide. The research reveals how these fungi changed shape and form over millions of years and shows they are still diversifying today.

Research Keyword: wood decay