He Z, Naganuma T. Chronicle of Research into Lichen-Associated Bacteria.
Microorganisms 2022;
10:2111. [PMID:
36363703 PMCID:
PMC9698887 DOI:
10.3390/microorganisms10112111]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Lichens are mutually symbiotic systems consisting of fungal and algal symbionts. While diverse lichen-forming fungal species are known, limited species of algae form lichens. Plasticity in the combination of fungal and algal species with different eco-physiological properties may contribute to the worldwide distribution of lichens, even in extreme habitats. Lichens have been studied systematically for more than 200 years; however, plasticity in fungal-algal/cyanobacterial symbiotic combinations is still unclear. In addition, the association between non-cyanobacterial bacteria and lichens has attracted attention in recent years. The types, diversity, and functions of lichen-associated bacteria have been studied using both culture-based and culture-independent methods. This review summarizes the history of systematic research on lichens and lichen-associated bacteria and provides insights into the current status of research in this field.
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