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Tanunchai B, Schroeter SA, Ji L, Wahdan SFM, Hossen S, Lehnert AS, Grünberg H, Gleixner G, Buscot F, Schulze ED, Noll M, Purahong W. More than you can see: Unraveling the ecology and biodiversity of lichenized fungi associated with leaves and needles of 12 temperate tree species using high-throughput sequencing. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:907531. [PMID: 36187953 PMCID: PMC9523249 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.907531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, lichen surveys are generally based on the examination of fruiting bodies. Lichens in the mycelial stage, in spores, or awaiting conditions for fruiting body formation are usually overlooked, even though they are important for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This study aimed to explore the lichenized fungal community composition and richness associated with leaves and needles of 12 temperate tree species using Illumina MiSeq-based amplicon sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 2 region. Picea abies harbored the highest richness and number of lichenized fungal species. We found that the lichenized fungus Physcia adscendens dominated the leaves and needles of the most temperate tree species. Eleven lichenized fungal species detected in this study were recorded for the first time on leaves and needles. In addition, we identified Athallia cerinella, Fellhanera bouteillei, and Melanohalea exasperata that are on the German national red lists. Lichenized fungal richness was higher in conifer compared to broadleaf trees. Overall, tree species (within coniferous trees) and tree types (broadleaved vs. coniferous trees) harbored significantly different lichenized fungal community compositions pointing out the importance of host species. Diversity and community composition patterns of lichenized fungi were correlated mainly with tree species. Our study demonstrates that the diversity of foliicolous lichens associated with leaves and needles of 12 temperate tree species can be appropriately analyzed and functionally assigned using the ITS-based high-throughput sequencing. We highlighted the importance of conifers for maintaining the biodiversity of foliicolous lichens. Based on the discovery of many red list lichens, our methodological approach and results are important contributions to subsequent actions in the bio-conversation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjawan Tanunchai
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Simon Andreas Schroeter
- Biogeochemical Processes Department, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Li Ji
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- School of Forestry, Central South of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Sara Fareed Mohamed Wahdan
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Shakhawat Hossen
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Bioanalysis, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Coburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Sophie Lehnert
- Biogeochemical Processes Department, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Gerd Gleixner
- Biogeochemical Processes Department, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - François Buscot
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ernst-Detlef Schulze
- Biogeochemical Processes Department, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Noll
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Institute of Bioanalysis, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Coburg, Germany
- Matthias Noll
| | - Witoon Purahong
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- *Correspondence: Witoon Purahong
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