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Mayer VE, Voglmayr H, Blatrix R, Orivel J, Leroy C. Fungi as mutualistic partners in ant-plant interactions. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1213997. [PMID: 37850069 PMCID: PMC10577302 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1213997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Associations between fungi and ants living in mutualistic relationship with plants ("plant-ants") have been known for a long time. However, only in recent years has the mutualistic nature, frequency, and geographical extent of associations between tropical arboreal ants with fungi of the ascomycete order Chaetothyriales and Capnodiales (belonging to the so-called "Black Fungi") become clear. Two groups of arboreal ants displaying different nesting strategies are associated with ascomycete fungi: carton-building ants that construct nest walls and galleries on stems, branches or below leaves which are overgrown by fungal hyphae, and plant-ants that make their nests inside living plants (myrmecophytes) in plant provided cavities (domatia) where ants cultivate fungi in small delimited "patches". In this review we summarize the current knowledge about these unsuspected plant-ant-fungus interactions. The data suggest, that at least some of these ant-associated fungi seem to have coevolved with ants over a long period of time and have developed specific adaptations to this lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika E. Mayer
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research – Division of Structural and Functional Botany, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Hermann Voglmayr
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research – Mycology Research Group, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Rumsais Blatrix
- CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Orivel
- EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Céline Leroy
- EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
- AMAP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Leroy C. Fungi in ant-plant interactions: a key to enhancing plant nutrient-acquisition strategies. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:1752-1754. [PMID: 36939144 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Céline Leroy
- AMAP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, 34000, France
- EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Campus Agronomique, Kourou, 97310, France
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Greenfield MJ, Lach L, Congdon BC, Anslan S, Tedersoo L, Field M, Abell SE. Consistent patterns of fungal communities within ant-plants across a large geographic range strongly suggest a multipartite mutualism. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01690-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn recent decades, multipartite mutualisms involving microorganisms such as fungi have been discovered in associations traditionally thought of as bipartite. Ant-plant mutualisms were long thought to be bipartite despite fungi being noticed in an epiphytic ant-plant over 100 years ago. We sequenced fungal DNA from the three distinct domatium chambers of the epiphytic ant-plant Myrmecodia beccarii to establish if fungal communities differ by chamber type across five geographic locations spanning 675 km. The three chamber types serve different ant-associated functions including ‘waste’ chambers, where ant workers deposit waste; ‘nursery’ chambers, where the brood is kept; and ‘ventilation’ chambers, that allow air into the domatium. Overall, fungi from the order Chaetothyriales dominated the chambers in terms of the proportion of operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 13.4%) and sequence abundances of OTUs (28% of the total); however a large portion of OTUs (28%) were unidentified at the order level. Notably, the fungal community in the waste chambers differed consistently from the nursery and ventilation chambers across all five locations. We identified 13 fungal OTUs as ‘common’ in the waste chambers that were rare or in very low sequence abundance in the other two chambers. Fungal communities in the nursery and ventilation chambers overlapped more than either did with the waste chambers but were also distinct from each other. Differences in dominance of the common OTUs drove the observed patterns in the fungal communities for each of the chamber types. This suggests a multipartite mutualism involving fungi exists in this ant-plant and that the role of fungi differs among chamber types.
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The symbiosis between Philidris ants and the ant-plant Dischidia major includes fungal and algal associates. Symbiosis 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-021-00751-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Lucas JM, Madden AA, Penick CA, Epps MJ, Marting PR, Stevens JL, Fergus DJ, Dunn RR, Meineke EK. Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191026. [PMID: 31387509 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiome of built structures has considerable influence over an inhabitant's well-being, yet the vast majority of research has focused on human-built structures. Ants are well-known architects, capable of constructing elaborate dwellings, the microbiome of which is underexplored. Here, we explore the bacterial and fungal microbiomes in functionally distinct chambers within and outside the nests of Azteca alfari ants in Cecropia peltata trees. We predicted that A. alfari colonies (1) maintain distinct microbiomes within their nests compared to the surrounding environment, (2) maintain distinct microbiomes among nest chambers used for different functions, and (3) limit both ant and plant pathogens inside their nests. In support of these predictions, we found that internal and external nest sampling locations had distinct microbial communities, and A. alfari maintained lower bacterial richness in their 'nurseries'. While putative animal pathogens were suppressed in chambers that ants actively inhabited, putative plant pathogens were not, which does not support our hypothesis that A. alfari defends its host trees against microbial antagonists. Our results show that ants influence microbial communities inside their nests similar to studies of human homes. Unlike humans, ants limit the bacteria in their nurseries and potentially prevent the build-up of insect-infecting pathogens. These results highlight the importance of documenting how indoor microbiomes differ among species, which might improve our understanding of how to promote indoor health in human dwellings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Lucas
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Anne A Madden
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Clint A Penick
- The Biomimicry Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Mary Jane Epps
- Department of Biology, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA 24401, USA
| | - Peter R Marting
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Daniel J Fergus
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Robert R Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.,Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emily K Meineke
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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6
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Ant-produced chemicals are not responsible for the specificity of their Ophiocordyceps fungal pathogens. FUNGAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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7
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Transmission of fungal partners to incipient Cecropia-tree ant colonies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192207. [PMID: 29466381 PMCID: PMC5821464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascomycete fungi in the nests of ants inhabiting plants (= myrmecophytes) are very often cultivated by the ants in small patches and used as food source. Where these fungi come from is not known yet. Two scenarios of fungus recruitment are possible: (1) random infection through spores or hyphal fragments from the environment, or (2) transmission from mother to daughter colonies by the foundress queen. It is also not known at which stage of the colony life cycle fungiculture is initiated, and whether the- symbiont fungi serve as food for the ant queen. To clarify these questions, we investigated four Azteca ant species inhabiting three different Cecropia species (C. insignis, C. obtusifolia, and C. peltata). We analysed an rRNA gene fragment from 52 fungal patches produced by founding queens and compared them with those from established Azteca colonies (n = 54). The infrabuccal pockets of winged queens were dissected to investigate whether young queens carry fungi from their mother colony. Additionally, 15N labelling experiments were done to verify whether the queen feeds on the patches until she is nourished by her first worker offspring. We infer from the results that the fungi cultivated in hollow plant structures are transferred from the parental colony of the young queen. First, fungal genotypes/OTU diversity was not significantly different between foundress queen patches and established colonies, and second, hyphal parts were discovered in the infrabuccal pockets of female alates. We could show that fungiculture already starts before queens lay their eggs, and that the queens do not feed on fungal patch material but feed it to the larvae. Our findings suggest that fungiculture may be crucial for successful colony founding of arboreal ants in the tropics.
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Vasse M, Voglmayr H, Mayer V, Gueidan C, Nepel M, Moreno L, de Hoog S, Selosse MA, McKey D, Blatrix R. A phylogenetic perspective on the association between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and black yeasts (Ascomycota: Chaetothyriales). Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2519. [PMID: 28298348 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The frequency and the geographical extent of symbiotic associations between ants and fungi of the order Chaetothyriales have been highlighted only recently. Using a phylogenetic approach based on seven molecular markers, we showed that ant-associated Chaetothyriales are scattered through the phylogeny of this order. There was no clustering according to geographical origin or to the taxonomy of the ant host. However, strains tended to be clustered according to the type of association with ants: strains from ant-made carton and strains from plant cavities occupied by ants ('domatia') rarely clustered together. Defining molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) with an internal transcribed spacer sequence similarity cut-off of 99% revealed that a single MOTU could be composed of strains collected from various ant species and from several continents. Some ant-associated MOTUs also contained strains isolated from habitats other than ant-associated structures. Altogether, our results suggest that the degree of specialization of the interactions between ants and their fungal partners is highly variable. A better knowledge of the ecology of these interactions and a more comprehensive sampling of the fungal order are needed to elucidate the evolutionary history of mutualistic symbioses between ants and Chaetothyriales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vasse
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Hermann Voglmayr
- Division of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Wien, Austria
| | - Veronika Mayer
- Division of Structural and Functional Botany, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Wien, Austria
| | - Cécile Gueidan
- National Facilities and Collections, National Research Collections Australia, Australian National Herbarium, CSIRO, PO Box 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Maximilian Nepel
- Division of Structural and Functional Botany, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Wien, Austria.,Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leandro Moreno
- CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc-André Selosse
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB-UMR 7205-CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, 57 Rue Cuvier (CP50), 75005 Paris, France.,Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, University of Gdansk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Doyle McKey
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Rumsaïs Blatrix
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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Qin Z, Munnoch JT, Devine R, Holmes NA, Seipke RF, Wilkinson KA, Wilkinson B, Hutchings MI. Formicamycins, antibacterial polyketides produced by Streptomyces formicae isolated from African Tetraponera plant-ants. Chem Sci 2017; 8:3218-3227. [PMID: 28507698 PMCID: PMC5414599 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04265a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a new Streptomyces species named S. formicae that was isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi and show that it produces novel pentacyclic polyketides that are active against MRSA and VRE. The chemical scaffold of these compounds, which we have called the formicamycins, is similar to the fasamycins identified from the heterologous expression of clones isolated from environmental DNA, but has significant differences that allow the scaffold to be decorated with up to four halogen atoms. We report the structures and bioactivities of 16 new molecules and show, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, that biosynthesis of these compounds is encoded by a single type 2 polyketide synthase biosynthetic gene cluster in the S. formicae genome. Our work has identified the first antibiotic from the Tetraponera system and highlights the benefits of exploring unusual ecological niches for new actinomycete strains and novel natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Qin
- Department of Molecular Microbiology , John Innes Centre , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7UH , UK .
| | - John T Munnoch
- School of Biological Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7TJ , UK .
| | - Rebecca Devine
- School of Biological Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7TJ , UK .
| | - Neil A Holmes
- School of Biological Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7TJ , UK .
| | - Ryan F Seipke
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology , Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology , University of Leeds , Leeds , LS2 9JT , UK
| | - Karl A Wilkinson
- Scientific Research Computing Unit , Department of Chemistry , University of Cape Town , Rondebosch 7701 , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Barrie Wilkinson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology , John Innes Centre , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7UH , UK .
| | - Matthew I Hutchings
- School of Biological Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park , Norwich , NR4 7TJ , UK .
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Nepel M, Voglmayr H, Blatrix R, Longino JT, Fiedler K, Schönenberger J, Mayer VE. Ant-cultivated Chaetothyriales in hollow stems of myrmecophytic Cecropia sp. trees – diversity and patterns. FUNGAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Specificity and localised distribution of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil may contribute to co-existence of orchid species. FUNGAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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12
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Kokolo B, Atteke C, Ibrahim B, Blatrix R. Pattern of specificity in the tripartite symbiosis between Barteria plants, ants and Chaetothyriales fungi. Symbiosis 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-016-0402-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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13
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Nascimento MMF, Selbmann L, Sharifynia S, Al-Hatmi AMS, Voglmayr H, Vicente VA, Deng S, Kargl A, Moussa TAA, Al-Zahrani HS, Almaghrabi OA, de Hoog GS. Arthrocladium, an unexpected human opportunist in Trichomeriaceae (Chaetothyriales). Fungal Biol 2015; 120:207-18. [PMID: 26781377 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2015.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The family Trichomeriaceae (Chaetothyriales) mainly comprises epiphytic and epilithic organisms. In some species elaborate ascomata are formed, but for the great majority the species no asexual conidium formation is known other than simple fragmentation of the thallus. The present paper re-establishes the genus Arthrocladium with three non-sporulating species. One of these is described for a strain causing a fatal infection in a human patient with a rare genetic immune disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana M F Nascimento
- Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná State, 81540-970, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Somayeh Sharifynia
- CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdullah M S Al-Hatmi
- CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Directorate General of Health Services, Ibri Hospital, Ministry of Health, PO Box 393, 100, Muscat, Oman
| | - Hermann Voglmayr
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Vienna, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vania A Vicente
- Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná State, 81540-970, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), 71605-001, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Shuwen Deng
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200003, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Tarek A A Moussa
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
| | - Hassan S Al-Zahrani
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar A Almaghrabi
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - G Sybren de Hoog
- Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná State, 81540-970, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, PO Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200003, Shanghai, China; Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Hubka V, Réblová M, Řehulka J, Selbmann L, Isola D, de Hoog SG, Kolařík M. Bradymyces gen. nov. (Chaetothyriales, Trichomeriaceae), a new ascomycete genus accommodating poorly differentiated melanized fungi. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2014; 106:979-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-014-0267-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Waud M, Busschaert P, Ruyters S, Jacquemyn H, Lievens B. Impact of primer choice on characterization of orchid mycorrhizal communities using 454 pyrosequencing. Mol Ecol Resour 2014; 14:679-99. [PMID: 24460947 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Although the number of studies investigating mycorrhizal associations in orchids has increased in recent years, the fungal communities associating with orchids and how they differ between species and sites remain unclear. Recent research has indicated that individual orchid plants may associate with several fungi concurrently, implying that to study mycorrhizal associations in orchids the fungal community should be assessed, rather than the presence of individual dominant fungal species or strains. High-throughput sequencing methods, such as 454 pyrosequencing, are increasingly used as the primary tool for such analyses. However, many studies combine universal primers from previous phylogenetic or ecological studies to generate amplicons suitable for 454 pyrosequencing without first critically evaluating their performance, potentially resulting in biased fungal community descriptions. Here, following in silico primer analysis we evaluated the performance of different combinations of existing PCR primers to characterize orchid mycorrhizal communities using 454 pyrosequencing by analysis of both an artificially assembled community of mycorrhizal fungi isolated from diverse orchid species and root samples from three different orchid species (Anacamptis morio, Ophrys tenthredinifera and Serapias lingua). Our results indicate that primer pairs ITS3/ITS4OF and ITS86F/ITS4, targeting the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) region, outperformed other tested primer pairs in terms of number of reads, number of operational taxonomic units recovered from the artificial community and number of different orchid mycorrhizal associating families detected in the orchid samples. Additionally, we show the complementary specificity of both primer pairs, making them highly suitable for tandem use when studying the diversity of orchid mycorrhizal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Waud
- Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), KU Leuven, Campus De Nayer, B-2860, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium; Division of Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001, Heverlee, Belgium
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