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Fungal Biodiversity and Ecology: Unraveling Ecological Roles, Interactions, and Environmental...
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Fungal Biodiversity and Ecology: Unraveling Ecological Roles, Interactions, and Environmental Adaptations

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2104

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xin Qian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: fungal diversity; community ecology
Prof. Dr. Junzhi Qiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: fungal diversity; taxonomy; phylogeny; fungal interactions with host insects/plants; environmental adaptation mechanisms
Dr. Yonglong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Baotou Teacher’s College, Baotou 014030, China
Interests: plant–fungus interactions; mycorrhizal ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi play key roles in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling, and host–pathogen interactions, yet many aspects of their ecological significance and evolutionary history remain poorly understood. This Special Issue will highlight the latest developments in fungal biodiversity and ecology, exploring how fungi adapt to their environments, interact with other organisms, and contribute to ecosystem services.

Our aim for this Special Issue is to showcase cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of fungal diversity on both the macro and micro scales, delves into the ecological processes driving fungal communities, and uncovers the hidden potential of fungi in addressing global challenges such as climate change, conservation, and human health. We are soliciting original research articles, reviews, and meta-analyses that focus on the following themes:

  1. Fungal diversity in extreme environments;
  2. Fungal community assembly and interactions;
  3. Ecological roles of fungi in natural and managed ecosystems;
  4. Fungal taxonomy, systematics, and biogeography;
  5. Novel applications of fungi in biotechnology and conservation.

We invite scholars from diverse disciplines to contribute their insights, fostering a deeper understanding of fungal biodiversity and its pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem integrity.

Dr. Xin Qian
Prof. Dr. Junzhi Qiu
Dr. Yonglong Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungal biodiversity
  • fungal ecology
  • ecosystem functioning
  • community assembly
  • fungal interactions
  • taxonomy and systematics
  • extreme environments
  • biogeography
  • fungal conservation
  • biotechnology applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6539 KB  
Article
Molecular Phylogeny, Divergence Time Estimation, and Biogeography of Moelleriella (Clavicipitaceae, Hypocreales) with Taxonomic Insights
by Yongsheng Lin, Jiao Yang, Nemat O. Keyhani, Luxiao Wang, Yuhang Yao, Xiuyan Wei, Feifei Song, Zhenxing Qiu, Shouping Cai, Xiayu Guan, Lin Zhao and Junzhi Qiu
Biology 2026, 15(10), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15100739 - 7 May 2026
Viewed by 348
Abstract
The Clavicipitaceae family, including saprobes and insect and myco-pathogens, are widely distributed in nature across various trophic regions, and play important roles in insect population control, plant interactions, and symbiotic evolution. Members of the genus Moelleriella within this family primarily specialize in infecting [...] Read more.
The Clavicipitaceae family, including saprobes and insect and myco-pathogens, are widely distributed in nature across various trophic regions, and play important roles in insect population control, plant interactions, and symbiotic evolution. Members of the genus Moelleriella within this family primarily specialize in infecting scale insects and whiteflies. Using five genomic loci (SSU, LSU, tef1-α, rpb1, and rpb2), we report on the inferred divergence times among members of Clavicipitaceae using molecular dating analyses. Molecular clock estimates revealed that the ancestor of Moelleriella likely emerged in the Late Cretaceous (91.60 Mya; 95% highest posterior density of 79.29–100.13 Mya). Historical biogeographic reconstruction of Moelleriella, performed using the Bayesian Binary Markov chain Monte Carlo (BBM) method, indicates that it most likely originated in Asia. Moreover, based on taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, we describe three species within the genus Moelleriella, including one new species (Moelleriella microstroma) and two new records for China (Moelleriella chiangmaiensis and Moelleriella phukhiaoensis). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biodiversity and Ecology: Unraveling Ecological Roles, Interactions, and Environmental Adaptations)
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21 pages, 4237 KB  
Article
Acetoin and 2,3-Butanediol Differentially Restructure Fungal and Bacterial Communities and Their Links to Host Transcription in the Rhizosphere of a Medicinal Plant
by Yingxi Yang, Chaoxiong Xu, Danhua Lin, Chaosong Zheng, Xinghua Dai, Ziyang Zheng, Na Wang, Bing Hu, Lizhen Xia, Xin Qian and Liaoyuan Zhang
Biology 2026, 15(5), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15050403 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate rhizosphere plant-microbe interactions, yet their integrated effects on plant microbiome assembly and host transcriptional regulation remain unresolved. Here we address this gap by investigating how two common VOCs, acetoin (AC) and 2,3-butanediol (BD), influence growth, rhizosphere communities, [...] Read more.
Microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate rhizosphere plant-microbe interactions, yet their integrated effects on plant microbiome assembly and host transcriptional regulation remain unresolved. Here we address this gap by investigating how two common VOCs, acetoin (AC) and 2,3-butanediol (BD), influence growth, rhizosphere communities, and root gene expression in the medicinal plant Pseudostellaria heterophylla using a split-pot system. Bacterial and fungal communities were monitored across three developmental stages via amplicon sequencing, alongside root transcriptome profiling during tuber enlargement. Contrasting with widely reported growth-promoting effects of microbial VOCs, both compounds significantly reduced tuber number and biomass. Bacterial communities remained taxonomically stable, shaped primarily by species replacement, with modest VOC responses but clear shifts across developmental stages. Fungal communities exhibited marked compositional restructuring and greater treatment sensitivity, particularly under BD. Neutral community modeling indicated predominantly stochastic bacterial assembly, while fungal assembly—especially under BD—showed stronger influence of deterministic processes. BD associated with broader transcriptional reprogramming than AC, including downregulation of photosynthesis, specialized metabolism, and defense pathways. Cross-omics network analysis revealed discriminant genera (e.g., Granulicella, Harposporium) that correlated strongly with host genes involved in stress response, development, and epigenetic regulation, with fungal taxa showing tighter associations with host expression than bacteria. Together, these findings establish a mechanistic framework for how microbial VOCs shape rhizosphere communities and host responses, with implications for microbiome-based strategies in medicinal plant cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biodiversity and Ecology: Unraveling Ecological Roles, Interactions, and Environmental Adaptations)
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18 pages, 3789 KB  
Article
Systematic Identification of the Serine Protease Family (StSPs) and Functional Characterization of the Secretory Protein StSP8-4 for Pathogenicity in Setosphaeria turcica
by Qihui Zhou, Xiaodong Gong, Jingjing Zhang, He Zhou, Mengfang Zhu, Bin Hu, Jingao Dong, Yuwei Liu and Shouqin Gu
Biology 2026, 15(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15010057 - 28 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 702
Abstract
Serine proteases represent a significant family of proteolytic enzymes, characterized by their serine-dependent catalytic mechanism. These enzymes are integral to various biological processes, including fungal growth, development, and pathogenicity. Despite their importance, the sequence characterization and expression patterns of this protein family in [...] Read more.
Serine proteases represent a significant family of proteolytic enzymes, characterized by their serine-dependent catalytic mechanism. These enzymes are integral to various biological processes, including fungal growth, development, and pathogenicity. Despite their importance, the sequence characterization and expression patterns of this protein family in Setosphaeria turcica are not yet fully characterized and remain underexplored. A total of 74 putative serine protease family proteins (StSPs) were identified in S. turcica and classified into 12 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Structural domain analysis revealed that 24 StSPs contain signal peptides, of which five were experimentally validated as secretory proteins through yeast secretion assays. Expression profiling using RNA-seq data demonstrated that StSPs exhibit distinct expression patterns across different developmental and infection stages, with 61 genes showing high expression during critical infection phases. The expression levels of nine genes were validated via qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with the RNA-seq data. Among these proteins, StSP8-4 demonstrated elevated expression during the course of fungal infection. Functional characterization of StSP8-4 OE and RNAi strains revealed that this gene plays a crucial role in maintaining fungal pathogenicity, although silencing did not impair conidium or hyphal development. These findings provide valuable insights for further research on serine protease genes in S. turcica. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biodiversity and Ecology: Unraveling Ecological Roles, Interactions, and Environmental Adaptations)
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