Search Results (37)

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity worldwide, with long-lasting effects on forest vegetation and fungal communities essential for seedling establishment and forest resilience. Nothofagus pumilio, the dominant tree of South American temperate forests, forms key fungal symbioses but shows limited post-fire regeneration. Root-fungal community responses in seedlings under long-term post-fire conditions remain unknown. We characterized root-associated fungal communities in N. pumilio seedlings growing in burned (eight years post-fire) and unburned forest of the southern Andes, using ITS1 metabarcoding. We assessed diversity, composition, and abundance of root-associated fungi, including ectomycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes. Diversity and evenness were significantly lower in burned than in unburned forest, with no significant differences in richness or composition. The ectomycorrhizal genus Cortinarius was less abundant in burned-forest seedlings. In seedlings from burned forest, the dark septate endophyte Cadophora was significantly more abundant, whereas Exophiala and Cladophialophora were less abundant than in unburned forest. Despite these shifts, burned areas retained root-associated fungal taxa linked to plant-beneficial functions and shared most OTUs with unburned forest, indicating an incomplete but ongoing recovery. Further research should evaluate how these shifts affect early seedling performance, and assess the role of persistent beneficial taxa for restoration after wildfires. Full article

China harbors a diverse array of macrofungi, yet its fungal diversity remains inadequately documented, particularly in under-explored regions such as the temperate forests of the northeast and the subtropical highlands of the southwest. In this study, four agaric species are reported as new records for China based on morphological observations and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and nuclear large subunit (nrLSU) ribosomal RNA gene regions confirmed their generic and species-level placements. Cortinarius infidus was collected from mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Liaoning Province, Pseudolaccaria fellea from Pine-dominated forests in Liaoning Province, Volvariella clavocystidiata from pine-dominated coniferous forests in Liaoning Province, and Gerhardtia borealis from mixed coniferous–broadleaf forests in Guizhou Province. Comprehensive macro and micromorphological descriptions, color photographs, line drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and comparisons with closely related taxa and original literature are provided to confirm these identifications. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the distribution patterns of these genera and expand the known fungal diversity of China. Full article

For the western Patagonia region (Argentina), climate change models predict a 1–3 °C increase in temperature and a 10%–30% reduction in precipitation. Patagonia native forests are home to a variety of soil fungi, including ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcM), which play a crucial role in drought-tolerant trees. However, the responses of soil fungi to changes in rainfall remain poorly understood. To evaluate shifts in soil fungal communities’ response under reduced precipitation scenarios and identify potentially drought-tolerant EcM species, we took 144 composite soil samples associated with Nothofagus forests along an east–west rainfall gradient. We used environmental DNA to estimate alpha and beta diversity of soil fungi and EcM. Soil fungal richness did not differ across precipitation treatments, whereas EcM richness declined with decreasing precipitation. Shannon and inverse Simpson indices of EcM decreased under reduced precipitation, whereas no significant effects were observed on soil fungi, highlighting the EcM vulnerability to water limitation. Soil fungi community composition changes along the rainfall gradient due to species replacement. Tarzetta sp., Cortinarius sp., and Russula sp. were found in drier plots, indicating a potential association with drought tolerance. Selecting native drought-tolerant EcM for forest management and restoration can improve seedling establishment and ecosystem resilience under climate change. Full article

Soil fungi are pivotal drivers of biogeochemical cycling, mediating nutrient transformation, plant–soil feedbacks, and ecosystem stability. Understanding their responses to vegetation succession is essential for predicting ecosystem recovery in fragile volcanic landscapes. We investigated soil fungal communities across five successional stages on the Jingpo Lake lava plateau—grassland (GL), shrubland (SL), deciduous broad-leaved forest (DB), coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (CB), and coniferous forest (CF)—using high-throughput ITS sequencing and soil physicochemical analysis. Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominated at the phylum level, with Sebacina, Cortinarius, and Mortierella as core genera. Alpha diversity (Shannon, Simpson, Chao1) was significantly higher in early-successional GL and SL than in DB (p < 0.05), while CB exhibited the lowest community evenness (Pielou-e). Co-occurrence networks revealed greater connectivity in GL, whereas forest types showed simplified topologies. LEfSe identified distinct fungal biomarkers for each vegetation type. PICRUSt2-based functional prediction indicated biosynthesis as the dominant pathway (>40%), with significant variation among vegetation types. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified soil organic matter (SOM) as the primary predictor of fungal community composition. Our findings indicate that vegetation succession is associated with changes in fungal diversity and function primarily linked to variations in SOM, with moisture regimes as a secondary contextual factor. Notably, advanced forest stages exhibited reduced fungal diversity and simplified community structure—highlighting a trade-off between nutrient enrichment and microbial complexity in volcanic ecosystems. These insights advance our understanding of plant–soil–microbe coupling during ecosystem restoration on lava plateaus. Full article

The genera Cortinarius and Russula are common ectomycorrhizal fungi, serving as excellent indicators of forest ecosystem health and soil conditions. This study conducted a systematic taxonomic investigation of macrofungi in the Huzhong National Nature Reserve of the Greater Khingan Mountains, integrating morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Six new record species for China were identified: Cortinarius acutus, Phlegmacium balteatum, Cortinarius huronensis, Cortinarius lewisii, Cortinarius luteoornatus, and Russula grisescens. The article provides descriptions of their morphological characteristics and distribution, supported by phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequences. These findings expand the known distribution of these taxa to China’s taiga forests, reveal the region’s rich macrofungal diversity, and provide essential data for taxonomic, biogeographic, and forest ecosystem research. Full article

While climate is known to regulate forest productivity, the mechanistic contribution of soil microbial communities—and whether it differs between natural and plantation forests—remains poorly quantified at broad scales. Here, we provide a synthesis-level, unified analysis that jointly evaluates climate, edaphic conditions, and soil microbes to compare mechanistic pathways underlying productivity divergence between forest types. We synthesized 237 observations across China and integrated productivity metrics—gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP)—with microbial diversity, dominant taxa, and soil drivers to compare natural and plantation forests within the current environmental coverage. Plantation productivity showed nonlinear responses to microbial diversity and appeared more sensitive than natural forests. Natural forests exhibited higher bacterial Shannon and Chao1 but lower fungal Chao1 and were characterized by taxa such as Nitrobacter, Bradyrhizobium, and Cortinarius. In contrast, plantations were characterized by taxa often associated with disturbance tolerance and opportunistic life-history strategies (e.g., Sphingomonas, Fusarium, Gemmatimonas), consistent with potential functional simplification. Structural equation models identified climate as the strongest correlate of productivity, while soil properties showed contrasting associations with microbial diversity across forest types. Random forest models further highlighted cation-exchange capacity and total nitrogen as key predictors of microbial diversity in plantations. Overall, our results indicate that soil microbial communities are differentially associated with forest productivity across forest types and environmental contexts and underscore the need for future climate-comparable designs and management-intensity information to more robustly isolate microbial contributions. Full article

This study systematically documented macrofungal diversity in Beijing, China (field surveys conducted from 2020 to 2024) using line-transect and random sampling. A total of 1056 species were identified, spanning 2 phyla, 7 classes, 25 orders, 109 families, and 286 genera. The inventory includes 12 new species, 456 new records for Beijing, 79 new records for China, and comprises 116 edible, 56 edible–medicinal, 123 medicinal, and 58 poisonous species. Among these, 542 species were assessed against China’s Macrofungi Redlist, revealing eight species needing conservation attention (seven Near Threatened, one Vulnerable). Analysis revealed stark differences in dominant taxa between natural ecosystems (protected areas) and urban green spaces/parks. In natural areas, macrofungi are dominated by 31 families (e.g., Russulaceae, Cortinariaceae) and 47 genera (e.g., Russula, Cortinarius). Ectomycorrhizal lineages prevailed, highlighting their critical role in forest nutrient cycling, plant symbiosis, and ecosystem integrity. In urban areas, 10 families (e.g., Agaricaceae, Psathyrellaceae) and 17 genera (e.g., Leucocoprinus, Coprinellus) were dominant. Saprotrophic genera dominated, indicating their adaptation to decomposing organic matter in human-modified habitats and the provision of ecosystem services. The study demonstrates relatively high macrofungal diversity in Beijing. The distinct functional guild composition—ectomycorrhizal dominance in natural areas versus saprotrophic prevalence in urban zones—reveals complementary ecosystem functions and underscores the conservation value of protected habitats for maintaining vital mycorrhizal networks. These findings provide fundamental data and scientific support for regional biodiversity conservation and sustainable macrofungal resource development. Full article

The transformative effect of nanotechnology is revolutionizing medicine by introducing new therapeutic approaches. This study explores the utilization of aqueous extract from mushroom (Cortinarius sp.) used as a reducing agent to prepare zinc oxide myco-nanoparticles (ZnO-MNPs) in an eco-friendly manner. The synthesis of ZnO-MNPs has been confirmed by various characterization studies, including UV-vis spectroscopy, which revealed an absorption peak at 378 nm; X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which revealed a wurtzite hexagonal structure; and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), which showed stabilizing agents around the ZnO-MNPs. The effectiveness of ZnO-MNPs as an anti-cancer agent was evaluated by monitoring liver biochemical parameters against hepatotoxicity caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in Balb C mice. The results showed that the levels of catalase, glutathione (GSH), and total protein were significantly lower, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), melanin dialdehyde (MDA), and total bilirubin (TB) were significantly higher in each of the CCl₄ treatment groups. ZnO-MNP treatment significantly reduced the toxicological effects of CCl₄ but did not completely restore the accumulation. The antimicrobial efficacy of ZnO-MNPs was investigated and showed potential results against common pathogens, including Bacillus subtilis (29.05 ± 0.76), Bacillus meurellus (27.05 ± 0.5), Acetobacter rhizospherensis (23.36 ± 0.5), and Escherichia coli (25.86 ± 0.80), while antifungal activity was relatively lower. Moreover, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed that ZnO-MNPs are strong antioxidant agents. Overall, these findings highlight the effectiveness of myco-synthesized ZnO-NPs in combating pathogenic diseases, their promising role in cancer therapy, and their potential as a biomaterial option for future therapeutic applications. Full article

The Andean–Patagonian forests of South America offer a great variety of wild edible mushrooms, many with ancestral use and others linked to new mycogastronomic offers. However, their sensory properties and detailed characterizations have not yet been deeply explored and described, nor have their alterations due to cold storage. The aims of this work were to perform a sensory characterization through a trained panel evaluation, perform target volatile compounds analysis and evaluate post-harvest preservation methods effects on nine species of wild edible mushrooms with different trophic habits (Cortinarius magellanicus, Panus dusenii, Fistulina antarctica, F. endoxantha, Gloeosoma vitellinum, Grifola gargal, Lepista nuda, Ramaria patagonica, and Cyttaria hariotii). The sensory description of dehydrated specimens through quantitative descriptive analysis showed that panelists were a significant source of variation; F. antarctica and R. patagonica registered distinct sweet flavor/spice odor and wood/sweet flavor, respectively, and different textures. Refrigeration produced a rapid loss of sensory characteristics, whereas freezer conservation satisfactorily maintained the characteristics in F. anctartica, R. patagonica, G. vitellinum, and C. hariotti for at least four months. A total of 60 target volatile organic compounds were detected, corresponding to grass, mushroom, alkane, and pungent odors in F. anctartica, R. patagonica, and G. vitellinum. The detailed sensory characterization and post-harvest conservation options of these novel products constitute crucial information to promote their sustainable use and local development through innovative activities linked to tourism, such as mushroom gastronomy and mycotourism. Full article

We encountered a case of mushroom intoxication complicated by “toxic-like” myocarditis. Because of the lack of systematized knowledge on this subject, we performed a systematic review of the literature on cardiac toxicity in mushroom poisoning (MP). The aim of this study was to identify and describe the severity, the causal relationship, and the mushroom species involved in other reported cardiac events associated with MP. We included 39 studies in our review. We found 106 cases of cardiac events associated with MP, including 18 deaths. A wide variety of cardiac manifestations were reported, ranging from the simple elevation of cardiac enzymes (n = 61) to ventricular tachycardia (n = 14), acute heart failure (n = 18), and myocarditis (n = 7). Causal relationship between cardiac manifestations and mushroom poisoning was assessed for 42 patients, applying the algorithm validated by the French Toxicovigilance Coordination Committee. Twenty-three cases (54.8%) had a “possible” causal relationship, eight cases (19%) a “probable” relationship, and ten cases (23.8%) a “very probable” relationship. Several fungal genera were involved in reported cases, including Amanita but also rarer ones like Russula and Tricholoma. In conclusion, we showed that cases of cardiac toxicity following MP have been documented in the existing literature, and for some of them, we assessed a strong causal relationship. Full article

Biocolourants could be a sustainable option for dyes that require fossil-based chemicals in their synthesis. We studied the in vitro toxicity of anthraquinone aglycone extract obtained from Cortinarius sanguineus fungus and compared it to the toxicity of its two main components, emodin and previously studied dermocybin. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress responses in HepG2 liver and THP-1 immune cell lines were studied along with skin sensitisation. In addition, genotoxicity was studied with comet assay in HepG2 cells. Cellular viability was determined by MTT, propidium iodide, and lactate dehydrogenase assays, which showed that the highest doses of both the aglycone extract and emodin affected the viability. However, the effect did not occur in all of the used assays. Notably, after both exposures, a dose-dependent increase in oxidative stress factors was observed in both cell lines as measured by MitoSOX and dihydroethidium assays. C. sanguineus extract was not genotoxic in the comet assay. Importantly, both emodin and the extract activated the skin sensitisation pathway in the KeratinoSens assay, suggesting that they can induce allergy in humans. As emodin has shown cytotoxic and skin-sensitising effects, it is possible that the adverse effects caused by the extract are also mediated by it since it is the main component present in the fungus. Full article

The tree species Salix caprea shows high adaptability to different habitat conditions and is economically valuable as a woody crop for biomass production. Moreover, S. caprea is dependent on mycorrhizal fungi, which are crucial for its growth and adaptability in different environments. Hence, this study explores the ectomycorrhizal diversity of S. caprea by utilizing the taxonomy (morphotyping and a molecular approach using the ITS and LSU regions) and trait diversity (exploration types) at two test sites in Germany and Poland. In total, 19 ectomycorrhizal (EM) morphotypes of S. caprea were characterized. Seven taxa were identified at the species level (Hebeloma populinum, Cortinarius atrocoerulaeus, Inocybe hirtella, Laccaria cf. ochropurpurea, Tuber maculatum, Cenococcum geophilum, and Phialophora finlandia) and twelve at the genus level (Tomentella spp. 1–8, Hebeloma sp. 1, Inocybe sp. 1, and Tuber spp. 1–2). The EM colonization ranged from 14 to 28% of the fine root tips. At both test sites, the largest portion of the total EM colonization consisted of Thelephoraceae. The exploration types were classified as medium-distance smooth (Tomentella sp. 1–8 and L. ochropurpurea) and medium-distance fringe (C. atrocoerulaeus), while the other taxa were short-distance exploration types, highlighting their potential functional role in the adaptation and growth of S. caprea. Full article

The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes research aimed at developing new drugs from natural compounds. Fungi are important producers of bioactive molecules, and they are often effective against other fungi and/or bacteria and are thus a potential source of new antibiotics. Basidiomycota crude extracts, which have previously been proven to be active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, were subjected to liquid chromatographic separation by RP-18, leading to six macro-fractions for each fungal extract. The various fractions were tested for their bioactivities against P. aeruginosa ATCC27853, and ten of them were characterized by HPLC-HRMS and NMR. Further chromatographic separations were performed for a few selected macro-fractions, yielding seven pure compounds. Bioactivity was mainly found in the lipophilic fractions containing fatty acids and their derivatives, such as hydroxy or keto C-18 unsaturated acids, and in various complex lipids, such as glycolipids and related compounds. More hydrophilic molecules, such as GABA, phenethylamine, two chromogenic anthraquinoids and pistillarin, were also isolated, and their antibacterial activities were recorded. The novelties of this research are as follows: (i) the genera Cortinarius and Mycena have never been investigated before for the synthesis of antibiotic compounds; (ii) the molecules produced by these genera are known, but their production has never been reported in the investigated fungi; (iii) the determination of bacterial siderophore synthesis inhibition by certain compounds from Cortinarius and Mycena. Full article

Fungi have important ecological functions in the soil of forests, where they decompose organic matter, provide plants with nutrients, increase plant water uptake, and improve plant resistance to adversity, disease, and disturbance. A forest fire presents a serious disturbance of the local ecosystem and can be considered an important component affecting the function of ecosystem biomes; however, the response of soil fungi to fire disturbance is largely unknown. To investigate the effects of fire disturbance on the community composition and diversity of soil fungi in a taiga forest, we collected soil from plots that had undergone a light, moderate, and heavy fire 10 years previously, with the inclusion of a fire-free control. The present soil fungi were characterized using Illumina MiSeq technology, and the sequences were analyzed to identify differences in the community composition and diversity in response to the changed soil physicochemical properties. The results showed that the Chao1 index, which characterizes the alpha diversity of the fungi, did not change significantly. In contrast, the Shannon index increased significantly (p < 0.05) and the Simpson index decreased significantly (p < 0.05) following a light or heavy fire disturbance compared to the control. The relative abundance of Basidiomycota was significantly higher in the soil of the fire sites than that in the control (p < 0.01), and the relative abundance of Ascomycota was significantly lower (p < 0.01). The results of principal coordinates analyses (PCoAs) showed that fire disturbance highly significantly affected the beta diversity of soil fungi (p < 0.001), while the results of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) indicated that the available nitrogen (AN), moisture content (MC), pH, available potassium (AK), and total nitrogen (TN) contents of the soil significantly affected the compositional structure and diversity of the soil fungal communities. The results of functional prediction showed that the majority of the detected soil fungi were symbiotrophs, followed by saprotrophs and saprotroph–symbiotrophs, with ectomycorrhiza being the dominant functional taxon. Fire disturbance significantly reduced the relative abundance of ectomycorrhiza (p < 0.05). This study illustrates that fire disturbance alters the structural composition, diversity, dominance, and relative abundance of the guilds of soil fungal communities in taiga forest, and strongly affected the beta diversity of soil fungi, with AN, MC, pH, AK, and TN being the most important factors affecting their community structure. The results may provide a useful reference for the restoration and rehabilitation of taiga forests after fire disturbance. Full article

This study aims to combine computed tomography (CT)-based texture analysis (QTA) and a microbiome-based biomarker signature to predict the overall survival (OS) of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by analyzing their CT scans (n = 129) and fecal microbiome (n = 58). One hundred and five continuous CT parameters were obtained, where principal component analysis (PCA) identified seven major components that explained 80% of the data variation. Shotgun metagenomics (MG) and ITS analysis were performed to reveal the abundance of bacterial and fungal species. The relative abundance of Bacteroides dorei and Parabacteroides distasonis was associated with long OS (>6 mo), whereas the bacteria Clostridium perfringens and Enterococcus faecium and the fungal taxa Cortinarius davemallochii, Helotiales, Chaetosphaeriales, and Tremellomycetes were associated with short OS (≤6 mo). Hymenoscyphus immutabilis and Clavulinopsis fusiformis were more abundant in patients with high (≥50%) PD-L1-expressing tumors, whereas Thelephoraceae and Lachnospiraceae bacterium were enriched in patients with ICI-related toxicities. An artificial intelligence (AI) approach based on extreme gradient boosting evaluated the associations between the outcomes and various clinicopathological parameters. AI identified MG signatures for patients with a favorable ICI response and high PD-L1 expression, with 84% and 79% accuracy, respectively. The combination of QTA parameters and MG had a positive predictive value of 90% for both therapeutic response and OS. According to our hypothesis, the QTA parameters and gut microbiome signatures can predict OS, the response to therapy, the PD-L1 expression, and toxicity in NSCLC patients treated with ICI, and a machine learning approach can combine these variables to create a reliable predictive model, as we suggest in this research. Full article