Hidden fairy rings and males-Genetic patterns of natural Burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.) populations reveal new insights into its life cycle.

ABSTRACT: Burgundy truffles are heterothallic ascomycetes that grow in symbiosis with trees. Despite their esteemed belowground fruitbodies, the species' complex lifecycle is still not fully understood. Here, we present the genetic patterns in three natural Burgundy truffle populations based on genotyped fruitbodies, ascospore extracts and ectomycorrhizal root tips using microsatellites and the mating-type locus. Distinct genetic structures with high relatedness in close vicinity were found for females (forming the fruitbodies) and males (fertilizing partner as inferred from ascospore extracts), with high genotypic diversity and annual turnover of males, suggesting that ephemeral male mating partners are germinating ascospores from decaying fruitbodies. The presence of hermaphrodites and the interan

SUBMITTER: Staubli F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10084442 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature