Fungal-Algal Association Drives Lichens' Mutualistic Symbiosis: A Case Study with Trebouxia-Related Lichens.

ABSTRACT: Biotic and abiotic factors influence the formation of fungal-algal pairings in lichen symbiosis. However, the specific determinants of these associations, particularly when distantly related fungi are involved, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of different drivers on the association patterns between taxonomically diverse lichenized fungi and their trebouxioid symbiotic partners. We collected 200 samples from four biomes and identified 41 species of lichenized fungi, associating them with 16 species of trebouxioid green algae, of which 62% were previously unreported. The species identity of both the fungal and algal partners had the most significant effect on the outcome of the symbiosis, compared to abiotic factors like climatic variables and geographic d

SUBMITTER: Zuo YB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10490544 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature