Fungal community inside lichen: a curious case of sparse diversity and high modularity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lichens represent not only the mutualism of fungal and photosynthetic partners but also are composed of microbial consortium harboring diverse fungi known as endolichenic fungi. While endolichenic fungi are known to exert a remarkable influence on lichen ecology through their crucial roles in nutrient cycling, bioprospecting and biodiversity, the enigmatic community structures of these fungal inhabitants remain shrouded in mystery, awaiting further exploration and discovery. To address knowledge gap, we conducted metabarcoding on two lichens using 18S gene amplification, Dirinara applanta and Parmotrema tinctorum, and compared their microbial communities to those found in the pine bark to which the lichens were attached. Our hypothesis was that the endolichenic communiti

SUBMITTER: Yang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10548754 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature