Fungus-mediated bacterial survival and migration enhance wood lignin degradation.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial-fungal interactions are increasingly recognized as a key factor in wood decomposition; however, the specific mechanisms underlying these interactions remain unclear. In this study, vanillic acid-utilizing bacteria were isolated from decayed wood colonized by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor, and their coexistence and functional impact in a solid wood environment were evaluated. We propose, for the first time, that these bacteria disperse on woody materials with fungal mycelia, survive long-term only in the presence of the fungus, and enhance both wood mass loss and lignin degradation in co-culture. Notably, the co-cultures exhibited lower glucose concentrations and vanillic acid levels released from the rotting wood powder than the fungal monocultures. These result

SUBMITTER: Kamei I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12628761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature