Gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and trait trade-offs drive evolution of postfire resource acquisition in pyrophilous fungi.

ABSTRACT: Wildfires significantly alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), reducing microbial richness and biomass, while selecting for "fire-loving" pyrophilous microbes that drive postfire nutrient cycling. However, the genomic strategies and functional trade-offs (balancing gains in one trait with costs in another) underlying the traits that enable pyrophilous microbes to survive and thrive postfire are virtually unknown. We hypothesized that pyrophilous fungi employ specialized genomic adaptations for C and N cycling, with evolutionary trade-offs between traits governing aromatic C degradation, N acquisition pathways, and rapid growth. To test these hypotheses, we performed complementary comparative genomics, transcriptomics after pyrogenic organic matter amendment, and growth rate bioassays for

SUBMITTER: Sari E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12773724 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature