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Title: The carbon starvation response of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus

Journal Article · · FEMS Microbiology Ecology (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [2]
  1. Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Biology. Microbial Ecology. Centre for Environmental and Climate Research (CEC)
  2. Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Biology. Microbial Ecology
  3. Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Biology. Microbial Ecology. Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Life Sciences (BILS)

The amounts of carbon allocated to the fungal partner in ectomycorrhizal associations can vary substantially depending on the plant growth and the soil nutrient conditions, and the fungus may frequently be confronted with limitations in carbon. We used chemical analysis and transcriptome profiling to examine the physiological response of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus to carbon starvation during axenic cultivation. Carbon starvation induced a decrease in the biomass. Concomitantly, ammonium, cell wall material (chitin) and proteolytic enzymes were released into the medium, which suggest autolysis. Compared with the transcriptome of actively growing hyphae, about 45% of the transcripts analyzed were differentially regulated during C-starvation. Induced during starvation were transcripts encoding extracellular enzymes such as peptidases, chitinases and laccases. In parallel, transcripts of N-transporters were upregulated, which suggest that some of the released nitrogen compounds were re-assimilated by the mycelium. The observed changes suggest that the carbon starvation response in P. involutus is associated with complex cellular changes that involves autolysis, recycling of intracellular compounds by autophagy and reabsorption of the extracellular released material. The study provides molecular markers that can be used to examine the role of autolysis for the turnover and survival of the ectomycorrhizal mycelium in soils.

Research Organization:
Lund Univ. (Sweden); USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); Swedish Research Council (VR)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1343065
Journal Information:
FEMS Microbiology Ecology (Online), Vol. 91, Issue 4; ISSN 1574-6941
Publisher:
Federation of European Microbiological SocietiesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 19 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (8)

The soil organic matter decomposition mechanisms in ectomycorrhizal fungi are tuned for liberating soil organic nitrogen journal December 2018
Mineral surface-reactive metabolites secreted during fungal decomposition contribute to the formation of soil organic matter: Fungal metabolites for soil carbon stabilization journal December 2017
First evidences that the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus mobilizes nitrogen and carbon from saprotrophic fungus necromass: Do ectomycorrhizal fungi degrade brown rot fungi? journal November 2018
Fenton reaction facilitates organic nitrogen acquisition by an ectomycorrhizal fungus journal January 2018
Influence of Ammonium on Formation of Mineral-Associated Organic Carbon by an Ectomycorrhizal Fungus journal March 2019
Brown Rot-Type Fungal Decomposition of Sorghum Bagasse: Variable Success and Mechanistic Implications journal January 2018
Unveiling of Concealed Processes for the Degradation of Pharmaceutical Compounds by Neopestalotiopsis sp. journal August 2019
Two P1B-1-ATPases of Amanita strobiliformis With Distinct Properties in Cu/Ag Transport journal April 2018