Work

Mycobiomes of Six Lichen Species from the Russian Subarctic: A Culture-Independent Analysis and Cultivation Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Lichens are defined as holobionts, whose thalli are known to contain a significant diversity of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Research into the presence of these organisms in lichens remains limited. Therefore, assessing the diversity of fungi in different species of lichen remains a relevant task. In this study, we analysed the taxonomic composition of the mycobiome of six lichen species from northern Russia. To achieve this, we employed high-throughput sequencing and cultivation methods using a modified nutrient medium. The study obtained data on the dominance of fungi from the classes Dothideomycetes, Eutypomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Tremellomycetes in the lichen samples studied. We found that the most common taxa among the lichen species studied were lichenicolous or parasitic fungi belonging to the genera Athelia, Epithamnolia and Cladosporium. The diversity of OTUs in Nephromopsis nivalis thalli that were processed using an abrasive to remove epiphytic fungi was found to be 30–50% lower than in intact thalli. Our findings suggest that the characteristics of the lichen species and its environment within the biocenosis can influence the diversity and abundance of fungi in thalli. Ninety-two fungal cultures were obtained and identified at various phylogenetic levels. Six strains were identified that presumably belong to new families within the orders Lecanorales, Tremellales, Septobasidiales and Myriangiales. We discovered that modifying cultivation methods can hasten the quest for novel, hitherto unexplored strains of lichenophilic fungi.

Source: Journal of Fungi

DOI: 10.3390/jof11120848

Authors: Armen Hakobjanyan, Alexey Melekhin, Marina Sukhacheva, Alexey Beletsky, Timofey Pankratov

Institutions: National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Centre «Fundamentals of Biotechnology» of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden Institute

Language: English

Topic: Lichen and fungal ecology

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137

Funder: Russian Science Foundation