Environmental DNA Metabarcoding of Fungi Associated With Bat Guano in Wang Burma Cave (Perlis, Peninsular Malaysia)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Discoveries of unique, undescribed cave-dwelling species exhibiting extreme endemism demonstrate their biodiversity richness and specialization to such exclusive environments. Studies on fungi in caves enable understanding of their diversity, distribution, evolution, and physiology, and also facilitate the discovery of harmful pathogens or beneficial species. We hypothesize that Ascomycota would be the dominant phylum associated with bat guano samples, consistent with previous findings from Asian cave systems. This study is the first to document cave fungi species in Peninsular Malaysia through environmental DNA metabarcoding, specifically to identify the species composition of fungi within bat guano samples from Wang Burma Cave, Perlis. Thirty-two distinct amplicon sequence variants were detected among 380,856 sequence reads, revealing Ascomycota as the dominant fungal phylum (>99.99%). Thirteen species were identified, including five new records for Malaysia: Aspergillus caninus, A. chlamydosporus, A. phialosimplex, Candida palmioleophila, and Mortierella rhinolophicola. Penicillium simplicissimum was the most dominant species (67%) across all sampling sites. This study provides the first molecular record of cave-associated fungi in Peninsular Malaysia and highlights the ecological and conservation significance of subterranean fungal communities as indicators of cave ecosystem health.
DOI: 10.4311/2024mb0117
Institutions: University of Malaya, Mahsa University
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7224106934