Ecology of hypogeic mycorrhizal fungi, such as truffles, remains largely unknown, both in terms of their geographical distribution and their environmental niches. Occurrence of true truffles (Tuber spp.) was therefore screened using specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and subsequent PCR amplicon sequencing in tree roots collected at 322 field sites across the Czech Republic. These s...

Tuber pseudoexcavatum, Tuber sinoaestivum, and Tuber indicum are the 3 most important truffles growing in southeast China; however, their cultivation is still inefficient owing to the lack of understanding regarding the composition and function of the bacterial and fungal communities from the soils around the fruit bodies and the ectomycorrhiza of these truffles. The aim of this study was to di...

Most members of the ascomycetous genus Cordyceps are endoparasitic fungi of insects and other arthropods, but about 20 of the 300 described species are parasitic to hart's truffles, Elaphomyces spp. In order to understand the evolution of host specificity and the process of interkingdom host jumping in Cordyceps, we investigated the phylogenetic relationships of 22 representatives, including 4 ...

The endangered northern bettong (Bettongia tropica) occurs in four disjunct populations in far north Queensland, Australia, at a high density only in its range core (RC). A recent study suggested that B. tropica populations are sparse at the northern and southern range edges (SRE) due to more severe droughts and variable climatic conditions causing fluctuations in the availability of their prin...

Truffles are symbiotic fungi that form ectomycorrhizas with plant roots. Here we present evidence that at an early stage of the interaction, i.e. prior to physical contact, mycelia of the white truffle Tuber borchii and the black truffle Tuber melanopsorum induce alterations in root morphology of the host Cistus incanus and the nonhost Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; i.e. primary root shorte...

The quality and market price of truffles vary with the species and, traditionally, the place of origin. The premium species Tuber magnatum produces white truffles and has a patchy distribution restricted to Italy and some Balkan areas. We used polymorphic microsatellites to evaluate 316 specimens grouped into 26 populations sampled across the species' geographic range to determine if natural po...

The production of mycorrhizal fungi provides higher economic returns than any other forest product in many Mediterranean woods. In these areas, truffles {Tuber spp.) and mushrooms of Boletus and Lactarius genus are the fungi that yield the highest economic benefits. However, there are still evident gaps in the understanding of the truffle's biological cycles, ecology and interactions with host ...