What factors drive low biodiversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in low-latitude areas

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26840128
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Ryukoku University (2016); Kyoto University (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: Sato Hirotoshi 龍谷大学, 科学技術共同研究センター, 博士研究員 (10635494)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 多様性 / 菌類 / 共生 / DNA / 系統

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ectomycorrhizal fungi, such as truffle and matsutake, form symbiotic and mostly beneficial relationships with the living roots of a tree. Intriguingly, species diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi is known to decrease toward lower latitudes unlike most other organisms. However, the evolutionary origin of diversity of those fungi remains to be investigated. Using molecular phylogenetic approaches, our studies suggest that the evolutionary diversification of ectomycorrhizal fungis can be driven by the switches to novel symbiotic host trees. In particular, symbioses with temperate trees in the Northern Hemisphere (oaks and pines) likely have allowed ectomycorrhizal fungi to broaden their ecological niche or to enter novel adaptive zones, thereby promoting their diversification in temperate areas. Our findings have important implications for understanding about the evolutionary origin of ectomycorrhial fungi.

Free Research Field

菌類系統分類学