Evaluation of terrestrial mushroom assemblages by fungal eDNA analysis in river water

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15199
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: Matsuoka Shunsuke 兵庫県立大学, シミュレーション学研究科, 非常勤研究員 (70792828)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 菌類 / 生物多様性 / DNAメタバーコーディング / 時系列調査 / 環境DNA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I compared fungal mushroom assemblages (mushroom survey) and fungal DNA assemblages in river water (fungal DNA metabarcoding survey) through monthly surveys for two years in a forest site. A total of 158 OTUs were detected in the mushroom survey, and 308 OTUs belonging to taxa known to be terrestrial and to form mushroom were detected in the DNA survey. Of the fungi detected as mushrooms, more than half (82 OTU) were detected in DNA in water. In addition, similar patterns of seasonal variation were detected in both mushroom and waterborne fungal DNA, indicating that fungal species composition is similar to each other when the survey months are the same, even in different years. These results suggest that investigating fungal eDNA in river water can efficiently investigate fungal diversity and its temporal variation in a forest.

Free Research Field

生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究結果は、森林内を流れる河川水中のDNAを分析することで、子実体探索によらずに森林内の菌類多様性やその時間変化情報にアクセスできる可能性を示している。採水とDNA分析は、従来の菌類多様性探索方法よりも野外の調査労力が少なく、さらに菌類の同定という高度な専門的知識を必ずしも必要としないことから、中長期的な多様性モニタリングに適した手法である。菌類は、その高い多様性ゆえに森林内での多様性やその時間変化を捉えることは難しかったが、従来法に加えて本研究で示した手法を取り入れることで、菌類多様性探索や、多様性の環境変動応答といった菌類多様性研究をより効率的に行うことが出来るようになると考えられる。