Large quantity and various species of fungi exist in natural forest ecosystems. It is generally accepted that fungi play a particular important role in leaf litter decomposition. Saprotrophic fungi, especially basidiomycetes, are generally effective in breaking down dead organic matter. But which group among the basidiomycetes plays a key role and which factors determined the basidiomycetous communities in forest ecosystems were largely unknown.
Dr. CHEN Xiangbi in Institute of Subtropical Agriculture，Chinese Academy of Science (ISA) and her colleagues investigated basidiomycete communities at the cDNA and DNA levels in two subtropical forests (broad-leaved forest and coniferous forest) based on laccase gene encoding laccase enzyme to decompose lignin.
Most of the laccase genes obtained in their study were new, highlighting the research gap of these functional microorganisms. The Agaricales had high activity because they dominated the two forest soils. However, the total basidiomycete communities reflected at the cDNA and DNA levels were significant different due to the presence of some quiescent basidiomycetous groups. Almost all of the lignin components were decomposed from the O to the A layers in the two forests, and laccases produced by Agaricales were likely responsible for the decomposition of guaiacyl monomers. Both vegetation and soil types had great influences on the active laccase containing basidiomycete communities, primarily via the pH, C/N, and the contents of lignin monomers. It inferred that the quality but not the quantity of soil organic matter determined the diversity and composition of the active laccase-containing basidiomycete communities.
This study was jointly supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-YW-436 and KZCX2-XB3-10), Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05070403) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41171246 and 30970538).
The study “Comparative analysis of basidiomycetous laccase genes in forest soils reveals differences at the cDNA and DNA levels” was recently published in Plant and Soil, and is accessible at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-012-1440-z.