Isotopic evidence of biotrophy and unusual nitrogen nutrition in soil-dwelling Hygrophoraceae

Halbwachs, H., Easton, G. L., Bol, R., Hobbie, E. A., Garnett, M. H. , Peršoh, D., Dixon, L., Ostle, N., Karasch, P. and Griffith, G. W. (2018) Isotopic evidence of biotrophy and unusual nitrogen nutrition in soil-dwelling Hygrophoraceae. Environmental Microbiology, 20(10), pp. 3573-3588. (doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14327) (PMID:30105856)

Abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that the agaricoid, non-ectomycorrhizal members of the family Hygrophoraceae (waxcaps) are biotrophic with unusual nitrogen nutrition. However, methods for the axenic culture and lab-based study of these organisms remain to be developed, so our current knowledge is limited to field-based investigations. Addition of nitrogen, lime or organophosphate pesticide at an experimental field site (Sourhope) suppressed fruiting of waxcap basidiocarps. Furthermore, stable isotope natural abundance in basidiocarps were unusually high in 15N and low in 13C, the latter consistent with mycorrhizal nutritional status. Similar patterns were found in waxcap basidiocarps from diverse habitats across four continents. Additional data from 14C analysis of basidiocarps and 13C pulse label experiments suggest that these fungi are not saprotrophs but rather biotrophic endophytes, and possibly mycorrhizal. The consistently high but variable δ15N values (10-20‰) of basidiocarps further indicate that N acquisition or processing differ from other fungi; we suggest that N may be derived from acquisition of N via soil fauna high in the food chain.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council under the Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme (Grant number: NER/T/S/2001/00143), (NERC Radiocarbon Facility NRCF010001 (alloc. 1100.1004) and funding via Memorandum of Agreement from CCW, SNH, DENI, NE and Plantlife to GWG. The Institute of Biological, Environmental, and Rural Sciences receives strategic funding from the BBSRC.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Garnett, Dr Mark
• Authors: Halbwachs, H., Easton, G. L., Bol, R., Hobbie, E. A., Garnett, M. H., Peršoh, D., Dixon, L., Ostle, N., Karasch, P., and Griffith, G. W.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Environmental Microbiology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1462-2912
• ISSN (Online): 1462-2920
• Published Online: 13 August 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Environmental Microbiology 20(10):3573-3588
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License