Determination of Diversity, Distribution and Host Specificity of Korean Laccaria Using Four Approaches

Abstract

The genus Laccaria (Hydnangiaceae, Agaricales) plays an important role in forest ecosystems as an ectomycorrhizal fungus, contributing to nutrient cycles through symbiosis with many types of trees. Though understanding Laccaria diversity and distribution patterns, as well as its association with host plants, is fundamental to constructing a balanced plant diversity and conducting effective forest management, previous studies have not been effective in accurately investigating, as they relied heavily on specimen collection alone. To investigate the true diversity and distribution pattern of Laccaria species and determine their host types, we used four different approaches: specimen-based analysis, open database search (ODS), NGS analysis, and species-specific PCR (SSP). As a result, 14 Laccaria species have been confirmed in Korea. Results regarding the species distribution pattern were different between specimen-based analysis and SSP. However, when both were integrated, the exact distribution pattern of each Laccaria species was determined. In addition, the SSP revealed that many Laccaria species have a wide range of host types. This study shows that using these four different approaches is useful in determining the diversity, distribution, and host of ECM fungi. Furthermore, results obtained for Laccaria will serve as a baseline to help understand the role of ECM fungi in forest management in response to climate change.

Suillus: an emerging model for the study of ectomycorrhizal ecology and evolution

“…Importantly, partner specificity is not a binary classification of specialists vs generalists, but rather a spectrum of interactions, ranging from fungal associations with a single host species to those spanning hundreds of host species. While it is likely that some genera, such as Laccaria , Thelephora , and Russula , are largely composed of host generalists (Roy et al ., 2008; Smith et al ., 2009; Cho et al ., 2021), others such as Lactarius and Strobilomyces probably exhibit gradients of partner specificity or host preference (unequal colonization when multiple host taxa are available) that warrant more nuance than they have been historically afforded (Looney et al ., 2018; Tang et al ., 2021).…”