The whiff of decay: Linking volatile production and extracellular enzymes to outcomes of fungal interactions at different temperatures

Space and patchiness affects diversity–function relationships in fungal decay communities

“…To quantify changes to metabolic function (antagonistic chemicals and compounds for habitat exploitation/wood decomposition) associated with different spatial dynamics in response to changing community composition, we extracted and measured: the profile of VOCs from the headspace of interactions, and the activity of 12 targeted enzymes, chosen because they are directly involved in interspecific competition [6,19]. We also conducted ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) metabolomics analysis.…”

“…There is a dynamic link between spatial ecology and competitive success where transitive (where species A outcompetes B, which outcompetes C) communities with a strict competitive hierarchy become intransitive (A > B; B > C; C > A, like the game of rock-paper-scissors) when competing in a spatially more complex system [2], allowing individuals outcompeted under some scenarios to coexist with their competitors [3]. Dimensionality of habitat landscapes influences individual behaviour [4], and stochasticity of species interactions results in changes to the pool of community-produced metabolites [5], altering individual combative ability, community succession and structure between 2-and 3-dimensional landscapes [6]. Despite these findings, the mechanisms that influence stability and succession in the context of how communities occupy and exploit space are rarely adequately quantified as most ecological study systems are too complex and largely intractable.…”

“…They typically form a hierarchical community structure (tertiary/late stage colonists outcompete secondary colonists which in turn outcompete primary/earliest colonists) [14] and competitive interactions between species can be easily observed [15]. In addition to compounds that primarily function in the exploitation and decomposition of lignocellulose [16,17], these fungi produce a plethora of potentially antagonistic compounds which function in changing territory, and differ in quantity and identity during interspecific competition [6,[18][19][20].…”

Aspects Determining the Dominance of Fomitopsis pinicola in the Colonization of Deadwood and the Role of the Pathogenicity Factor Oxalate

“…The metabolome and the stress-activated gene expression during different microbial interactions, as well as the rules of fungal succession, are frequently studied in sterile dual cultures established on solid malt agar or pre-inoculated and paired wood blocks [21][22][23][24][25]. Placed on the opposite ends of an agar plate, the growth of the approaching mycelia may gradually slow down due to the long-distance effects of diffusible, inhibitory factors or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emanated by the microbial competitors [26,27].…”

“…The dominating mycelium may overgrow its competitor immediately or after stalling [30,31], autotoxification [32,33], or debilitation of the latter by the metabolites of the dominator. The results of dual interactions and the blend of accompanying volatiles with their widely unknown significance change with pH, moisture, temperature, substrate, culture age [23,34] and the test arrangement itself.…”