Within the framework of the CSP project 'Metatranscriptomics of Forest Soil Ecosystems', we are aiming to explore the interaction of forest trees with communities of soil fungi, including ectomycorrhizal symbionts that dramatically affect bioenergy-relevant plant growth, and saprotrophic soil fungi impacting carbon sequestration in forests. We are sequencing the metatranscriptome of soil fungi in ecosystems representative of major Earth ecosystems, the boreal, temperate and mediterranean forests. We are also sequencing the genome of the most abundant fungal species harvested on studied sites to serve as the foundation for a reference database for metagenomics of fungi and for a comprehensive survey of the potential soil fungal metabolome.
Basidiomycete fungi are the main decay agents of wood, and species within Antrodia causes a brown rot predominantly in decaying conifer trees. The genus Antrodia consist of about 50 species within the order Polyporales. Antrodia species usually form fruiting bodies that grow flat along the underside of a fallen decomposing tree but some species form a small bracket at the edge of the flat fruiting body. In Europe, Antrodia sinuosa (Fr.) P. Karst. is a prominent decay fungus in boreal forests. It forms a white-to pale brown resupinate fruiting body with round pores, 1-3 mm wide, which often covers tens of centimeters of a fallen conifer trunk but it seldom grows thicker than half a centimeter. A. sinuosa may also be found decaying timber in houses. The resupinate growth-form of A. sinuosa differs from the other brown-rot species, which have insofar been sequenced.
In boreal forests, Pinus sylvestris wood is slowly degraded making up a substantial carbon pool. The fungal communities involved in the decay of pine logs are poorly known but the A. sinuosa is one of the species frequently found fruiting on them. Analysis of its genome will give insights about the evolution of brown rot and the enzymatic capacity as well as form the basis for future studies.