Whitish truffles found in Finland: soil characteristics, and identification based on morphological and molecular properties.

The growing demand for truffles has led to a global pursuit for their occurrence in the wild, and studies concerning their cultivation. Although European countries such as Italy, France and Spain have been known for truffle production, truffle hunting is new to Finland. The present study reports for the first time, the findings of Tuber maculatum in Finland on the basis of morphological and molecular analysis. The chemical characteristics of soil samples collected from the truffle sites have also been discussed. The species of the Tuber samples were identified primarily using morphological analysis. Molecular analysis was carried out for the confirmation of the identity of the species. Two phylogenetic trees were constructed based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences produced in this study and including representative sequences of whitish truffles available in GenBank. The truffles were identified as T. maculatum and T. anniae. This study could be considered as a basis for encouraging research on findings and identification of truffles in Finland.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Ectomycorrhizal Ascomycete Sphaerosporella brunnea.

Sphaerosporella brunnea is a pioneer ectomycorrhizal fungus with facultative saprophytic capacities. Here, we sequenced the genome of S. brunnea strain Sb_GMNB300, which is estimated at 51.6 Mb in size with 872 assembled contigs accounting for 12,597 predicted coding genes. This genome will be useful for comparative studies of Pezizales ectomycorrhizal symbioses.

High microbial loads found in minimally-processed sliced mushrooms from Italian market.

There is an increased consumer interest in minimally processed vegetables that has led to the development of products, such as pre-cut sliced mushrooms. Few data are available on the hygienic condition and the presence of foodborne pathogens in such products. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the safety and hygienic characteristics of both ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook, pre-cut sliced mushrooms obtained from a local Italian market. For the evaluation of the hygienic condition, the aerobic mesophilic bacteria, aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria and Escherichia coli enumerations were performed. Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp. were considered in the assessment of the foodborne pathogens. High microbial loads were detected, including counts higher than 5 log CFU/g for E. coli and 6 log CFU/g for the other bacteria counts considered, but no pathogens were found. Ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products differed only for aerobic mesophilic counts (7.87 and 8.26 log CFU/g, respectively, P=0.003). Strategies to enhance the hygienic level of the mushrooms, particularly the ready-to-eat products, are needed.

Mycorrhization of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) with black truffles: Tuber melanosporum and Tuber brumale.

Pecan, Carya illinoinensis, is an economically important nut producing tree that can establish ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with a high diversity of fungi. In the southern USA, truffles (Tuber spp.) sometimes fruit prolifically in cultivated pecan orchards and regularly associate with pecan roots as ectomycorrhizae (ECMs). It has been demonstrated that some valuable European truffle species (e.g., Tuber borchii and Tuber aestivum) can form ECMs with pecan seedlings in nursery conditions. Thus, pecan may represent an attractive alternative host to forest trees for truffle growers given the potential for co-cropping truffles and pecans. To further explore the capacity of pecan to host truffle symbionts, pecan seedlings were inoculated with species of black truffles that are economically important in Europe, T. melanosporum and T. brumale. Ectomycorrhizae were characterized molecularly and their morphology was described in detail. Mycorrhization rates on pecan roots were assessed over a 2-year period. Tuber melanosporum and T. brumale produced well-formed ECMs with a level of root colonization in the first year of 37.3 and 34.5%, respectively. After 24 months, the level of mycorrhization increased for T. brumale (49.4%) and decreased for T. melanosporum (10.5%) inversely to that of non-target ECM greenhouse contaminants (e.g., Sphaerosporella brunnea, Trichophaea woolhopeia, Pulvinula constellatio). To assess whether mating types segregated in T. melanosporum as been reported for other host species, we amplified the mating-type locus from single T. melanosporum ECM belonging to different seedlings over a 2-year period. The two mating idiomorphs were nearly equally represented along the 2-year time span: MAT 1-1-1 decreased from 59.4% in the first year to 48.5% in the second year after inoculation. Data reported in this study add to knowledge on the mycorrhization of pecan trees with commercial truffles and has application to truffle and nut co-cropping systems.

Assessment of ectomycorrhizal biodiversity in Tuber macrosporum productive sites.

Tuber macrosporum Vittad. is a truffle with superb organoleptic properties, whose cultivation is still in its infancy. For the first time we have aimed to provide information on ectomycorrhizal communities in natural and cultivated T. macrosporum sites. Ectomycorrhizal morphotypes were identified using ITS nrDNA sequencing and sorted into molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU). We detected 16 MOTUs in the T. macrosporum cultivated plantation. Ascomycota were the most abundant (86.4%) with Helvellaceae, Pyronemataceae and Pezizaceae the most common. Twenty-two MOTUs were collected in the natural T. macrosporum site. Basidiomycota morphotypes were plentiful (70.6%) and Thelephoraceae dominated. Each site had different taxa belowground with only T. macrosporum in common, being more abundant in the natural (18.2%) than in the cultivated (14.4%) site. Species richness, Simpson and Shannon diversity indices, taxonomic diversity, distinctness and variation of taxonomic distinctness were lower in the cultivated than in the natural site.

Mycorrhization of Quercus robur L., Quercus cerris L. and Corylus avellana L. seedlings with Tuber macrosporum Vittad.

Tuber macrosporum Vittad. is not a common truffle species, but with remarkable organoleptic qualities and much economic interest. After the addition of truffle spore slurry, 30 seedlings of Quercus robur L., Quercus cerris L. and Corylus avellana L. were grown inside a greenhouse for 11 months before evaluation of the mycorrhizal level. Two different potting mixes were used: a natural soil-based potting mix for Q. robur, Q. cerris and C. avellana and a peat-based potting mix for Q. robur. Quercus robur planted in soil potting mix was the most receptive towards the truffle spore inoculum, with a level of formation of T. macrosporum ectomycorrhizas (ECMs) of approximately 14 %, ranging from a minimum of ∼4 % to a maximum of ∼44 % in different seedlings. No T. macrosporum ECMs developed on Q. cerris (soil potting mix) or on Q. robur (peat potting mix), whereas a low percentage of ECMs was detected on only three C. avellana (soil potting mix) seedlings. The fungus Sphaerosporella brunnea (Alb. & Schwein.) Svrcek & Kubicka was also detected as a contaminant on almost half the truffle-inoculated seedlings. A new detailed description of the morphological and anatomical characteristics of T. macrosporum ECMs and their DNA-based verification with species-specific markers were also reported.