Collaborative Research: Evolutionary genomics of plant-fungal symbiosis: coevolution of Pinaceae and their ectomycorrhizal fungi in the genus Suillus

Bolete mushrooms (Suillus) are easily recognized fungi that live in close association (symbiosis) with pine tree in forests around the world, and they provide critical roles in the functioning of ecosystems. These ectomycorrhizal fungi provide their plant hosts with resources and protection from pathogens, and in exchange, the mushrooms receive plant-derived sugars. This research will enhance understanding of how these plants and fungi have co-evolved, and this will broadly inform the general area of plant-microbe interactions. The project will increase collaboration among a large network of fungal ecologists and systematists who study biology and ecology of these fungi. Through field collection, knowledge exchange, and participation in scientific workshops, professional networks will be built for scientists from a wide range of academic and industry settings, with attention to underrepresented groups. The research project is geared toward outreach to the general public through partnership with local mushroom clubs and amateur mycologists that will involve lectures, workshops, and participation in field sampling.

The co-evolutionary history of Suillus-Pinaceae has not been well studied, which has prevented the full integration of genomics to understand molecular mechanisms of EMF-plant co-evolution. This proposed research will produce a robust and comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the genus Suillus using phylogenomics techniques novel to the field of mycology. Complementary broad sequencing of pine genomes will also provide useful data in which to advance genomics of pines both within and outside of this project. Additional research products will include the generation of least five more genomes for Suillus (only two are currently available) and transcriptomes for multiple members of Suillus and the pines from EMF-colonized roots. Collectively, these molecular resources would be relevant across multiple disciplines: metabolic and signaling networks that participate in co-evolution and host specificity as well as fungal-host recognition, communication, and nutrient acquisition and exchanges. These products will be important for the fields of mycology, botany, ecology, and evolutionary biology.