Abstract
Calocybe gambosa (Fr.) Donk is an edible mushroom, highly appreciated especially in Italy. It forms fairy rings (FRs) characterized by a zone of dead vegetation corresponding to the underground-extending mycelial front, followed by a “greener belt” where vegetation is thriving. To better understand this particular phenomenon, the effect of C. gambosa mycelium on plants were studied both in situ, across different zones of FRs (external area—EX, fungal front—FF, greener belt—GB, internal area—IN) of three fairy rings, and ex situ on Poa trivialis L. Plant community analysis revealed significant changes in plant species composition across the zones, characterized by a decline in diversity and a vegetation shift, from dicotyledons to monocotyledons, progressing from the EX toward the IN, where vegetation gradually begins to reestablish its original composition. Molecular and morphological analyses showed the endophytic colonization of C. gambosa mycelium within the herbaceous plants growing at the FF. Ex situ studies indicated pathogenic behavior of C. gambosa. After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis. The cellulase (endo-1,4-β-glucanase), xylanase, polygalacturonase, and polymethylgalacturonase enzymatic activities of C. gambosa support its pathogenic effects. Conversely, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by C. gambosa mycelium stimulated shoot development in P. trivialis (17% increase in shoot length), which accounts for the formation of the flourishing vegetation zone behind the FF. In contrast, soluble substances produced by C. gambosa mycelium did not affect the growth of P. trivialis. Our results suggest that C. gambosa plays a dual ecological role in regulating plant community dynamics within FRs: it acts as a pathogen by colonizing herbaceous plant roots and, at the same time, promotes vegetation growth through VOC production.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Plant species composition changed significantly across the zones of Calocybe gambosa fairy rings.
Verbatim
e2“Plant community analysis revealed significant changes in plant species composition across the zones, characterized by a decline in diversity and a vegetation shift, from dicotyledons to monocotyledons”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant diversity declined across the fairy ring zones.
Verbatim
e2“Plant community analysis revealed significant changes in plant species composition across the zones, characterized by a decline in diversity and a vegetation shift, from dicotyledons to monocotyledons”
Claim · model-written summary
Vegetation shifted from dicotyledons to monocotyledons across the fairy ring zones.
Verbatim
e2“Plant community analysis revealed significant changes in plant species composition across the zones, characterized by a decline in diversity and a vegetation shift, from dicotyledons to monocotyledons”
Claim · model-written summary
Calocybe gambosa mycelium endophytically colonised herbaceous plants growing at the fungal front.
- Taxon
- herbaceous plantse3
- Interactor
- C. gambosa
Calocybe gambosae3symbiont - Outcome
- endophytic colonizatione3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Molecular and morphological analyses showed the endophytic colonization of C. gambosa mycelium within the herbaceous plants growing at the FF”
Claim · model-written summary
Calocybe gambosa showed pathogenic behaviour on Poa trivialis in ex situ tests.
- Taxon
- Poa trivialis
Poa trivialise1 - Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae4pathogen
- Outcome
- pathogenic behaviore4
- Setting
- Ex situe4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“ex situ on Poa trivialis L.”
e4“Ex situ studies indicated pathogenic behavior of C. gambosa”
Claim · model-written summary
Calocybe gambosa root colonisation reduced root length of Poa trivialis by 79%.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise5
- Treatment
- root colonizatione5
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae4pathogen
- Outcome
- root lengthe5
- Direction
- reductione5
- Value
- 79%e5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis”
e4“Ex situ studies indicated pathogenic behavior of C. gambosa”
Claim · model-written summary
Calocybe gambosa root colonisation reduced leaf length of Poa trivialis by 76%.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise5
- Treatment
- root colonizatione5
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae4pathogen
- Outcome
- leaf lengthe5
- Direction
- reductione5
- Value
- 76%e5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis”
e4“Ex situ studies indicated pathogenic behavior of C. gambosa”
Claim · model-written summary
Root colonisation by Calocybe gambosa caused leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis in Poa trivialis.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise5
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae4pathogen
- Outcome
- leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosise5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis”
e4“Ex situ studies indicated pathogenic behavior of C. gambosa”
Claim · model-written summary
Cellulase, xylanase and polygalacturonase activities of Calocybe gambosa support its pathogenic effects on Poa trivialis.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise5
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae6pathogen
- Gene
- cellulase (endo-1,4-β-glucanase), xylanase, polygalacturonasee6
- Outcome
- pathogenic effectse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis”
e6“The cellulase (endo-1,4-β-glucanase), xylanase, polygalacturonase, and polymethylgalacturonase enzymatic activities of C. gambosa support its pathogenic effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Polymethylgalacturonase activity of Calocybe gambosa supports its pathogenic effects on Poa trivialis.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise5
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae6pathogen
- Gene
- polymethylgalacturonasee6
- Outcome
- pathogenic effectse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“After root colonization, it caused growth reduction in P. trivialis plants (79% reduction in root length, 76% reduction in leaf length), leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and root necrosis”
e6“The cellulase (endo-1,4-β-glucanase), xylanase, polygalacturonase, and polymethylgalacturonase enzymatic activities of C. gambosa support its pathogenic effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Volatile organic compounds from Calocybe gambosa mycelium stimulated shoot length of Poa trivialis by 17%.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise7
- Treatment
- volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by C. gambosa myceliume7
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae7symbiont
- Outcome
- shoot lengthe7
- Direction
- increasee7
- Value
- 17%e7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by C. gambosa mycelium stimulated shoot development in P. trivialis (17% increase in shoot length)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soluble substances from Calocybe gambosa mycelium did not affect growth of Poa trivialis.
- Taxon
- P. trivialisPoa trivialise2
- Treatment
- soluble substances produced by C. gambosa myceliume2
- Interactor
- C. gambosaCalocybe gambosae2symbiont
- Outcome
- growthe2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“soluble substances produced by C. gambosa mycelium did not affect the growth of P. trivialis”
Claim · model-written summary
Calocybe gambosa plays a dual role in fairy rings: it acts as a pathogen on herbaceous plant roots and promotes vegetation growth through VOC production.
Verbatim
e3“it acts as a pathogen by colonizing herbaceous plant roots and, at the same time, promotes vegetation growth through VOC production”