Drought-Induced Stress Priming in Two Distinct Filamentous Saprotrophic Fungi.

Sessile organisms constantly face environmental fluctuations and especially drought is a common stressor. One adaptive mechanism is "stress priming," the ability to cope with a severe stress ("triggering") by retaining information from a previous mild stress event ("priming"). While plants have been extensively investigated for drought-induced stress priming, no information is available for saprotrophic filamentous fungi, which are highly important for nutrient cycles.

Assessment of prokaryote to eukaryote ratios in environmental samples by SSU rDNA length polymorphism.

Microbial communities are important regulators of many processes in all ecosystems. Understanding of ecosystem processes requires at least an overview of the involved microorganisms. While in-depth identification of microbial species in environmental samples can be achieved by next generation sequencing, profiling of whole microbial communities can be accomplished via less labour-intensive approaches.

Vitamin B (riboflavin) increases drought tolerance of Agaricus bisporus.

Drought is a stressor for many soil-inhabiting organisms. Although plants have been extensively investigated for drought-adaptive mechanisms, little information is available for fungi. Antioxidants are especially relevant, since desiccation is accompanied by an excessive intracellular production of reactive oxygen species.

Redistribution of soil water by a saprotrophic fungus enhances carbon mineralization.

The desiccation of upper soil horizons is a common phenomenon, leading to a decrease in soil microbial activity and mineralization. Recent studies have shown that fungal communities and fungal-based food webs are less sensitive and better adapted to soil desiccation than bacterial-based food webs. One reason for a better fungal adaptation to soil desiccation may be hydraulic redistribution of water by mycelia networks.