Peltigera lichens as sources of uncharacterized cultured basidiomycete yeasts.

Lichens represent one of the most successful examples of symbiosis. They are constituted by the association between a dominant fungus (i.e.

High Andean Steppes of Southern Chile Contain Little-Explored Lichen Symbionts.

lichens can colonize extreme habitats, such as high-elevation ecosystems, but their biodiversity is still largely unknown in these environments, especially in the southern hemi- sphere. We assessed the genetic diversity of mycobionts and cyanobionts of 60 lichens collected in three high Andean steppes of southern Chile using LSU, , COR3 and ITS loci for mycobionts, and SSU and loci for cyanobionts. We obtained 240 sequences for the different mycobiont markers and 118 for the cyanobiont markers, including the first report of sequences of through modifying a previously designed primer.

Diversity of Microbial Functional Genes Should Be Considered During the Interpretation of the qPCR Melting Curves.

Soil microorganisms play an essential role in biogeochemical cycles. One approach to study these microbial communities is quantifying functional genes by quantitative PCR (qPCR), in which a melting curve analysis is usually assessed to confirm that a single PCR product is being quantified. However, the high diversity of functional genes in environmental samples could generate more than one peak in those curves, so the presence of two or multiple peaks does not always indicate nonspecific amplification.

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria Associated with Cyanolichens and Chlorolichens.

Lichens have been extensively studied and described; however, recent evidence suggests that members of the bacterial community associated with them could contribute new functions to the symbiotic interaction. In this work, we compare the nitrogen-fixing guild associated with bipartite terricolous lichens with different types of photobiont: cyanolichens and chlorolichens. Since cyanobacteria contribute nitrogen to the symbiosis, we propose that chlorolichens have more diverse bacteria with the ability to fix nitrogen compared to cyanolichens.

Carbon Consumption Patterns of Microbial Communities Associated with Lichens from a Chilean Temperate Forest.

Lichens are a symbiotic association between a fungus and a green alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. They can grow in practically any terrestrial environment and play crucial roles in ecosystems, such as assisting in soil formation and degrading soil organic matter. In their thalli, they can host a wide diversity of non-photoautotrophic microorganisms, including bacteria, which play important functions and are considered key components of the lichens.