Tools
ToolsTagirdzhanova, Gulnara, Scharnagl, Klara, Sahu, Neha, Yan, Xia, Bucknell, Angus, Bentham, Adam R., Jégousse, Clara, Ament-Velásquez, Sandra Lorena, Onuț-Brännström, Ioana, Johannesson, Hanna, MacLean, Dan and Talbot, Nicholas J. (2025) Complexity of the lichen symbiosis revealed by metagenome and transcriptome analysis of Xanthoria parietina. Current Biology, 35 (4). 799-817.e5. ISSN 0960-9822
Preview |
PDF (Tagirdzhanova_etal_2025_CurrentBiology)
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (6MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Lichens are composite, symbiotic associations of fungi, algae, and bacteria that result in large, anatomically complex organisms adapted to many of the world’s most challenging environments. How such intricate, self-replicating lichen architectures develop from simple microbial components remains unknown because of their recalcitrance to experimental manipulation. Here, we report a metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis of the lichen Xanthoria parietina at different developmental stages. We identified 168 genomes of symbionts and lichen-associated microbes across the sampled thalli, including representatives of green algae, three different classes of fungi, and 14 bacterial phyla. By analyzing the occurrence of individual species across lichen thalli from diverse environments, we defined both substrate-specific and core microbial components of the lichen. Metatranscriptomic analysis of the principal fungal symbiont from three different developmental stages of a lichen, compared with axenically grown fungus, revealed differential gene expression profiles indicative of lichen-specific transporter functions, specific cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, and secondary metabolic capacity. Putative immunity-related proteins and lichen-specific structurally conserved secreted proteins resembling fungal pathogen effectors were also identified, consistent with a role for immunity modulation in lichen morphogenesis.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Data and code availability: Raw metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing data, as well as assembled and annotated genomes, have been deposited at ENA (ENA: PRJEB78723 and ENA: PRJEB38537). All original code generated for data analysis is available on GitHub (https://github.com/metalichen/2024-Multipartite-complexity-omics-Xanthoria). Any additional information required to reanalyze the data reported in this paper is available from the lead contact upon request. Funding information: This work was supported by grants from the Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2018-139), the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Halpin Family, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/J/000PR9798) to N.J.T. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | nlrs,effectors,lichens, symbiosis,metagenomics,metatranscriptomics,secretome,agricultural and biological sciences(all),biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology(all) ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100 |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Science > The Sainsbury Laboratory Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Feb 2025 18:30 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Mar 2025 13:11 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/98393 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.041 |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |