High-Throughput Sequencing Uncovers Fungal Community Succession During Morchella sextelata Development

To investigate the correlation between soil fungal communities and the growth and development of <i>Morchella sextelata</i>, this study utilized high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the structure and diversity of soil fungal communities at various growth stages of <i>Morchella sextelata</i>. The results revealed significant variations in the diversity, composition, and relative abundance of soil fungal communities across different growth stages of <i>Morchella sextelata</i>, demonstrating stage-specific characteristics. Alpha diversity analysis indicated that the Shannon index was highest during the CK stage, significantly decreased in the LS stage (<i>p</i> < 0.01), increased again in the LY stage, and then declined once more in the LC stage. Beta diversity analysis (Principal Coordinates Analysis, PCoA) demonstrated significant differences in fungal community structure across various stages (R = 0.9567, <i>p</i> = 0.001). At the phylum level, <i>Ascomycota</i> remained dominant throughout all growth stages of <i>Morchella sextelata</i>, but its relative abundance exhibited significant dynamic changes. At the fungal genus level, <i>Paecilomyces</i> dominated in the primordium stage (27.12%), whereas <i>Morchella</i> dominated in the conidial stage (LS) and fruiting body stage (LC), accounting for 43.48% and 41.61%, respectively. Additionally, in the LC stage, the plant pathogenic genus <i>Fusarium</i> significantly increased (3.49%), indicating an elevated risk of disease. Functional prediction results revealed that saprotrophic fungi were predominant at all stages, but the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi gradually increased, rising from 0.06% in the LS stage to 41.41% in the LC stage, a substantial increase of 40.81% compared to the LS stage. This suggests a higher potential risk of disease occurrence during the fruiting body stage. Our study provides an overview of the dynamics of soil fungal communities during the cultivation of <i>Morchella sextelata</i>. These findings offer scientific insights for optimizing the artificial cultivation technology of <i>Morchella sextelata</i> and provide a reference for disease prevention and control.