Wang Qinghe, Wang Yapei, Li Ting, Bao Xiuwen, He Liying, Liu Lin, Liu Sijing, Bai Jing, Zhang Han, Niu Shuqi, Guo Jinlin
School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Jul;13(7):e0327724. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03277-24. Epub 2025 May 30.
Understanding the interplay between soil properties and microbial communities is crucial for elucidating the ecological mechanisms driving Chinese cordyceps (CC) formation. However, few studies have explored the dynamic changes in soil properties and microbial communities at different stages of CC formation. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of soil properties and bacterial communities across the developmental stages of CC. Our results showed that the mummified host larvae-rearing soil (MS) stage exhibited the most pronounced fluctuations in critical soil parameters, including soil pH, organic matter, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and potassium levels, suggesting heightened nutrient mobilization to support CC growth. Enzyme activities analysis further revealed that CC growth notably altered the activities of acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase in the soil during the MS stage. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that as CC developed, both bacterial richness and the abundance of specific bacterial genera, particularly and , increased. Furthermore, microbial network analysis indicated that the network became most complex and unstable during the MS stage. The formation of CC was closely linked to changes in soil properties and the characteristics of the bacterial network. Additionally, functional prediction analysis revealed a significant upregulation of chitinolytic function during the MS stage, highlighting its ecological function in CC development. These findings provide foundational data for understanding the mechanisms underlying CC formation and for optimizing artificial CC production to achieve higher yield and better quality.IMPORTANCEThis study elucidates the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities in regulating the growth and development of CC. Key findings include: (i) dynamic fluctuations in soil physicochemical properties during CC formation, with significant nutrient depletion during the MS stage; (ii) distinct microbial community succession, showing the highest network complexity but lowest stability during the MS stage; (iii) functional prediction revealed enhanced chemoheterotrophy and chitinolysis in MS, indicating microbial adaptive regulation. These results provide a theoretical foundation for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of CC formation and optimizing its production.
了解土壤性质与微生物群落之间的相互作用对于阐明驱动冬虫夏草（CC）形成的生态机制至关重要。然而，很少有研究探讨CC形成不同阶段土壤性质和微生物群落的动态变化。本研究全面调查了CC发育阶段的土壤性质和细菌群落。我们的结果表明，在僵虫育土（MS）阶段，关键土壤参数，包括土壤pH值、有机质、总磷、有效磷和钾含量，出现了最显著的波动，这表明为支持CC生长而进行的养分动员增强。酶活性分析进一步表明，在MS阶段，CC生长显著改变了土壤中酸性磷酸酶和脱氢酶的活性。16S rRNA高通量测序分析表明，随着CC的发育，细菌丰富度和特定细菌属的丰度，特别是[具体细菌属1]和[具体细菌属2]，都增加了。此外，微生物网络分析表明，在MS阶段网络变得最为复杂和不稳定。CC的形成与土壤性质的变化和细菌网络的特征密切相关。此外，功能预测分析显示，在MS阶段几丁质分解功能显著上调，突出了其在CC发育中的生态功能。这些发现为理解CC形成的机制以及优化人工CC生产以实现更高产量和更好质量提供了基础数据。重要性本研究阐明了土壤性质与微生物群落在调节CC生长发育过程中的相互作用。主要发现包括：（i）CC形成过程中土壤理化性质的动态波动，在MS阶段有显著的养分消耗；（ii）独特的微生物群落演替，在MS阶段显示出最高的网络复杂性但最低的稳定性；（iii）功能预测显示MS中化学异养和几丁质分解增强，表明微生物的适应性调节。这些结果为破译CC形成的分子机制和优化其生产提供了理论基础。
