Abstract
The interactions between bacteria and fungi can have effects on the growth and development of both. The objective of this study was to characterize the variability in endohyphal bacteria. The bacterial compatibility test suggested that bacterial strains isolated from the same host mushroom exhibited compatibility with each other. Conversely, bacterial strains isolated from different host mushrooms displayed a range of interactions, including both compatibility and incompatibility. The effect of endohyphal bacteria on the growth of mushroom strains showed that the hyphal bacteria exhibited both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the growth of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom strains. Bacillus showed a positive effect on its host mushrooms, as well as the host mushrooms of Paenibacillus and Staphylococcus. In contrast, Staphylococcus showed a negative effect on its host mushroom and that of Paenibacillus. Moreover, Paenibacillus showed a neutral effect on both its host and non-host mushroom strains. 26Our findings revealed that endohyphal bacteria are varied, and it is proposed that the effect of bacteria on the growth of ECM fungal strains may be dependent on the bacterial genera.
