In this study, eight-month-old ectomycorrhizae of
Tuber borchii
with
Corylus avellana
were synthesized to explore the influence of
T. borchii
colonization on the soil properties and the microbial communities associated with
C. avellana
during the early symbiotic stage. The results showed that the bacterial richness and diversity in the ectomycorrhizae were significantly higher than those in the control roots, whereas the fungal diversity was not changed in response to
T. borchii
colonization.
Tuber
was the dominant taxon (82.97%) in ectomycorrhizae. Some pathogenic fungi, including
Ilyonectria
and
Podospora
, and other competitive mycorrhizal fungi, such as
Hymenochaete
, had significantly lower abundance in the
T. borchii
inoculation treatment. It was found that the ectomycorrhizae of
C. avellana
contained some more abundant bacterial genera (e.g.,
Rhizobium
,
Pedomicrobium
,
Ilumatobacter
,
Streptomyces,
and
Geobacillus
) and fungal genera (e.g.,
Trechispora
and
Humicola
) than the control roots. The properties of rhizosphere soils were also changed by
T. borchii
colonization, like available nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable magnesium, which indicated a feedback effect of mycorrhizal synthesis on soil properties. Overall, this work highlighted the interactions between the symbionts and the microbes present in the host, which shed light on our understanding of the ecological functions of
T. borchii
and facilitate its commercial cultivation.