Fungi and Grapevine Mycobiota

Abstract

The fungi kingdom consists of a vast group of macro- and microscopic eukaryotic organisms characterised by a heterotrophic mode of nutrition and sexual and asexual forms of reproduction. Their history dating back millions of years attests to their remarkable capacity for adaptation, their diversity and their evolutionary plasticity. They encompass an enormous variety of organisms ranging from unicellular yeasts to filamentous fungi which form extensive underground mycelial networks.Fungi are ubiquitous and play a key role in ecosystems as decomposers, symbionts and pathogens. Decomposers are essential for breaking down organic matter in the soil and recycling the nutrients. Symbiotic fungi such as the mycorrhizals establish beneficial mutual relationships with plants. They provide essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and receive organic compounds produced by the plant in return. Pathogenic fungi can cause serious diseases in plants, animals and humans. The immense destructive power of phytopathogenic fungi requires effective control measures to minimise their impact on crops. Plants cohabit with a vast array of fungi which form the mycobiome either in (endophytic) or on (ectophytic) the vegetative tissue. These fungi play a vital role in plant health, growth and environmental adaptation. Depending on specific biotic and abiotic factors, some species within the mycobiome can change behaviour and switch from an endophytic to a pathogenic state.Understanding the diversity, role and interactions of the grapevine mycobiome provides new opportunities for sustainable vineyard management. Fungi and plants have cohabited for millennia in a relationship characterised by constantly shifting coevolutionary dynamics that have yet to be discovered.