A biosynthetic and taxonomic atlas of the global lichen holobiont

Authors

• SC Waterworth
• S Egbert
• J Sorensen
• BR O'Keefe
• JA Beutler

Abstract

Lichens occupy an estimated 8% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and are pioneer species in several ecosystems. Here, we analyzed 794 assembled lichen metagenomes from 34 countries, and found lichens to be diverse ecosystems consisting of various fungal phyla and complex bacterial communities, both harboring remarkable biosynthetic capabilities. Common bacterial genera included Microbacterium, Terribacillus, and JABEUN01 (an Acidimicrobiaceae bacterium awaiting Latin binomial naming assignment) albeit in low abundance. Lichenihabitans and Sphingomonas genera were moderately abundant, present in approximately 30% of samples, and exhibited an enrichment in biosynthetic potential. Lichen-associated bacterial constituents exhibited greater biosynthetic potential than fungal partners, indicating niche-specific adaptation. Fungal partners displayed greater biosynthetic conservation which could be due to common strategies of holobiont protection and homeostasis. This global comparative report on the holobionts associated with lichen sheds light on the ecology of these complex systems and the enormous biosynthetic potential hidden within that can be mined for novel natural product discovery.

Scientific Focus Area: Molecular Pharmacology

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