Of the ten species of European truffle (fungi of the genus Tuber, phylum Ascomycota), some have economic value because of their organoleptic properties (taste and perfume), in particular the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) and the summer and burgundy truffles"2. The black truffle is mainly found in Spain, France and Italy (Fig. la), and it shows variation in several traits, including i...

The production of mycorrhizal fungi provides higher economic returns than any other forest product in many Mediterranean woods. In these areas, truffles {Tuber spp.) and mushrooms of Boletus and Lactarius genus are the fungi that yield the highest economic benefits. However, there are still evident gaps in the understanding of the truffle's biological cycles, ecology and interactions with host ...

Forest management activities can reduce ectomycorrhizal fungus diversity and forest regeneration success. We examine contrasts in structural retention as they affect sporocarp production of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF)—a functional guild of organisms well suited as indicators of disturbance effects on below-ground ecosystems. Our results are from an experiment that tests the biodiversity assumpt...

The use of truffles in Poland has a long tradition, yet due to some historical aspects, this knowledge was lost. Currently, truffles and truffle orchards are again receiving attention, and thanks to, e.g., historical data, they have solid foundations to be established. Publications relating to truffles between 1661 and 2017 were searched for in international and national databases, such as the ...

Ascomata of two truffle species, Tuber borchii and T. asa-foetida, both naturally growing in woodlands of the Basilicata region (southern Italy), were identified on the basis of ascospore morphology and compared under a volatile organic compound profile to determine the particular volatile organic compounds that characterize each taxon. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectr...

The price of the truffle species Tuber melanosporum and magnatum can be up to fifty times higher, or even more, than cheapest edible due their appreciated aroma low production levels. This is seriously affected after application treatments for conservation food products, usually thermal (freezing sterilization). Hence, many truffled products that are retailed characterized by use economic value...

BACKGROUND The development of Tuber melanosporum mycorrhizal symbiosis is associated with the production of an area devoid of vegetation (commonly referred to by the French word 'brûlé') around the symbiotic plants and where the fruiting bodies of T. melanosporum are usually collected. The extent of the ecological impact of such an area is still being discovered. While the relationship between ...

The Tuber melanosporum genome has been analysed with the aim of identifying and characterizing the genes involved in the environmental stress response. A whole genome array (7496 genes/probe) was used to verify the fungal transcriptional profiling upon a cold temperature period (7 days at 4 °C). A total of 423 genes resulted to be differentially expressed in a significant manner (>2.5-fold; p-v...

For some truffle species of the Tuber genus, the symbiotic phase is often associated with the presence of an area of scant vegetation, commonly known as the brûlé, around the host tree. Previous metagenomics studies have identified the microorganisms present inside and outside the brûlé of a Tuber melanosporum truffle-ground, but the molecular mechanisms that operate in this ecological niche re...