Fungal communites diversity and functional roles of different types of Botrytis cinerea infected grape berries on different growing sites

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea, an Ascomycota pathogen with a broad host range, infects over 1200 plant species. Grapes infected by this pathogen, which subsequently develop a noble rot, remain in the vineyard for an extended period, thus being exposed to a diverse array of physical, chemical and biological factors, which give rise to a complex microbial community. During this protracted period, a diverse array of fungi and bacteria can colonise the grapes, originating from various sources within the plant, the soil, or particles transported by wind. However, the grapes infected by Botrytis cinerea provide a unique environment that allows these microbes to modify their physiological processes. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of fungal communities associated with noble rot and grey rot grapes in different growing sites. In this study, we obtained ITS2-based DNA amplicon sequences from healthy, noble rot and grey rot berries in three different vineyards in the Tokaj wine region, using the cultivar Furmint. We then studied the fungal microbiome of the collected samples and identified the site based on its community. It has been established that the two types of berries are typically found in the same vineyard and even in the same cluster. It is well documented that both types of rot develop from healthy berries following the influence of a Botrytis cinerea infection. However, fundamental physical and chemical differences have been observed between the two types, suggesting that this may have an impact on the composition of the fungal community that develops on them. The two types of rot result in different berry structures, and it was hypothesised that the fungal community differs between the two types. The findings revealed significant differences in richness and beta-diversity of fungi, as well as in the dominant genera. The divergence between the mycobiomes of the plantations was found to be comparable to that observed between the berry types. The present studies have illuminated the potential role of the fungal community in defining the noble rot berry, which also suggests an emerging function of the mycobiome. However, this may also serve as a basis for many further studies and may help to inform experimental developments targeting biocontrol agents or for oenology applications.