Forest ecosystem are important sites of organic matter decomposition and thus significantly contribute to the global carbon balance. Due to the fact that plant-derived biopolymers (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, pectin etc.) represent the majot part of plant litter, their decomposition represents one of the key steps in the carbon cycle in these ecosystems. Due to their various adaptations, including the ability of efficient extracellular enzyme production and the ability to cope with the heterogeneity of nutrient distribution, fungi are the most important decomposers of plant-derived macromolecular compounds. While the decomposition rates and enzyme production have been studied since long with fungi, only the current arrival of the methods of transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics a metagenomics allow us to describe the molecular biology of these processes in complex ecosystems at sufficient resolution. The aims of the project are to use the methods of molecular biology to (1) identify the biochemical identity of expressed genes, contributing to plant biomass decomposition by selected fungal isolates, (2) describe the pool of such genes in litter and soil of forest ecosystems and their expression and (3) contribute to the elucidation of the relationshipsa among the ocurrence and activity of fungal taxa, indvidual genes or gene families, the proteins encoded by such genes and enzyme activities. The main target of the project will be the study of decomposition of plant polysaccharides, cellulose and the hemicelluloses both by the action of hydrolytic enzymes and the newly described oxidative systems involving polysaccharide monooxygenase or cellobiose dehydrogenase. The project will rely on the use of the combination of the transcriptomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and, if needed, also of proteomics and metaproteomics or stable isotope labelling. The project should increase the current knowledge of decomposition processes involving fungi in forest ecosystems.
Preliminary scope of work in English
Forest ecosystem are important sites of organic matter decomposition and thus significantly contribute to the global carbon balance. Due to the fact that plant-derived biopolymers (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, pectin etc.) represent the majot part of plant litter, their decomposition represents one of the key steps in the carbon cycle in these ecosystems. Due to their various adaptations, including the ability of efficient extracellular enzyme production and the ability to cope with the heterogeneity of nutrient distribution, fungi are the most important decomposers of plant-derived macromolecular compounds. While the decomposition rates and enzyme production have been studied since long with fungi, only the current arrival of the methods of transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics a metagenomics allow us to describe the molecular biology of these processes in complex ecosystems at sufficient resolution. The aims of the project are to use the methods of molecular biology to (1) identify the biochemical identity of expressed genes, contributing to plant biomass decomposition by selected fungal isolates, (2) describe the pool of such genes in litter and soil of forest ecosystems and their expression and (3) contribute to the elucidation of the relationshipsa among the ocurrence and activity of fungal taxa, indvidual genes or gene families, the proteins encoded by such genes and enzyme activities. The main target of the project will be the study of decomposition of plant polysaccharides, cellulose and the hemicelluloses both by the action of hydrolytic enzymes and the newly described oxidative systems involving polysaccharide monooxygenase or cellobiose dehydrogenase. The project will rely on the use of the combination of the transcriptomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and, if needed, also of proteomics and metaproteomics or stable isotope labelling. The project should increase the current knowledge of decomposition processes involving fungi in forest ecosystems.
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