Diversity of soil bacteria complexes associated with summer truffle (Tuber aestivum)

Abstract This paper describes the quantitative and qualitative composition of bacteria isolated from soil in the selected sites in the Nida Basin, in places where mycorrhizae and ascocarps of summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) were found, and in a control soil (without truffle). A classic growth culture method was used with Sanger DNA sequencing to obtain quantitative and qualitative measures of bacterial cultures. The obtained results showed differences in bacteriome composition between the case samples, in which summer truffle fructification was observed, and the control samples. Seven classes of bacteria were identified: Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Deinococci, Flavobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. The most numerous bacterial genera were Pseudomonas (class Gammaproteobacteria) – 33%, Streptomyces (class Actinobacteria) – 29% and Bacillus (class Bacilli) – 15%. This research broadens the understanding of individual groups of bacteria accompanying truffles and their potential impact on the formation of summer truffle ascocarps.