Preliminary exploration on the ectomycorrhizal status of a wild edible Gomphus species from Southwest China

A wild edible Gomphus species was discovered at local wild mushroom markets from May to November in Southwest China, where it was eaten for hundreds of years. However, litter information on the taxonomy is available. Whether Gomphus is a saprotrophic, parasitic, or ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus is unclear. In the present study, field investigation, fungi isolation, optimum medium, morphological description, molecular analyses, and preliminary exploration on mycorrhizal synthesis were carried out. The morphological and molecular analyses showed that the same species between Gomphus matijun and Gomphus sp. (zituoluo) might be the related species of Gomphus purpuraceus. Moreover, the root dry weight and first-lateral root number of inoculated seedlings were significantly enhanced by evaluating Pinus massoniana seedlings inoculated with G. matijun. Meanwhile, the levels of nine phytohormones, including five new phytohormones, in the roots of inoculated seedlings were upregulated. This study explored the mycorrhizal synthesis of the wild edible Gomphus species from Southwest China with P. massoniana Lamb. We concluded that G. matijun might be an ECM fungus. The mycorrhizal synthesis of G. matijun under pure culture conditions provided the basis for the next inoculation under controlled soil conditions, making the conservation and cultivation of G. matijun feasible in the future.