An Unique Fungus-Cyanobacterium Symbiosis Discovered from Subtropical Montane Cloud Forests of Taiwan
A research team led by Dr. Ko-Hsuan Chen from the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, discovered an unusual nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium-fungus symbiosis, now named Phyllosymbia. The symbiosis consists of a filamentous cyanobacteria species (Symbiothallus taiwanensis) that constructs the main three-dimensional leaf-like structure, while the fungal species (Serendipita cyanobacteriicola) resides within the transparent sheath of the cyanobacteria. This structure highlights a unique symbiosis in which the cyanobacteria construct the main body and the fungi are embedded within, offering new insights into the complex interactions between organisms.
The study was led by Dr. Ko-Hsuan Chen from the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica. Participants from the Biodiversity Research Center include Dr. Che-Chih Chen (now affiliated with National Museum of Natural Science), Qiao-Yi Xie, Yi-Ying Chien, Wen-Hong Wang, Dr. Sen-Ling Tang, and Dr. Po-Shun Chuang. The Research Center for Applied Sciences supported the study by providing advanced microscopy imaging techniques through its Optical Microscopy Core Facility. Participants from this center include Dr. Bi-Chang Chen, Chiao-Hui Tu, and Xuejiao Tian. Dr. Romain Darnajoux from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, also contributed to the study. The research has been published in Science Advances on February 12, 2025, and was selected as the cover story.
Cover image of the journal Science Advances.
Macromorphology and an overview of the morphological composition within each thallus of Phyllosymbia. CT, cyanobacterial trichomes; CS, cyanobacterial sheath; FH, fungal hyphae. Scale bars, 1 cm (A), 0.5 mm (B, left), 50 μm (B, right), 1 mm (C, left), 100 μm (C, right), 10 μm (D and E), and 20 μm (F). Image credit: C.-C.C. Photographer institution: Academia Sinica.
