PNNL

Abstract

Trichoderma fungi enhance sustainable agronomy by suppressing diseases and improving crop performance. However, emerging cross-kingdom pathogenicity of Trichoderma highlights the need to understand the scope of its ecological versatility. We used machine learning to correlate genomic data from 37 Trichoderma strains with over 140 phenotypic traits, spanning metabolic versatility, biotic interactions, stress tolerance, and reproductive strategies. Results identify Trichoderma as an ancient, genetically cohesive, and ecophysiologically diverse genus adapted to arboreal microbial mats and sylvan ecosystems. At least 10% of core genes were linked to fitness phenotypes, including regulators, transporters, enzymes, small secreted proteins, and genes of unknown function. Our analyses are consistent with character displacement among close relatives and convergent evolution in distant lineages, with both processes shaping ecological plasticity and such traits as dispersal modes, terrestrialization, or endophytism. These findings provide a framework for understanding fitness trade-offs between environmental opportunism and ecological specialization. While some Trichoderma species show traits of biosafety concern, its vast ecophysiological diversity enables the development of safe, targeted bioeffectors.