The mysterious world of fungi: how they affect our allergies and epidemics in agriculture, and how all this will change in our warming world

Champignon mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms are examples of delicious mushrooms sold to us from the kitchen. But the kingdom of mushrooms is much wider - there are mushrooms that affect our health, agricultural produce and ecosystems. Fungi are a diverse group that includes unicellular organisms such as mold and yeast, as well as multicellular organisms such as Edible mushrooms. While some mushrooms are beneficial and even used to make medicine, others can be harmful and cause allergies and infections. In a recently published study In the scientific journal Nature An international group of researchers examined the global and seasonal distribution of mushrooms, and deduced from this the effect of the climate crisis on them.
"There are species of fungi that can cause health effects, especially for people with a weakened immune system," says Dr. Naama Lang-Yona, a senior researcher in the Environmental Engineering Water and Agriculture Unit at the Technion, and a researcher of microorganisms found in the air. The fungi also play a central role in ecosystems - they Breaks down organic matter, distributes nutrients to the soil, helps plants grow and maintains soil fertility Their great importance, the world of mushrooms remains mysterious and very little is known about them.
The researchers sampled the air at 47 sites around the world using an innovative device for sampling the spores of the fungus in high resolution. The spores are the reproductive bodies of the fungus that are used to spread it, and able to move in the air for great distances. This is how they transfer genetic material, diseases and nutrients between different areas. At each site, two samples were taken for 24 hours every week for a year or more. "The most significant challenge in sampling fungi, and in general of microbes in the air, is their low concentration. This is a difference of several orders of magnitude compared to concentrations in environments such as soil or water," explains Lang-Yona. "There is difficulty in distinguishing between fungi found in the air sample and what could be contamination coming from the sampling equipment or from the samples themselves." The technology makes it possible to collect the samples and keep them sterile to avoid contamination that could damage the accuracy of the collected samples. The wide spread of the study includes arctic, temperate and tropical regions to obtain a wide variety of fungi under different environmental conditions. The global sampling method allowed the researchers to identify patterns in the variety of fungi at each site, and to understand how local conditions such as humidity and temperature affect the distribution of the fungi in the environment.
Allergies in the air
"Spores of some species of fungi can trigger an allergic reaction by proteins found in the spores of the fungus and exposed after entering the respiratory system," says Lang-Yona. Fungal spores, along with other microorganisms, common everywhere - even in areas that seem to be free of them - and they may cause health problems. "Although in the open air, outside the house, there are very low concentrations of fungal spores, they can still cause allergies," she says. "It is important to protect against fungal damage in the home - mold is a fungal growth and should be avoided, also in air conditioners and ventilation systems. Today there are technologies under development to reduce the amount of microbes in the air."
According to Lang-Yona, air pollution also has an effect on allergies, "In the doctoral research I conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Yanon Rodich, we found that air pollution has an effect on the intensity of the allergy that the spores can trigger," she explains. "In the first hours of exposure to air pollution, we saw an increase in the intensity of the allergy from the mushroom spores. After that, the air pollution caused the breakdown of the allergenic protein and thus a decrease in its allergenicity (a decrease in its ability to trigger an allergy, editor's note)."

As the temperature warms you can expect the presence of new species of fungi. Photo: stockpack, pixabay
From Lake Kinneret to wine vineyards in Europe
The fungi not only affect our health, but also the climate. It was found that the spores Those carried by the wind participate in the water cycle as condensation nuclei to form clouds that bring down precipitation. And of course, the climate also affects the mushrooms. "The fungi are expected to undergo changes in their prevalence and distribution following the climate crisis," explains Lang-Yona. The research revealed that the average annual temperature is a significant factor that affects the distribution of different groups of fungi - the more the temperature changes, the more it changes The variety of mushrooms. There are mushrooms that are more adapted to a warm environment and some that are less so. Climate change affects the distribution of mushrooms - new species of mushrooms can appear in areas where they were not seen before, and existing species can disappear from areas that the climate crisis will make uninhabitable.
"Already today, we are receiving reports of an increase in the prevalence of fungi such as Microsporidium, which was found in the Sea of Galilee and can damage vision. We have also observed fungi whose prevalence increases with the rise in temperature, and which harm, among other things, amphibians and algae," says Lang-Yona. "Since many fungi are a disease-causing factor for plants, increasing their distribution can lead to an increase in the extent of their damage to plants," she adds. For example, the wine vineyards in Israel suffer from a variety of fungal diseases, and it is very difficult to grow grapes without spraying and preventive treatment. In the wine vineyards in Europe, the situation is different and does not require massive preventive treatment, but there is a fear that the climate crisis and the increase in temperatures will greatly affect plant diseases and the way they are grown in these places. "When the temperature warms up, you can expect the presence of new species of fungi - the spores were carried in the air from hot places, and now they can also establish themselves in new areas because the conditions have become suitable for them," she explains. "In the same way, in places where the ambient temperature will be too hot - the species of mushrooms whose habitat is no longer suitable for them will decrease."
A look into the future
The research indicates a new and in-depth understanding of the dynamics of fungi and their impact on human health, ecosystems and the climate. "This understanding can allow us to predict in advance the environmental impact on them so that we can deal with problems in a creative way," says Lang-Yona. Along with the progress of research and technology, we may learn that there are additional effects on the presence of mushroom spores in the atmosphere and it is worthwhile to deeply understand the role of mushrooms in the world around us. "With the help of in-depth research, we can prepare for fungal epidemics - especially in the plant world."
"The field of human health can be affected by changes in the distribution of fungi, but it can be controlled by awareness of intrastructural monitoring and proper construction," she reassures. "Targeted studies should be conducted and potential species that are a risk factor in hot places today should be examined, and their potential to be established in new places that are expected to be affected by climate change should be examined. A combination of climate models and aerial distribution models can help predict this," she concludes.
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