Penicillium-mediated toxicity and microbial dysbiosis are associated with fruiting body abortion in artificially cultivated Chinese cordyceps.

Penicillium overgrowth and microbial imbalance are linked to fruiting body abortion in artificially cultivated Chinese cordyceps, with Penicillium enrichment correlating with developmental failure.

• Why it matters: Fruiting body abortion severely impacts the yield and quality of artificially cultivated Chinese cordyceps, and understanding the microbial factors involved is crucial for improving cultivation success.
• What they did: Multi-omics analyses compared normal and abnormal samples, revealing increased Penicillium fungi, decreased Bacillus bacteria, and metabolite accumulation associated with Penicillium metabolism in abnormal samples.
• The result: Penicillium-mediated toxicity and microbial dysbiosis are associated with fruiting body abortion, suggesting Bacillus as a potential biocontrol target to maintain microbial balance and promote development.