Large differences in carbohydrate degradation and transport potential among lichen fungal symbionts

Abstract

Lichen symbioses are thought to be stabilized by the transfer of fixed carbon from a photosynthesizing symbiont to a fungus. Here, Resl et al. show that, contrary to other fungal symbioses, fungal association with a phototroph in lichens does not result in loss of fungal enzymes for plant cell-wall degradation.