Globalization and international trade have impacted organisms around the world leading to a considerable number of species establishing in new geographic areas. Many organisms have taken advantage of human-made environments, including buildings. One such species is the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans, which is the most aggressive wood-decay fungus in indoor environments in temperate regions. By using population genomic analyses of 36 full genome sequenced isolates, we revealed that isolates from Europe and Japan are highly divergent and that these populations split 3,000 - 19,000 generations ago, probably predating human influence. Approximately 250 generations ago, the European population went through a tight bottleneck, likely corresponding to the time it colonized the built environment. Moreover, evidence of admixture between European and Japanese populations was shown in an isolate from New Zealand. Genomic analyses revealed that low differentiation appeared in genes with functions related to of growth and intracellular transport, possibly important to its ability to effectively decay large substrates. These functions may have enabled both populations to independently establish in the human-made environment. Further, selective sweep analyses identified rapid changes in genes possibly related to decay of various substrates in Japan and in genes involved DNA replication and protein modification in Europe. These two fungal populations were preadapted to the built environment, but have more recently and independently adapted to their local environment.

Several species of soil free-living saprotrophs can sometimes establish biotrophic symbiosis with plants, but the basic biology of this association remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the symbiotic interaction between a common soil saprotroph, Clitopilus hobsonii (Agaricomycetes), and the American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Notably, the colonized root cortical cells contain numerous microsclerotia-like structures. Fungal colonization led to increased plant growth and facilitated potassium uptake, particularly under potassium limitation (0.05 mM K+). The expression of plant genes related to potassium uptake is not altered during symbiosis, whereas the transcripts of three fungal genes encoding ACU, HAK, and SKC involved in K+ nutrition is found in colonized roots. We confirmed the K+ influx activities by expressing the ChACU and ChSKC genes into a yeast K+-uptake-defective mutant. Upregulation of the ChACU under 0.05 mM K+ and no K+ conditions was demonstrated in planta and in vitro compared to normal condition (5 mM K+). In addition, colonized plants displayed a larger accumulation of soluble sugars under 0.05 mM K+. The present study highlights that potassium limitation promotes this novel tree-fungus symbiosis mainly through a reciprocal transfer of additional carbon and potassium to both partners, and the role of dual soil saprotroph/symbiotroph in tree nutrition.