Integrative analysis of fungal communities in three types of Baijiu Daqu using third-generation sequencing and...

Daqu, the core fermentation starter for Chinese Baijiu, harbors intricate and functionally important fungal communities. To comprehensively characterize its biodiversity, we employed an integrated approach combining third-generation amplicon sequencing with culturomics to systematically investigate the fungal communities in low-, medium-, and high-temperature Daqu. Our analysis identified 109 amplicon sequence variants and 135 cultivable isolates, encompassing both cultivable and non-cultivable fungal taxa. Third-generation sequencing revealed greater fungal species richness, whereas culturomics effectively isolated dominant functional fungi, including Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Lichtheimia ramosa. Moreover, the fungal communities in Daqu exhibited distinct temperature-dependent patterns, with the thermophilic fungus Thermoascus crustaceus being the predominant species in high-temperature Daqu. This integrative approach provides complementary insights into the fungal ecology of Daqu and establishes a foundation for the development fungal resources with potential industrial applications.