A recent study on Laccaria bicolor mushrooms, a type of ectomycorrhizal fungi, indicates that these mushrooms generate fluctuating electrical signals after rainfall, highlighting potential communication through these signals among neighboring fungi and possibly with trees. Traditionally, research on fungi has been laboratory-based, but this study in natural settings opens new exploration into fungal electrical potentials. Ectomycorrhizal fungi play a vital role in the survival of forest trees, forming a sheath around tree roots and creating extensive underground networks that absorb essential nutrients from the soil for the trees. The study involved attaching electrodes to six mushrooms and found that their electrical potential fluctuated significantly, particularly after rain. Lead researcher Yu Fukasawa noted that lower electrical potentials before rainfall increased to over 100 mV post-rainfall. The study revealed evidence of directional signal transport among closely spaced mushrooms, suggesting that electrical signals may coordinate growth and behavior and aid nutrient transfer to plants. These findings underscore the necessity for further research on fungal electrical activity in natural environments, as detailed in the June 2023 issue of the journal Fungal Ecology.
