AUTHOR=Xiang Meichun , Chu Jun , Cai Wenjiao , Ma Haikun , Zhu Weijing , Zhang Xiaoling , Ren Jinwei , Xiao Lizheng , Liu Dongbo , Liu Xingzhong 

TITLE=Microbial Succession and Interactions During the Manufacture of Fu Brick Tea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.892437

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.892437

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Fu Brick tea is a very popular post-fermented tea that is known for its “golden flower fungus,” <italic>Aspergillus cristatus</italic>, which becomes the dominant microbe during the maturation process. This study used both culture-dependent methods and high-throughput sequencing to track microbial succession and interactions during the development of the golden flower fungus, a crucial component of the manufacturing process of Fu Brick tea. Among the bacterial communities, <italic>Klebsiella</italic> and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> were consistently cultured from both fresh tea leaves and in post-fermentation Fu Brick tea. <italic>Methylobacterium, Pelomonas</italic>, and <italic>Sphingomonas</italic> were dominant genera in fresh tea leaves but declined once fermentation started, while <italic>Bacillus, Kluyvera</italic>, and <italic>Paenibacillus</italic> became dominant after piling fermentation. The abundance of <italic>A. cristatus</italic> increased during the manufacturing process, accounting for over 98% of all fungi present after the golden flower bloom in the Fu Brick tea product. Despite their consistent presence during culture work, network analysis showed <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> and <italic>Klebsiella</italic> to be negatively correlated with <italic>A. cristatus</italic>. <italic>Bacillus</italic> spp., as expected from culture work, positively correlated with the presence of golden flower fungus. This study provides complete insights about the succession of microbial communities and highlights the importance of co-occurrence microbes with <italic>A. cristatus</italic> during the manufacturing process of Fu Brick tea.</p>