| Summary: | <i>Tuber melanosporum</i> (Ascomycota, Pezizales) is an ectomycorrhizal fungus that produces highly appreciated hypogeous fruiting bodies called black truffles. The aim of this paper was to research the composition of ectomycorrhiza-associated fungal and bacterial communities in <i>T. melanosporum</i> oak plantations. Results of this paper showed the competitive effect of <i>T. melanosporum</i> on other fungal species, especially other mycorrhizal and pathogenic species. <i>T. melanosporum</i> was shown to be associated mainly with bacteria, some of them important for their properties as mycorrhizal helper bacteria. A dendrogram analysis of co-occurrence showed that <i>T. melanosporum</i> tended to co-occur with the following bacteria species: <i>Singulisphaera limicola</i>, <i>Nannocistis excedens</i> and <i>Sporosarcina globispora.</i> In addition, it was linked to fungal species such as <i>Mortierella elongata, M. minutissima, Cryptococcus uzbekistanensis</i>, <i>C. chernovii</i> and <i>C.</i> <i>aerius.</i> This study provides an exhaustive analysis of the diversity, structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities associated with <i>T. melanosporum</i> to enhance understanding of the biology, composition and role of these communities in truffle plantations.
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