菌根真菌对白及种子萌发和幼苗生根的作用

自然条件下,兰科植物需要依赖菌根真菌获得营养才能萌发。本研究对白及根和原球茎中分离的4株菌根真菌（WQ17-33、WQ17-43、JST-3和SL15-7）进行分子鉴定,并评价光照和黑暗条件下不同菌株促白及种子萌发和幼苗生根的效果。结果表明,4个菌株分别隶属于鬼伞属Coprinus、胶膜菌属Tulasnella、腊壳菌属Sebacina和Serendipita。在种子萌发前期（未形成叶子）进行暗培养较光照对菌株JST-13和SL15-7处理组原球茎阶段萌发具有显著的促进作用。不同菌株共生萌发效果不同,菌株SL15-7较其他处理原球茎和幼苗发育阶段的萌发率高。菌株JST-13和SL15-7处理组形成的幼苗较其他处理组强壮,定殖的菌丝团也较多,其幼苗生根效果也较对照组好。该研究表明白及可与多种不同类群的菌根真菌菌株形成共生关系,这些真菌在促进白及种子萌发和生根能力方面存在差异。     

3种杓兰属植物菌根真菌系统发育和多样性分析

兰科植物菌根真菌(Orchid mycorrhizal fungi, OrMF)在兰科植物种子萌发和后续生长发育过程中具有重要作用。该研究采用培养(菌丝团分离)和非培养(克隆文库)2种方法获得同一栖息地3种不同杓兰属植物根中菌根真菌ITS序列并划分可操作分类单元(Operational taxonomic units, OTUs),分析其系统发育关系和多样性。结果表明:(1)所有根段中都有菌丝团定植,共分离出菌根真菌64株,其中63株为胶膜菌科(Tulasnellaceae)真菌,1株为角担菌科(Ceratobasidiaceae)真菌;可划分为7个OUT,每个OTU代表菌株的菌丝都能形成OrMF典型的近球形或椭球形链状排列的念珠状细胞;分离出来的菌根真菌均为无性型菌丝且不产生无性孢子。(2) 非培养法得到的3种杓兰属植物的根中OrMF分别隶属于胶膜菌科(Tulasnellaceae),腊壳菌科(Sebacinaceae)、角担菌科(Ceratobasidiaceae)和革菌科(Thelephoraceae),其中胶膜菌科OTU在种类和数量上占有绝对优势,培养和非培养2种方法得到的OrMF OTU类型和数量均为西藏杓兰(Cypripedium tibeticum)>无苞杓兰(C. flavum)>黄花杓兰(C. bardolphianum),但培养法少于非培养法。(3)对胶膜菌进行系统发育分析显示,优势和非优势OTU均分布在系统发育树的3个不同分支上,这种与多种亲缘关系较远的OrMF共生的现象可能与杓兰属植物对环境的适应性有关,且不同杓兰的OrMF物种丰富度没有显著差异,但群落结构存在差异。     

硬叶兰种子的迁地共生萌发及有效共生真菌的分离和鉴定

兰科植物的种子原地和迁地共生萌发技术是近年发展起来的开展兰科植物种子和共生真菌研究的有效方法。该研究对兰属(Cymbidium)附生植物硬叶兰(C. mannii)开展了种子的迁地共生萌发研究, 试图获得其种子萌发的有效真菌。利用硬叶兰成年植株根部周围的树皮、苔藓、枯枝落叶、腐殖质等作为培养基质, 进行种子的共生培养。在培养133天后, 成功地获得了处于不同阶段的已萌发种子、原球茎和幼苗, 并从原球茎中分离得到一种瘤菌根菌属(Epulorhiza)真菌。用所分离到的FCb4菌株和一种从兜唇石斛(Dendrobium aphyllum)分离到的胶膜菌属(Tulasnella) FDaI7菌株和硬叶兰种子在燕麦琼脂培养基上进行共生萌发, 设置不接菌作为对照处理, 以检验FCb4菌株对硬叶兰种子萌发的有效性。经过58天的培养, 不接菌的对照处理中种子没有萌发, 接种FCb4和FDaI7菌株的处理都有很高的种子萌发率, 两种接菌处理在不同光照条件下的种子萌发率均无显著性差异。但暗培养条件下, 种子萌发形成原球茎后, 表现出生长停滞的趋势, 仅有很少的原球茎继续生长达到幼苗阶段, 说明原球茎发育后期与幼苗发育阶段需要光照。在光照条件下, 接种FCb4菌株处理中达到幼苗阶段种子的比例为(25.67 ± 9.27)%, 显著高于接种FDaI7菌株处理的(3.04 ± 2.27)% (W = 56, p = 0.026, Mann-Whitney U-test), 表明此研究中分离到的瘤菌根菌属真菌能有效地促使硬叶兰种子萌发并生长发育到幼苗阶段。     

三种杓兰根相关真菌多样性和生态功能

【背景】除了菌根真菌(Orchid mycorrhizal fungi,OrMF)外,兰科植物根中还有其它内生真菌,称为根相关真菌(Root-associated fungi,RAF)。【目的】采用分离培养的方法获得同一栖息地针叶林和灌木林两种不同生境西藏杓兰、黄花杓兰和无苞杓兰的RAF菌株,研究其真菌谱系、多样性和生态功能结构。【方法】从杓兰根碎屑中分离RAF,通过总DNA提取、PCR扩增及测序得到ITS(Internaltranscribedspacer)序列;进行系统发育和多样性分析,并通过NCBI数据库比对得到相似性最高序列的注释信息来分析RAF生态学特性。【结果】共分离得到278株RAF,25种OTU类型,包括23个子囊菌门OTU,2个毛霉菌门OTU。RAF物种丰富度分析发现西藏杓兰的较黄花杓兰高,不同生境没有显著差异;不同杓兰物种较不同生境的RAF群落分化程度高。生态功能分析显示25个OTU包括共生型、腐生型和致病型3种营养型,以及外生菌根菌群、植物病原菌群、内生真菌群、动物病原菌群、真菌寄生菌群、杜鹃花类菌根群、未定义的腐生菌群和不确定型8种共位群。【结论】阐明不同生境采集的不同杓兰中RAF的分布特点和生态功能,为未来研究RAF与杓兰属植物的共生关系奠定基础。     

共生真菌对兰科植物种间杂交后代种子萌发的效应

石斛属(Dendrobium)植物在种子共生萌发过程中与真菌有着较为专一的共生关系,为探讨这种共生关系在种间杂交后代上的进化和适应,深入理解兰科植物和真菌共生关系的形成机制,该研究利用能有效促进铁皮石斛(Dendrobium officinale)和齿瓣石斛(D.devonianum)种子萌发形成幼苗,并具有较强专一性的胶膜菌属(Tulasnella)真菌SSCDO-5和瘤菌根菌属(Epulorhiza)真菌FDd1,开展真菌对铁皮石斛和D. tortile种间杂交种子萌发效应的研究。结果表明,在真菌与种子共生培养68天时,SSCDO-5菌株和FDd1菌株都能有效地促进杂交种子形成原球茎和幼苗,两个接菌处理之间无显著差异,来源于铁皮石斛的SSCDO-5菌株不但没有表现出优势,反而在杂交石斛幼苗形成率上低于来源于齿瓣石斛的FDd1菌株(SSCDO-5:(22.13±6.62)%; FDd1:(29.53±5.51)%); SSCDO-5菌株和铁皮石斛在幼苗形成和发育阶段的共生专一性并没有在杂交后代上得到遗传或表现,或者说是杂交打破了这种专一性的共生关系,使得杂交后代能够和不同的真菌建立新的共生关系。该结果不支持关于共生真菌专一性是石斛属植物杂交后代形成的重要限制因素的假设,推测石斛属植物在幼苗分化和发育阶段与真菌这种专一性的共生关系是在适应特定生态环境的过程中形成和建立的。     

实验室条件下五唇兰菌根真菌专一性研究

利用从高原温带兰科植物菌根中获得的22个菌根真菌菌株, 对五唇兰(Doritis pulcherrima)进行了室内种子萌发、原球茎分化和组培苗回接试验, 从交叉回接的角度对附生兰科植物与菌根真菌的生理专一性进行了探讨。经过20周的共生培养, 只有编号为Cf1和Mm1的两个菌株使种子表现出种胚明显膨大的萌发迹象; 9个菌株能够促使原球茎较好地分化发育出根叶; 11个菌株处理苗的平均鲜重增长率高于对照组(156.25%), 其中Mm1的效果达到极显著水平(p = 0.01)。通过根切片显微观察, 在原球茎分化根和回接效果良好的处理苗的根皮层组织发现典型的菌丝团结构, 表明菌根体系已成功建立。温带地生兰菌根真菌对五唇兰种子萌发、原球茎发育和幼苗生长等3个重要生长阶段影响的试验显示, 五唇兰的种子和菌根真菌的共生萌发效果不佳, 而原球茎及幼株更容易与之建立良好的共生关系。同时, 也没有发现同一个真菌菌株能够对五唇兰的种子、原球茎和幼苗均产生促进作用。研究结果表明, 五唇兰的菌根真菌专一性因生理生长阶段的不同而存在差异。     

不同海拔的三种杓兰属植物与菌根真菌群落组成相关性

本研究采集了四川黄龙沟沿海拔梯度3 170-3 400m上4个不同杓兰居群中3种杓兰植物根,利用克隆文库方法获得菌根真菌ITS序列,研究同一栖息地（黄龙沟）不同海拔梯度和不同杓兰对菌根真菌多样性和群落结构的影响。共得到18个可操作分类单元（OTU）,其中14个OTU隶属胶膜菌科Tulasnellaceae,为优势类群（99.6%）;2个OTU隶属腊壳菌科Sebacinaceae,2个OTU隶属亡革菌科Thelephoraceae。随着海拔升高,西藏杓兰菌根真菌多样性减少,而黄花杓兰和无苞杓兰没有明显变化;海拔对3种杓兰菌根真菌群落结构均无显著影响。3种杓兰之间菌根真菌群落结构差异显著且指示物种互不相同,说明在同一栖息地,杓兰对菌根真菌的偏好性显著影响其菌根真菌群落结构。这些研究结果利于了解环境变化对杓兰属植物菌根真菌区系组成的影响,为进一步探索菌根真菌与杓兰属植物的互作机制奠定基础。     

共生真菌对兰科植物种间杂交后代种子萌发的效应

石斛属(Dendrobium)植物在种子共生萌发过程中与真菌有着较为专一的共生关系, 为探讨这种共生关系在种间杂交后代上的进化和适应, 深入理解兰科植物和真菌共生关系的形成机制, 该研究利用能有效促进铁皮石斛(Dendrobium officinale)和齿瓣石斛(D. devonianum)种子萌发形成幼苗, 并具有较强专一性的胶膜菌属(Tulasnella)真菌SSCDO-5和瘤菌根菌属(Epulorhiza)真菌FDd1, 开展真菌对铁皮石斛和D. tortile种间杂交种子萌发效应的研究。结果表明, 在真菌与种子共生培养68天时, SSCDO-5菌株和FDd1菌株都能有效地促进杂交种子形成原球茎和幼苗, 两个接菌处理之间无显著差异, 来源于铁皮石斛的SSCDO-5菌株不但没有表现出优势, 反而在杂交石斛幼苗形成率上低于来源于齿瓣石斛的FDd1菌株(SSCDO-5: (22.13 ± 6.62)%; FDd1: (29.53 ± 5.51)%); SSCDO-5菌株和铁皮石斛在幼苗形成和发育阶段的共生专一性并没有在杂交后代上得到遗传或表现, 或者说是杂交打破了这种专一性的共生关系, 使得杂交后代能够和不同的真菌建立新的共生关系。该结果不支持关于共生真菌专一性是石斛属植物杂交后代形成的重要限制因素的假设, 推测石斛属植物在幼苗分化和发育阶段与真菌这种专一性的共生关系是在适应特定生态环境的过程中形成和建立的。     

带叶兜兰种子原地共生萌发及有效菌根真菌的分离与鉴定

为获得带叶兜兰(Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum)种子萌发的共生真菌,采用原地共生萌发技术获得了2株自然萌发的小幼苗,并分离和筛选出了有效的种子萌发共生菌——瘤菌根菌(Epulorhiza sp.)。为验证分离菌株对带叶兜兰种子萌发的有效性,将Phs34号菌株与带叶兜兰种子在灭菌后的原生境基质上进行室内共生萌发试验,结果表明,经过6周的培养,对照组没有观察到种子的萌发;接菌的种子胚明显膨大,突破种皮,形成原球茎,平均萌发率为(58.35±3.41)%。这表明分离得到的瘤菌根菌能促进带叶兜兰的种子萌发。     

菌根真菌促进金钗石斛的生长及氮利用

菌根在兰科的生命周期和进化史上起着关键作用。兰科中大多数是附生兰,但它们的菌根研究相对缺乏。为了探讨菌根对附生兰的影响,本研究用金钗石斛（Dendrobium nobile）与通过形态学特征和分子生物学鉴定的分属于瘤菌根菌属（Epulorhiza）的s1和胶膜菌属（Tulasnella）的S3真菌共培养。共培养结果表明,S1和S3与金钗石斛形成了共生关系,且不同程度地促进了其生长。15N稳定同位素标记实验证实,S1菌株显著促进了金钗石斛对有机氮的利用,而S3菌株没有显著的促进作用。同时．S1和S3真菌均能提高金钗石斛中石斛碱的含量。研究结果表明,菌根真菌能促进附生兰幼苗的生长、有机氮的利用和次生代射产物的积累。     

白及内生真菌多样性研究

白及( Bletilla striata)是兰科地生型多年生植物,也是我国传统中药材之一。利用菌根技术进行白及的保护和人工栽培,需要获得白及可培养的内生真菌。该研究以广西野生的白及根和叶为材料,采用分离培养法分离内生真菌,并结合真菌形态特征,及其核糖体的转录间隔区( ITS)序列分析,确定内生真菌的分类地位。结果表明：从2株白及植物90块组织中分离获得37株内生真菌,鉴定为15个分类单元,由9个属组成,分属于2门4纲7目8科,包括锤舌菌纲( Leotiomycetes)、座囊菌纲( Dothideomycetes)和粪壳菌纲( Sordariomy-cetes),伞菌纲( Agaricomycetes)。从根中分离获得内生真菌12种,蜡壳菌属为优势属;从叶中分离获得内生真菌3种,刺盘孢属为优势属;刺盘孢菌属( Colletotrichum)和蜡壳菌属( Sebacina)真菌的相对多度值均达到20％;4株担子菌均分布于根中,叶组织中未有分布。根组织中内生真菌的多样性指数(H＝1.863)高于叶组织(1.098)。该研究结果及其所分离培养的担子菌类真菌,为更好地利用菌根技术进行白及等兰科植物资源的保护与可持续利用奠定了基础。     

Interactions Between Plant Growth Promoting Fungi and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Glomus Mosseae and Induction of Systemic Resistance to Anthracnose Disease in Cucumber

Cucumber plants were treated with plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF), Phoma sp. (isolates GS8-2 and GS8-3) and Penicillium simplicissimum (isolate GP17-2) with or without the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mosseae. Induction of systemic resistance in cucumber against the anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare was tested to evaluate the nature of the interaction between the PGPF and AMF. Root colonizing ability of each fungal species as influenced by their interaction was also evaluated. Plant roots were pre-inoculated with each PGPF isolate and/or G. mosseae for four weeks and leaves were then challenge inoculated with the pathogen C. orbiculare. Plants treated with each PGPF isolate showed considerable protection against the disease, but the treatment of G. mosseae had no significant effect on disease development. However, combined inoculation of Phoma GS8-2 or GS8-3 with G. mosseae reduced the level of disease protection induced by single inoculation of each Phoma isolate. In contrast, the high levels of protection induced by the P. simplicissimum GP17-2 were not altered by combining it with G. mosseae. Root colonization of both Phoma sp. isolates was also suppressed by the presence of the G. mosseae, but such an effect was not found on the population development of P. simplicissimum. The percent cucumber root length colonized by G. mosseae was not affected by any of the PGPF isolates tested.     

Introduction of asymbiotically propagated seedlings of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cephalanthera falcata</Emphasis> (Orchidaceae) into natural habitat and investigation of colonized mycorrhizal fungi

Asymbiotic seedling propagation and introduction of seedlings into a natural habitat were achieved for Cephalanthera falcata. For immature seeds collected 65 days after pollination, high germination rate (av. 50%) was achieved on Hyponex agar medium plates. Root development occurred in about 10% of the protocorms 5 months after seed sowing. Rooted protocorms were transferred to a culture bottle containing 100 ml of the Hyponex agar medium and incubated continually. In about 30% of the transferred individuals, shoot height reached 1.5–2 cm 8 months after the transfer. After acclimatization in wet vermiculite at 4°C for 6 months, 135 individuals were planted in a natural stand of C. falcata in mid February 2001. Shoot appearance rate was 44.4% at the first year and flowering was noted in some plants. At the fifth year, shoots with an average height of 21.6 cm still appeared in four plants, and flowering was noted in three of them. Colonization of mycorrhizal fungi was examined in two of them as well as one wild plant, in which the mycorrhizal fungi were identified to be in Thelephoraceae or Russulaceae. These fungi are known to form ectomycorrhiza with trees, and thus a tripartnership symbiosis consisting of C. falcata, mycorrhizal fungi and trees was suggested. The involvement of ectomycorrhizal fungi might be the reason for the low survival rate in the field experiment, because the distribution of ectomycorrhizal fungi relevant to this orchid is assumed to be uneven. The possibility of introducing artificially propagated orchids into natural habitats was discussed.     

Preinoculation with VA mycorrhiza improves growth and yield of chilli transplanted in the field and saves phosphatic fertilizer

Summary Nursery beds were inoculated with four different VA mycorrhizal fungi,Glomus fasciculatus and three local isolates I₄, I₆ and I₁₄, and mycorrhizal seedlings were transplanted to field plots with two levels of phosphatic fertilizer. Of the fungi studied, isolate I₄ increased significantly growth, P and Zn nutrition, flowering, yield of chilli plants and also the ascorbic acid content of green chillies. Yield of I₄ inoculated plants given half the recommended level of P was slightly more than the uninoculated plants given the full level of phosphatic fertilizer. This suggests the possibility of extending the simple technology of inoculating nursery beds with mycorrhiza to farmers in order to improve plant growth and save phosphatic fertilizer.     

Two species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptographium</Emphasis> isolated from blue-stained sapwood of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus khasya</Emphasis> and bark beetles in Thailand

Two species of Leptographium were isolated from blue-stained sapwood of Pinus khasya and bark beetle galleries in pine trees near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Based on morphological observations, these two species were identified as L. pini-densiflorae and L. yunnanense. This is the first record of these fungi in Thailand. Leptographium yunnanense appeared to be associated with Polygraphus major. This is contribution No. 206, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Graduate School of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba     

Exogenous systemin has a contrasting effect on disease resistance in mycorrhizal tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis>) plants infected with necrotrophic or hemibiotrophic pathogens

A study was performed to determine the effect of the systemin polypeptide on the bio-protective effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in tomato plants infected with Alternaria solani, Phytophthora infestans or P. parasitica. Before infection, tomato plants were colonized with two different AMF, Glomus fasciculatum or G. clarum. In addition, a group of inoculated plants was treated with systemin, just after emergence. The exogenous application of systemin marginally suppressed the resistance against A. solani leaf blight observed in G. fasciculatum mycorrhizal plants but significantly enhanced it in plants colonized with G. clarum. Systemin induced resistance to P. parasitica in leaves of G. fasciculatum mycorrhizal plants, in which AMF colonization alone was shown to have no protective effect. Conversely, none of the treatments led to resistance to root or stem rots caused by P. infestans or P. parasitica. The above effects did not correlate with changes in the activity levels of β-1,3-glucanase (BG), chitinase (CHI), peroxidase (PRX), and phenylalanine ammonium lyase (PAL) in leaves of infected plants. However, they corroborated previous reports showing that colonization by AMF can lead to a systemic resistance response against A. solani. Systemic resistance to A. solani was similarly observed in non-mycorrhizal systemin-treated plants, which, in contrast, showed increased susceptibility to P. infestans and P. parasitica. The results indicated that the pattern of systemic disease resistance conferred by mycorrhizal colonization was dependent on the AMF employed and could be altered by the exogenous application of systemin, by means of a still undefined mechanism.     

Overlapping expression patterns and differential transcript levels of phosphate transporter genes in arbuscular mycorrhizal,P<Subscript>i</Subscript>-fertilised and phytohormone-treated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago truncatula</Emphasis> roots

A microarray carrying 5,648 probes of Medicago truncatula root-expressed genes was screened in order to identify those that are specifically regulated by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Gigaspora rosea, by P_i fertilisation or by the phytohormones abscisic acid and jasmonic acid. Amongst the identified genes, 21% showed a common induction and 31% a common repression between roots fertilised with P_i or inoculated with the AM fungus G. rosea, while there was no obvious overlap in the expression patterns between mycorrhizal and phytohormone-treated roots. Expression patterns were further studied by comparing the results with published data obtained from roots colonised by the AM fungi Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices, but only very few genes were identified as being commonly regulated by all three AM fungi. Analysis of P_i concentrations in plants colonised by either of the three AM fungi revealed that this could be due to the higher P_i levels in plants inoculated by G. rosea compared with the other two fungi, explaining that numerous genes are commonly regulated by the interaction with G. rosea and by phosphate. Differential gene expression in roots inoculated with the three AM fungi was further studied by expression analyses of six genes from the phosphate transporter gene family in M. truncatula. While MtPT4 was induced by all three fungi, the other five genes showed different degrees of repression mirroring the functional differences in phosphate nutrition by G. rosea, G. mosseae and G. intraradices. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The teleomorph of Leptographium yunnanense, discovered in crosses among isolates from Thailand, China, and Japan

A teleomorph was discovered in crosses among isolates of Leptographium yunnanense isolated from Pinus spp. originating in Thailand, China, and Japan. The ascocarps are black, globose to subglobose, and lacking necks. Ascospores are hyaline, 1-celled, surrounded by hyaline sheaths, and appear cucullate in side view, quadrangular in face view, and triangular in end view. Three species were known to have teleomorphs morphologically similar to the present fungus. However, their anamorphs were distinguishable from L. yunnanense. Thus, this teleomorph is described as Grosmannia yunnanensis. Contribution No. 214, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Graduate School of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba.     

Field response of wheat to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and drought stress

Mycorrhizal plants often have greater tolerance to drought than nonmycorrhizal plants. This study was conducted to determine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation on growth, grain yield and mineral acquisition of two winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars grown in the field under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. Wheat seeds were planted in furrows after treatment with or without the AM fungi Glomus mosseae or G. etunicatum. Roots were sampled at four growth stages (leaf, tillering, heading and grain-filling) to quantify AM fungi. There was negligible AM fungi colonization during winter months following seeding (leaf sampling in February), when soil temperature was low. During the spring, AM fungi colonization increased gradually. Mycorrhizal colonization was higher in well-watered plants colonized with AM fungi isolates than water-stressed plants. Plants inoculated with G. etunicatum generally had higher colonization than plants colonized with G. mosseae under both soil moisture conditions. Biomass and grain yields were higher in mycorrhizal than nonmycorrhizal plots irrespective of soil moisture, and G. etunicatum inoculated plants generally had higher biomass and grain yields than those colonized by G. mosseae under either soil moisture condition. The mycorrhizal plants had higher shoot P and Fe concentrations than nonmycorrhizal plants at all samplings regardless of soil moisture conditions. The improved growth, yield and nutrient uptake in wheat plants reported here demonstrate the potential of mycorrhizal inoculation to reduce the effects of drought stress on wheat grown under field conditions in semiarid areas of the world.     

Molecular diversity of fungi from ericoid mycorrhizal roots

In order to investigate the diversity of fungal endophytes in ericoid mycorrhizal roots, about 150 mycelia were isolated from surface-sterilized roots of 10 plants of Calluna vulgaris. Each mycelium was reinoculated to C. vulgaris seedlings under axenic conditions, and the phenotype of the plant-fungus association assessed by light and electron microscopy. Many isolates that were able in vitro to produce typical ericoid mycorrhizae did not form reproductive structures under our culture conditions, whereas others could be identified as belonging to the species Oidiodendron maius. Morphological and molecular analysis of the fungal isolates showed that the root system of a single plant of C. vulgaris is a complex mosaic of several populations of mycorrhizal and non mycorrhizal fungi. PCR-RFLP techniques, used to investigate the mycorrhizal endophytes, revealed up to four groups of fungi with different PCR-RFLP patterns of the ITS ribosomal region from a single plant. Some of the mycorrhizal fungi sharing the same PCR-RFLP pattern showed high degree of genetic polymorphism when analysed with the more sensitive RAPD technique; this technique may prove a useful tool to trace the spread of individual mycorrhizal mycelia, as it has allowed us to identify isolates with identical RAPD fingerprints on different plants.