A short LysM protein with high molecular diversity from an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus,Rhizophagus irregularis

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form an intimate symbiosis with roots of more than 80% of land plants without eliciting a significant defense response, and how they do so is yet to be determined. Typically, plants mount a defense response upon sensing chitin in fungal walls, and to counteract this response, plant-pathogenic fungi secrete small effector proteins with chitin-binding LysM domains. In the AM fungus, Rhizophagus irregularis, a small, putatively-secreted LysM protein, which we refer to as RiSLM, is among the most highly expressed effector-like proteins during symbiosis. Here, we show that RiSLM expression is reduced during non-functional symbiosis with Medicago mutants, mtpt4-2 and vapyrin. We demonstrate that RiSLM can bind to both chitin and chitosan, and we model the protein-ligand interaction to identify possible binding sites. Finally, we have identified RiSLM homologs in five published R. irregularis isolate genomes and demonstrate that the gene is subject to a high rate of evolution and is experiencing positive selection, while still conserving putative function. Our results present important clues for elucidating a role for a LysM effector, RiSLM, in AM symbiosis.     

Host identity and functional traits determine the community composition of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in facultative epiphytic plant species

The epiphytic vascular mycobiota is scarce and facultative in semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems. However, unlike in soil conditions, little is known about the factors driving mycorrhizal communities in epiphytic environments. Here, we investigated the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) harboured by 31 plant species occurring on the trunks of Phoenix dactylifera. We wanted to ascertain if host identity and plant functional traits shape mycorrhizal communities. Specifically, we tested the plant life-cycle (perennial versus annual), the plant life-form (herbaceous versus woody), the plant origin (exotic versus native) and the plant species. The plant affiliation to species strongly influenced the AMF community composition. Plant life-form and plant life-cycle also shaped indicator taxa. The AMF structure differed between annual and perennial species and higher AMF richness was detected in perennial plants. The epiphytic plants associated with AMF irrespective of whether they were native or not, probably because here no functional differences derive from plant origin.     

Metabolite profiling of mycorrhizal roots of Medicago truncatula

Metabolite profiling of soluble primary and secondary metabolites, as well as cell wall-bound phenolic compounds from roots of barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) was carried out by GC-MS, HPLC and LC-MS. These analyses revealed a number of metabolic characteristics over 56 days of symbiotic interaction with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices, when compared to the controls, i.e. nonmycorrhizal roots supplied with low and high amounts of phosphate. During the most active stages of overall root mycorrhization, elevated levels of certain amino acids (Glu, Asp, Asn) were observed accompanied by increases in amounts of some fatty acids (palmitic and oleic acids), indicating a mycorrhiza-specific activation of plastidial metabolism. In addition, some accumulating fungus-specific fatty acids (palmitvaccenic and vaccenic acids) were assigned that may be used as markers of fungal root colonization. Stimulation of the biosynthesis of some constitutive isoflavonoids (daidzein, ononin and malonylononin) occurred, however, only at late stages of root mycorrhization. Increase of the levels of saponins correlated AM-independently with plant growth. Only in AM roots was the accumulation of apocarotenoids (cyclohexenone and mycorradicin derivatives) observed. The structures of the unknown cyclohexenone derivatives were identified by spectroscopic methods as glucosides of blumenol C and 13-hydroxyblumenol C and their corresponding malonyl conjugates. During mycorrhization, the levels of typical cell wall-bound phenolics (e.g. 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, ferulic acid) did not change; however, high amounts of cell wall-bound tyrosol were exclusively detected in AM roots. Principal component analyses of nonpolar primary and secondary metabolites clearly separated AM roots from those of the controls, which was confirmed by an hierarchical cluster analysis. Circular networks of primary nonpolar metabolites showed stronger and more frequent correlations between metabolites in the mycorrhizal roots. The same trend, but to a lesser extent, was observed in nonmycorrhizal roots supplied with high amounts of phosphate. These results indicate a tighter control of primary metabolism in AM roots compared to control plants. Network correlation analyses revealed distinct clusters of amino acids and sugars/aliphatic acids with strong metabolic correlations among one another in all plants analyzed; however, mycorrhizal symbiosis reduced the cluster separation and enlarged the sugar cluster size. The amino acid clusters represent groups of metabolites with strong correlations among one another (cliques) that are differently composed in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal roots. In conclusion, the present work shows for the first time that there are clear differences in development- and symbiosis-dependent primary and secondary metabolism of M. truncatula roots.     

基于指数施肥法的一年生油松菌根化容器苗的供N研究

为了探讨一年生菌根化油松容器苗的最适苗木供N量和供N速率,采用4种不同指数施肥量进行了试验.通过测定苗木生物量和N含量,显示总供N量为80 mg·株-1的处理组在生物量积累和苗木N含量上显著优于其它各组（P〈0.05）;在100 d时,该处理可获得0.47 mg·株-1·d-1的N最适添加速率;在该速率下,苗木生物量、N含量分别可以达到845.60 mg·株-1和6.51 mg·株-1.根据生物量和N含量随着供N量增加的回归拟合结果,在107 d的生长过程中,67.96 mg·株-1至84.15 mg·株-1的供N总量可以使得一年生油松幼苗获得较高的生物量积累水平和N含量.     

不同生态型摩西球囊霉菌株对棉花耐盐性的影响

在盆栽条件下研究了4个NaCl水平下(0、1、2和3g／kg)接种丛枝菌根真菌Glomus mosseae的2个菌株M1和M2对棉花耐盐性的影响。M1自非盐渍土壤分离,M2自盐渍土壤分离。结果表明,不同盐水平下2个菌株对棉花根系的侵染率为20％～40％,M2的侵染率高于M1;这两个菌株对棉花在盐胁迫环境下的生长状况都有一定的促进,其中Ml的促进作用明显大于M2的,并且在NaCl水平为2和3g／kg时,两菌株对棉花生长的效应之间的差异达到极显著水平。进一步的分析表明两菌株对植株吸收矿质元素的作用方面存在一定差异。接种M1的植株含磷量在4个盐水平下均显著高于对照,而接种M2处理的植株含磷量只是在0和1g／kg NaCl时显著高于对照。在2和3g／kg NaCl时略低于对照,并显著低于接种M1处理的。在4个NaCl水平下,接种M1的植株钠和氯含量与对照没有显著差异;接种M2的植株氯含量在1～3g／kg 3个NaCl水平下、钠含量在2和3g／kg 2个NaCl水平下不仅显著高于对照,同时也显著高于接种M1的植株氯和钠含量。这些差异是M1和M2两菌株对提高棉花耐盐性作用大小不同的主要原因。上述结果说明不同生态型AM真菌菌株对植物的耐盐性的影响力不同,这与真菌自身的生物学特性有关。     

秦岭辛家山林区锐齿栎外生菌根真菌多样性

以秦岭辛家山林区锐齿栎为研究对象,通过野外调查结合形态学和分子生物学方法,观察和鉴定与其共生的外生菌根真菌。结果确定了3种子囊菌和48种担子菌,分属于10科14属,其中毛革菌属Tomentella是优势类群,丝伞盖属1 Inocybe 1、Russula persicina、毛革菌属1 Tomentella 1、毛革菌属2 Tomentella 2、块菌属Tuber、绒盖牛肝菌属Xerocomus是常见种,其余都为稀有种。两样地锐齿栎外生菌根真菌除丰富度指数外,Simpson指数、Shannon指数以及Pielou均匀度指数差异不显著;Jaccard相似性指数和Sorenson相似性指数分别为0.1154和0.2069。     

Mycorrhizal diversity,seed germination and long‐term changes in population size across nine populations of the terrestrial orchid Neottia ovata

In plant species that rely on mycorrhizal symbioses for germination and seedling establishment, seedling recruitment and temporal changes in abundance can be expected to depend on fungal community composition and local environmental conditions. However, disentangling the precise factors that determine recruitment success in species that critically rely on mycorrhizal fungi represents a major challenge. In this study, we used seed germination experiments, 454 amplicon pyrosequencing and assessment of soil conditions to investigate the factors driving changes in local abundance in 28 populations of the orchid Neottia ovata. Comparison of population sizes measured in 2003 and 2013 showed that nearly 60% of the studied populations had declined in size (average growth rate across all populations: ?0.01). Investigation of the mycorrhizal fungi in both the roots and soil revealed a total of 68 species of putatively mycorrhizal fungi, 21 of which occurred exclusively in roots, 25 that occurred solely in soil and 22 that were observed in both the soil and roots. Seed germination was limited and significantly and positively related to soil moisture content and soil pH, but not to fungal community composition. Large populations or populations with high population growth rates showed significantly higher germination than small populations or populations declining in size, but no significant relationships were found between population size or growth and mycorrhizal diversity. Overall, these results indicate that temporal changes in abundance were related to the ability of seeds to germinate, but at the same time they provided limited evidence that variation in fungal communities played an important role in determining population dynamics.