Influence of Habitat and Climate Variables on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Community Distribution, as Revealed by a Case Study of Facultative Plant Epiphytism under Semiarid Conditions

ABSTRACTIn semiarid Mediterranean ecosystems, epiphytic plant species are practically absent, and only some species of palm trees can support epiphytes growing in their lower crown area, such asPhoenix dactyliferaL. (date palm). In this study, we focused onSonchus tenerrimusL. plants growing as facultative epiphytes inP. dactyliferaand its terrestrial forms growing in adjacent soils. Our aim was to determine the possible presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in these peculiar habitats and to relate AMF communities with climatic variations. We investigated the AMF community composition of epiphytic and terrestrialS. tenerrimusplants along a temperature and precipitation gradient across 12 localities. Epiphytic roots were colonized by AMF, as determined by microscopic observation; all of the epiphytic and terrestrial samples analyzed showed AMF sequences from taxa belonging to the phylumGlomeromycota, which were grouped in 30 AMF operational taxonomic units. The AMF community composition was clearly different between epiphytic and terrestrial root samples, and this could be attributable to dispersal constraints and/or the contrasting environmental and ecophysiological conditions prevailing in each habitat. Across sites, the richness and diversity of terrestrial AMF communities was positively correlated with rainfall amount during the most recent growing season. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between climate variables and AMF richness and diversity for epiphytic AMF communities, which suggests that the composition of AMF communities in epiphytic habitats appears to be largely determined by the availability and dispersion of fungal propagules from adjacent terrestrial habitats.

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Clary Sage Cultivation and Mycorrhizal Inoculation Influence the Rhizosphere Fungal Community of an Aged Trace-Element Polluted Soil

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9061333 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1333

Author(s):

Robin Raveau ◽

Anissa Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui ◽

Mohamed Hijri ◽

Joël Fontaine

Keyword(s):

Trace Element ◽

Community Composition ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Illumina Miseq ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Rhizospheric Soil ◽

Lead Smelter ◽

Amf Communities

Soil fungal communities play a central role in natural systems and agroecosystems. As such, they have attracted significant research interest. However, the fungal microbiota of aromatic plants, such as clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), remain unexplored. This is especially the case in trace element (TE)-polluted conditions and within the framework of phytomanagement approaches. The presence of high concentrations of TEs in soils can negatively affect not only microbial diversity and community composition but also plant establishment and growth. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate the soil fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition and their changes over time in TE-polluted soils in the vicinity of a former lead smelter and under the cultivation of clary sage. We used Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing to evaluate the effects of in situ clary sage cultivation over two successive years, combined or not with exogenous AMF inoculation, on the rhizospheric soil and root fungal communities. We obtained 1239 and 569 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASV), respectively, in the rhizospheric soil and roots of S. sclarea under TE-polluted conditions. Remarkably, 69 AMF species were detected at our experimental site, belonging to 12 AMF genera. Furthermore, the inoculation treatment significantly shaped the fungal communities in soil and increased the number of AMF ASVs in clary sage roots. In addition, clary sage cultivation over successive years could be one of the explanatory parameters for the inter-annual variation in both fungal and AMF communities in the soil and root biotopes. Our data provide new insights on fungal and AMF communities in the rhizospheric soil and roots of an aromatic plant, clary sage, grown in TE-polluted agricultural soil.

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Nonlegumes, Legumes, and Root Nodules Harbor Different Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.70.10.6240-6246.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 70 (10) ◽

pp. 6240-6246 ◽

Cited By ~ 186

Author(s):

Tanja R. Scheublin ◽

Karyn P. Ridgway ◽

J. Peter W. Young ◽

Marcel G. A. van der Heijden

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Direct Sequencing ◽

Root Nodules ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Sequence Type ◽

Plant Functional Groups ◽

Amf Communities

ABSTRACT Legumes are an important plant functional group since they can form a tripartite symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria and phosphorus-acquiring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, not much is known about AMF community composition in legumes and their root nodules. In this study, we analyzed the AMF community composition in the roots of three nonlegumes and in the roots and root nodules of three legumes growing in a natural dune grassland. We amplified a portion of the small-subunit ribosomal DNA and analyzed it by using restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing. We found differences in AMF communities between legumes and nonlegumes and between legume roots and root nodules. Different plant species also contained different AMF communities, with different AMF diversity. One AMF sequence type was much more abundant in legumes than in nonlegumes (39 and 13%, respectively). Root nodules contained characteristic AMF communities that were different from those in legume roots, even though the communities were similar in nodules from different legume species. One AMF sequence type was found almost exclusively in root nodules. Legumes and root nodules have relatively high nitrogen concentrations and high phosphorus demands. Accordingly, the presence of legume- and nodule-related AMF can be explained by the specific nutritional requirements of legumes or by host-specific interactions among legumes, root nodules, and AMF. In summary, we found that AMF communities vary between plant functional groups (legumes and nonlegumes), between plant species, and between parts of a root system (roots and root nodules).

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Precipitation shapes communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Tibetan alpine steppe

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep23488 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Jing Zhang ◽

Fang Wang ◽

Rongxiao Che ◽

Ping Wang ◽

Hanke Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Community Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Alpine Steppe ◽

Amf Communities

Abstract Tibetan Plateau is one of the largest and most unique habitats for organisms including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, it remains unclear how AMF communities respond to key environmental changes in this harsh environment. To test if precipitation could be a driving force in shaping AMF community structures at regional scale, we examined AMF communities associated with dominant plant species along a precipitation gradient in Tibetan alpine steppe. Rhizosphere soils were collected from five sites with annual precipitation decreasing from 400 to 50 mm. A total of 31 AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. AMF community composition varied significantly among sites, whereas AMF community composition did not vary among plant species. Path analysis revealed that precipitation directly affected AMF hyphal length density, and indirectly influenced AMF species richness likely through the mediation of plant coverage. Our results suggested that water availability could drive the changes of AMF communities at regional scale. Given the important roles AMF could play in the dynamics of plant communities, exploring the changes of AMF communities along key environmental gradients would help us better predict the ecosystem level responses of the Tibetan vegetation to future climate change.

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Hierarchical spatial sampling reveals factors influencing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus diversity in Côte d’Ivoire cocoa plantations

Mycorrhiza ◽

10.1007/s00572-020-01019-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cristian Rincón ◽

Germain Droh ◽

Lucas Villard ◽

Frédéric G. Masclaux ◽

Assanvo N’guetta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Cote D'ivoire ◽

Côte D’Ivoire ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungus ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Molecular Techniques ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Cote D’Ivoire ◽

Côte D'ivoire ◽

Amf Communities

AbstractWhile many molecular studies have documented arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in temperate ecosystems, very few studies exist in which molecular techniques have been used to study tropical AMF communities. Understanding the composition of AMF communities in tropical areas gains special relevance as crop productivity in typically low fertility tropical soils can be improved with the use of AMF. We used a hierarchical sampling approach in which we sampled soil from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantations nested in localities, and in which localities were nested within each of three regions of Côte d’Ivoire. This sampling strategy, combined with 18S rRNA gene sequencing and a dedicated de novo OTU-picking model, allowed us to study AMF community composition and how it is influenced at different geographical scales and across environmental gradients. Several factors, including pH, influenced overall AMF alpha diversity and differential abundance of specific taxa and families of the Glomeromycotina. Assemblages and diversity metrics at the local scale did not reliably predict those at regional scales. The amount of variation explained by soil, climate, and geography variables left a large proportion of the variance to be explained by other processes, likely happening at smaller scales than the ones considered in this study. Gaining a better understanding of processes involved in shaping tropical AMF community composition and AMF establishment are much needed and could allow for the development of sustainable, productive tropical agroecosystems.

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Diverse and abundant arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in ecological floating beds used to treat eutrophic water

10.21203/rs.3.rs-281997/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zhouying Xu ◽

Yichao Lv ◽

Yinghe Jiang ◽

Xiaodong Luo ◽

Xuelin Gui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Community Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Eutrophic Lakes ◽

Amf Diversity ◽

Amf Communities

Abstract An increasing number of investigations have demonstrated the universal existence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the accurate distribution and functions of AMF inhabiting aquatic ecosystems, especially ecological floating bed (EFB) which was constructed for the remediation of polluted waterbodies.In this study, we collected root samples of Canna generalis, Cyperus alternifolius and Eichhornia crassipes from three EFBs floating on two eutrophic lakes in Wuhan, China, to investigate the resources and distribution of AMF in EFBs using Illumina Mi-seq technology. A total of 229 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 21 taxon from 348,799 Glomeromycota sequences were detected. Glomus was the most dominant AMF in the three EFBs while the second dominant AMF was related to Acaulospora. Different aquatic plant species exhibited varying degrees of AMF colonization (3.83%~71%), diversity (6~103 OTUs, 3~15 virtual taxa) and abundance (14~57551 sequences). Low AMF abundance but relatively high AMF diversity were found in C. alternifolius which is usually considered as non-mycorrhizal, demonstrating the high accuracy of Illumina sequencing. In addition, results from this study suggested a lognormal species abundance distribution was observed across AMF taxa in the three plant species, and the AMF community composition was closely related to pH, nitrogen and phosphorus.Overall, our data demonstrated that diverse and abundant AMF communities were living in EFBs, and the AMF community composition was closely related to the water quality of eutrophic lakes treated by EFBs, providing potential possibility for the applications of AMF in plant-based bioremediation of wastewater.

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Modularity Reveals the Tendency of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi To Interact Differently with Generalist and Specialist Plant Species in Gypsum Soils

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.01358-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 80 (17) ◽

pp. 5457-5466 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Emma Torrecillas ◽

Maria del Mar Alguacil ◽

Antonio Roldán ◽

Gisela Díaz ◽

Alicia Montesinos-Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Indicator Species ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Content Type ◽

Network Analyses ◽

Amf Communities ◽

Marly Limestone

ABSTRACTPatterns in plant–soil biota interactions could be influenced by the spatial distribution of species due to soil conditions or by the functional traits of species. Gypsum environments usually constitute a mosaic of heterogeneous soils where gypsum and nongypsum soils are imbricated at a local scale. A case study of the interactions of plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in gypsum environments can be illustrative of patterns in biotic interactions. We hypothesized that (i) soil characteristics might affect the AMF community and (ii) there are differences between the AMF communities (modules) associated with plants exclusive to gypsum soils (gypsophytes) and those associated with plants that show facultative behavior on gypsum and/or marly-limestone soils (gypsovags). We used indicator species and network analyses to test for differences between the AMF communities harbored in gypsophyte and gypsovag plants. We recorded 46 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to nine genera ofGlomeromycota. The indicator species analysis showed two OTUs preferentially associating with gypsum soils and three OTUs preferentially associating with marly-limestone soils. Modularity analysis revealed that soil type can be a major factor shaping AMF communities, and some AMF groups showed a tendency to interact differently with plants that had distinct ecological strategies (gypsophytes and gypsovags). Characterization of ecological networks can be a valuable tool for ascertaining the potential influence of above- and below-ground biotic interactions (plant-AMF) on plant community composition.

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Cooccurring Gentiana verna and Gentiana acaulis and Their Neighboring Plants in Two Swiss Upper Montane Meadows Harbor Distinct Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00987-07 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 73 (17) ◽

pp. 5426-5434 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Zuzana Sýkorová ◽

Andres Wiemken ◽

Dirk Redecker

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Community Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Host Preference ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Major Influence ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

Amf Communities ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT The community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was analyzed in roots of Gentiana verna, Gentiana acaulis, and accompanying plant species from two species-rich Swiss alpine meadows located in the same area. The aim of the study was to elucidate the impact of host preference or host specificity on the AMF community in the roots. The roots were analyzed by nested PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism screening, and sequencing of ribosomal DNA small-subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions. The AMF sequences were analyzed phylogenetically and used to define monophyletic sequence types. The AMF community composition was strongly influenced by the host plant species, but compositions did not significantly differ between the two sites. Detailed analyses of the two cooccurring gentian species G. verna and G. acaulis, as well as of neighboring Trifolium spp., revealed that their AMF communities differed significantly. All three host plant taxa harbored AMF communities comprising multiple phylotypes from different fungal lineages. A frequent fungal phylotype from Glomus group B was almost exclusively found in Trifolium spp., suggesting some degree of host preference for this fungus in this habitat. In conclusion, the results indicate that within a relatively small area with similar soil and climatic conditions, the host plant species can have a major influence on the AMF communities within the roots. No evidence was found for a narrowing of the mycosymbiont spectrum in the two green gentians, in contrast to previous findings with their achlorophyllous relatives.

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Trophic interactions as determinants of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community with cascading plant-promoting consequences

Microbiome ◽

10.1186/s40168-020-00918-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuji Jiang ◽

Lu Luan ◽

Kaijie Hu ◽

Manqiang Liu ◽

Ziyun Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Trophic Interactions ◽

Fungal Community ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Plant Pathogens ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Amf Communities

Abstract Background The soil mycobiome is composed of a complex and diverse fungal community, which includes functionally diverse species ranging from plant pathogens to mutualists. Among the latter are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that provide phosphorous (P) to plants. While plant hosts and abiotic parameters are known to structure AMF communities, it remains largely unknown how higher trophic level organisms, including protists and nematodes, affect AMF abundance and community composition. Results Here, we explored the connections between AMF, fungivorous protists and nematodes that could partly reflect trophic interactions, and linked those to rhizosphere P dynamics and plant performance in a long-term manure application setting. Our results revealed that manure addition increased AMF biomass and the density of fungivorous nematodes, and tailored the community structures of AMF, fungivorous protists, and nematodes. We detected a higher abundance of AMF digested by the dominant fungivorous nematodes Aphelenchoides and Aphelenchus in high manure treatments compared to no manure and low manure treatments. Structural equation modeling combined with network analysis suggested that predation by fungivorous protists and nematodes stimulated AMF biomass and modified the AMF community composition. The mycorrhizal-fungivore interactions catalyzed AMF colonization and expression levels of the P transporter gene ZMPht1;6 in maize roots, which resulted in enhanced plant productivity. Conclusions Our study highlights the importance of predation as a key element in shaping the composition and enhancing the biomass of AMF, leading to increased plant performance. As such, we clarify novel biological mechanism of the complex interactions between AMF, fungivorous protists, and nematodes in driving P absorption and plant performance.

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Application of Native or Exotic Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Complexes and Monospecific Isolates from Saline Semi-Arid Mediterranean Ecosystems Improved Phoenix dactylifera’s Growth and Mitigated Salt Stress Negative Effects

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112501 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2501

Author(s):

Elmostapha Outamamat ◽

Mohammed Bourhia ◽

Hanane Dounas ◽

Ahmad Mohammad Salamatullah ◽

Abdulhakeem Alzahrani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Date Palm ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Phoenix Dactylifera ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Phoenix Dactylifera L ◽

Semi Arid

The date, the palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important component of arid and semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems, particularly in Morocco where it plays a considerable socio-economic and ecological role. This species is largely affected by desertification, global warming, and anthropic pressure. Salinity is a very worrying problem that negatively affects the growth and the physiological and biochemical activities of the date palm. In these arid zones, the main challenge is to develop new environmentally friendly technologies that improve crop tolerance to abiotic restraints including salinity. In this sense, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have received much attention due to their capability in promoting plant growth and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. It is thus fitting that the current research work was undertaken to evaluate and compare the effects of native AMF on the development of the growth and tolerance of date palm to salt stress along with testing their role as biofertilizers. To achieve this goal, two complexes and two monospecific isolates of native and non-native AMF were used to inoculate date palm seedlings under saline stress (0 g·L−1 Na Cl, 10 g·L−1, and 20 g·L−1 Na Cl). The obtained results showed that salinity drastically affected the physiological parameters and growth of date palm seedlings, whilst the application of selected AMF significantly improved growth parameters and promoted the activities of antioxidant enzymes as a protective strategy. Inoculation with non-native AMF complex and monospecific isolates showed higher responses for all analyzed parameters when compared with the native complex and isolate. It therefore becomes necessary to glamorize the fungal communities associated with date palm for their use in the inoculation of Phoenix dactylifera L. seedlings.

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Temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal fungal communities and co-associations with grassland plant communities following experimental manipulation of rainfall

10.32942/osf.io/t82ug ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Coline Deveautour ◽

Sally Power ◽

Kirk Barnett ◽

Raul Ochoa-Hueso ◽

Suzanne Donn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Plant Community ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Fungal Community ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Plant Responses ◽

Rainfall Regimes

Climate models project overall a reduction in rainfall amounts and shifts in the timing of rainfall events in mid-latitudes and sub-tropical dry regions, which threatens the productivity and diversity of grasslands. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help plants to cope with expected changes but may also be impacted by changing rainfall, either via the direct effects of low soil moisture on survival and function or indirectly via changes in the plant community. In an Australian mesic grassland (former pasture) system, we characterised plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities every six months for nearly four years to two altered rainfall regimes: i) ambient, ii) rainfall reduced by 50% relative to ambient over the entire year and iii) total summer rainfall exclusion. Using Illumina sequencing, we assessed the response of AM fungal communities sampled from contrasting rainfall treatments and evaluated whether variation in AM fungal communities was associated with variation in plant community richness and composition. We found that rainfall reduction influenced the fungal communities, with the nature of the response depending on the type of manipulation, but that consistent results were only observed after more than two years of rainfall manipulation. We observed significant co-associations between plant and AM fungal communities on multiple dates. Predictive co-correspondence analyses indicated more support for the hypothesis that fungal community composition influenced plant community composition than vice versa. However, we found no evidence that altered rainfall regimes were leading to distinct co-associations between plants and AM fungi. Overall, our results provide evidence that grassland plant communities are intricately tied to variation in AM fungal communities. However, in this system, plant responses to climate change may not be directly related to impacts of altered rainfall regimes on AM fungal communities. Our study shows that AM fungal communities respond to changes in rainfall but that this effect was not immediate. The AM fungal community may influence the composition of the plant community. However, our results suggest that plant responses to altered rainfall regimes at our site may not be resulting via changes in the AM fungal communities.

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