Ectomycorrhizal Colonisation in Declining Oak Stands on the Krotoszyn Plateau, Poland

We describe the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tips and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungal species at three English oak (Quercus robur) sites (two 120 year old sites and one 60 year old site). The three oak stands in decline, located in western Poland, were characterized by a low degree of vital ECM colonization: 30.2%, 29.1% and 25.6% at Krotoszyn (K), Piaski (P) and Karczma Borowa (KB), respectively. DNA (ITS) barcoding revealed a total of 18 ECM fungal species. Based on exploration types, ectomycorrhizae were classified with respect to ecologically relevant features. The contact type was significantly correlated with C:N and Corg, while the short distance type was correlated with Ca, phosphorus (P2O5) and pH. The medium distance exploration type was significantly correlated with fine-grained soil particle size fractions: coarse silt (0.05–0.02 mm) and fine silt (0.02–0.002 mm), and clay (<0.002 mm). The long distance type showed a similar pattern to the medium distance smooth type, but was also correlated with nitrate (N). The values of biometric root parameters of oak trees at the analysed forest sites were arranged as follows: K > P > KB, and were opposite to the condition of the tree crowns. A negative correlation of vital ECM root tip abundance with the crown health status of oaks was observed, whereas higher ECM diversity reflected better crown health in the oak stands studied.

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Effect of earthworms on mycorrhization, root morphology and biomass of silver fir seedlings inoculated with black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85497-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tina Unuk Nahberger ◽

Gian Maria Niccolò Benucci ◽

Hojka Kraigher ◽

Tine Grebenc

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Fine Root ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Fine Root Biomass ◽

Root Tip ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Tuber Aestivum ◽

Root Tips ◽

Root Parameters

AbstractSpecies of the genus Tuber have gained a lot of attention in recent decades due to their aromatic hypogenous fruitbodies, which can bring high prices on the market. The tendency in truffle production is to infect oak, hazel, beech, etc. in greenhouse conditions. We aimed to show whether silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) can be an appropriate host partner for commercial mycorrhization with truffles, and how earthworms in the inoculation substrate would affect the mycorrhization dynamics. Silver fir seedlings inoculated with Tuber. aestivum were analyzed for root system parameters and mycorrhization, how earthworms affect the bare root system, and if mycorrhization parameters change when earthworms are added to the inoculation substrate. Seedlings were analyzed 6 and 12 months after spore inoculation. Mycorrhization with or without earthworms revealed contrasting effects on fine root biomass and morphology of silver fir seedlings. Only a few of the assessed fine root parameters showed statistically significant response, namely higher fine root biomass and fine root tip density in inoculated seedlings without earthworms 6 months after inoculation, lower fine root tip density when earthworms were added, the specific root tip density increased in inoculated seedlings without earthworms 12 months after inoculation, and general negative effect of earthworm on branching density. Silver fir was confirmed as a suitable host partner for commercial mycorrhization with truffles, with 6% and 35% mycorrhization 6 months after inoculation and between 36% and 55% mycorrhization 12 months after inoculation. The effect of earthworms on mycorrhization of silver fir with Tuber aestivum was positive only after 6 months of mycorrhization, while this effect disappeared and turned insignificantly negative after 12 months due to the secondary effect of grazing on ectomycorrhizal root tips.

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Effect of Deadwood on Ectomycorrhizal Colonisation of Old-Growth Oak Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10060480 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 480 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jacek Olchowik ◽

Dorota Hilszczańska ◽

Roman Mariusz Bzdyk ◽

Marcin Studnicki ◽

Tadeusz Malewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Short Distance ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Root Tips ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil Features ◽

Exploration Types

Although the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) for species diversity is recognized, the effects of coarse woody debris decay class on species composition have received little attention. We examined how the species composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) changes with CWD decay. We describe ectomycorrhizal root tips and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungal species at three English oak (Quercus robur L.) sites. DNA barcoding revealed a total of 17 ECM fungal species. The highest degree of mycorrhizal colonization was found in CWDadvanced (27.2%) and CWDearly (27.1%). Based on exploration types, ectomycorrhizae were classified with respect to ecologically relevant soil features. The short distance type was significantly correlated with soil P2O5, while the contact type was correlated with soil C/N. The lowest mean content of soil Corg was found in the CWDabsent site. The difference in total soil N between sites decreased with increasing CWD decomposition, whereas total C/N increased correspondingly. In this study we confirmed that soil CWD stimulates ectomycorrhizal fungi, representing contact or short-distance exploration types of mycelium.

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Effect of chronic ammonium nitrate addition on the ectomycorrhizal community in a black spruce stand1This article is one of a selection of papers from the 7th International Conference on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests.

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x11-176 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (7) ◽

pp. 1204-1212 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sergio Rossi ◽

Adam Bordeleau ◽

Daniel Houle ◽

Hubert Morin

Keyword(s):

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Boreal Forests ◽

Black Spruce ◽

N Deposition ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Root Tip ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Root Tips ◽

Atmospheric N Deposition ◽

Host Trees

Observed modifications of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities have been connected to the increased N depositions of the 20th century. Because of their narrow niche width, small disturbances of soil conditions can produce greater effects on the fungal species than on their host trees. This study investigated the ECM community in a black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stand subjected to long-term additions of 9 and 30 kg N·ha–1·year–1 of ammonium nitrate, representing 3 and 10 times the atmospheric N deposition at the site, respectively. Root tip vitality and ECM presence were detected on samples collected from the organic horizon and ECM were classified into morphotypes according to their morphological and anatomical characters. In the control, 80.6% of the root tips were vital, 76.5% of them showing ECM colonization. Higher root tip vitality and mycorrhization were observed in the treated plots. Forty-one morphotypes were identified, most of them detected at the higher N inputs. Results diverging from the expectations of a reduction in ECM presence and diversity could be related to a higher growth rate of the trees following fertilization. The repeated application of small N doses could have been a better imitation of natural inputs from atmospheric deposition and could have provided more reliable responses of ECM to treatment.

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Patterns in Ectomycorrhizal Diversity, Community Composition, and Exploration Types in European Beech, Pine, and Spruce Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f9080445 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 445 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Christoph Rosinger ◽

Hans Sandén ◽

Bradley Matthews ◽

Mathias Mayer ◽

Douglas Godbold

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Tree Species ◽

Short Distance ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

European Beech ◽

Root Tips ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Long Distance ◽

Ectomycorrhizal Diversity ◽

Exploration Types

Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi are pivotal drivers of ecosystem functioning in temperate and boreal forests. They constitute an important pathway for plant-derived carbon into the soil and facilitate nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition. However, the mechanisms that drive ectomycorrhizal diversity and community composition are still subject to discussion. We investigated patterns in ectomycorrhizal diversity, community composition, and exploration types on root tips in Fagus sylvatica,Picea abies, and Pinus sylvestris stands across Europe. Host tree species is the most important factor shaping the ectomycorrhizal community as well as the distribution of exploration types. Moreover, abiotic factors such as soil properties, N deposition, temperature, and precipitation, were found to significantly influence EM diversity and community composition. A clear differentiation into functional traits by means of exploration types was shown for all ectomycorrhizal communities across the three analyzed tree species. Contact and short-distance exploration types were clearly significantly more abundant than cord- or rhizomorph-forming long-distance exploration types of EM fungi. Medium-distance exploration types were significantly lower in abundance than contact and short-distance types, however they were the most frequent EM taxa and constituted nearly half of the EM community. Furthermore, EM taxa exhibit distinct ecological ranges, and the type of soil exploration seemed to determine whether EM taxa have small or rather big environmental ranges.

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Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Associates of Pinus contorta in Soils Associated with a Hot Spring in Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.67.12.5538-5543.2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 67 (12) ◽

pp. 5538-5543 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ken Cullings ◽

Shilpa Makhija

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Forest Soils ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Hot Spring ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Root Tip ◽

Fruiting Bodies ◽

Root Tips

ABSTRACT Molecular methods and comparisons of fruiting patterns (i.e., presence or absence of fungal fruiting bodies in different soil types) were used to determine ectomycorrhizal (EM) associates of Pinus contorta in soils associated with a thermal soil classified as ultra-acidic to extremely acidic (pH 2 to 4). EM were sampled by obtaining 36 soil cores from six paired plots (three cores each) of both thermal soils and forest soils directly adjacent to the thermal area. Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) were collected for molecular identification and to compare fruiting body (above-ground) diversity to below-ground diversity. Our results indicate (i) that there were significant decreases in both the level of EM infection (130 ± 22 EM root tips/core in forest soil; 68 ± 22 EM root tips/core in thermal soil) and EM fungal species richness (4.0 ± 0.5 species/core in forest soil; 1.2 ± 0.2 species/core in thermal soil) in soils associated with the thermal feature; (ii) that the EM mycota of thermal soils was comprised of a small set of dominant species and included very few rare species, while the EM mycota of forest soils contained a few dominant species and several rare EM fungal species; (iii) that Dermocybe phoenecius and a species of Inocybe, which was rare in forest soils, were the dominant EM fungal species in thermal soils; (iv) that other than the single Inocybe species, there was no overlap in the EM fungal communities of the forest and thermal soils; and (v) that the fungal species forming the majority of the above-ground fruiting structures in thermal soils (Pisolithus tinctorius, which is commonly used in remediation of acid soils) was not detected on a single EM root tip in either type of soil. Thus, P. tinctorius may have a different role in these thermal soils. Our results suggest that this species may not perform well in remediation of all acid soils and that factors such as pH, soil temperature, and soil chemistry may interact to influence EM fungal community structure. In addition, we identified at least one new species with potential for use in remediation of hot acidic soil.

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Histochemical Examination of Invertase Activities in the Growing Tip of the Plant Root

The Open Plant Science Journal ◽

10.2174/1874294701710010035 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 35-45

Author(s):

N.F. Lunkova ◽

N.A. Burmistrova ◽

M.S. Krasavina

Keyword(s):

Plant Root ◽

Invertase Activity ◽

Root Tip ◽

Elongation Zone ◽

Root Tips ◽

Phloem Unloading ◽

Meristem Cell ◽

Transition To Elongation ◽

Different Tissues

Background:A growing part of the root is one of the most active sinks for sucrose coming from source leaves through the phloem. In the root, sucrose is unloaded from conducting bundles and is distributed among the surrounding cells. To be involved in the metabolism, sucrose should disintegrate into hexoses by means of degrading enzymes.Aims:The aim of this research was to explore the possibility of the involvement of one such enzymes, invertase, in phloem unloading as well as distribution of its activity in the functionally different tissues of the plant root tips.Method:To estimate the enzyme activities in root tissues, we applied two techniques: the histochemical method using nitro blue tetrazolium. The localization of phloem unloading was studied with carboxyfluorescein, a fluorescent marker for symplastic transport.Results:Invertase activity was not detected in the apical part of the meristem. It appeared only between the basal part of this zone and the beginning of the elongation zone. There is the root phloem unloading in that area. Invertase activity increased with increasing the distance from the root tip and reached the highest values in the region of cell transition to elongation and in the elongation zone. The activities of the enzyme varied in different tissues of the same zone and sometimes in the neighboring cells of the same tissue. Biochemical determination of invertase activity was made in the maize root segments coincident to the zones of meristem, cell elongation and differentiation. The results of both methods of determination of invertase activity were in agreement.Conclusion:It was concluded that phloem unloading correlated with invertase activity, possibly because of the activation of invertase by unloaded sucrose. Invertase is one of the factors involved in the processes preparing the cells for their transition to elongation because the concentration of osmotically active hexoses increases after cleavage of sucrose, that stimulates water entry into the cells, which is necessary for elongation growth.

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Planting Betula pendula on pine sites infested by Heterobasidion annosum: disease transfer, silvicultural evaluation, and community of wood-inhabiting fungi

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x03-202 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 120-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Vaidotas Lygis ◽

Rimvydas Vasiliauskas ◽

Jan Stenlid

Keyword(s):

Root Rot ◽

Forest Regeneration ◽

Betula Pendula ◽

Root Systems ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Heterobasidion Annosum ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Fungal Isolation ◽

Somatic Incompatibility ◽

Forest Sites

Persistence of the root rot pathogen Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. s.s. on infested areas and its transfer to a forest regeneration was studied in three forest sites in eastern Lithuania. The sites represented H. annosum disease centres in Pinus sylvestris L. stands, which were clear-felled and replanted with Betula pendula Roth 25 years prior to our study. Fungal isolation from trees and stumps on each site was performed on both replanted B. pendula and surrounding P. sylvestris from the previous generation. Low productivity of B. pendula stands (45.076.1 m3·ha1), high mortality rates, and comparatively low vigor of trees (measured as crown densities) indicated a strong impact of root rot. Based on somatic incompatibility tests, we detected large spreading areas of clones of H. annosum (up to 48 m across) and old (35- to 40-year-old) clonal individuals. Territorial clones covered areas that encompassed both previous stands of P. sylvestris and current stands of B. pendula. Our results showed that H. annosum is able to persist in root systems of diseased trees for decades and readily attack birch replanted on infested sites. In addition, a total of 83 fungal species (out of 398 isolates) was found as a result of sampling 508 B. pendula, 49 P. sylvestris, 21 Juniperus communis L., and 1 Salix cinerea L. trees.

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Molecular Identification of Ectomycorrhizal Mycelium in Soil Horizons

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.69.1.327-333.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 327-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 158

Author(s):

Renske Landeweert ◽

Paula Leeflang ◽

Thom W. Kuyper ◽

Ellis Hoffland ◽

Anna Rosling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Identification ◽

Sequence Similarity ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Molecular Techniques ◽

Root Tip ◽

Root Tips ◽

Soil Horizons ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Total Dna ◽

Identification Techniques

ABSTRACT Molecular identification techniques based on total DNA extraction provide a unique tool for identification of mycelium in soil. Using molecular identification techniques, the ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal community under coniferous vegetation was analyzed. Soil samples were taken at different depths from four horizons of a podzol profile. A basidiomycete-specific primer pair (ITS1F-ITS4B) was used to amplify fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from total DNA extracts of the soil horizons. Amplified basidiomycete DNA was cloned and sequenced, and a selection of the obtained clones was analyzed phylogenetically. Based on sequence similarity, the fungal clone sequences were sorted into 25 different fungal groups, or operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Out of 25 basidiomycete OTUs, 7 OTUs showed high nucleotide homology (≥99%) with known EM fungal sequences and 16 were found exclusively in the mineral soil. The taxonomic positions of six OTUs remained unclear. OTU sequences were compared to sequences from morphotyped EM root tips collected from the same sites. Of the 25 OTUs, 10 OTUs had ≥98% sequence similarity with these EM root tip sequences. The present study demonstrates the use of molecular techniques to identify EM hyphae in various soil types. This approach differs from the conventional method of EM root tip identification and provides a novel approach to examine EM fungal communities in soil.

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Proteomic Analyses of Soybean Root Tips During Germination

Protein and Peptide Letters ◽

10.2174/0929866521666140526152426 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 21 (12) ◽

pp. 1308-1319

Author(s):

Setsuko Komatsu ◽

Myeong W. Oh ◽

Hee Y. Jang ◽

Soo J. Kwon ◽

Hye R. Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protein Synthesis ◽

Proteomic Analysis ◽

Plant Root ◽

Root Tip ◽

Root Tips ◽

Form Complex ◽

Molecular Weights ◽

Soybean Seedlings ◽

2D Gel ◽

Proteomic Techniques

Plant root systems form complex networks with the surrounding soil environment and are controlled by both internal and external factors. To better understand the function of root tips of soybean during germination, three proteomic techniques were used to analyze the protein profiles of root tip cells. Proteins were extracted from the root tips of 4-dayold soybean seedlings and analyzed using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis-based proteomics, SDS-gel based proteomics, and gel-free proteomics techniques. A total of 121, 862, and 341 proteins were identified in root tips using the 2D gel-based, SDS gel-based, and gel-free proteomic techniques, respectively. The proteins identified by 2D gel-based proteomic analysis were predominantly localized in the cytoplasm, whereas nuclear-localized proteins were most commonly identified by the SDS gel-based and gel-free proteomics techniques. Of the 862 proteins identified in the SDS gelbased proteomic analysis, 190 were protein synthesis-related proteins. Furthermore, 24 proteins identified using the 2Dgel based proteomic technique shifted between acidic and basic isoelectric points, and 2 proteins, heat shock protein 70.2 and AAA-type ATPase, displayed two different molecular weights at the same isoelectric point. Taken together, these results suggest that a number of proteins related to protein synthesis and modification are activated in the root tips of soybean seedlings during germination.

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The Jacalin-Related Lectin HvHorcH Is Involved in the Physiological Response of Barley Roots to Salt Stress

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms221910248 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (19) ◽

pp. 10248

Author(s):

Katja Witzel ◽

Andrea Matros ◽

Uwe Bertsch ◽

Tariq Aftab ◽

Twan Rutten ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

Extracellular Fluid ◽

Root Tip ◽

Salinity Treatment ◽

Root Tips ◽

Salt Stress Response ◽

Cdna Sequences ◽

Barley Cultivars ◽

Protein Levels

Salt stress tolerance of crop plants is a trait with increasing value for future food production. In an attempt to identify proteins that participate in the salt stress response of barley, we have used a cDNA library from salt-stressed seedling roots of the relatively salt-stress-tolerant cv. Morex for the transfection of a salt-stress-sensitive yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae YSH818 Δhog1 mutant). From the retrieved cDNA sequences conferring salt tolerance to the yeast mutant, eleven contained the coding sequence of a jacalin-related lectin (JRL) that shows homology to the previously identified JRL horcolin from barley coleoptiles that we therefore named the gene HvHorcH. The detection of HvHorcH protein in root extracellular fluid suggests a secretion under stress conditions. Furthermore, HvHorcH exhibited specificity towards mannose. Protein abundance of HvHorcH in roots of salt-sensitive or salt-tolerant barley cultivars were not trait-specific to salinity treatment, but protein levels increased in response to the treatment, particularly in the root tip. Expression of HvHorcH in Arabidopsis thaliana root tips increased salt tolerance. Hence, we conclude that this protein is involved in the adaptation of plants to salinity.

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