Not all arbuscules pull the same weight
Plant Science Research WeeklyArbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi trade soil phosphate for plant carbon at arbuscules, the short-lived, branched hyphal structures they build inside root cortical cells, but how phosphate uptake is coordinated across this constantly changing interface has been hard to observe. McGaley et al. used non-invasive,…
Review: Apoplastic signaling during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants rely on microbes to aid their uptake of nutrients. Most plants from an intimate association with mycorrhizal fungi, in which both partners benefit through the exchange of nutrients and photosynthate. In the most common form, arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, the fungus forms branched structures…
Win-win underground relationship of crops and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Plant Science Research WeeklyCommunity and ecosystem ecology are the main pillars of agroecology. Plants exude various chemicals from their roots to communicate with belowground microorganisms to boost productivity. This article by Urcelay et al. offers a new perspective to understand the interaction between plants and arbuscular…
Modern agriculture practices negatively affect functions of beneficial plant microbes (Nature Ecol. Evol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAre modern agricultural practices good for the environment? Or at least for the crops? If we look at a small field at a particular time point, it may seem they are good. But looking at a broader picture gives a different notion. In a recent study, Edlinger et al. collected 210 soil samples from traditional…