In vitro mycorrhization of pear (Pyrus communis)

The Mycelium Donor Plant system (MDP) was adapted to study the time course of the colonization of Pyrus communis by Rhizophagus irregularis under in vitro conditions. Isolated germinated spores did not colonize pear roots. Inoculum composed of R. irregularis spores/mycelium associated with chicory root fragments was used to inoculate Medicago truncatula which became thereafter the MDP of pear plantlets. Typical intraradical structures (hyphae, arbuscules, spores/vesicles) and appressoria were observed in the pear roots. During acclimatization, the pear plants formed a densely branched root system. R. irregularis colonization not only altered the root architecture but also changed the nutrient composition of the acclimatized pear plantlets.

AM fungi root colonization increases the production of essential isoprenoids vs. nonessential isoprenoids especially under drought stress conditions or after jasmonic acid application

Previous studies have shown that root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi enhances plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors and finally plant growth. However, little is known about the effect of AM on isoprenoid foliar and root content. In this study we tested whether the AM symbiosis affects carbon resource allocation to different classes of isoprenoids such as the volatile nonessential isoprenoids (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) and the non-volatile essential isoprenoids (abscisic acid, chlorophylls and carotenoids). By subjecting the plants to stressors such as drought and to exogenous application of JA, we wanted to test their interaction with AM symbiosis in conditions where isoprenoids usually play a role in resistance to stress and in plant defence. Root colonization by AM fungi favoured the leaf production of essential isoprenoids rather than nonessential ones, especially under drought stress conditions or after JA application. The increased carbon demand brought on by AM fungi might thus influence not only the amount of carbon allocated to isoprenoids, but also the carbon partitioning between the different classes of isoprenoids, thus explaining the not previously shown decrease of root volatile isoprenoids in AM plants. We propose that since AM fungi are a nutrient source for the plant, other carbon sinks normally necessary to increase nutrient uptake can be avoided and therefore the plant can devote more resources to synthesize essential isoprenoids for plant growth.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization on terpene emission and content of Artemisia annua L

Plant roots interact with a wide variety of rhizospheric microorganisms, including bacteria and the symbiontic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The mycorrhizal symbiosis represents a series of complex feedbacks between plant and fungus regulated by their physiology and nutrition. Despite the widespread distribution and ecological significance of AM symbiosis, little is known about the potential of AM fungi to affect plant VOC metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether colonization of plant roots by AM fungi and associated soil microorganisms affects VOC emission and content of Artemisia annua L. plants (Asteraceae). Two inoculum types were evaluated: one consisted of only an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus species (Glomus spp.), and the other was a mixture of different Glomus species and associated soil bacteria. Inoculated plants were compared with non-inoculated plants and with plants supplemented with extra phosphorus (P) to obtain plants of the same size as mycorrhizal plants, thus excluding potentially-confounding mycorrhizal effects on shoot growth. VOC emissions of Artemisia annua plants were analyzed by leaf cuvette sampling followed by off-line measurements with pre-concentration and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Measurements of CO(2) and H(2)O exchanges were conducted simultaneously. Several volatile monoterpenes were identified and characterized from leaf emissions of Artemisia annua L. by GC-MS analysis. The main components identified belong to different monoterpene structures: alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, camphor, 1,8-cineole, limonene, and artemisia ketone. A good correlation between monoterpene leaf concentration and leaf emission was found. Leaf extracts included also several sesquiterpenes. Total terpene content and emission was not affected by AM inoculation with or without bacteria, while emission of limonene and artemisia ketone was stimulated by this treatment. No differences were found among treatments for single monoterpene content, while accumulation of specific sesquiterpenes in leaves was altered in mycorrhizal plants compared to control plants. Growth conditions seemed to have mainly contributed to the outcome of the symbiosis and influenced the magnitude of the plant response. These results highlight the importance of considering the below-ground interaction between plant and soil for estimating VOC emission rates and their ecological role at multitrophic levels.