mycorrhizal associations

Ectomycorrhizal fungi recruit hyphae-associated bacteria that metabolize thiamine to promote pine symbiosis

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Pine trees partner with special fungi that help them absorb nutrients from soil. However, these fungi sometimes lack vitamin B1 (thiamine) needed for growth. Researchers discovered that these fungi recruit helpful bacteria that produce thiamine, creating a three-way partnership. When all three partners work together, pine seedlings grow much better, showing how nature uses teamwork to help plants thrive in forests.

Metabarcoding Unveils Seasonal Soil Microbiota Shifts and Their Influence on Boletus edulis and Boletus reticulatus Mycelium in Quercus robur Stands

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This research studied how soil bacteria and fungi change across fall months in oak forests in Spain and how these changes relate to the growth of valuable edible mushrooms (Boletus species). Scientists used DNA analysis to identify thousands of different microorganisms in the soil. They found that September had the most diverse microbial communities, October showed a decline, and November saw partial recovery. Importantly, Boletus mycelium showed different patterns of growth depending on the month and was associated with specific beneficial bacteria and fungi.

Integrated peloton and fruiting body isotope data shed light on mycoheterotrophic interactions in Gastrodia pubilabiata (Orchidaceae)

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This study examined how a special orchid called Gastrodia pubilabiata obtains nutrients from fungi by comparing the chemical signatures of fungal cells found inside the orchid’s roots with those of mushroom fruiting bodies. The researchers found that the fungal cells inside the roots had nearly identical chemical signatures to the mushroom fruiting bodies, confirming that scientists can accurately study this relationship by analyzing extracted fungal cells. This finding helps validate a scientific method that has been increasingly used to understand how orchids feed on fungi without performing photosynthesis.

Plant species and soil moisture shape rhizosphere microbiota in an unusually productive tundra ecosystem of North Greenland

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In one of Earth’s most extreme environments—North Greenland’s Arctic tundra—scientists discovered that water availability and plant types strongly influence the invisible microbial communities living in soil around plant roots. Using advanced genetic sequencing, they found that different plants host distinct communities of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, with fungi showing the strongest plant-specific associations. These findings help us understand how Arctic ecosystems function and may adapt to climate change.

Can the DSE Fungus Exserohilum rostratum Mitigate the Effect of Salinity on the Grass Chloris gayana?

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Researchers tested whether a fungus called Exserohilum rostratum could help Rhodes grass tolerate salty soils. While the fungus survived well in salty conditions and colonized plant roots, it only moderately improved plant growth under high salt levels. The fungus did help plants maintain better potassium and calcium balance compared to non-inoculated plants, but this wasn’t always enough to overcome severe salt stress.

Phylogenetic placements and cultural characteristics of Tuber species isolated from ectomycorrhizas

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Researchers successfully grew truffle fungi in the laboratory by isolating them from the roots of fir trees in Japanese forests. They identified eight different truffle species or lineages and studied how they grew on nutrient agar plates, finding that while they shared basic characteristics like white filamentous colonies, they had many differences in growth rates and hyphal structure. The study shows that collecting truffles from tree roots can be an effective way to obtain pure cultures of these fungi when fruiting bodies cannot be found.

Enhancing consistency in arbuscular mycorrhizal trait-based research to improve predictions of function

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This review addresses how to better study fungal partners that help plants grow by proposing standardized methods to measure fungal characteristics. These fungi form beneficial partnerships with plant roots, improving nutrient uptake and soil health. By developing consistent measurement approaches and databases of fungal traits, scientists can better predict how these fungi affect plants and ecosystems.

Newly Designed Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Probes Reveal Previously Unknown Endophytic Abilities of Tuber magnatum in Herbaceous Plants

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Scientists discovered that Italian white truffles (Tuber magnatum) can live inside the roots of common herbaceous plants like sedges, not just the oak and poplar trees where they are typically found. Using special fluorescent probes and advanced microscopy, researchers confirmed the presence of active truffle threads inside these plants, particularly in spring. This discovery challenges our understanding of how truffles interact with their environment and may explain why truffle cultivation has been difficult, suggesting they employ more diverse survival strategies than previously thought.

Research Keyword: mycorrhizal associations