Fungal Species: Rhizophagus irregularis

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-Assisted Phytoremediation: A Promising Strategy for Cadmium-Contaminated Soils

Cadmium contamination in farm soils poses serious threats to food safety and human health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial fungi that form partnerships with plant roots and can significantly reduce the amount of cadmium that plants absorb from contaminated soil. These fungi work through multiple mechanisms including physically trapping cadmium in soil, improving plant nutrition and stress resilience, and enhancing the plant’s natural detoxification systems. This natural approach offers a sustainable and cost-effective strategy for cleaning up contaminated agricultural land.

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Intracellular accommodation of bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes by plants analyzed using transmission electron microscopy

Scientists used high-powered electron microscopes to examine how plants host different microorganisms inside their cells. They found that whether the microorganism is a helpful nitrogen-fixing bacterium, a nutrient-exchanging fungus, or a disease-causing oomycete, plants always separate it from the rest of the cell with a special membrane. This study reveals fundamental similarities in how plants accommodate different types of microorganisms, despite the very different outcomes for the plant.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal networks—A climate-smart blueprint for agriculture

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial organisms that form partnerships with plant roots to improve crop health and productivity without relying heavily on synthetic chemicals. These fungal networks enhance soil health, help plants survive droughts and diseases, improve nutrient absorption, and redistribute water through the soil. By using proper farming practices like crop diversification and fungal inoculants, farmers can harness these natural networks to increase yields while reducing fertilizer costs and environmental pollution.

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Arbuscular mycorrhiza suppresses microbial abundance, and particularly that of ammonia oxidizing bacteria, in agricultural soils

This study examined how a common soil fungus called arbuscular mycorrhiza affects bacteria and archaea that process ammonia in agricultural soils. Using 50 different soils from the Czech Republic, researchers found that the fungus suppresses ammonia-oxidizing bacteria but not archaea. Interestingly, the fungus actually increased ammonia levels in soil rather than depleting them, suggesting the suppression works through mechanisms beyond simple competition for nutrients.

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Research landscape of experiments on global change effects on mycorrhizas

Scientists conducted a comprehensive review of research studies examining how mycorrhizal fungi—fungi that help plants grow by living in their roots—respond to environmental changes caused by humans. They analyzed nearly 2,900 studies and found that most research focuses on just one environmental stress at a time, with very little studying how multiple stresses work together. The review identifies important gaps in our knowledge, particularly for emerging environmental threats like microplastics and for certain types of mycorrhizal fungi that haven’t been studied as much.

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In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review

This review examines how beneficial fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can be grown alongside plants in laboratory conditions to improve plant growth and stress tolerance. These fungi form partnerships with plant roots, helping them absorb more nutrients and water while protecting them from diseases and environmental stress. By combining this mycorrhizal inoculation with plant tissue culture techniques, scientists can produce large numbers of healthier, more resilient plants for agriculture.

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Cellular anatomy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are special underground fungi that form partnerships with plant roots to help plants grow. Unlike most cells, these fungi form long, tube-like structures without walls dividing them into sections, allowing nutrients and other materials to flow freely throughout their networks. This review explains how these fungi are built at the cellular level, including their walls, membranes, and internal structures, helping scientists better understand how they exchange nutrients with plants and contribute to healthy ecosystems.

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Mycorrhizae and grapevines: the known unknowns of their interaction for wine growers’ challenges

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form beneficial partnerships with grapevine roots, improving plant health and wine quality. These fungi help grapevines absorb water and nutrients more efficiently, making them more resistant to drought and diseases. The effectiveness of this partnership depends on which specific fungi are present, the type of grapevine rootstock used, and how vineyard soil is managed. As climate change creates new challenges for wine growers, using AMF as natural biostimulants could help grapevines better tolerate heat, drought, and other stresses.

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Microbes as Teachers: Rethinking Knowledge in the Anthropocene

Microbes have been the architects of life on Earth for nearly 4 billion years, managing oxygen production, nutrient cycles, and climate stability—yet we rarely recognize their wisdom. This paper argues we should treat microbes as teachers rather than mere subjects of study or exploitation. By reforming education, policy, and how we think about our relationship with microbial life, we can solve modern challenges like climate change and disease while learning to coexist with the microscopic majority that sustains all life.

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In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review

Mycorrhizal fungi form beneficial partnerships with plant roots, significantly improving plant health and resilience to environmental stresses like drought and disease. Scientists can now grow these fungi in laboratory conditions alongside plant tissues to create enhanced plants that are stronger and more productive. This in vitro mycorrhization approach offers a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides, potentially revolutionizing agriculture to better withstand climate change challenges while maintaining food security.

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