Plants, mycorrhizal fungi, and bacteria: a network of interactions
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a plant. In a mycorrhizal association, the fungus may colonize the roots of a host plant, either intracellularly (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) or extracellularly (ectomycorrhizal fungi). These communities are important in plant growth and soil flora. This review focuses on interactions among plants, mycorrhizal fungi, and bacteria, testing the hypothesis whether mycorrhizas can be defined as tripartite associations. After summarizing the main biological features of mycorrhizas, it illustrates the different types of interaction occurring between mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria, from loosely associated microbes to endobacteria. It also discusses, in the context of nutritional strategies, the mechanisms that operate among members of the consortium and that often promote plant growth. Release of active molecules, including volatiles, and physical contact among the partners seem important for the establishment of the bacteria/mycorrhizal fungus/plant network. The potential involvement of quorum sensing and Type III secretion systems is discussed, even if the exact nature of the complex interspecies/interphylum interactions remains unclear.
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Tags: Agriculture, Bacteria, Biology, Environment, Fungi, Microbiology, Mycology, mycorrhiza, plants, Science, soil
Is that the same thing that happens with Lichen? I mean, does the fungus provide the algae with nitrogen nutrients or is it just living off of the algae’s photosynthesis?
Yes, the fungus provides the alga with nutrients in a lichen, but the precise arrangement between them is not clear, whether it is true mutualism – where both [partners benefit equally – or whether one gains more than the other.