1. Ectomycorrhizal fungi enhance pine growth by stimulating iron-dependent mechanisms with trade-offs in symbiotic performance.
- Author
-
Zhang K, Wang H, Tappero R, Bhatnagar JM, Vilgalys R, Barry K, Keymanesh K, Tejomurthula S, Grigoriev IV, Kew WR, Eder EK, Nicora CD, and Liao HL
- Subjects
- Plant Roots microbiology, Plant Roots metabolism, Plant Roots growth & development, Mycorrhizae physiology, Symbiosis, Pinus microbiology, Pinus growth & development, Iron metabolism
- Abstract
Iron (Fe) is crucial for metabolic functions of living organisms. Plants access occluded Fe through interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms and symbionts. Yet, the interplay between Fe addition and plant-mycorrhizal interactions, especially the molecular mechanisms underlying mycorrhiza-assisted Fe processing in plants, remains largely unexplored. We conducted mesocosms in Pinus plants inoculated with different ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) Suillus species under conditions with and without Fe coatings. Meta-transcriptomic, biogeochemical, and X-ray fluorescence imaging analyses were applied to investigate early-stage mycorrhizal roots. While Fe addition promoted Pinus growth, it concurrently reduced mycorrhiza formation rate, symbiosis-related metabolites in plant roots, and aboveground plant carbon and macronutrient content. This suggested potential trade-offs between Fe-enhanced plant growth and symbiotic performance. However, the extent of this trade-off may depend on interactions between host plants and EMF species. Interestingly, dual EMF species were more effective at facilitating plant Fe uptake by inducing diverse Fe-related functions than single-EMF species. This subsequently triggered various Fe-dependent physiological and biochemical processes in Pinus roots, significantly contributing to Pinus growth. However, this resulted in a greater carbon allocation to roots, relatively reducing the aboveground plant carbon content. Our study offers critical insights into how EMF communities rebalance benefits of Fe-induced effects on symbiotic partners., (© 2023 Battelle Memorial Institute. Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC and The Authors. New Phytologist © 2023 New Phytologist Foundation This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF