Nutrient transfer to plants by phylogenetically diverse fungi suggests convergent evolutionary strategies in rhizospheric symbionts

Most land plants are able to form symbiotic associations with fungi, and in many cases these associations are necessary for plant and fungal survival. These plant/fungal associations are formed with mycorrhizal (arbuscular mycorrhizal or ectomycorrhizal) or endophytic fungi, fungi from distinct phyl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communicative & integrative biology 2013-01, Vol.6 (1), p.e22321-e22321
Main Authors: Behie, Scott W., Padilla-Guerrero, Israel E., Bidochka, Michael J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
convergent evolution
endophyte
fungus
insect pathogen
Mini Review
plant symbiosis
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Summary:Most land plants are able to form symbiotic associations with fungi, and in many cases these associations are necessary for plant and fungal survival. These plant/fungal associations are formed with mycorrhizal (arbuscular mycorrhizal or ectomycorrhizal) or endophytic fungi, fungi from distinct phylogenetic lineages. While it has been shown that mycorrhizal fungi are able to transfer nutrients to plant roots in exchange for carbon, endophytes have been thought as asymptomatic colonizers. Recently, however, it has been shown that some insect pathogenic endophytic fungi are able to transfer insect derived nitrogen to plant roots, likely in exchange for plant sugars. Here we explore potential convergent evolutionary strategies for nutrient transfer between insect pathogenic endophytes and mycorrhizal fungus.
ISSN:1942-0889
1942-0889
DOI:10.4161/cib.22321