Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus identity modulates growth effects of endophyte-infected grasses on neighboring plants

• Published in: Mycorrhiza Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 663 - 670
• Main Authors: Liu, Hui, Wu, Man, Chen, Jing, Gao, Yubao, Ren, Anzhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Colonization; Ecology; Endophytes; Forestry; Fungi; Grasses; Host plants; Inoculation; Life Sciences; Litter; Microbiology; Multivariate statistical analysis; Plant Sciences; Short Note; Species; Stipa krylovii; Litter; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Endophyte
• ISSN: 0940-6360; 1432-1890
• DOI: 10.1007/s00572-020-00975-7

Endophytes of grasses have been reported to affect the colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) not only of their dual host plant but also of neighboring non-endophyte-infected plants. However, studies investigating the impact of AMF identity on the effects of endophyte-infected grasses on neighboring plants are rare. In this study, we investigated the influence of Leymus chinensis litter type (NL, no litter; E-, endophyte-free litter; E-E+, half E+ and half E- litter; E+, endophyte-infected litter) on Stipa krylovii growth with different AMF species ( Claroideoglomus etunicatum , CE; Funneliformis mosseae , FM; Claroideoglomus claroideum , CC; Rhizophagus intraradices , RI). The results showed that the root biomass of S. krylovii tended to decrease with the increase of E+ litter in the mycorrhiza-free treatment. With AMF inoculation, the effects of E+ litter on the AMF colonization rate and root biomass of S. krylovii varied with AMF species. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed E+ litter could modulate the growth of S. krylovii indirectly via changes in AMF colonization rate, but this effect was related to AMF species.