Flavonoid levels in roots of Medicago sativa are modulated by the developmental stage of the symbiosis and the root colonizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus

• Published in: Journal of plant physiology Vol. 159; no. 12; pp. 1329 - 1339
• Main Authors: Larose, Geneviève, Chênevert, Robert, Moutoglis, Peter, Gagné, Serge, Piché, Yves, Vierheilig, Horst
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jena Elsevier GmbH 01.12.2002; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; arbuscular mycorrhiza; Biological and medical sciences; Economic plant physiology; flavonoid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glomales; Medicago sativa; Parasitism and symbiosis; Plant physiology and development; signalling; specificity; Symbiosis; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); Glomales; specificity; flavonoid; arbuscular mycorrhiza; signalling; Medicago sativa; Symbiosis; Root; Growth; Phycomycetes; Flavonoid; Fungi; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Mycorrhiza; Spermatophyta; Microorganism; Biological accumulation; Colonization; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0176-1617; 1618-1328
• DOI: 10.1078/0176-1617-00896

Abundant data on the effect of flavonoids on spore germination, hyphal growth and root colonization by AMF are available. Moreover, the flavonoid pattern in mycorrhizal roots changes, thus flavonoids have been suggested as arbuscular mycorrhizal signalling compounds. In our work we studied the accumulation of flavonoids in roots of Medicago sativa i) after the exposure of uncolonized roots to sterile solutions containing Glomus intraradices tissue, ii) at three different stages of colonization by G. mosseae, iii) colonized by G. mosseae, G. intraradices or Gigaspora rosea. We could show that flavonoid accumulation in M. sativa roots i) is induced before root colonization, pointing towards the presence of a fungal-derived signal, ii) depends on the developmental stage of the symbiosis and iii) depends on the root-colonizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. The data presented indicate not only a time-specificity of the flavonoid accumulation during the mycorrhizal association, but also an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal-specificity. The possible functions of the flavonoid pattern changes are discussed.