Imperial College London
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ProfessorMartinBidartondo

Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park)

Professor of Molecular Ecology
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 8332 5382m.bidartondo Website

 
 
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Location

 

Jodrell GateRoyal Botanic GardensRoyal Botanic Gardens

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Kowal:2018:aob/mcx126,
author = {Kowal, J and Pressel, S and Duckett, JG and Bidartondo, MI and Field, KJ},
doi = {aob/mcx126},
journal = {Annals of Botany},
pages = {221--227},
title = {From rhizoids to roots? Experimental evidence of mutualism between liverworts and ascomycete fungi.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcx126},
volume = {121},
year = {2018}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Background and Aims: The rhizoids of leafy liverworts (Jungermanniales, Marchantiophyta) are commonly colonized by the ascomycete fungus Pezoloma ericae. These associations are hypothesized to be functionally analogous to the ericoid mycorrhizas (ErMs) formed by P. ericae with the roots of Ericaceae plants in terms of bi-directional phosphorus for carbon exchange; however, this remains unproven. Here, we test whether associations between the leafy liverwort Cephalozia bicuspidata and P. ericae are mutualistic. Methods: We measured movement of phosphorus and carbon between C. bicuspidata and P. ericae using [33P]orthophosphate and 14CO2 isotope tracers in monoxenic cultures. We also measured leafy liverwort growth, with and without P. ericae. Key Results: We present the first demonstration of nutritionally mutualistic symbiosis between a non-vascular plant and an ErM-forming fungus, showing transfer of fungal-acquired P to the liverwort and of liverwort-fixed C to the fungus alongside increased growth in fungus-colonized liverworts. Conclusions: Thus, this ascomycete-liverwort symbiosis can now be described as mycorrhiza-like, providing further insights into ericoid mycorrhizal evolution and adding Ascomycota fungi to mycorrhizal fungal groups engaging in mutualisms with plants across the land plant phylogeny. As P. ericae also colonizes the rhizoids of Schistochilaceae liverworts, which originated in the Triassic and are sister to all other jungermannialean liverworts associated with fungi, our findings point toward an early origin of ascomycete-liverwort symbioses, possibly pre-dating their evolution in the Ericales by some 150 million years.
AU  - Kowal,J
AU  - Pressel,S
AU  - Duckett,JG
AU  - Bidartondo,MI
AU  - Field,KJ
DO  - aob/mcx126
EP  - 227
PY  - 2018///
SN  - 0305-7364
SP  - 221
TI  - From rhizoids to roots? Experimental evidence of mutualism between liverworts and ascomycete fungi.
T2  - Annals of Botany
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcx126
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/56233
VL  - 121
ER  -
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