Aminoethoxyvinylglycine, an inhibitor of ethylene production in higher plants, does not inhibit methionine-induced ethylene production by the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria laccata (Scop, ex Fr.) Berk. & Br. Aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid is not a precursor of ethylene formation by L. laccata or Hebeloma crustiliniforme.

To test the hypothesis that phytohormone production is related to mycorrhizae formation 29 isolates of ectomycorrhizal fungi have been evaluated for production of ethylene and auxin in pure culture and for their ability to form ectomycorrhizae with Pinus mugo. The fungi tested included a series of monokaryotic isolates of Laccaria bicolor and dikaryotic isolates of Amanita muscaria, Hebeloma crustuliniforme, L. laccata, L. proxima, Pisolithus tinctorius, Rhizopogon ellenae, and R. vinicolor. Inoculated root systems were rated for mycorrhizae formation, root/shoot ratio and root morphology. P. tinctorius isolates which formed abundant mycorrhizae produce no ethylene in vitro, but did produce the auxin IAA. L. bicolor isolates produced ethylene as well as auxins putatively identified as IAA, and IBA. Correlations between phytohormone production and mycorrhizogenicity will be presented.