Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in Mycorrhizal Networks and Mycoheterotrophic Plants of Tropical Forests: A Stable Isotope Analysis  

Abstract

Most achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophic (MH) plants obtain carbon (C) from

Mycorrhizal Networks: Common Goods of Plants Shared under Unequal Terms of Trade

“…Hence, CMNs can exist without causing significant additional costs to either partner, especially when the cost of carbon is negligible for the main carbon donor. This appeared to be the case for sorghum, which dominated (approximately 60% by biomass weight) in our mixed cultures, or more obviously, for large trees supporting small mycoheterotrophic plants (Courty et al, 2011).…”

“…These plants connect themselves to an existing CMN to receive both carbon and mineral nutrients (Bidartondo et al, 2002;Courty et al, 2011). There is an ongoing debate over whether carbon transfer through CMNs may also occur among autotrophic plants (Bever et al, 2010;Hodge et al, 2010).…”

Species-dependent partitioning of C and N stable isotopes between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their C3 and C4 hosts

“…In contrast to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, there are few reports on the isotopic composition of the widespread arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the Glomeromycota. This is problematic, for example when using plant d 15 N and d 13 C to detect flow of organic matter from fungi to plant: while isotopic analyses allowed to detect such reversal of the mycorrhizal exchange in some plants associated with Ascomycota and Basidiomycota (Selosse and Roy, 2009;Hynson et al, 2013), our current knowledge of AMF isotopic contents limits similar investigations in plants mycorrhizal with AM fungi (AMF; Courty et al, 2011;Hynson et al, 2013). Several constraints complicate the isotopic analysis of AMF.…”

“…Firstly, AMF do not form fruit bodies, which provide sufficient biomass for isotopic measurements in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. However, the large spores formed by AMF can be isolated in soil (Allen and Allen, 1990;Nakano et al, 1999;Courty et al, 2011;Walder et al, 2012Walder et al, , 2013. Secondly, while ECM Ascomycota and Basidiomycota exclusively associate with C3 plants, AM Glomeromycota also associate with C4 plants, which are characterised by distinct d 13 C signatures (Hobbie and Werner, 2004).…”

The effect of different nitrogen sources on the symbiotic interaction between Sorghum bicolor and Glomus intraradices : Expression of plant and fungal genes involved in nitrogen assimilation

“…Total colonization comprised intersections containing hyphae, vesicles, spores or arbuscules. Procedure for total N and C analysis was described in Courty et al (2011). Values are mean of six replicates.…”