Sensitive approach and future perspectives in microscopic patterns of mycorrhizal roots

Abstract

The harmonization of methodologies for the assessment of radicular endophytic colonization is a current necessity, especially for the arbuscular mycorrhizas. The functionality of mycorrhizal symbionts for plants can be described only by indicators obtained based on microscopic analysis. That is the reason for which a unifying methodology will lead to the achievement of highly correlated indicators comparable from one research to another. Our proposed methodology can further digitize the microscopic observations of colonization. The MycoPatt system is developed as a methodological framework for obtaining objective and comparable microscopic observations. The horizontal, vertical and transversal indicators are highly adaptable and allow the tracking of mycorrhizal colonization in root length. All structures developed by symbionts can be traced and the obtained metadata can be compared without any transformation. Mycorrhizal maps have a high degree of applicability in evaluating soil inoculum efficiency. In the future, the application of this method will lead to digital maps with a high degree of accuracy. MycoPatt allows the mathematical expression of colonization patterns, being a complex model that converts biological data into statistically comparable indicators. This will further allow obtaining inferences with applicative importance and similarity spectra for the colonizing fungi and host plants.

Mycorrhizal Patterns in the Roots of Dominant Festuca rubra in a High-Natural-Value Grassland

“…The entire process flow is presented in Figure 6 . Microscopic evaluation was performed at a magnification of 40× using an Optika microscope, and the mycorrhizal pattern method, proposed by Stoian et al [ 32 ], was used This method evaluates the mycorrhizal colonization in 1 cm root segments. For each segment, 15 microscopic fields were analyzed in order to obtain the entire mycorrhizal colonization image of the segment, and 15 segments were analyzed for each replication, resulting in 60 segments in total.…”

“…All images from one segment were analyzed to assess mycorrhizal structures. The indicators were obtained using the MycoPatt tool, as described by Stoian et al [ 32 ]. The mycorrhizal pattern method, due to it digital characteristics, shows the real position of all fungal structures, along with the automatically calculation of all indicators.…”

“…Studies have provided valuable information regarding the symbiotic basis of plant survival and success in competition with other taxa. The MycoPatt tool [ 32 ] analyzes the mycorrhizal extension patterns in roots and extracts three forms of all the colonization parameters. The capacity of this tool for comprehensive analysis of mycorrhized roots makes it useful for the detailed assessment of colonization, even for arbuscule development.…”

Divergence in Corn Mycorrhizal Colonization Patterns Due to Organic Treatment

“…MycoPatt evaluates in detail how mycorrhizae are extended and each indicator is calculated separately horizontally and vertically for each microscopic field. In this way, the final data report was made objectively and shows the real extent of the structures in the roots [36,49].…”

Soil microbiome manipulation and its effect on the soil-plant interface

“…Therefore, a standardization in the microscope analysis of mycorrhiza is required. In this sense, Stoian et al (2019) developed a new technic based on the digitalization of the microscopic observations of colonization and a methodological framework for obtaining objective and comparable microscopic observations.…”