title: Myco-heterotroph/epiparasitic plant interactions with ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
abstract: More than 400 achlorophyllous plant species in 87 genera are parasitic upon fungi, and exploit them as their principle source of carbon. With a few exceptions, most of these myco-heterotrophic plants are now thought to be 'cheats', stealing carbon and nutrients from the mycorrhizal associates of adjacent autotrophic plants. Most myco-heterotrophs are therefore considered to be epiparasitic on green plants. Both the ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses have been invaded by myco-heterotrophic epiparasites. DNA analysis is revealing the identities of many of the fungal partners of myco-heterotrophs, and their exceptionally high specificity. Myco-heterotrophs have distinctive stable isotope signatures, which can be used to establish the dependence upon fungal carbon of green plants that are partially myco-heterotrophic.
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. j.r.leake@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Leake
mesh_terms: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes