The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonising roots and root nodules of New Zealand kauri Agathis australis.
As the only endemic member in New Zealand of the ancient conifer family, Araucariaceae, Agathis australis is an ideal species to study putatively long-evolved mycorrhizal symbioses. However, little is known about A. australis root and nodular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and how mycorrhizal colonisation occurs. We used light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy to characterise colonisation, and 454-sequencing to identify the AMF associated with A. australis roots and nodules. We interpreted the results in terms of the edaphic characteristics of the A. australis-influenced ecosystem. Representatives of five families of Glomeromycota were identified via high-throughput pyrosequencing. Imaging studies showed that there is abundant, but not ubiquitous, colonisation of nodules, which suggests that nodules are mostly colonised by horizontal transmission. Roots were also found to harbour AMF. This study is the first to demonstrate the multiple Glomeromycota lineages associated with A. australis including some that may not have been previously detected.
Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road, Auckland 1072, New Zealand. Electronic address: padamseem@landcareresearch.co.nz.
Mahajabeen
M
Padamsee
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Renee B
RB
Johansen
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
S Alexander
SA
Stuckey
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
Stephen E
SE
Williams
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
John E
JE
Hooker
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Bruce R
BR
Burns
Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road, Auckland 1072, New Zealand.
Stanley E
SE
Bellgard
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D008853:Microscopy; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009520:New Zealand; D010802:Phylogeny; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000382:microbiology*
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
Bioinformatics; Metagenomics; Phylogenetics; Phytophthora agathidicida; Podocarpaceae; Ultrastructure