Event Details

Symbiotic phenology and function in a lycophyte

Fungi and plants have engaged in intimate symbioses that are globally widespread and have driven terrestrial biogeochemical processes since plant terrestrialisation >500 Mya. Recently, hitherto unknown nutritional mutualisms involving ancient lineages of fungi and non-vascular plants have been discovered. However, their extent and functional significance in vascular plants remains uncertain.

Lycophytes are considered to be the earliest divergent extant tracheophyte plant lineage and represent the transition from non-vascular to vascular plants. Lycophytes are characterised by an “alternation of generations” lifecycle, however mycorrhizal functioning in such lifecycles is complex and poorly understood.

By measuring bi-directional transfer of carbon-for-nutrients across key life stages of Lycopodiella inundata, we show that Mucoromycotina fine root endophyte (MFRE) associates have considerable plasticity in their interactions with ancient lineages of land plants and play critical and distinct roles in their functionality across different developmental stages of its host.

This study highlights the importance of measuring mycorrhizal functionality across multiple plant life history stages.