Summary
This study demonstrates that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi do not function in isolation but actively recruit and rely upon specific bacterial associates to enhance symbiotic function. Using field soil microcosms and bacterial isolation techniques, the authors identified Devosia sp. ZB163 as a consistently enriched AM-associated bacterium that synergistically promotes plant growth, nitrogen acquisition, and mycorrhizal establishment. The findings reveal a tripartite symbiosis wherein bacteria mediate the ancient plant-AM fungal partnership, with implications for understanding soil microbiome assembly and plant-microbe interactions.
UK applicability
The microcosm-based findings may be relevant to UK crop and horticulture systems where AM fungi naturally occur, though field validation under UK soil and climatic conditions would be needed to establish practical applicability. The work could inform future inoculant development for sustainable intensification, though regulatory and commercialisation pathways for such microbial products remain uncertain in the UK context.
Key measures
Plant growth metrics, nitrogen uptake, mycorrhizal colonisation rates, bacterial abundance on AM hyphae and roots, isolation and characterisation of 144 bacterial isolates, bacterial community assembly, plant biomass
Outcomes reported
The study identified bacterial taxa enriched on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphae and demonstrated that Devosia sp. ZB163, an AM-associated bacterium, synergistically enhances plant growth, nitrogen uptake, and mycorrhizal colonisation when co-inoculated with AM fungi. These outcomes were measured in partitioned microcosm experiments using field soil, with measurements including bacterial community composition, plant biomass, nitrogen content, and mycorrhizal colonisation rates.
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