Summary
This laboratory study demonstrates that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi do not function in isolation but selectively recruit specific bacteria, particularly Devosia species, from the soil microbiome. Using partitioned microcosms, the authors isolated and characterised 144 bacterial isolates from extraradical hyphal samples and identified Devosia sp. ZB163 as a key AM-associated bacterium that synergistically enhances plant growth, nitrogen acquisition, and mycorrhizal colonisation. The findings reveal a tripartite symbiosis where bacterial-fungal-plant interactions are central to the effectiveness of the 400-million-year-old mycorrhizal partnership.
UK applicability
These findings on the microbial assembly and functional synergies within mycorrhizal associations have potential relevance to UK soil health and sustainable intensification strategies, though field validation in UK soil conditions and agricultural systems would be necessary to translate laboratory observations into management recommendations.
Key measures
Plant growth promotion, nitrogen uptake, mycorrhization rate, bacterial colonisation of roots and hyphae, bacterial isolate enumeration
Outcomes reported
The study identified AM hyphae-associated bacteria, particularly Devosia sp. ZB163, and demonstrated their synergistic effects on plant growth, nitrogen uptake, and mycorrhization success in partitioned microcosm experiments.
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