Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Peer-reviewed

Physiology and Transcriptomics Reveal Divergent Strategies of Mycorrhiza‐Mediated Drought Adaptation in Poplar

Huili Shi, Zhuchou Lu, Andrea Polle

Plant Cell & Environment · 2026

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Summary

Mycorrhizal symbiosis shapes plant growth and stress resilience. Here, we compared physiological and molecular responses of poplars (P. x canescens) colonised by Paxillus involutus (Pi) or Cenococcum geophilum (Cg) under control conditions, drought stress and recovery. Both fungal isolates primed distinct local (root) and systemic (leaf) defences compared to non-inoculated (Ni) plants. Cg-colonised poplars exhibited constitutively elevated transcripts of heat shock proteins, galactinol synthase and aquaporins in roots and leaves, irrespective of drought. Pi colonisation enhanced growth and nitrogen-use-efficiency, along with transcriptional increases of the TOR/RAPTOR complex in leaves. Under severe soil moisture decline, Pi and Ni poplars showed reduced water potential, photosynthesis, gr

Source type
Peer-reviewed study
DOI
10.1111/pce.70511
Catalogue ID
SNmojollcr-pxtm8k
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