DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Testing the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant adaptation to serpentine soil

植物对土壤物理和化学环境或土壤因素的适应性影响植物的分布、多样性和物种形成。然而，植物对土壤因子的适应机制还不完全清楚。传统上，土壤适应性的研究集中在土壤条件对植物生长和繁殖的直接影响。将探索一个新的理论和实验框架，其中植物适应土壤因素是通过丛枝菌根（AM）真菌介导的。本研究的目标是确定是否适应植物生态类型需要特定的AM真菌类群，如果蛇纹石土壤形状AM真菌组合，以及AM真菌是否影响蛇纹石土壤中的植物生长和适合度。迄今为止的研究结果表明，植物生态型与不同的AM真菌组合在该领域。本研究利用蛇纹石（一种天然有毒土壤）来测试常见的根共生体丛枝菌根真菌在植物适应极端压力土壤环境中的作用。更广泛的影响包括对分类学和教育的贡献，以及对保护和生物修复的潜在应用。以前未知的真菌物种很可能被发现与蛇纹岩土壤上的植物有关。本科生和博士生将在微生物生物学的一个重要领域进行培训。真菌是脆弱的，植物学上重要的生态系统的关键组成部分的收集和鉴定可以显着提高当地濒危或稀有物种的恢复工作的成功。具有独特生理能力的真菌物种可能对有毒场所的生物修复有用。

Plant adaptation to soil physical and chemical environments, or edaphic factors, is known to influence plant distribution, diversification, and speciation. However, the mechanisms of plant adaptation to edaphic factors are not fully understood. Traditionally, the study of edaphic adaptation has focused on the direct effects of soil conditions on plant growth and reproduction. A new theoretical and experimental framework will be explored, in which plant adaptation to edaphic factors is mediated through arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The goals of this research are to determine if adapted plant ecotypes require specific AM fungal taxa, if serpentine soils shape AM fungal assemblages, and if AM fungi impact plant growth and fitness in serpentine soil. Findings thus far show that the plant ecotypes associate with distinct AM fungal assemblages in the field. This project uses serpentine, a naturally toxic soil, to test the role of common root symbionts, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in plant adaptation to extremely stressful soil environments. Broader impacts include contributions to taxonomy and education, and potential applications to conservation and bioremediation. Previously unknown fungal species are likely to be found associated with plants on serpentine soils. Undergraduate students and a PhD student will be trained in an important area of microbial biology. Collection and identification of fungi that are key components of a fragile, botanically important ecosystem could dramatically improve success of restoration efforts of locally endangered or rare species. Fungal species with unique physiological capabilities may be useful for bioremediation of toxic sites.