Systematic and functional aspects of symbiotic fungi

该提案的中心部分有两个主要组成部分：一个有前途的新的和强大的识别工具的丛枝菌根（AM）真菌的发展，并继续探索与AM共生的建立相关的功能方面。第三个组成部分的目的是提供一个更大的洞察因素负责启动外生菌根（ECM）真菌子实体的形成。对于AM共生，阻碍生物多样性研究的一个主要挑战是正确识别真菌。拟议的项目将耦合经典的鉴定，孢子形态的基础上，物种特异性分子探针的设计。这种方法将允许鉴定AM真菌和确定给定物种的遗传界限。第二个项目将研究细胞质流动，以及AM真菌芽管中细胞器的运动和活性，这些芽管表现出细分支或亚军菌丝生长模式。球囊霉属不同遗传簇的根外菌丝体的表型表达。还将使用分形维数计算器程序进行表征。对于EMC共生，大多数子实体在夏末，在宿主树的芽座之后发育。这表明植物来源的光周期调节信号在触发ECM真菌原基的形成中起关键作用。一个体外系统将被用来测试这一理论，并测试不同的处理对子实体形成的影响。对AM真菌的研究结果将是物种的准确鉴定和对其多样性、生物学和生态学的更好理解。最后，可以设想，植物来源的信号作为ECM子实体的潜在启动器的作用的调查，将在食用ECM真菌的培养和商业化生产的应用。

The central part of this proposal has two principal components: the development of a promising novel and robust identification tool for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and the continued exploration of the functional aspects associated with the establishment of the AM symbiosis. A third component aims to provide a greater insight into the factors responsible for initiating ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal fruitbody formation. For the AM symbiosis, a major challenge that hampers biodiversity studies is the correct identification of the mycobionts. The proposed project will couple classical identification, based on spore morphology, with the design of species-specific molecular probes. This approach will allow identification of AM fungi and the determination of the genetic delimitation of a given species. A second project will investigate cytoplasm streaming, and the movement and activity of organelles in AM fungal germ tubes exhibiting either the fine branching or runner hyphae growth pattern. The phenotypic expression of the extraradical mycelium of genetically distinct clusters of Glomus spp. will also be characterized using the Fractal Dimension Calculator program. For the EMC symbiosis, most fruitbodies develop at the end of summer, after bud set of the host tree. This suggests that plant-derived photoperiod-regulated signals play a key role in triggering the formation of ECM fungal primordia. An in vitro system will be used to test this theory, and to test the effect of diverse treatments on fruitbody formation. The outcome of the research on AM fungi will be the accurate identification of species and an improved understanding of their diversity, biology and ecology. Finally, it is envisaged that investigations into the role of plant-derived signal as potential initiators of ECM fruiting bodies, will have applications in the cultivation and commercial production of edible ECM fungi.