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Edith Hammer. Photo.

Edith Hammer

Senior lecturer

Edith Hammer. Photo.

The influence of different stresses on glomalin levels in an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus-salinity increases glomalin content.

Author

  • Edith Hammer
  • Matthias C Rillig

Summary, in English

Glomalin is a glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and the soil fraction containing glomalin is correlated with soil aggregation. Thus, factors potentially influencing glomalin production could be of relevance for this ecosystem process and for understanding AM fungal physiology. Previous work indicated that glomalin production in AM fungi may be a stress response, or related to suboptimal mycelium growth. We show here that environmental stress can enhance glomalin production in the mycelium of the AM fungus Glomus intraradices. We applied NaCl and glycerol in different intensities to the medium in which the fungus was grown in vitro, causing salinity stress and osmotic stress, respectively. As a third stress type, we simulated grazing on the extraradical hyphae of the fungus by mechanically injuring the mycelium by clipping. NaCl caused a strong increase, while the clipping treatment led to a marginally significant increase in glomalin production. Even though salinity stress includes osmotic stress, we found substantially different responses in glomalin production due to the NaCl and the glycerol treatment, as glycerol addition did not cause any response. Thus, our results indicate that glomalin is involved in inducible stress responses in AM fungi for salinity, and possibly grazing stress.

Department/s

  • MEMEG
  • Microbial Ecology

Publishing year

2011

Language

English

Publication/Series

PLoS ONE

Volume

6

Issue

12

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Status

Published

Research group

  • Microbial Ecology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1932-6203