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Hyphal exploration strategies and habitat modification of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in microengineered soil chips

Hammer, Edith C. LU ; Arellano-Caicedo, Carlos ; Mafla-Endara, Paola Micaela LU ; Kiers, E. Toby ; Shimizu, Tom ; Ohlsson, Pelle LU orcid and Aleklett, Kristin LU (2024) In Fungal Ecology 67.
Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered ecosystem engineers, but the interactions of their mycelium with their immediate surroundings are largely unknown. In this study, we used microfluidic chips, simulating artificial soil structures, to study foraging strategies and habitat modification of Rhizophagus irregularis symbiotically associated to carrot roots. AMF hyphae foraged over long distances in nutrient-void spaces, preferred straight over tortuous passages, anastomosed and showed strong inducement of branching when encountering obstacles. We measured bi-directional transport of cellular content inside active hyphae and documented strategic allocation of biomass within the mycelium via cytoplasm retraction from inefficient... (More)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered ecosystem engineers, but the interactions of their mycelium with their immediate surroundings are largely unknown. In this study, we used microfluidic chips, simulating artificial soil structures, to study foraging strategies and habitat modification of Rhizophagus irregularis symbiotically associated to carrot roots. AMF hyphae foraged over long distances in nutrient-void spaces, preferred straight over tortuous passages, anastomosed and showed strong inducement of branching when encountering obstacles. We measured bi-directional transport of cellular content inside active hyphae and documented strategic allocation of biomass within the mycelium via cytoplasm retraction from inefficient paths. R. irregularis modified pore-spaces in the chips by clogging pores with irregularly shaped spores. We suggest that studying AMF hyphal behaviour in spatial settings can explain phenomena reported at bulk scale such as AMF modification of water retention in soils. The use of microfluidic soil chips in AMF research opens up novel opportunities to study their ecophysiology and interactions with both biotic and abiotic factors.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
AMF, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Behaviour, Fungi-on-a-chip, Hyphal behaviour, Microfluidics, Mycorrhizal traits, Rhizophagus irregularis, Soil chips, Soil pore space
in
Fungal Ecology
volume
67
article number
101302
pages
10 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85177874120
ISSN
1754-5048
DOI
10.1016/j.funeco.2023.101302
project
The Soil Chip
A window to the soil: Microchips reveal Soil Carbon dynamics
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Funding Information: ECH recognizes funding from the Swedish Research Council ( VR-621-2014-5912 ), the Foundation for Strategic Research (Future research leader grant SSF FFL18-0089 ) and the strategic research environment BECC. ETK was supported by an NWO-VICI (202.012), ETK and TS were supported by HFSP ( RGP 0029 ). KA recognises funding from the Swedish Research Council (VR 2022–03505 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
id
6e2072d3-6e2c-4af4-b314-245b6a999dc8
date added to LUP
2023-12-11 12:25:19
date last changed
2023-12-11 13:41:22
@article{6e2072d3-6e2c-4af4-b314-245b6a999dc8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered ecosystem engineers, but the interactions of their mycelium with their immediate surroundings are largely unknown. In this study, we used microfluidic chips, simulating artificial soil structures, to study foraging strategies and habitat modification of Rhizophagus irregularis symbiotically associated to carrot roots. AMF hyphae foraged over long distances in nutrient-void spaces, preferred straight over tortuous passages, anastomosed and showed strong inducement of branching when encountering obstacles. We measured bi-directional transport of cellular content inside active hyphae and documented strategic allocation of biomass within the mycelium via cytoplasm retraction from inefficient paths. R. irregularis modified pore-spaces in the chips by clogging pores with irregularly shaped spores. We suggest that studying AMF hyphal behaviour in spatial settings can explain phenomena reported at bulk scale such as AMF modification of water retention in soils. The use of microfluidic soil chips in AMF research opens up novel opportunities to study their ecophysiology and interactions with both biotic and abiotic factors.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hammer, Edith C. and Arellano-Caicedo, Carlos and Mafla-Endara, Paola Micaela and Kiers, E. Toby and Shimizu, Tom and Ohlsson, Pelle and Aleklett, Kristin}},
  issn         = {{1754-5048}},
  keywords     = {{AMF; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Behaviour; Fungi-on-a-chip; Hyphal behaviour; Microfluidics; Mycorrhizal traits; Rhizophagus irregularis; Soil chips; Soil pore space}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Fungal Ecology}},
  title        = {{Hyphal exploration strategies and habitat modification of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in microengineered soil chips}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2023.101302}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.funeco.2023.101302}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}