Abstract
An increasing number of investigations have shown the universal existence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the accurate distribution and function of AMF inhabiting aquatic ecosystems, especially ecological floating beds (EFBs), which are constructed for the remediation of polluted water bodies. In this study, we collected root samples of Canna generalis, Cyperus alternifolius, and Eichhornia crassipes from three EFBs on two eutrophic lakes in Wuhan, China. We aimed to investigate the resources and distribution of AMF in EFBs using Illumina Mi-seq technology. A total of 229 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 21 taxa from 348,799 Glomeromycota sequences were detected. Glomus and Acaulospora were the most dominant and second most dominant genera of AMF in the three EFBs, respectively. Different aquatic plant species showed varying degrees of AMF colonization (3.83-71%), diversity (6-103 OTUs, 3-15 virtual taxa), and abundance (14-57,551 sequences). Low AMF abundance, but relatively high AMF diversity, was found in C. alternifolius, which is usually considered non-mycorrhizal. This finding indicated the high accuracy of Illumina sequencing. Our results also revealed a lognormal species abundance distribution that was observed across AMF taxa in the three plant species. The AMF community composition was closely related to nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Overall, our data show that EFBs harbor diverse and abundant AMF communities. Additionally, the AMF community composition is closely related to the water quality of eutrophic lakes treated by the EFBs, indicating the potential application of AMF in plant-based bioremediation of wastewater. KEYPOINTS: • Aquatic plants in EFBs harbor diverse (229 OTUs) and abundant (348,799 sequences) AMF. • Different plant species host different taxa of AMF. Cyperaceae, originally considered non-mycorrhizal, may in fact be a variable mycorrhizal plant family. • The AMF community composition in EFBs is closely related to nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and phosphorus).
Highlights
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an ancient group of root symbionts whose origin synchronized with the occurrence of terrestrial plants [1]
The water qualities of EA and EB were identical for the reason that they were collected from the same ecological floating bed (EFB) in Dong Lake
Our finding revealed that AMF living in the investigated EFBs related to 4 Glomeromycota genera (Glomus, Acaulospora, Claroideoglomus, and Archaeospora), and Glomus was the dominant AMF, the results were in accordance with most studies using morphological, molecular and next generation sequencing (NGS) methods
Summary
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an ancient group of root symbionts whose origin synchronized with the occurrence of terrestrial plants [1]. The AM symbiosis involves ~80% of terrestrial plants and ~250 morphologically defined or 350~1000 molecularly defined AMF [2, 3]. It benefits plant establishment by improving plant nutrient acquisition and soil quality, promoting the adaptability of plants under various stress conditions and enhancing the stability of hosts community structure [4]. It was considered that AMF had little significance in aquatic ecosystems [5,6,7,8]. Several wetland plant species (e.g., Cyperaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Plumbaginaceae), which are generally considered as nonmycorrhizal plants [12], have been demonstrated to have high levels of AMF colonization in their roots [13, 14]. The distribution and function of AMF inhabiting in aquatic ecosystems need to be furtherly investigated
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