Occurrence of trehalose in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and in mycorrhizal roots

Abstract

Summary The presence of trehalose was investigated in sporocarps of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus versiforme and in roots of Tagetes tenuifolia and Glycine max infected by Glomus mosseae . Trehalose was the main soluble carbohydrate in sporocarps; it was present also in mycorrhizal roots, whereas in nonmycorrhizal roots it was absent or detected only in traces. Soybean plants were inoculated with G. mosseae and grown under different conditions of light regimen and phosphate availability. P fertilization and light deprivation reduced root mycorrhizal infection. The trehalose content of mycorrhizal roots increased concurrently with the course of fungal infection, and decreased both upon P fertilization and light deprivation. The content of total soluble carbohydrates, on the contrary, decreased only upon light deprivation.