Cytoplasmic flow dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are intrinsic and independent of plant hosts.
Klein M, Oyarte Gálvez L, van der Lugt D, Bisot C, van Staalduine S
Mycorrhizal Networks
Every tomato, oak seedling, and wildflower meadow you've ever grown likely owes part of its root health to these fungi — and it turns out they're far more self-sufficient than we thought, which could reshape how we inoculate soil and support plant establishment.
Underground fungi that partner with most plants to help them absorb nutrients were thought to be helpless without a plant host. Scientists gave these fungi a fatty acid to eat instead of plant sugars, and the fungi grew long networks, moved materials through them quickly, and stayed active for over a year — all on their own. This means the fungi have their own internal machinery for managing flow and growth, separate from whatever the plant provides.
Key Findings
When fed myristic acid (a fatty acid) without any plant host, AM fungal networks grew 10 times longer and covered up to 4 times more area than unfed controls.
Cytoplasmic flow speeds increased ~50% with myristic acid, with rare fast bursts reaching 10–30 µm/s; fluorescently tagged lipid flows averaged 3 µm/s and were unaffected by the carbon source.
Active cytoplasmic flows were detectable in asymbiotic fungal hyphae even one year after myristic acid application, demonstrating long-term autonomous viability.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Mycorrhizal fungi can build networks, move nutrients, and sustain themselves for over a year without being connected to a plant root — they just need a fatty acid as fuel. This overturns the assumption that these fungi are wholly dependent on their plant partners to function.
Abstract Preview
Despite the ecological importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, it is unclear to what extent these symbionts can act autonomously from plant hosts, especially in their ability to control in...
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