LbCDF-B encodes a vacuolar Zn transporter in Laccaria bicolor with function at the ectomycorrhizal root tips
Mycorrhizal Networks
Every oak, pine, and birch in your local woodland quietly depends on underground fungal partners to pull zinc and other micronutrients from the soil — and this gene is part of how those fungi balance their own zinc supply before passing nutrients on to the tree.
Most forest trees can't thrive on their own — they team up with fungi that wrap around their roots and help gather minerals from the soil. Scientists found a tiny 'gate' inside one of these fungi that controls how zinc gets stored within the fungal cells. This gate sits right at the spot where fungus and tree root meet, suggesting it plays a key role in how zinc is shared between the two partners.
Key Findings
LbCDF-B encodes a zinc transporter that pumps zinc into the vacuole — the fungus's internal storage compartment — placing it in the CDF (Cation Diffusion Facilitator) protein family
The transporter localizes to the vacuolar membrane in Laccaria bicolor, a widely studied model ectomycorrhizal fungus
LbCDF-B shows functional activity specifically at ectomycorrhizal root tips — the active symbiotic interface where fungal and plant tissues exchange nutrients
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists identified a gene in Laccaria bicolor — a fungus that forms partnerships with forest tree roots — that moves zinc into the fungus's internal storage compartments and is most active right at the junction where fungus meets tree root. This clarifies how mycorrhizal fungi regulate zinc at the critical nutrient-exchange zone with their tree hosts.
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