MYCORRHIZA AND ITS

TYPES
Mycorrhiza
 Mycorrhiza means fungus roots
 It is an association b/w fungi and plant roots
 It is most widespread association b/w microbes
& plants.
 83% of dicots & 79% of monocots
 It may be mutualistic, neutral or parasitic.
 Mostly mutualistic; therefore the term
mycorrhizal symbiosis is also used.
View of Mycorrhiza
Mycorrhizal fungi Mycorrhiza
Vesicles

Mycelium

Mycorrhiza (mycelium and vesicles)

Types of mycorrhiza
 Based on fungal mycelium with root structure,
there are two types of mycorrhiza
 Ectomycorrhiza
 Endomycorrhiza
Ectomycorrhiza
 Fungi form interwoven mantle of hyphae
around the root surface, and
 Fungi penetrate the root intercellular space of
the cortex and form a network of fungal
mycelium which increases the surface area at
fungus-root interface.
Ectomycorrhiza (ECM)
 In most cases, hyphal strands or rhizomorphs
are produced that extend into the soil and are
important for solute transport.
 Sheaths forming ECM may enclose the
Mycorrhizal roots.
 Most ECM fungi are basidiomycetes or
ascomycetes.
Ectomycorrhiza (ECM)
Ectomycorrhiza (ECM)
Endomycorrhiza
 Fungi live within cortical cells and also have
intercellular growth. it has different types e.g.
 Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)
 Ericoid mycorhhiza and

 Orchidaceous mycorhhiza

 But most important is VAM

Endomycorrhiza
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)

 VAM has
 A mycelium which extends into the surrounding soil
(External hyphae)
 Branched haustorial structures(Arbuscules) within the cortex
cells, and
 Storage structures formed by many fungi (vesicles).
 Most abundant in crop plants, pastures and fruit trees.
 VAM fungi mainly belongs to four genera i.e.
Acaulaspora, Gigaspora, Glomus & Sclerocysts
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)
Comparison of both types of mycorrhiza
Distribution of ECM vs VAM
 ECM is more abundant in
 Boreal and temperate forests with a humus horizon,
and
 In nitrogen limited ecosystems

 VAM is more abundant in

 Warmer climates with dry soils
 Pasture lands and deciduous forests with high
organic matter turnover, and
 Limited P-supply.
 Factors affecting mycorrhizal infection

 Mycorrhizal infection is initiated by

 Soil borne propagules (spores, root residues) or
 Neighboring roots of the same or different plant
 Mycorrhizal infection is enhanced by
 A pre-existing mycelium in the soil
 Mycorrhizal infection is reduced by
 Severe soil disturbance; spoiling of previous network
 Unfavorable environmental conditions e.g.
 Shading and defoliation
 Factors affecting mycorrhizal infection

 Mycorrhizal infection is enhanced or decreased by

 Rhizosphere bacteria e.g.
 Azospirillium enhances VAM
 Root exudates and CO2 conc.
 Mineral nutrient supply e.g.
 B mycellium infection; ↓defence reaction
 Low as well as high P conc. Decreases ECM and VAM
infection
 N supply also ↓ mycelium infection
 Plant responses to Mycelium infection

 Plant responses to Mycelium infection varies among

varieties and species and may be due to
 Composition of root exudates
 Toxins in the rhizosphere
 Enhanced defence reaction
 Selection of genotypes for high resistance to root
pathogens may also discriminate VAM
 Mycorrhizal infection and plant growth
 VAM biomass may go upto 20% of the root biomass.
 As mycelium competes with roots for photosynthates,
shoot growth is enhanced by mycelium.
 ECM takes more photosynthates than VAM.
 Many times a –ve correlation b/w ECM infection and
host plant growth is observed
 Mycelium infection indirectly affects root growth by
changing the no. and composition of rhizosphere
microbes.
 Mycorrhizal infection and plant growth

 There exists a balance b/w level of mycelium

infection, resource availability and plant growth.
 ECM inhibits elongation of lateral roots;
possibly by production of IAA.
 VAM increases no. of lateral roots but decreases
their elongation.
 Decrease in root surface area is compensated by
external fungal growth.