Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
Published on: March 26, 2019
Genetic processes in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
1Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA. tep8@cornell.edu
Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Glomeromycota) colonize roots of the majority of land plants and facilitate their mineral nutrient uptake. Consequently, AM fungi play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems and are becoming a component of sustainable land management practices. The absence of sexual reproductive structures in modern Glomeromycota combined with their long evolutionary history suggest that these fungi may represent an ancient asexual lineage of great potential interest to evolutionary biology. However, many aspects of basic AM fungal biology, including genome structure, within-individual genetic variation, and reproductive mode are poorly understood. These knowledge gaps hinder research on the mechanisms of AM fungal interactions with individual plants and plant communities, and utilization of AM fungi in agricultural practices. I present here the current state of research on the reproduction in AM fungi and indicate what new findings can be expected in the future.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
Fungal Group Zygomycota
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation
Microbe-Plant Interactions

