Multiple control levels of root system remodeling in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays
Published on: August 26, 2022
Caroline Gutjahr1, Uta Paszkowski
1Institute of Genetics, University of Munich Martinsried, Germany.
Abstract:
In nature, the root systems of most plants develop intimate symbioses with glomeromycotan fungi that assist in the acquisition of mineral nutrients and water through uptake from the soil and direct delivery into the root cortex. Root systems are endowed with a strong, environment-responsive architectural plasticity that also manifests itself during the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses, predominantly in lateral root proliferation. In this review, we collect evidence for the idea that AM-induced root system remodeling is regulated at several levels: by AM fungal signaling molecules and by changes in plant nutrient status and distribution within the root system.
Related Concept Videos
Microbe-Plant Interactions
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
