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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

Evidence for resource transfer via common endophyte networks.

Philipp Waschk1, Philipp Spiegel2, Arthur Gessler3,4

  • 1Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. pwaschk.research@gmail.com.

Scientific Reports
|June 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fungal endophytes form common endophyte networks (CENs), transferring vital soil resources like nitrogen and carbon between plants. This discovery reveals a new symbiotic function for endophytes, impacting plant growth and biodiversity.

Keywords:
Common fungal networksCommon mycorrhizal networksFungiFusariumMucorTrichoderma

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Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

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09:49

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Published on: September 25, 2021

Establishing Fungal Entomopathogens as Endophytes: Towards Endophytic Biological Control
15:14

Establishing Fungal Entomopathogens as Endophytes: Towards Endophytic Biological Control

Published on: April 11, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Plant-Fungal Interactions
  • Ecosystem Ecology
  • Symbiotic Networks

Background:

  • Fungal symbionts, including mycorrhizal fungi and endophytes, are crucial for plant development and ecosystem health.
  • Mycorrhizal fungi form common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) facilitating inter-plant resource transfer (e.g., nitrogen, carbon).
  • The capacity of endophytes to form similar networks (common endophyte networks, CENs) and transfer resources remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether fungal endophytes can form common endophyte networks (CENs).
  • To determine if endophytes can transfer soil resources (nitrogen, carbon, water) between connected plants via CENs.
  • To assess how host plant presence influences endophytic resource transfer.

Main Methods:

  • Established a common endophyte network (CEN) experiment using Arabidopsis thaliana and three diverse endophytes (Trichoderma viride, Mucor hiemalis, Fusarium temperatum) in split petri dishes.
  • Utilized isotopically labeled resources (15N-amino acid, 13C-amino acid, 15N-ammonium, deuterated water) to trace resource transfer from donor to receiver plants.
  • Compared resource transfer efficiency with single versus multiple host plants, with physically separated root systems to isolate network effects from competition.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed that tested endophytes can form CENs and effectively transfer growth-limiting soil resources from donor to receiver plants.
  • Fusarium temperatum significantly boosted plant growth (38%) and nitrogen uptake (55% 15N enrichment from amino acids).
  • Trichoderma viride facilitated amino acid-derived carbon transport (2.83% 13C enrichment), and resource transfer varied with the number of host plants.

Conclusions:

  • Non-mycorrhizal fungal endophytes can establish networks analogous to CMNs, facilitating inter-plant resource translocation.
  • Common endophyte networks (CENs) represent a newly identified symbiotic function of endophytes, contributing to plant growth and resource dynamics.
  • Endophytic network functioning is responsive to host plant presence, highlighting the complexity of plant-fungal interactions in ecosystems.