How arbuscular mycorrhizae aid in host

plant defence against pathogens

Introduction
- Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (AM) form a symbiotic relationship with a
plant host

- Allows exchange of nutrients for carbon

- Could also facilitate priming of plant defences against pathogens

Fritz et al. (2006)
- Qualitative measure of
necrotic and chlorotic
lesions caused by early
blight in tomatoes

- Second experiment
isolates AM as the
variable, not P

- Shows correlation
Li et al. (2006)
- Infected vines with Root Knot Nematode
(RKN)

- one group of plants had AM, the other

didn’t

- Investigated the expression of VHC3 gene,

which expresses chitinase
Mechanisms Chitinase:
Peroxidase: - When attacked, genes
- Studies show than expressed to produce
colonisation by AM triggers chitinase
release of peroxidases
- Studies show that AM
- peroxidase associated with colonisation increases
the hypersensitive response expression levels
(Blilou, et al., 2000) (Li, et al., 2006)
(Chen, et al., 2012)

Jasmonic acid:
- AM shown to trigger JA pathway

- JA activates genes for defence

against necrotrophic pathogens

(Hause, et al., 2007)

Shaul et al. (1999)

- This study shows that infection with B.

cinerea fungus is more severe with AM

- also tested different P concentrations,

which didn’t have an effect

- Could be due to the species of plant,

AM or pathogen
Conclusion
• Evidence supports the fact that AM aid in plant defence against
pathogens

• Mechanisms need to be studied further to gain full understanding

• Useful in agriculture
References
Blilou, I., Bueno, P., Ocampo, J. J. & García, J. M., 2000. Induction of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities
in tobacco roots inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal Glomus mosseae. Mycological Research, 104(6),
pp. 722-725.
Fritz, M. et al., 2006. Arbuscular mycorrhiza reduces susceptibility of tomato to Alternaria solani. Mycorrhiza,
Issue 16, pp. 413-419.
Hause, B., Mroskr, C., Isayenkov, S. & Strack, D., 2007. Jasmonates in arbuscular mycorrhizal interactions.
Phytochemistry, 68(1), pp. 101-110.
Li, H.-Y.et al., 2006. Colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus versiforme induces a defense
response against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in the grapevine (Vitis amurensis Rupr.),
which includes transcriptional activation of the class III chitin. Plant Cell Physiology, 47(1), pp. 154-163.
Shaul, O. et al., 1999. Mycorrhiza-Induced Changes in Disease Severityand PR Protein Expression in Tobacco
Leaves, Rehovot: Agricultural Research Organization.