{"title":"Soil disturbance influences ectomycorrhizal fungal communities: an in-situ experiment under Mediterranean holm oak (Quercus ilex L.).","authors":"Montan Gautier, Marc-André Selosse, Elisa Taschen, Jean-Michel Bellanger, Adrien Taudière, Franck Richard","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01302-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01302-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The functioning of temperate forests is based on a symbiosis linking trees to a vast diversity of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. Although disturbance is a major driver of biodiversity patterns in these ecosystems, its effects on the fine-scale distribution and the short-term dynamics of EM fungal communities are still largely unknown. We used an in situ experiment combined with the analysis of the ITS rDNA region of EM root tips to compare the composition of fungal communities before and one year after small-scale soil disturbance simulating animal bioturbation. Disturbance induced a transient increase in EM root tip abundance, a 56.3% decrease in species richness and a marked composition turnover. One year after disturbance, the proportion of Ascomycota had increased by 38.5% to represent 49.3% of the total number of mycorrhizae. This shift was associated with an increase in Pezizales (Tuberaceae, Helvellaceae, Pezizaceae and Pyronemataceae) and a decrease in Russulaceae, Cortinariaceae and Hydnaceae. The results show that small-scale soil disturbances promote highly localized fungal successions, from late-colonizing Basidiomycota lineages to early-colonizing Ascomycota. In temperate ecosystems, asynchronous small-scale disturbances may contribute to ectomycorrhizal community richness (α-diversity) and spatial turnover (β-diversity) by generating fine-scale spatial heterogeneity within forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13469222/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148725422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-08-09DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01301-3
Hance Muriel N Aboua, Ramdan Dramani, Apollon Dossou M T Hegbe, Sylvestre A Badou, Roël D Houdanon, Gbètondji B Hounwanou, Kassim I Tchan, Abdoul-Azize Boukary, Hyppolite L Aïgnon, Nourou S Yorou
{"title":"Ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical Africa: hidden diversity, spatial turnover, and functional effects on tree growth.","authors":"Hance Muriel N Aboua, Ramdan Dramani, Apollon Dossou M T Hegbe, Sylvestre A Badou, Roël D Houdanon, Gbètondji B Hounwanou, Kassim I Tchan, Abdoul-Azize Boukary, Hyppolite L Aïgnon, Nourou S Yorou","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01301-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01301-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tropical Africa encompasses several biodiversity hotspots, yet knowledge of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi, key organisms for forest ecosystem functioning, remains fragmented. This study provides the first comprehensive synthesis of EcM fungi across the region, aiming to (i) establish a species checklist as a basis for estimating gamma diversity, (ii) analyze spatial turnover across countries, and (iii) assess the functional effects of EcM fungi on tree seedling growth. We conducted a systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines, retaining 158 publications published between 1927 and 2025. Species occurrence records were extracted from publications and complemented with data from GlobalFungi and GBIF databases. Statistical analyses in R were used to estimate species richness (Chao2, Jackknife 1 and Jackknife 2), analyze spatial turnover (Jaccard dissimilarity, Mantel correlogram, Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling), and assess the overall effect on tree seedling growth (cross-classified random-effects meta-analysis). We recorded 711 EcM fungal species from 59 genera and 20 families. Russula (169 species), Amanita (81), and Lactifluus (71) were the most represented. Estimated richness reached 1,226 species, indicating substantial undocumented diversity. Community composition showed extremely high heterogeneity among countries (95% dissimilarity), and increased turnover over broader geographic distances (r = -0.13, p < 0.05), suggesting dispersal limitation. Meta-analysis revealed that EcM fungi increased tree seedling growth by an average of 6% per month (p < 0.05), with Scleroderma verrucosum showing particularly strong positive effects. These findings indicate that EcM fungi are unevenly distributed across tropical Africa. They refine our understanding of diversity patterns and highlight the need for targeted sampling and integrating native EcM fungi into forest restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-08-06DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01300-4
Christian Santander, Felipe González, Urley Pérez, Antonieta Ruiz, Ricardo Aroca, Pablo Cornejo, Gladys Vidal
{"title":"Improved growth and antioxidant responses via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-mediated changes in phenolic compounds in two tomato landraces under salt stress.","authors":"Christian Santander, Felipe González, Urley Pérez, Antonieta Ruiz, Ricardo Aroca, Pablo Cornejo, Gladys Vidal","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01300-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01300-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve plant performance under salinity, but their contribution to phenolic-based antioxidant responses in traditional tomato landraces remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of Diversispora celata and Funneliformis mosseae on growth, nutrition, gas exchange, oxidative status, and phenolic metabolism in Chilean tomato landraces Limachino and Maulino (Solanum lycopersicum L.) exposed to 0 or 150 mM NaCl. A 3 × 2 × 2 design included three inoculation treatments, two salinity levels, two landraces, and four replicates per combination. Biomass, shoot N and P contents, gas exchange, pigments, proline, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, and individual phenolics were quantified. Salinity reduced biomass, shoot N and P contents, and net photosynthesis, while non-mycorrhizal plants showed the highest lipid peroxidation. Responses depended on landrace and fungal identity. Under salinity, D. celata-inoculated Limachino plants showed higher biomass, shoot N content, and net photosynthesis than non-mycorrhizal plants, together with greater proline accumulation, higher concentrations of several hydroxycinnamic acids, anthocyanins, quercetin derivatives, total phenolics, and antioxidant capacity, and lower lipid peroxidation. In Maulino, both isolates improved gas exchange; F. mosseae was more closely associated with photosynthetic pigments and TEAC/DPPH capacity, and D. celata with phenolic derivatives and CUPRAC capacity. Overall, AMF responses depended on the host-fungus combination, with phenolic-associated non-enzymatic antioxidant responses emerging as a prominent feature of the Limachino-D. celata association.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148678331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shared buddies: ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in pinus and quercus and their potential relevance for mixed-forest restoration.","authors":"Fernández Verónica Natalia, Floriani Franco, Reyes Santiago, Mallerman Julieta, Zsuzsi Kovacs, Catherine Gehring","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01299-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01299-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pines and oaks are ecologically and economically important taxa that co-occur in several forest and woodland systems across the northern hemisphere and that have been severely affected by diverse disturbances (e.g., wildfire, drought). Despite their relevance, the value of co-planting pines, that regenerate from seeds, and oaks, which are able to resprout, to improve forest restoration following disturbance has only recently been appreciated. An important consideration with this strategy is whether pines and oaks share root-associated fungal symbionts (ectomycorrhizas -EcM-, arbuscular mycorrhizas -AM- and dark septate endophytes -DSE-) that can be key to tree re-establishment following disturbance. However, the degree of overlap in fungal communities between pines and oaks is poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of 948 studies published from 1969 to 2024. We hypothesized that both plant taxa would host DSE in addition to EcM, and that ectomycorrhizal fungal (EcMF) assemblages would differ in pines and oaks but that both host genera would share a limited subset of generalist taxa. We found that oaks and pines were mainly colonized by different EcMF species but also shared some taxa (26%), particularly members of the Russulaceae and Cortinariaceae. Few studies measured DSE or AM in addition to EcM, and the EcMF community of pines was better studied (~ 50% of described species) than that of oaks (~ 12%). We also conducted a greenhouse experiment using P. ponderosa and Q. gambelii as model species and the same mixed-forest soil as an EcMF inoculum source. We found that, at early developmental stages, both plant species formed associations with DSE but not AMF. For EcMF, P. ponderosa and Q. gambelii showed distinct communities with 30% of taxa in common. Importantly, when relative abundance of EcMF species was considered rather than occurrence only, the overlap between oaks and pines was more striking, approaching 90%. Taken together, these results support our hypothesis that Pinus and Quercus host distinct EcMF communities, but also share significant numbers of taxa. We discuss the potential relevance of this fungal overlap for understanding belowground linkages in mixed pine-oak systems and for future restoration-oriented research.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148679114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01298-9
Mercy Jebiwott Korir, Joyce M Jefwa, Sheila A Okoth, Peter M Wachira, Mike Teucher, Christine B Schmitt
{"title":"Impact of forest fragmentation on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in selected tree species and associated rhizosphere in the Taita Hills, Kenya.","authors":"Mercy Jebiwott Korir, Joyce M Jefwa, Sheila A Okoth, Peter M Wachira, Mike Teucher, Christine B Schmitt","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01298-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01298-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are symbionts that are ubiquitous in natural ecosystems. They are crucial in maintaining plant communities by enhancing the uptake of nutrients and water as well as acting as major drivers of seedling recruitment. This study established the mycorrhizal colonization status of common tree species and the diversity of AMF communities across three forest fragments of the Taita Hills. Fine roots of seedlings and rhizosphere soils were sampled across circular plots in forest fragments (Chawia, Fururu and Ngangao) representing low, moderate and high levels of disturbances, respectively. The AMF colonization status was significantly different across tree species ranging between 43.3% and 90.5% with predominance of Glomus spp. from molecular analysis. The spore density of AMF was highest in the most disturbed forest while, Shannon diversity index (H- 1.3-1.5) did not differ significantly revealing AMF community resilienceto fragmentation. The outcome highlights the potential of native AMF in restoration and conservation of Afromontane forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148648576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-07-28DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01296-x
Peter G Kennedy, Andrew W Ratz, Marcos V Caiafa, Heather A Dawson, Carolyn A Delevich, Bitty A Roy, Matthew E Smith
{"title":"Is aerial dispersal an overlooked pathway for ectomycorrhizal truffle fungi?","authors":"Peter G Kennedy, Andrew W Ratz, Marcos V Caiafa, Heather A Dawson, Carolyn A Delevich, Bitty A Roy, Matthew E Smith","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01296-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01296-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dispersal of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi is typically characterized by an ecological dichotomy in which aboveground (epigeous) mushrooms disperse via wind and belowground (hypogeous) truffles disperse via animal-mediated movement. To assess whether hypogeous EM fungi may be dispersed by wind more often than generally recognized, we used high-throughput sequencing of paired spore trap and soil samples at eight sites across the United States. Within the spore trap samples, hypogeous EM taxa represented 17.2 ± 1.62% (mean ± SE) of the total EM OTUs and 19.4 ± 1.75% of the total EM sequence reads. In general, their presence was characterized by episodic higher abundance events rather than continuous occupancy as compared to epigeous EM taxa. The hypogeous EM taxa found in spore traps also had significantly smaller average spore volumes than those remaining in the soil, likely facilitating their presence in air. Further, by identifying multiple instances of the same hypogeous EM OTU being present in spore trap and soil samples located tens of km apart, our study suggests wind may carry spores of hypogeous EM fungi considerable distances. Collectively, these findings indicate that the boundary between dispersal pathways for hypogeous EM fungi may be more fluid than previously thought and that specific traits and vectors allow them to exploit the atmosphere as a complementary dispersal pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13407476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148605523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhanced black locust seedling defense under cadmium exposure by <sup>13</sup>C isotopic tracer.","authors":"Xuelian Yang, Xia Jia, Yonghua Zhao, Xiaojuan Feng, Liangyu Huang","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01297-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01297-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> (eCO<sub>2</sub>) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) positively influence plant defense under heavy metal exposure individually, however, the combination of them and the contribution of eCO<sub>2</sub> were still unclear. The pot experiment was employed to explore the combined effect of eCO<sub>2</sub> (700 ppm) and Funneliformis mosseae on the defense of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) grown in cadmium (Cd)-polluted soils by <sup>13</sup>C isotope tracer. Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> significantly caused an increase in Cd content, decreases in contents of malonaldehyde, carotenoids, soluble sugars and proteins, metallothioneins (MTs) and proline and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase and increases in ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys) and phytochelatins (PCs) in leaves under F. mosseae colonization. Additionally, the indirect contributions of eCO<sub>2</sub> to AsA, GSH, Car, proline, soluble sugars and proteins, Cys, PCs and MTs under eCO<sub>2</sub> + F. mosseae were lower than that under eCO<sub>2</sub> alone. Overall, eCO<sub>2</sub> enhanced the defense of black locust colonized by F. mosseae under Cd exposure by stimulating AsA, GSH, PCs and Cys synthesis, which will provide some insights into the effect of global change on the resistance mechanism of plants colonized by AMF to heavy metals.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148562612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-07-12DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01295-y
Maarten Ottaway, Janne Swinnen, Joske Ruytinx
{"title":"Sublethal Cd exposure stimulates Laccaria bicolor x poplar symbiosis formation.","authors":"Maarten Ottaway, Janne Swinnen, Joske Ruytinx","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01295-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01295-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soils have become increasingly polluted with Cd due to industrial and mining activities, as well as agricultural fertiliser usage. Because of its toxicity, plants face significant abiotic stress. Trees found in temperate and boreal forest ecosystems rely on their mutualistic relationship with ECM fungi to alleviate the toxic effects of Cd. In this study, we assessed the impact of Cd pollution on both Laccaria bicolor and its symbiosis with Populus tremula x alba. We investigated the impact of Cd pollution on fungal growth and mycorrhiza morphology, as well as the expression of symbiosis marker genes and ROS scavenging enzymes in presence and absence of a host plant. Results indicate that fungal growth is reduced by exposure to elevated Cd, however symbiosis formation is stimulated. Both symbiosis marker genes and ROS scavenging enzymes showed increased expression upon exposure to Cd, but only in the presence of a host plant. This data suggests that forming the ECM symbiosis is a coping mechanism for both poplars and L. bicolor. This research highlights the importance of the ECM symbiosis in both plant and fungal resilience in changing environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148430277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-07-07DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01286-z
Kenji Suetsugu, Hidehito Okada
{"title":"In situ seed baiting and DNA metabarcoding support developmental continuity of a Coprinellus association in the predominantly leafless orchid Cremastra aphylla.","authors":"Kenji Suetsugu, Hidehito Okada","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01286-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01286-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although orchids depend on mycorrhizal fungi for germination, their early-stage fungal partners may be replaced during subsequent development. This possibility is particularly relevant in Calypsoinae, in which many green species shift from juvenile associations with wood-decaying fungi to adult associations with rhizoctonia fungi. To determine whether a comparable shift occurs in the predominantly leafless orchid Cremastra aphylla, we combined in situ seed packet burial with ITS2 metabarcoding in a single population. We investigated fungal associations among small protocorms, large protocorms, and adult coralloid rhizomes, characterized germination microsites, and compared these fungal associations with published fungal community data for the leafy sister species C. appendiculata. All developmental categories of C. aphylla were overwhelmingly dominated by the same operational taxonomic unit assigned to Coprinellus (Psathyrellaceae). These results are consistent with retention of a Coprinellus association across the categories examined, contrasting with the pronounced ontogenetic shift from Psathyrellaceae to Tulasnellaceae and Ceratobasidiaceae reported in C. appendiculata. Germination occurred in five seed packets at three burial points, all of which were located near adult plants and contained deadwood, whereas most packets buried under apparently similar conditions showed no germination. These findings indicate that suitable germination microsites are highly localized and that spatially restricted recruitment may contribute to the rarity and patchy distribution of C. aphylla.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148397451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycorrhizaPub Date : 2026-07-06DOI: 10.1007/s00572-026-01294-z
Marjan Roshanfekrrad, Louis Mercy, Carolin Schneider, Maryline Calonne-Salmon, Stephan Declerck
{"title":"Pyraclostrobin impairs metabolic activity and phosphorus uptake of the extraradical mycelium of Rhizophagus intraradices more severely than iprodione.","authors":"Marjan Roshanfekrrad, Louis Mercy, Carolin Schneider, Maryline Calonne-Salmon, Stephan Declerck","doi":"10.1007/s00572-026-01294-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00572-026-01294-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pesticide residues are widespread in agricultural soils and may adversely affect arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, key symbionts involved in plant phosphorus (P) acquisition. Most studies to date have focused on pesticide effects either on spores (asymbiotic phase) or on the mycorrhizal plant as a whole. Here, we investigated the effects of two fungicides with contrasting modes of action-pyraclostrobin (quinone-outside inhibitor) and iprodione (dicarboximide)-applied specifically to the extraradical mycelium (ERM) of Rhizophagus intraradices MUCL 49410 associated with Medicago truncatula. To this end, a bi-compartmented pot system was developed, allowing fungicide application at the recommended field dose directly to the ERM, while preventing direct root exposure. Treatments were applied for 30 days (T1) or 3 days (T2) to assess time-dependent responses. Pyraclostrobin markedly reduced ERM biomass (by up to 75%), hyphal alkaline phosphatase activity, and root colonization, particularly arbuscule abundance, indicating severe impairment of mitochondrial function. In contrast, iprodione slightly increased ERM biomass and the proportion of metabolically active spores, and the increase in Pi depletion within the in-growth tube after prolonged exposure, reflecting a possible higher Pi uptake and suggesting a compensatory or mild hormetic response. Overall, pyraclostrobin exerted pronounced inhibitory effects on AM fungal structures and function, whereas iprodione showed neutral to mildly stimulatory effects under comparable conditions. These contrasting responses likely reflect differences in fungicide mode of action and exposure duration. Our findings demonstrate that AM fungal sensitivity to fungicides is compound-specific and underscore the importance of integrating functional and physiological endpoints into pesticide risk assessments frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":18965,"journal":{"name":"Mycorrhiza","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}