Publication details
Carbon nutrition of mature green orchid Serapias strictiflora and its mycorrhizal fungus Epulorhiza sp.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | BIOLOGIA PLANTARUM |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | PDF článku |
| Field | Botany |
| Keywords | delta C-13; biotrophy; extraradical mycelium; heterotrophy; saprotrophy |
| Description | We studied the nutritional modes of the S. strictiflora and Epulorhiza sp. using the differences in carbon isotopic composition (delta C-13) of C-3 orchid and C-4 maize tissues. We found that if cultivated in substrate lacking any organic compounds, the extraradical mycelia (delta C13=-26.3) developed well, despite being fully dependent on nutrition from orchid roots (delta C13 =-28.6). If the fungus had additional access to and colonized decaying maize roots (delta C13=-14.6), its isotopic composition (delta C13=-21.6) reflected a mixture of biotrophy and saprotrophy. No statistically significant differences in delta C-13 of new storage tubers were found between Epulorhiza-associated orchids with (delta C13=-28.2) and without access to maize roots (delta C13=-28.6). We conclude that autotrophy is the predominant nutritional mode of mature S. strictiflora plants and that they supply their fungus with substantial amount of carbon (69+/-3 % of the fungus demand), even if the fungus feeds saprotrophically. |