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Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Evolution and Functions in Alleviating Plant Drought Stress

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Modern Tools and Techniques to Understand Microbes

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can form mutualistic associations known as AM symbioses with the majority of terrestrial plant species. They are essential for plant adaptation to various environmental stresses, such as nutrient deficiency, environmental pollution, and drought. Many studies have proved the positive influences of AM on plant drought tolerance, and great efforts have been made to uncover the underlying mechanisms. The progress in direct involvement of AM fungi in plant–water relations, however, is hindered by the lack of knowledge on AM fungal genetics. Here, we discuss the advantages and applicability of three tools and techniques, including comparative genomics, RNA sequencing, and noninvasive microelectrode ion flux estimation, in studying AM fungal evolutionary profiling and functioning and expect to propose new perspectives for future research.

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Acknowledgments

Part of the work presented here is supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB15030100) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (41371264, 41401281).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    T. Li

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  1. T. Li
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Correspondence to T. Li .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ajit Varma

  2. ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Kusmaur, Mau Nath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Arun Kumar Sharma

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Li, T. (2017). Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Evolution and Functions in Alleviating Plant Drought Stress. In: Varma, A., Sharma, A. (eds) Modern Tools and Techniques to Understand Microbes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49197-4_19

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