Caroline Gutjahr reviewed the role of lipids in arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis together with Hiromu Kameoka from Tohoku University, Japan.
Function of lipids in develoment and reproduction of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Hiromu Kameoka, Caroline Gutjahr
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form mutualistic associations with most land plants. The symbiosis is based on the exchange of nutrients: AMF receive photosynthetically fixed carbon from the plants and deliver mineral nutrients in return. Lipids are important players in the symbiosis. They act as components of the plant-derived membrane surrounding arbuscules, as carbon sources transferred from plants to AMF, as a major form of carbon storage in AMF, and as triggers of developmental responses in AMF. In this review, we describe the role of lipids in AM symbiosis and AMF development.