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Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves?

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Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves? / Babikova, Zdenka; Johnson, David; Bruce, Toby et al.
In: BioEssays, Vol. 36, No. 1, 31.01.2014, p. 21-26.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Babikova, Z, Johnson, D, Bruce, T, Pickett, J & Gilbert, L 2014, 'Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves?', BioEssays, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201300092

APA

Babikova, Z., Johnson, D., Bruce, T., Pickett, J., & Gilbert, L. (2014). Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves? BioEssays, 36(1), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201300092

Vancouver

Babikova Z, Johnson D, Bruce T, Pickett J, Gilbert L. Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves? BioEssays. 2014 Jan 31;36(1):21-26. Epub 2013 Oct 15. doi: 10.1002/bies.201300092

Author

Babikova, Zdenka ; Johnson, David ; Bruce, Toby et al. / Underground allies : How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves?. In: BioEssays. 2014 ; Vol. 36, No. 1. pp. 21-26.

Bibtex

@article{11e1a62613fc43cc8e6d8b009db72d7f,
title = "Underground allies: How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves?",
abstract = "Most land plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi that can connect roots of neighboring plants in common mycelial networks (CMNs). Recent evidence shows that CMNs transfer warning signals of pathogen and aphid attack between plants. However, we do not know how defence-related signaling via CMNs operates or how ubiquitous it is. Nor do we know what the ecological relevance and fitness consequences are, particularly from the perspective of the mycorrhizal fungus. Here, we focus on the potential fitness benefits for mycorrhizal fungi and outline hypothetical scenarios in which signal transfer via CMNs is modulated in order to acquire the most benefit for the fungus (i.e. acquisition of carbon) for minimal cost. We speculate that the signal may be quantitative and may elicit plant defence responses on different levels depending on the distance the signal is transferred. Finally, we discuss the possibility of practical applications of this phenomenon for crop protection.",
keywords = "arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, common mycelial networks, defence-related metabolism, fitness consequences, herbivores, hyphae, rhizosphere signaling",
author = "Zdenka Babikova and David Johnson and Toby Bruce and John Pickett and Lucy Gilbert",
year = "2014",
month = jan,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1002/bies.201300092",
language = "English",
volume = "36",
pages = "21--26",
journal = "BioEssays",
issn = "0265-9247",
publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Underground allies

T2 - How and why do mycelial networks help plants defend themselves?

AU - Babikova, Zdenka

AU - Johnson, David

AU - Bruce, Toby

AU - Pickett, John

AU - Gilbert, Lucy

PY - 2014/1/31

Y1 - 2014/1/31

N2 - Most land plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi that can connect roots of neighboring plants in common mycelial networks (CMNs). Recent evidence shows that CMNs transfer warning signals of pathogen and aphid attack between plants. However, we do not know how defence-related signaling via CMNs operates or how ubiquitous it is. Nor do we know what the ecological relevance and fitness consequences are, particularly from the perspective of the mycorrhizal fungus. Here, we focus on the potential fitness benefits for mycorrhizal fungi and outline hypothetical scenarios in which signal transfer via CMNs is modulated in order to acquire the most benefit for the fungus (i.e. acquisition of carbon) for minimal cost. We speculate that the signal may be quantitative and may elicit plant defence responses on different levels depending on the distance the signal is transferred. Finally, we discuss the possibility of practical applications of this phenomenon for crop protection.

AB - Most land plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi that can connect roots of neighboring plants in common mycelial networks (CMNs). Recent evidence shows that CMNs transfer warning signals of pathogen and aphid attack between plants. However, we do not know how defence-related signaling via CMNs operates or how ubiquitous it is. Nor do we know what the ecological relevance and fitness consequences are, particularly from the perspective of the mycorrhizal fungus. Here, we focus on the potential fitness benefits for mycorrhizal fungi and outline hypothetical scenarios in which signal transfer via CMNs is modulated in order to acquire the most benefit for the fungus (i.e. acquisition of carbon) for minimal cost. We speculate that the signal may be quantitative and may elicit plant defence responses on different levels depending on the distance the signal is transferred. Finally, we discuss the possibility of practical applications of this phenomenon for crop protection.

KW - arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

KW - common mycelial networks

KW - defence-related metabolism

KW - fitness consequences

KW - herbivores

KW - hyphae

KW - rhizosphere signaling

U2 - 10.1002/bies.201300092

DO - 10.1002/bies.201300092

M3 - Journal article

VL - 36

SP - 21

EP - 26

JO - BioEssays

JF - BioEssays

SN - 0265-9247

IS - 1

ER -