ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Symbiotic Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1656580
This article is part of the Research TopicDissecting the Benefits of Mycorrhizal Associations in Changing EnvironmentsView all articles
Impact of sublethal zinc exposure on ectomycorrhizal Laccaria bicolor x poplar symbiosis
Provisionally accepted
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Soil Zn pollution is a widespread problem that is impacting on plant growth and production.Several tree species can rely on fungal ectomycorrhizal symbionts to mitigate toxicity effects to some extent. Here, we explored the impact of Zn pollution on L. bicolor and its ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with Populus tremula x alba. Next to growth and morphological parameters in sublethal Zn exposure, we investigated responses of symbiosis marker genes, reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes and Zn transporters in presence and absence of a host plant. Our results indicate that the ECM symbiosis development is maintained in excess Zn conditions despite a reduction in fungal and plant growth. Symbiosis marker gene expression showed sensitivity to Zn excess, even when the fungus was cultured in absence of a host. Zn-induced transcriptional responses of ROS scavenging enzymes and Zn transporters were mainly restricted to mycelia in presence of a host and less prevalent without host.Establishment of new homeostatic equilibria, in particular in presence of a host, seem essential to maintain symbiosis, protect the host and adapt physiologically to Zn pollution. This research furthers our understanding of how resilient plant-fungal symbiotic interactions are, and the interplay between both partners in changing environmental conditions.
Keywords: Laccaria bicolor, poplar, ectomycorrhiza, Zinc toxicity, Zinc transport, Anti-oxidative response
Received: 30 Jun 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ottaway, Swinnen, Verhaevert and Ruytinx. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Joske Ruytinx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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