Record ID No. |
2189 |
Author(s) |
Whiteside M. D., Treseder K. K., Atsatt P. R. , 2009 |
Affiliation |
University Calif Irvine, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Irvine,CA 92697 USA |
Title |
The brighter side of soils: Quantum dots track organic nitrogen through fungi and plants |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Ecology. 90(1): 100-108p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Biochemistry |
Sub-subjects |
Miscellaneous |
Country |
U.S.A |
Abstracts |
Soil microorganisms mediate many nutrient transformations that are central in terrestrial
cycling of carbon and nitrogen. However, uptake of organic nutrients by microorganisms is difficult to study in
natural systems. We assessed quantum dots (fluorescent nanoscale semiconductors) as a new tool to observe uptake and translocation of organic nitrogen by fungi and plants. We conjugated quantum dots to the amino
groups of glycine, arginine, and chitosan and incubated them with Penicillium fungi (a saprotroph) and annual bluegrass (Poa annua) inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. As experimental controls, we incubated
fungi and bluegrass samples with substrate-free quantum dots as well as unbound quantum dot substrate mixtures.
Penicillium fungi, annual bluegrass, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi all showed uptake and translocation of
quantum dot-labeled organic nitrogen, but no uptake of quantum dot controls. Additionally, we observed quantum
dot-labeled organic nitrogen within soil hyphae, plant roots, and plant shoots using field imaging techniques.
This experiment is one of the first to demonstrate direct uptake of organic nitrogen by arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi. |