Record ID No. |
5691 |
Author(s) |
Pellitier P. T.* and Zak D. R. , 2018 |
Affiliation |
*School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. |
Title |
Ectomycorrhizal fungi and the enzymatic liberation of nitrogen from soil organic matter: why evolutionary history matters. |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
New Phytologist. 217: 68-73. |
Categories |
|
Subjects |
General |
Sub-subjects |
Nitrogen metabolism |
Host |
NA |
Organism |
NA |
Country |
USA |
Abstracts |
The view that ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi commonly participate in the enzymatic liberation ofnitrogen (N) from soil organic matter (SOM) has recently been invoked as a key mechanismgoverning the biogeochemical cycles of forest ecosystems. Here, we provide evidence that notall evolutionary lineages of ECM have retained the genetic potential to produce extracellularenzymes that degrade SOM, calling into question the ubiquity of the proposed mechanism.Further, we discuss several untested conditions that must be empirically validated before it iscertain that any lineage of ECM fungi actively expresses extracellular enzymes in order todegrade SOM and transfer N contained therein to its host plant. |