Arbuscular Mycorrhizas: Physiology and Function

This book provides a structured compilation of reviews of what is known about arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Topics were selected to cover major steps in the life cycle of AM fungi (germination, signaling/recognition prior to colonization, and host regulation of colonization). Aspects of the physiological interaction within the root for which there has been exciting recent progress (regulation of host defenses, bidirectional transport of nutrients, modification of gene expression, and carbon metabolism) are then discussed. The focus then widens to effects of the mycorrhiza upon the whole plant (nutrition, water relations, reproduction, and resistance to disease), and expands further to essential aspects of the role of AM fungi in soil ecology (soil aggregation, and interactions with other soil microbes). Leaders in the field present critical reviews and point toward areas for future research. Therefore, this volume should be helpful for both researchers in the field and those interested in a thorough knowledge of this important symbiosis.