Location, but not defensive genotype, determines ectomycorrhizal community composition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings
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In: Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 11, No. 9, 01.05.2021, p. 4826-4842.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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T1 - Location, but not defensive genotype, determines ectomycorrhizal community composition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings
AU - Downie, Jim
AU - Taylor, Andy F S
AU - Iason, Glenn
AU - Moore, Ben
AU - Silvertown, Jonathan
AU - Cavers, Stephen
AU - Ennos, Richard
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - For successful colonization of host roots, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi must overcome host defense systems, and defensive phenotypes have previously been shown to affect the community composition of EM fungi associated with hosts. Secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, form a core part of these defense systems, but it is not yet understood whether variation in these constitutive defenses can result in variation in the colonization of hosts by specific fungal species.We planted seedlings from twelve maternal families of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) of known terpene genotype reciprocally in the field in each of six sites. After 3 months, we characterized the mycorrhizal fungal community of each seedling using a combination of morphological categorization and molecular barcoding, and assessed the terpene chemodiversity for a subset of the seedlings. We examined whether parental genotype or terpene chemodiversity affected the diversity or composition of a seedling's mycorrhizal community.While we found that terpene chemodiversity was highly heritable, we found no evidence that parental defensive genotype or a seedling's terpene chemodiversity affected associations with EM fungi. Instead, we found that the location of seedlings, both within and among sites, was the only determinant of the diversity and makeup of EM communities.These results show that while EM community composition varies within Scotland at both large and small scales, variation in constitutive defensive compounds does not determine the EM communities of closely cohabiting pine seedlings. Patchy distributions of EM fungi at small scales may render any genetic variation in associations with different species unrealizable in field conditions. The case for selection on traits mediating associations with specific fungal species may thus be overstated, at least in seedlings.
AB - For successful colonization of host roots, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi must overcome host defense systems, and defensive phenotypes have previously been shown to affect the community composition of EM fungi associated with hosts. Secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, form a core part of these defense systems, but it is not yet understood whether variation in these constitutive defenses can result in variation in the colonization of hosts by specific fungal species.We planted seedlings from twelve maternal families of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) of known terpene genotype reciprocally in the field in each of six sites. After 3 months, we characterized the mycorrhizal fungal community of each seedling using a combination of morphological categorization and molecular barcoding, and assessed the terpene chemodiversity for a subset of the seedlings. We examined whether parental genotype or terpene chemodiversity affected the diversity or composition of a seedling's mycorrhizal community.While we found that terpene chemodiversity was highly heritable, we found no evidence that parental defensive genotype or a seedling's terpene chemodiversity affected associations with EM fungi. Instead, we found that the location of seedlings, both within and among sites, was the only determinant of the diversity and makeup of EM communities.These results show that while EM community composition varies within Scotland at both large and small scales, variation in constitutive defensive compounds does not determine the EM communities of closely cohabiting pine seedlings. Patchy distributions of EM fungi at small scales may render any genetic variation in associations with different species unrealizable in field conditions. The case for selection on traits mediating associations with specific fungal species may thus be overstated, at least in seedlings.
KW - Evolution
KW - Secondary metabolites
KW - Mutualism
KW - Ectomycorrhizal fungi
KW - community composition
KW - Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris)
U2 - 10.1002/ece3.7384
DO - 10.1002/ece3.7384
M3 - Article
VL - 11
SP - 4826
EP - 4842
JO - Ecology and Evolution
JF - Ecology and Evolution
SN - 2045-7758
IS - 9
ER -