Title : Regulation of dikaryotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal infection in Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, and Allium tuberosum by Glomus mosseae
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate whether mycorrhizal fungi infect plant species such as Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, and Allium tuberosum to promote growth, or whether they instead contribute to disease. Existing literature highlights the complexity of these interactions. For instance, root, hyphal, and spore propagules harbor distinct arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities when Allium tuberosum is cultivated in soils from contrasting sites (Arslan et al., 2025). Similarly, co-inoculation of AM fungi with Bradyrhizobium sp. substantially increases nodulation in mung beans, thereby boosting biological nitrogen fixation and overall plant performance compared to single inoculation or control (Gough et al., 2021). In this context, our study specifically examines how the dikaryotic AM fungus Glomus mosseae infects host roots and differentially influences the mycorrhizal responses of Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, and Allium tuberosum. Fungal communities, or mycobiomes, are well known to colonize plant roots and surrounding soil, particularly within the rhizosphere, where they profoundly shape plant health and development. Beneficial fungi, including mycorrhizal and endophytic species, are capable of supporting plants directly or indirectly by enhancing resistance to environmental and biological stressors. By contrast, pathogenic fungi infect host tissues, disrupt metabolism, and ultimately hinder crop development, causing substantial yield losses and posing a major threat to agricultural productivity. To clarify these contrasting roles, we cultivated three environmentally tolerant plant species—Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, and A. tuberosum—and inoculated them with Glomus mosseae. Plant growth and infection dynamics were monitored, recorded, and analyzed over a 93-day period. Cellular-level observations revealed that AM fungi replicate within root tissues and interact differently across species. The results indicate that A. tuberosum initially benefits from Glomus mosseae infection, but plant health declines markedly after approximately half a month, leading to mortality. In contrast, Vigna angularis exhibits rapid mortality upon infection, though under certain conditions growth stimulation can persist. The results demonstrate that Allium tuberosum initially benefits from infection by Glomus mosseae, but plant health declines after approximately three and a half months, ultimately leading to death. In Vigna angularis, infection by mycorrhizal fungi induces a rapid decline and mortality, although in certain cases transient growth stimulation is observed. By contrast, Vigna radiata responds more gradually; while the benefits of infection emerge slowly, they persist over time, supporting continuous growth. Taken together, these findings highlight the species-specific outcomes of mycorrhizal infection, providing new molecular evidence that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi manipulate innate immune signaling pathways to enable intracellular replication and sustain pathogen survival.
