• Mycologia. 2009 Sep-Oct;101(5):599-611.The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi amplified from grapevine roots (Vitis vinifera L.) in Oregon vineyards is seasonally stable and influenced by soil and vine age.

Abstract : The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in 10 Oregon vineyards was assessed by examining spores in soil and amplifying mycorrhizal DNA from roots. Seventeen spore morphotypes were found in soil, including seven species in the Acaulosporaceae. Eighteen phylotypes were amplified from grape roots with AM1 and NS31 primers, and clones were dominated by Glomus spp. (> 99%). A few clones (< 1%) representing a single phylotype within Gigasporaceae, and a single clone within Archaeosporaceae were amplified from roots with AM1-NS31 primers. A separate experiment employing known proportions of grape roots colonized by Glomus intraradices or by Gigaspora rosea showed that fungi within Gigasporaceae might be underrepresented in clone abundance when Glomus spp. co-occur in roots. No clones representing fungi within the Acaulosporaceae were amplified from vineyards, although specific fungi within Acaulosporaceae were shown to colonize Pinot noir roots in sterilized soil and were amplified from these roots. Four Glomus phylotypes, including G. intraradices, were found in roots from all 10 vineyards, and these fungi accounted for 81% of clones. AMF phylotypes amplified from roots did not change during the growing season, although six phylotypes varied with soil type. The presence of three phylotypes was affected by vineyard age, and phylotype richness appeared to decline as vineyard age increased beyond 20 y. PCA analysis supported the hypothesis that the AMF community is different in red-hill soils than in valley soils and indicated certain phylotypes might be associated with lower soil and vine nutrient status. However, the changes in the AMF community in grape roots across vineyards were subtle because most root samples were dominated by the same three or four phylotypes. A separate analysis using primers to amplify AMF from the orcheasporaceae/Paraglomeraceae showed most root samples also were colonized by at least one Paraglomus or Archaeospora phylotype.

Thank You, but this is about arbuscular mycorrhiza and I'm interested in ectomycorrhiza.....

Dear Marko,

There are plenty evidences for arbuscular mycorrhiza in grapevine but so far no one for its ectomycorrhiza by now. If your goal is only to detect ectomycorrhiza presence and not to identify mycorrhizal fungi, you can easy go without any molecular techniques at all. You can start with observing stained microscopic sections of the roots and if you detect fungal structures typical for ectomycorrhiza (they are rather noticeable and well recognizable), namely intercellular hyphae of Hartig net in root cortex and hyphal mantle around the lateral roots tips, you can consider your plant ectomycorrhizal. You can look through Mark Brundrett`s site for basic slide-preparation and staining techniques for different mycorrhiza types: https://mycorrhizas.info/method.html

and there are lots of ectomycorrhiza images in Inet for comparison with results you obtain.

With best regards,

Elena

Elena, thank You very much!