Arbuscular mycorrhiza under water — Carbon‒phosphorus exchange between rice and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under different flooding regimes

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are commonly present in wetlands, but their functional role there is not well understood. We have quantified the carbon (C) allocation from rice to AMF under different flooding regimes, using stable isotope labeling (¹³CO₂), and assessed the potential phosphorus (P) delivery from AMF to rice by profiling the expression of plant and fungal P transporter genes. The results showed that the plant-assimilated C was allocated to AMF under all flooding regimes, as evidenced by the significant enrichment of ¹³C in the AMF signature fatty acids. The plant C allocation to AMF declined at increased flooding intensity, and was strikingly greater at the growth stage when the rice plants had a higher nutrient requirement. The gene expression profiles and rice P levels strongly indicated that a considerable amount of P was transported to plants via the mycorrhizal pathway under wetland conditions, although AMF colonization did not improve rice growth. This work provides the first solid evidence of C‒P exchange in AM symbiosis under flooded conditions, although it is reduced compared to non-flooded conditions. Nonetheless, this means that AMF may have an important function in wetlands, which opens new perspectives on the application of symbiotic AMF in wetlands.