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Nitrogen and carbon/nitrogen dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhiza: the great unknown

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Abstract

Many studies have established that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi transfer N to the host plant. However, the role and importance of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) in plant N nutrition is still uncertain, as are the C/N interactions within the symbiosis. Published reports provide differing, and often contradictory, results that are difficult to combine in a coherent framework. This review explores questions such as: What makes the difference between a positive and a negative effect of AM on plant N nutrition? Is the mycorrhizal N response (MNR) correlated to the mycorrhizal growth response (MGR), and how or under which conditions? Is the MNR effect on plant growth C mediated? Is plant C investment on fungal growth related to N needs or N benefit? How is the N for C trade between symbionts regulated? The patternless nature of current knowledge is made evident, and possible reasons for this are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Steve Houghton for help with the English revision. This work was funded by the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/44913/2008, PTDC/BIA-ECS/122214/2010, PTDC/Agro-Pro/115888/2009) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (AGL2012-35611).

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The authors declare to have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Granada, Spain

    A. Corrêa & N. Ferrol

  2. Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    A. Corrêa & C. Cruz

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  1. A. Corrêa
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  2. C. Cruz
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  3. N. Ferrol
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Correspondence to A. Corrêa.

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Corrêa, A., Cruz, C. & Ferrol, N. Nitrogen and carbon/nitrogen dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhiza: the great unknown. Mycorrhiza 25, 499–515 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-015-0627-6

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