Symbiotic Fungi: Principles and Practice (Soil Biology)

8 Use of the Autofluorescence Properties of AM Fungi 131
arbuscules, formed during AM colonization as characteristic fungal structures in
roots, are irradiated with blue light (Ames et al. 1982).
Although the method of autofluorescence detection of AM fungal structures
has been known for more than 25 years (Ames et al. 1982), it has not been widely
used and its advantages for the assessment and management of AM fungi have not
been fully explored.
Ames et al. (1982), tested five different plant species colonized by different AM
fungi, including species of the genera Glomus, Gigaspora and Acaulospora, and
observed that the arbuscules autofluoresced when illuminated with blue light
and that the AM fungal species, host plant and growth conditions had no effect
on the autofluorescence pattern. The study of Gange et al. (1999) confirmed that the
autofluorescence of AM fungal structures was a common phenomenon, since it was
observed in eight different plant species colonized by native AM fungi. Table 8.2
shows the plant species studied until now by means of autofluorescence detection of
AM fungal structures.
There are several possible reasons why autofluorescence detection has not been
more widely used as a method for visualizing AM fungal structures. One reason
may be that the title of the article by Ames et al. (1982) was misleading, since the
authors described the autofluorescence as being induced by ultraviolet light. If some
Table 8.2 Plant species studied by autofluorescence detection for visualizing AM fungal
structures
Plant species a
Material examined Reference
Allium porrum Root sections Jabaji-Hare et al. (1984)
Allium textile Whole-root segments Ames et al. (1982)
Artemisia frigida Whole-root segments Ames et al. (1982)
Bouteloua gracilis Whole-root segments Ames et al. (1982)
Brachypodium pinnatum Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Brahea armata Root sections Dreyer et al. (2006)
Chamaerops humilis Root sections Dreyer et al. (2006)
Dactylis glomerata Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Fragaria vesca Whole-root segments Ames et al. (1982)
Holcus lanatus Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Lolium perenne Whole-root segments Vierheilig et al. (1999)
Medicago sativa Whole-root segments Dreyer et al. (2006)
Nicotiana tabacum Whole-root segments Vierheilig et al. (2001)
Phoenix canariensis Root sections Dreyer et al. (2006)
Phoenix dactylifera Root sections Dreyer et al. (2006)
Plantago lanceolata Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Scutellaria brittonii Whole-root segments Ames et al. (1982)
Senecio vulgaris, Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Senecio jacobaea Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
Veronica persica Whole-root segments Gange et al. (1999)
a
Gange et al. (1999) also examined the plant species Capsella bursa-pastoris and Poa annua, but
as no arbuscules were seen, they were omitted from further analysis