Arbuscular mycorrhiza: studies on the geosiphon symbiosis lead to the characterization of the first glomeromycotan sugar transporter.

The intimate arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) association between roots and obligate symbiotic Glomeromycota ('AM fungi') 'feeds' about 80% of land plants. AM forming fungi supply land plants with inorganic nutrients and have an enormous impact on terrestrial ecosystems. In return, AM fungi obtain up to 20% of the plant-fixed CO(2), putatively as monosaccharides. In a recent work we have reported the characterization of the first glomeromycotan monosaccharide transporter, GpMST1, and its gene sequence. We discuss that AM fungi might take up sugars deriving from plant cell-wall material. The GpMST1 sequence delivers valuable data for the isolation of orthologues from other AM fungi and may eventually lead to the understanding of C-flows in the AM.