Polyaromatic hydrocarbons impair phosphorus transport by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis.

Phosphate uptake by plant roots is mainly mediated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, the impact on phosphorus (P) transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), persistent organic pollutants widely found in altered soils, is not known up today. Here, we monitored the Rhizophagus irregularis fungal growth and the fungal P transport ability from the extraradical mycelium to the host transformed chicory roots in the presence of anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and the combination of both PAH, under in vitro conditions. Firstly, our findings showed that PAH have detrimental effect on the fungal growth. The combination of both PAH was more toxic than each of the PAH individually due to synergistic effects. Secondly, PAH affected the P transport by the fungus from the medium to the roots. This was evidenced by either the decrease in (33)P quantity transported in the roots as well as the decrease in acid phosphatase activity in the mycorrhizal roots. Moreover, the fungal alkaline phosphatase activities remained constant in the extraradical mycelium as well as in the roots in the absence and in the presence of PAH. The GintPT and GiALP (encoding a P transporter and an alkaline phosphatase respectively) gene expressions were also found to be similar in the extraradical mycelium treated with PAH or not (control). These findings suggested that the P uptake by R. irregularis was not affected by PAH but probably the transport from the extraradical mycelium to the intraradical mycelium.