Effect of a heavy metal on ecto- and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: the physiology, ultrastructure, and ecology of copper stress and tolerance

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dc.contributor.authorGruhn, Christine Maeen
dc.contributor.committeechairMiller, Orson K.en
dc.contributor.committeememberDaniels, W. Leeen
dc.contributor.committeememberPalmer, John G.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPaterson, Robert A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberRutherford, Charles L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberScheckler, Stephen E.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiologyen
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-10T20:00:23Zen
dc.date.available2015-07-10T20:00:23Zen
dc.date.issued1989en
dc.description.abstractThis work consists of an introduction, six chapters dealing with various aspects of the response of mycorrhizal fungi to copper, and a brief conclusion. The first chapter examines the enzyme tyrosinase in several ectomycorrhizal fungi and shows that its activity is altered in these fungi in response to copper. Polyamines are also examined in this chapter, and it is shown that their levels are altered in some ectomycorrhizal fungi due to copper stress but not in others. The second chapter uses transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate that copper is bound to the hyphae of ectomycorrhizal fungi grown on solid media, but the location of the binding varies between fungal species. In vitro copper tolerances of a number of ectomycorrhizal species are compared in this chapter and differences in tolerance are evident between species and between different isolates of the same species. In the third chapter, four ectomycorrhizal fungi and one nonmycorrhizal fungus are evaluated for their ability to improve the growth of Japanese Red Pine under conditions of copper stress. Improvement of pine seedling growth is not correlated with in vitro copper tolerance of the fungus, but is related to the degree of compatibility between host and fungus. Despite differences in in vitro tolerance between three isolates of the same species, there are no differences in the effect of the isolates on the tree host under conditions of copper stress. Ectomycorrhizal fungi were also inoculated in pairs on pine seedlings and the competitive abilities of the fungi are compared under stressed and nonstressed conditions. The fourth chapter discusses the results of inoculation of pine with a nonhost fungus which stimulates dichotomous branching of the root system. The compound responsible for the branching is demonstrated to be indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a plant growth hormone. The final two chapters deal with endomycorrhizal fungi. In the first of the two, inoculation of onion with an endomycorrhizal fungus demonstrates that the fungus probably plays no direct role in the response of the plant to heavy metals, based on biomass production, nutrient uptake, and photosynthetic rate. The last chapter demonstrates that the vascular plants found on abandoned mines in Virginia and North Carolina are well colonized by endomycorrhizal fungi; thus, an absence of these fungi is not a reason for the limited natural recolonization of the mine spoils.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentvii, 149 leavesen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/54531en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 21329461en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1989.G769en
dc.subject.lcshMycorrhizasen
dc.subject.lcshSoil fungien
dc.subject.lcshCopper -- Decayen
dc.titleEffect of a heavy metal on ecto- and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: the physiology, ultrastructure, and ecology of copper stress and toleranceen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineBiologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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