2024 journal article
X-ray fluorescence and XANES spectroscopy revealed diverse potassium chemistries and colocalization with phosphorus in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus ammoniavirescens
Fungal Biology.
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
2. Zero Hunger
(Web of Science)
15. Life on Land
(Web of Science)
Source: ORCID
Added: August 8, 2024
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi play a major role in forest ecosystems and managed tree plantations. Particularly, they facilitate mineral weathering and nutrient transfer towards colonized roots. Among nutrients provided by these fungi, potassium (K) has been understudied compared to phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N). The ECM fungus Paxillus ammoniavirescens is a generalist species that interacts with the root of many trees and can directly transfer K to them, including loblolly pine. However, the forms of K that ECM fungi can store is still unknown. Here, we used synchrotron potassium X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and K-edge X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy on P. ammoniavirescens growing in axenic conditions to investigate the K chemistries accumulating in the center and the edge of the mycelium. We observed that various K forms accumulated in different part of the mycelium, including K-nitrate (KNO