Two international trainings on the in vitro culture of AM fungi are offered by the CESAMM/GINCO teams.
For more information, visit: International trainings website
The most commonly used method to propagate AMF remains the pot cultivation. However, this method:
When grown on a suitable synthetic growth medium in association with excised roots, AMF cultures can be maintained pure and viable for long term periods.
The methodologies commonly used to grow AMF in GINCO are fully described by Cranenbrouck et al. (methodologies for in vitro cultivation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with root organs) In: Declerck S., Strullu D.G. and Fortin J.A. (Eds), In Vitro Culture of Mycorrhizas, to be published in Springer-Verlag, end March 2005.
Advantages of the in vitro culture of AMF | |
Reliability of cultures | contaminant free cultures throughout life cycle. |
Monospecificity of fungal inoculum | no cross contamination with other Glomeromycota throughout life cycle. |
Non-destructive monitoring | morphological observations conducted without disturbance of the intimate coexistence of host roots and AMF during whole life cycle. |
Efficient system for |
|
Lower space and time requirements | produced under growth chamber controlled conditions. |
Easy quality control and fungal growth quantification | important for high scale production of both in vivo and in vitro propagation. |
Inconvenients related to the in vitro culture of AMF compared to pot cultures | |
Sterile environment | high precaution (controlled atmosphere, laminar flow hood, …) are needed to succeed. |
Technical training |
may be necessary to acquire expertise. Training on in vitro culture of AMF is organised by the Mycorhizal Research Team (UCL). |
Low sporulation levels for some species | make them less distributable or distributable at a prohibitive price. |
Number of available strains | several strains are cultivated but few distributed. |
Continuous cultivation | difficulty to maintain some strains under continuous growth. |
Physiological and genetic characters | potential loss of strains characters due to successive transfers. |
With the availability for the scientific and the industry communities of high quality and contaminant-free AMF inocula, very innovative research and development possibilities, up to now neglected, will be greatly facilitated:
Cranenbrouck S., Voets L., Bivort C., Strullu D. G. and Declerck S., Methodologies for in vitro cultivation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In: Declerck S., Strullu D.G. and Fortin A.(eds.), In Vitro Culture of Mycorrhizas, to be published in Srpinger Verlag, end March 2005.
Caption:
*: non-sporulating species
?: identification to be confirmed
Gigasporaceae (non producing vesicles) | |
G. gigantea (Nicolson & Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe |
Gadkar et al., 1997 |
G. margarita Becker & Hall |
Miller-Wideman and Watrud, 1984 Gadkar et al., 1997 Karandashov et al., 1999 |
G. rosea Nicolson & Schenck |
Bécard and Fortin, 1988, 1992 Diop et al., 1992 |
S. reticulata (Koske, Miller, Walker) Walker & Sanders |
de Souza and Declerck, 2003 |
Acaulosporaceae (producing vesicle) | |
A. rehmii Sieverding & Toro |
Declerck and Dalpé, 2002 |
Glomaceae (producing vesicles) | |
G. caledonium (Nicolson & Gerd.) Trappe & Gerd. |
Karandashov et al., 1999, 2000 |
G. cerebriforme McGee |
Samson et al., 2000 |
G. clarum Nicolson & Schenck |
de Souza and Berbara, 1999 |
G. constrictum Trappe |
Mathur and Vyas, 1999 |
G. deserticola Trappe, Bloss & Menge |
Mathur and Vyas, 1995 |
G. etunicatum Becker & Gerd. |
Pawlowska et al., 1999 |
G. fasciculatum (Thaxter sensu Gerd.) Gerd.&Trappe emend. Walker & Koske |
Strullu an Romand, 1986 Declerck et al., 1998 |
*G. fistulosum Skou & Jakobson |
Nuutila et al., 1995 |
G. intraradices Schenck & Smith |
Strullu and Romand, 1987 Chabot et al., 1992 Diop et al., 1994a, b St-Arnaud et al., 1996 Karandashov et al., 1999 Declerck et al., 1998 Boisson-Denier et al., 2001 Douds, 2002 |
G. macrocarpum Tulasne &Tulasne |
Declerck et al., 1998 |
*G. mosseae (Nicolson & Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe |
Mosse and Hepper, 1975 Mugnier and Mosse, 1987 Karandashov et al., 1999 Douds, 1997 Raman et al., 2001 |
G. proliferum Dalpé & Declerck |
Declerck et al., 2000 |
G. versiforme (Karsten) Berch |
Diop et al., 1994 Declerck et al., 1998 |
Gigasporaceae (non producing vesicles) | |
Gigaspora albida Schenck & Smith |
Wu C-G (pers. comm.) |
*Scutellospora castanea Walker |
Declerck S (pers. comm.) |
S. nigra (Redhead) Walker & Sanders |
Wu C-G (pers. comm.) |
Acaulosporaceae (producing vesicle) | |
*Acaulospora Laevis Gerd. & Trappe |
Declerck S (pers. comm.) |
A. morrowae Spain & Schenck |
Wu C-G (pers. Comm.) |
Glomaceae (producing vesicles) | |
Glomus aggregatum Schenck &Smith emend. Koske |
Moutoglis P (pers.comm.) |
?G. lamellosum Dalpé, Koske & Tews |
Dalpé Y (pers. comm.) |
Glomus sp. | Declerck S (pers. Comm.) Dalpé Y (pers. comm.) |
Sclerocystis sinuosa (Gerd.& Bakshi) Almeida & Schenck |
Wu C-G (pers.comm.) |