On the occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a bryophyte community of Punta Lara Natural Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina

FABRICIO EMANUEL VALDÉS, DENILSON FERNANDES PERALTA, MARÍA SILVANA VELÁZQUEZ, FERNANDA COVACEVICH, ALEJANDRA GABRIELA BECERRA, MARTA NOEMÍ CABELLO

Diversity

MDPI

Año: 2023

The evolutionary history of the symbiotic association between AMF membersarbuscular 17 mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and embryophytes dates back to the Devonian period. Previous ecological 18 and physiological studies have described the presence of arbuscules, inter- and intracellular hyphae, 19 vesicles, coils and spores, in liverworts and hornworts, which are considered absent in mosses. This 20 study aimed to report the presence of AMF in a community of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) 21 from Punta Lara Natural Reserve, Argentina. Senescent and green sections of gametophytes were 22 processed and stained and, following microscopic observation, revealed AMF structures. We found 23 intracellular hyphae, vesicles, spores and sporocarps associated with thallus and rhizoids of mosses 24 and liverworts and senescent moss caulidia. The morphological characterization of spores resulted 25 in the determination of Rhizophagus intraradices and Dominikia aurea. The species D. aurea is reported 26 for the first time for Argentina. Sequencing of the D1 variable domain of the LSUrDNA from AMF 27 spores mixes plus hyphae resulted in high similitude to the Dominikia sequences available from 28 NCBI. This study reported the presence of AMF associated with saprobes in declining and senescent 29 gametophytes of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) in a Natural Reserve in Argentina. These 30 findings open up new lines of study, which should further investigate these associations and their 31 of diversity, physiology and significance.