Vegetative interactions among mycelia of Laccaria bicolor in pure culture and in symbiosis with Pinus banksiana

Abstract

Mycelial interactions of Laccaria bicolor strains were studied in pure culture and after inoculation onto mycorrhizal hosts. Monokaryon–monokaryon and dikaryon–monokaryon crosses were performed on an agar medium that enhanced nuclear migration to study mating events. The first observance of clamped hyphae, their location, evidence of nuclear migration, and the occurrence of dikaryon–monokaryon matings varied among crosses. One monokaryon–monokaryon and two dikaryon–monokaryon combinations were selected for seedling inoculation to compare their mycorrhizosphere interactions with those observed on agar medium. Seedlings of Pinus banksiana were grown for 20 weeks in a mycelium inoculated soil medium. Three seedlings from each treatment were selected at harvest and ectomycorrhizae reisolates were subject to randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis to identify genotypes. This analysis was also done for mycelial samples of the same crosses on agar medium. Variation in the mycobiont genotype was observed for different root isolates from the same seedling, which had been initially inoculated with a compatible monokaryon–monokaryon or a dikaryon–monokaryon strain combination. Root isolates from seedlings receiving the latter treatment included a new dikaryotic genotype produced by a dikaryon–monokaryon mating. Seedling growth was reduced with ectomycorrhizal colonization, most likely because of the photosynthate requirements of the mycobiont during this study. The nature of mycelial interactions and the potential value of a genetically variable mycobiont are discussed. Key words: Buller phenomenon, ectomycorrhizae, intraspecific variability, mycelial interactions, RAPD analysis.