Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity associated with Eleocharis obtusa and Panicum capillare growing in an extreme petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted sedimentation basin

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been extensively studied in natural and agricultural ecosystems, but little is known about their diversity and community structure in highly petroleum-polluted soils. In this study, we described an unexpected diversity of AMF in a sedimentation basin of a former petrochemical plant, in which petroleum hydrocarbon (PH) wastes were dumped for many decades. We used high-throughput PCR, cloning and sequencing of 18S rDNA to assess the molecular diversity of AMF associated with Eleocharis obtusa and Panicum capillare spontaneously inhabiting extremely PH-contaminated sediments. The analyses of rhizosphere and root samples over two years showed a remarkable AMF richness comparable with that found in temperate natural ecosystems. Twenty-one taxa, encompassing the major families within Glomeromycota, were detected. The most abundant OTUs belong to genera Claroideoglomus, Diversispora, Rhizophagus and Paraglomus. Both plants had very similar overall community structures and OTU abundances; however, AMF community structure differed when comparing the overall OTU distribution across the two years of sampling. This could be likely explained by variations in precipitations between 2011 and 2012. Our study provides the first view of AMF molecular diversity in soils extremely polluted by PH, and demonstrated the ability of AMF to colonize and establish in harsh environments.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; molecular diversity; petroleum hydrocarbon pollution; symbiosis; virtual taxa.