, a Novel Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Species, Promotes the Growth of Mung Beans and Enhances Resistance to Disease Induced by .

The mutualistic interactions between mycorrhizae and plants first occurred along with the terrestrialization of plants. The majority of vascular plants are in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. Due to their importance to the economy and ecology, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi emerge as the most popular ones. However, the mechanism underlying the beneficial function of ECM fungi is not as clear as AM fungi. Here, the interaction between , a novel fungal species isolated from forest litter, and mung bean () was studied. demonstrated P solubilization ability in vitro. Treatment of on the seeds resulted in promoted growth with enhanced P content. The hyphae of green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged were found to surround the roots and develop between cells, suggesting the establishment of an ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. Upon symbiosis with , the levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and gibberellin (GA) and total phenolic and flavonoid content elevated. Meanwhile, damping off caused by in mycorrhizal plants was alleviated. Taken together, the above findings suggested that symbiosis with conferred growth promotion and priming of defense responses to host plants which should be associated with facilitated P uptake and increased JA and GA levels.