Isotopic Analysis of Sporocarp Protein and Structural Material Improves Resolution of Fungal Carbon Sources.

ABSTRACT: Fungal acquisition of resources is difficult to assess in the field. To determine whether fungi received carbon from recent plant photosynthate, litter or soil-derived organic (C:N bonded) nitrogen, we examined differences in δ¹³C among bulk tissue, structural carbon, and protein extracts of sporocarps of three fungal types: saprotrophic fungi, fungi with hydrophobic ectomycorrhizae, or fungi with hydrophilic ectomycorrhizae. Sporocarps were collected from experimental plots of the Duke Free-air CO₂ enrichment experiment during and after CO₂ enrichment. The differential ¹³C labeling of ecosystem pools in CO₂ enrichment experiments was tracked into fungi and provided novel insights into organic nitrogen use. Specifically, sporocarp δ

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5183622 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature