Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Secondary Metabolism

Plants synthetize and accumulate a various class of organic compounds known as secondary metabolites (SMs).

Although SMs do not play a crucial role as primary metabolites in plant growth and development, they are of high ecological significance.

Humans use these compounds in the pharmaceutical industry.

One of the results of mutual symbiotic association between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is the reprogramming of metabolic pathways and modulating the range and content of plant SMs such as phenolics, terpenoids, and alkaloids.

Many of SMs act as signals for multiple interactions between plants and AMF, from the pre-symbiotic stage to the creation/formation of a functional symbiosis.

This chapter briefly reviews the current research status in the field of SM changes under the influence of AMF.

The plant association with AMF increases the production and accumulation of SMs directly through improving water and nutrient uptake and enhancing the photosynthetic capacity or indirectly by provoking the biosynthetic pathways of SMs through generation of signaling molecules and changes in the concentration of phytohormones.

The extent to which AMF affect plant SMs depends on the plant and fungus species and environmental factors.