@article{fdi:010071007,
  title = {{E}xploring fungus-plant {N} transfer in a tripartite ant-plant-fungus mutualism},
  author = {{L}eroy, {C}{\'e}line and {J}auneau, {A}. and {M}artinez, {Y}. and {C}abin-{F}laman, {A}. and {G}ibouin, {D}. and {O}rivel, {J}. and {S}{\'e}jalon-{D}elmas, {N}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground and {A}ims {T}he plant {H}irtella physophora, the ant {A}llomerus decemarticulatus and a fungus, {T}rimmatostroma sp., form a tripartite association. {T}he ants manipulate both the plant trichomes and the fungus to build galleries under the stems of their host plant used to capture prey. {I}n addition to its structural role, the fungus also improves nutrient uptake by the host plant. {B}ut it still remains unclear whether the fungus plays an indirect or a direct role in transferring nutrients to the plant. {T}his study aimed to trace the transfer of {N} from the fungus to the plant's stem tissue. {M}ethods {O}ptical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy ({TEM}) were used to investigate the presence of fungal hyphae in the stem tissues. {T}hen, a {N}-15-labelling experiment was combined with a nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrometry ({N}ano{SIMS} 50) isotopic imaging approach to trace the movement of added {N}-15 from the fungus to plant tissues. {K}ey {R}esults {T}he {TEM} images clearly showed hyphae inside the stem tissue in the cellular compartment. {A}lso, fungal hyphae were seen perforating the wall of the parenchyma cell. {T}he {N}-15 provisioning of the fungus in the galleries resulted in significant enrichment of the {N}-15 signature of the plant's leaves 1 d after the {N}-15-labelling solution was deposited on the fungus-bearing trap. {F}inally, {N}ano{SIMS} imaging proved that nitrogen was transferred biotrophically from the fungus to the stem tissue. {C}onclusions {T}his study provides evidence that the fungi are connected endophytically to an ant-plant system and actively transfer nitrogen from {N}-15-labelling solution to the plant's stem tissues. {O}verall, this study underlines how complex the trophic structure of ant-plant interactions is due to the presence of the fungus and provides insight into the possibly important nutritional aspects and tradeoffs involved in myrmecophyte-ant mutualisms.},
  keywords = {{A}scomycetes ; endophytic fungi ; {H}irtella physophora ; microscopy ; mutualism ; myrmecophyte ; {N}ano{SIMS} ; stable isotope ; {GUYANE} {FRANCAISE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}nnals of {B}otany},
  volume = {120},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {417--426},
  ISSN = {0305-7364},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.1093/aob/mcx064},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071007},
}