Japanese researchers discover plant transmits carbon through fungi
In Japan, some plants are thought to supplement their carbon needs by obtaining carbon through underground fungal networks connected to other plants. This symbiotic relationship is known as mycoheterotrophy. Researchers from Chiba University found evidence that Gentiana squarrosa, a Gentian family plant, can receive carbon through arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks in addition to photosynthesis. The findings support the existence of partial mycoheterotrophy and could improve understanding of underground plant–fungus interactions.
Some plants rely partly or entirely on these fungal networks for carbon compounds through a process called mycoheterotrophy. Fully mycoheterotrophic plants obtain carbon from fungi instead of conducting photosynthesis. Others are thought to be partially mycoheterotrophic, meaning they produce their own carbon through photosynthesis but also receive some from fungi. This strategy may be especially important for plants growing on shaded forest floors.
Although scientists have long suspected that some green plants receive carbon through fungal networks, proving this has been difficult. Researchers often examine carbon-13 (¹³C) enrichment to test whether plants obtain carbon through fungi in some (partially) mycoheterotrophic plants in the Orchidaceae and the Ericaceae having symbioses with Basidiomycetes or Ascomycetes fungi. However, in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the most ubiquitous mycorrhizal fungi, carbon isotope signatures often resemble those of host plants, making it difficult to detect carbon transfer.
Now, researchers from Chiba University and Kobe University, Japan, have found that Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb., a small flowering plant in the Gentianaceae, is partially mycoheterotrophic. The study, published in Volume 36 of the journal Mycorrhiza on May 28, 2026, reveals that the plant not only produces carbon through photosynthesis but also receives carbon through underground fungal networks.
Category: Research
