Sucrose Utilization of the Ectomycorrhizal Fungi <i>Amanita muscaria</i> and <i>Hebeloma crustuliniforme</i> Depends on the Cell Wall‐bound Invertase Activity of their Host <i>Picea abies</i>

Abstract The role of apoplastic invertase (β‐ d ‐fructofuranoside — fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.26) of the host Picea abies for carbohydrate uptake and growth of two of its natural ectomycorrhiza partners was studied. For that purpose, hyphae of Amanita muscaria (Pers. ex Fries) Hock. and Hebeloma crustuliniforme (Bull. ex Fries) Quell., as well as roots and suspension cultured cells of Picea abies (L.) Karst. were used. Apoplastic invertase activity was demonstrated on roots and suspension cultured cells of spruce (in the latter case with 21.7 nkat (g fresh weight) −1 ). Inhibition of the root cell wall invertase activity (pH optimum 4.5) by increasing the apoplastic pH allowed determination of the permanent release of sucrose from the root. However, under in vivo conditions at a lower cell wall pH the hydrolysation products glucose and fructose were predominantly found. In contrast to spruce cells and certain fungi, such as Saccharomyces (Novick et al., 1981) or Phycomyces (Ruiz‐Herrera et al., 1989) invertase activity of the mycorrhizal fungi Hebeloma and Amanita was negligibly low. Furthermore, sucrose could not be consumed by Amanita and Hebeloma . As a consequence, cultures of these mycorrhizal fungi starved when kept on media with sucrose as sole carbohydrate source. But addition of invertase initiated hyphal growth immediately. Studies on carbohydrate uptake of host and fungal cells confirmed that the monosaccharides glucose and fructose were readily incorporated by spruce and fungal cells, with a clear preference for glucose. From these results it is suggested that apoplastic invertase activity of the host Picea abies is a precondition for the utilization of sucrose by the studied mycorrhizal fungi during the nutritional interaction of the symbiotic partners.