''Rhizophagus clarus'' (previously known as ''Glomus clarum'') is an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in the family Glomeraceae. The species has been shown to improve nutrient absorption and growth in several agricultural crops but is not typically applied commercially.

Distribution and conservation

''Rhizophagus clarus'' is widely distributed and found worldwide. The species is proposed to be at the level of Least Concern on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

due to its global distribution.

Spores and morphology

The spores of ''Rhizophagus clarus'' vary in color from white to yellow-brown. They naturally vary in size from 100 to 260 μm and are globose to subglobose in shape. The spores are larger than the spores of other species in the genus Rhizophagus. The spores are composed of an outer mucilaginous layer which thickens as they mature. ''Rhizophagus clarus'' is composed of extraradical hyphae that extend past the rhizosphere soil zone, and intraradical

hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one o ...

e that inhabit the host plant's roots.

Ecology

''Rhizophagus clarus'' is a biotrophic mutualist fungus that exchanges soil nutrients with its host plant for

photoassimilate In botany, a photoassimilate is one of a number of biological compounds formed by assimilation using light-dependent reactions. This term is most commonly used to refer to the energy-storing monosaccharides produced by photosynthesis in the leaves ...

s. ''Rhizophagus clarus'' is able to form a

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

relationship with a wide variety of plant hosts, some of which include: *

Strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown Hybrid (biology), hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit ...

(''Fragaria x ananasa'' Duch.) *

Maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

(''Zea mays'') *

Soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

(''Glycine max'') *

Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

(''Gossypium hirsutum'') *

Spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...

(''Mentha crispa'') *

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

(''Solanum lycopersicum'')

Genome

''Rhizophagus clarus'' has a relatively small number of genes coding for cell wall degrading enzymes because the species is mutualistic and not pathogenic. Effector molecules secreted by the fungus affect plant signaling and immune function to promote fungal colonization. Hyphal

anastomosis An anastomosis (, : anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection may be normal (su ...

is common in colonies of ''Rhizophagus clarus'' and allows for horizontal gene transfer and increased variation in genotypes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28070516 Glomerales Fungus species