Suillus luteus · Atlas of Contaminated Sites

How it works

Mechanisms: mycorrhizal supportphytostabilisation

Contaminants

Contaminant	Evidence	What was shown
Zinc	laboratory	235 isolates of four ectomycorrhizal species collected in pioneer pine forests at 14 locations along a Zn pollution gradient, tested in vitro (EC50 on biomass): Suilloid fungi within 5 km of a smelter are highly tolerant, those beyond 15 km are not, with mixed populations in between. Paxillus involutus shows no adaptive tolerance. Colpaert et al. (2004) Evolutionary adaptation to Zn toxicity in populations of Suilloid fungi. New Phytol 162:549-559, 2004
Copper	laboratory	Pinus sylvestris seedlings in a dose-response test: without mycorrhiza or with a copper-sensitive isolate, root growth and nutrient uptake are strongly inhibited; with the mine-spoil isolate plants are hardly affected by copper. Tolerance is metal-specific: Zn-tolerant isolates are Cu-sensitive and vice versa. Adriaensen et al. (2005) Copper-adapted Suillus luteus, a symbiotic solution for pines colonizing Cu mine spoils. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:7279-7284, 2005
Cadmium	laboratory	Scots pines inoculated with a Cd-tolerant isolate from a polluted site: at high exposure more fungal biomass, higher nutrient uptake and less cadmium transferred to shoots than in plants with a sensitive isolate. Krznaric et al. (2009) Cd-tolerant Suillus luteus: a fungal insurance for pines exposed to Cd. Environ Pollut 157:1581-1588, 2009

Contaminant

Evidence

What was shown

laboratory

235 isolates of four ectomycorrhizal species collected in pioneer pine forests at 14 locations along a Zn pollution gradient, tested in vitro (EC50 on biomass): Suilloid fungi within 5 km of a smelter are highly tolerant, those beyond 15 km are not, with mixed populations in between. Paxillus involutus shows no adaptive tolerance.

Colpaert et al. (2004) Evolutionary adaptation to Zn toxicity in populations of Suilloid fungi. New Phytol 162:549-559, 2004

Copper

laboratory

Pinus sylvestris seedlings in a dose-response test: without mycorrhiza or with a copper-sensitive isolate, root growth and nutrient uptake are strongly inhibited; with the mine-spoil isolate plants are hardly affected by copper. Tolerance is metal-specific: Zn-tolerant isolates are Cu-sensitive and vice versa.

Adriaensen et al. (2005) Copper-adapted Suillus luteus, a symbiotic solution for pines colonizing Cu mine spoils. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:7279-7284, 2005

Cadmium

laboratory

Scots pines inoculated with a Cd-tolerant isolate from a polluted site: at high exposure more fungal biomass, higher nutrient uptake and less cadmium transferred to shoots than in plants with a sensitive isolate.

Krznaric et al. (2009) Cd-tolerant Suillus luteus: a fungal insurance for pines exposed to Cd. Environ Pollut 157:1581-1588, 2009

Limits

The fungus protects the tree but does not take the metal out of the soil. There is no co-tolerance: the isolate adapted to the site's metal is needed, and a multi-metal site is a case not covered. Populations were collected in the field, but protection tests are on seedlings under controlled conditions. The fruiting bodies are edible and should not be picked on polluted sites.