@article{cainzos_loss_2026,
	title = {Loss of {qE} {Does} {Not} {Necessarily} {Lead} to {Photoinhibition}: {Sustained} {Non}-{Photochemical} {Quenching} in the {Absence} of {PsbS} and {Zeaxanthin}},
	volume = {n/a},
	copyright = {© 2026 The Author(s). Plant, Cell \& Environment published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.},
	issn = {1365-3040},
	shorttitle = {Loss of {qE} {Does} {Not} {Necessarily} {Lead} to {Photoinhibition}},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pce.70477},
	doi = {10.1111/pce.70477},
	abstract = {Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes mediate light absorption and energy dissipation. By modulating the photosystems' absorption cross-section, they affect both photosynthetic activity and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). These processes are often studied by spectrally integrated chlorophyll fluorescence, masking their associated spectral information. We explore in Aspen and Arabidopsis npq mutants how qE affects the development of NPQ spectra under two contrasting conditions: in the absence and the presence of photoinhibition. We introduce a new parameter, the development of new emitting species (NESD), during time- and spectrally resolved NPQ inductions, and develop a pipeline to resolve PSII energy-partitioning heterogeneity. LHCII, PsbS, and zeaxanthin are required for NESD. Combining gas exchange, P700 oxidation, and spectrally resolved kinetics, we show that under photoinhibitory conditions, NES can develop even without PsbS or zeaxanthin, producing sustained quenching independent of photoinhibition of PSII or PSI. Furthermore, the absence of LHCII and CURVATURE THYLAKOID 1 leads to increased photoinhibition, indicating that long-term photoprotection relies on LHCII and thylakoid plasticity, whereas PsbS and zeaxanthin mainly facilitate LHCII-dependent quenching. Finally, we show the limitations of traditional parameters in discriminating between photoinhibition and photoprotective sustained quenching and propose time-resolved monitoring of CO₂ assimilation and Y(II) for their accurate assessment.},
	language = {en},
	number = {n/a},
	urldate = {2026-03-13},
	journal = {Plant, Cell \& Environment},
	author = {Cainzos, Maximiliano and Hu, Chen and Pissolato, Maria Dolores and Fataftah, Nazeer and Nanda, Sanchali and Jansson, Stefan},
	month = mar,
	year = {2026},
	note = {\_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pce.70477},
	keywords = {NPQ, high light, new emitting species development, photoinhibition, photosynthesis: carbon reactions, photosynthesis: electron transport, sustained quenching},
}

Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes mediate light absorption and energy dissipation. By modulating the photosystems' absorption cross-section, they affect both photosynthetic activity and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). These processes are often studied by spectrally integrated chlorophyll fluorescence, masking their associated spectral information. We explore in Aspen and Arabidopsis npq mutants how qE affects the development of NPQ spectra under two contrasting conditions: in the absence and the presence of photoinhibition. We introduce a new parameter, the development of new emitting species (NESD), during time- and spectrally resolved NPQ inductions, and develop a pipeline to resolve PSII energy-partitioning heterogeneity. LHCII, PsbS, and zeaxanthin are required for NESD. Combining gas exchange, P700 oxidation, and spectrally resolved kinetics, we show that under photoinhibitory conditions, NES can develop even without PsbS or zeaxanthin, producing sustained quenching independent of photoinhibition of PSII or PSI. Furthermore, the absence of LHCII and CURVATURE THYLAKOID 1 leads to increased photoinhibition, indicating that long-term photoprotection relies on LHCII and thylakoid plasticity, whereas PsbS and zeaxanthin mainly facilitate LHCII-dependent quenching. Finally, we show the limitations of traditional parameters in discriminating between photoinhibition and photoprotective sustained quenching and propose time-resolved monitoring of CO₂ assimilation and Y(II) for their accurate assessment.

@article{alonso-serra_growth_2026,
	title = {On growth and flow: hydraulic aspects of aboveground meristems},
	volume = {249},
	copyright = {© 2025 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2025 New Phytologist Foundation.},
	issn = {1469-8137},
	shorttitle = {On growth and flow},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nph.70713},
	doi = {10.1111/nph.70713},
	abstract = {Water is essential for plant growth under both normal and stress conditions. Aboveground, two key meristems control plant development: the shoot apical meristem and the vascular cambium. Here, stem cell maintenance and cell differentiation are affected by hydraulic fluctuations across seasons, days, or even hours. Water fluxes, turgor pressure, osmotic gradients, and tissue mechanics are integrated by molecular signals to provide a robust control of meristematic activity. Despite this fundamental connection, our understanding of how meristems sense and respond to hydraulic changes is only beginning to emerge. Thus, integrating insights from research on plant stress and development opens exciting avenues to study meristem plasticity.},
	language = {en},
	number = {2},
	urldate = {2026-03-18},
	journal = {New Phytologist},
	author = {Alonso-Serra, Juan},
	year = {2026},
	note = {\_eprint: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.70713},
	keywords = {biomechanics, cambium, hydraulics, meristem, shoot apical meristem, water},
	pages = {722--728},
}

Water is essential for plant growth under both normal and stress conditions. Aboveground, two key meristems control plant development: the shoot apical meristem and the vascular cambium. Here, stem cell maintenance and cell differentiation are affected by hydraulic fluctuations across seasons, days, or even hours. Water fluxes, turgor pressure, osmotic gradients, and tissue mechanics are integrated by molecular signals to provide a robust control of meristematic activity. Despite this fundamental connection, our understanding of how meristems sense and respond to hydraulic changes is only beginning to emerge. Thus, integrating insights from research on plant stress and development opens exciting avenues to study meristem plasticity.

@article{aguilar-trigueros_connecting_2025,
	title = {Connecting the dots: {Network} structure as a functional trait in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi},
	issn = {2572-2611},
	shorttitle = {Connecting the dots},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ppp3.70058},
	doi = {10.1002/ppp3.70058},
	abstract = {Societal Impact Statement Soil health and sustainable land management are critical to addressing global challenges such as food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity loss. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form underground networks that enhance plant nutrient uptake and improve soil structure, yet their functional diversity remains poorly understood, limiting their application in agriculture and ecosystem restoration. By proposing potential fungal transport strategies, we provide a framework for predicting AM fungal contributions across different environments. This knowledge can inform agricultural practices, conservation strategies, and land-use policies, ultimately supporting efforts to harness beneficial microbes for resilient and sustainable ecosystems. Summary Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi construct extensive mycelial networks in soil, serving as critical mediators of plant–soil interactions and nutrient exchange. However, the ability to harness AM fungal diversity for ecosystem management remains constrained by gaps in functional understanding. Trait-based frameworks offer a promising approach to overcoming these limitations, yet their development has been hindered by methodological challenges and the complexity of AM fungal symbioses. Here, we propose that mycelial network connectivity, a structural trait reflecting the organization of fungal hyphae for nutrient transport, provides a mechanistic basis for distinguishing AM fungal functional groups. Drawing on network theory, we identify two key trade-offs that shape AM fungal transport strategies: (1) a trade-off between transport efficiency and resilience to structural disruption and (2) a positive correlation between network heterogeneity and soil heterogeneity. Based on these relationships, we classify AM fungi into potential functional groups and argue that these connectivity-based classifications provide a predictive framework for understanding AM fungal ecological strategies across environmental gradients, with implications for sustainable land management. Future research should integrate experimental measurements of fungal carbon allocation, network plasticity, and species-specific responses to environmental change to refine this framework further. By linking mycelial architecture to functional diversity, this approach enhances our ability to predict AM fungal contributions to ecosystem processes and optimize their use in applied contexts.},
	language = {en},
	urldate = {2026-03-17},
	journal = {PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET},
	author = {Aguilar-Trigueros, Carlos A. and Frew, Adam},
	month = jun,
	year = {2025},
	note = {\_eprint: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp3.70058},
	pages = {1--10},
}

Societal Impact Statement Soil health and sustainable land management are critical to addressing global challenges such as food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity loss. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form underground networks that enhance plant nutrient uptake and improve soil structure, yet their functional diversity remains poorly understood, limiting their application in agriculture and ecosystem restoration. By proposing potential fungal transport strategies, we provide a framework for predicting AM fungal contributions across different environments. This knowledge can inform agricultural practices, conservation strategies, and land-use policies, ultimately supporting efforts to harness beneficial microbes for resilient and sustainable ecosystems. Summary Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi construct extensive mycelial networks in soil, serving as critical mediators of plant–soil interactions and nutrient exchange. However, the ability to harness AM fungal diversity for ecosystem management remains constrained by gaps in functional understanding. Trait-based frameworks offer a promising approach to overcoming these limitations, yet their development has been hindered by methodological challenges and the complexity of AM fungal symbioses. Here, we propose that mycelial network connectivity, a structural trait reflecting the organization of fungal hyphae for nutrient transport, provides a mechanistic basis for distinguishing AM fungal functional groups. Drawing on network theory, we identify two key trade-offs that shape AM fungal transport strategies: (1) a trade-off between transport efficiency and resilience to structural disruption and (2) a positive correlation between network heterogeneity and soil heterogeneity. Based on these relationships, we classify AM fungi into potential functional groups and argue that these connectivity-based classifications provide a predictive framework for understanding AM fungal ecological strategies across environmental gradients, with implications for sustainable land management. Future research should integrate experimental measurements of fungal carbon allocation, network plasticity, and species-specific responses to environmental change to refine this framework further. By linking mycelial architecture to functional diversity, this approach enhances our ability to predict AM fungal contributions to ecosystem processes and optimize their use in applied contexts.

@article{frew_what_2025,
	title = {What does colonisation tell us? {Revisiting} the functional outcomes of root colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi},
	volume = {247},
	issn = {0028-646X},
	shorttitle = {What does colonisation tell us?},
	url = {https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12267904/},
	doi = {10.1111/nph.70284},
	number = {4},
	urldate = {2026-03-18},
	journal = {The New Phytologist},
	author = {Frew, Adam},
	month = aug,
	year = {2025},
	pages = {1572--1578},
}

@article{liu_mycorrhizae-associated_2025,
	title = {Mycorrhizae-associated belowground economics mediate microbial life history strategy in temperate forests},
	volume = {463},
	issn = {0016-7061},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001670612500415X},
	doi = {10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117574},
	abstract = {The co-evolution of plant roots, mycorrhizal fungi, and soil saprotrophic microorganisms shapes underground resource acquisition strategies of plants. However, the knowledge of how mycorrhizal associations affect plant belowground economics strategy and rhizosphere microbial community is not well established. Here we sampled leaves, roots and rhizosphere soils from five arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and seven ectomycorrhizal (EcM) tree species in a mixed temperate forest to explore the impacts of mycorrhizal associations on plant above- and belowground functional traits and rhizosphere microbial community composition. Mycorrhizal associations regulate soil fungal community composition, root functional traits, and economics space, but do not impact leaf traits. AM trees adopt a more aggressive strategy for nutrient acquirement with higher specific root length and root nitrogen concentration and support greater abundance of fungal community with nutrient acquirement strategy compared to EcM trees. The mycorrhizal-associated belowground economics spectrum, which ranges from conservative to aggressive nutrient acquisition strategies, was positively correlated with the relative abundance of the aggressive-strategy saprotrophic fungi (Ascomycota), while the conservative-strategy fungi (Rozellomycota) were associated with the opposite end of the spectrum. Our study highlights the importance of the mycorrhizal-associated belowground economics spectrum in mediating microbial functional groups and ecological strategies. Integrating mycorrhizal-mediated interactions into root economics framework could improve predictions of nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning in temperate forests.},
	urldate = {2026-03-17},
	journal = {Geoderma},
	author = {Liu, Ruiqiang and Du, Wenya and Frew, Adam and He, Yanghui and Guo, Liqi and Yan, Xiaolei and Zhou, Guiyao and Zhai, Kaiyan and Xiang, Guangzhen and Zhu, Yimin and Zhou, Xuhui},
	month = nov,
	year = {2025},
	keywords = {Microbial strategy, Mycorrhizal type, Root economics, Root traits, Soil nutrient cycles},
	pages = {117574},
}

The co-evolution of plant roots, mycorrhizal fungi, and soil saprotrophic microorganisms shapes underground resource acquisition strategies of plants. However, the knowledge of how mycorrhizal associations affect plant belowground economics strategy and rhizosphere microbial community is not well established. Here we sampled leaves, roots and rhizosphere soils from five arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and seven ectomycorrhizal (EcM) tree species in a mixed temperate forest to explore the impacts of mycorrhizal associations on plant above- and belowground functional traits and rhizosphere microbial community composition. Mycorrhizal associations regulate soil fungal community composition, root functional traits, and economics space, but do not impact leaf traits. AM trees adopt a more aggressive strategy for nutrient acquirement with higher specific root length and root nitrogen concentration and support greater abundance of fungal community with nutrient acquirement strategy compared to EcM trees. The mycorrhizal-associated belowground economics spectrum, which ranges from conservative to aggressive nutrient acquisition strategies, was positively correlated with the relative abundance of the aggressive-strategy saprotrophic fungi (Ascomycota), while the conservative-strategy fungi (Rozellomycota) were associated with the opposite end of the spectrum. Our study highlights the importance of the mycorrhizal-associated belowground economics spectrum in mediating microbial functional groups and ecological strategies. Integrating mycorrhizal-mediated interactions into root economics framework could improve predictions of nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning in temperate forests.