Plant Signaling & Behavior

Plant Signaling in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses: Ecological and Molecular Perspectives

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form one of the most ancient and widespread symbioses in terrestrial ecosystems, contributing substantially to plant nutrition, stress resilience, and community dynamics. AM fungi colonize the roots of nearly 80% of land plant species, establishing intimate intracellular interfaces over which fungal and plant signals coordinate the exchange of fungal mineral nutrients for plant carbon.

Recent technological and conceptual advances have opened new windows into the complexity of these interactions—linking molecular signalling with ecological outcomes and revealing how AM fungi integrate within symbiotic networks.

Research output in this field is growing rapidly; annual publications on mycorrhizal research doubled from approximately 500 in 2018 to over 1,000 in 2024. Globally, funding in this field has risen from $6.7 million to nearly $12 million over the same period. These trends reflect a growing recognition that AM fungi are not only important for plant health and soil fertility but may also prove invaluable in the development of sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. Yet, fundamental questions remain about how signaling mechanisms underpin the establishment, maintenance, and modulation of these associations under varying environmental contexts.

This Article Collection will explore plant signaling and behavior in the context of AM symbioses, spanning molecular, physiological, and ecological scales. We particularly welcome contributions that integrate omics approaches, imaging, and modelling to dissect the communication between host plants and their fungal partners, as well as studies that examine AM fungi within multi-partner systems. Comparative analyses across species and environments are especially encouraged to reveal conserved and divergent strategies of symbiotic signalling.

Potential subtopics include, but are not limited to:

• Molecular signalling pathways and transcriptional networks governing AM symbiosis establishment
• Plant and fungal signalling molecules mediating nutrient exchange and compatibility
• Crosstalk between AM fungi and other rhizosphere symbionts (e.g., rhizobia, endophytes, pathogens)
• Evolutionary and ecological drivers of AM diversity and host specificity
• Effects of environmental stress, soil conditions, or climate change on AM-mediated signalling
• Integrative approaches linking cellular signalling to plant community structure and ecosystem function
• Novel tools and model systems for studying AM symbioses (e.g., synthetic communities, imaging, or single-cell analyses)

This Article Collection welcomes a wide range of submissions, consistent with the article types accepted by Plant Signaling & Behavior. By bringing together studies across molecular biology, ecology, and plant physiology, this collection aims to highlight how plants sense, respond to, and shape their fungal partners, and how these interactions influence broader ecological networks. We aim to foster a diverse and collaborative dialogue, welcoming submissions from researchers at all career stages, including early-career scientists. To capture the full breadth of ideas driving this dynamic and evolving field, all article types are encouraged, from original research and reviews to perspectives and opinion pieces.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, Plant signaling, Plant nutrition, Molecular ecology, Plant resilience

Guest Advisors

Dr Chris Bell, PhD, is a molecular biologist that works in both fundamental and applied contexts to investigate plant-symbiont interactions. Dr. Bell's research aims to reveal the mechanisms by which plants interact concurrently with mutualistic symbionts (such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and pathogens (such as plant-parasitic nematodes).  In particular, he is interested in the transport of plant resources upon which biotrophic organisms rely and manipulating these pathways to develop crops that minimize losses to parasites whilst enhancing positive interactions. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Dr. Chris Bell https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7437-2793.

Dr. Tom Thirkell, PhD, is a plant physiological ecologist with interests in sustainable agriculture, crop nutrition, and soil microbial ecology. Dr. Thirkell's work focuses on the interactions between crop plants and soil microbes, especially the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. His research at the Crop Science Centre uses complimentary greenhouse and field trial experiments to investigate the role of mycorrhizas in crop nutrition; I am studying the role of plant nutrient sensing in determining mycorrhizal benefit to crops and exploring the potential to breed crop plants for improved interactions with soil microbial symbionts. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Dr. Tom Thirkell https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4481-0924.

Disclosure statement: Both Guest Advisors declare no conflict of interest.

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer-review as part of our standard editorial process; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope  and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is September 30th, 2026.

Please contact Ruby Ru at [email protected]  with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

To submit your papers to this Article Collection, please:

1. Check "yes" for the question, "Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?"
2. Select the relevant Article Collection from the drop-down menu under the question, "Special Issue or Article Collection Name."