Ectomycorrhizal Formation In Vitro of Pinus elliottii and Pinusarmandii with Tricholoma matsutake Isolates fromSouthwestern China

Tricholoma matsutake is an edible ectomycorrhizal mushroom (ECM) with high ecological and economic value. The mycorrhizal synthesis in vitro with T. matsutake isolates from Japan and Finland has been investigated in detail and widely reported. However, up to now there is no detailed description of morphological and anatomical characteristics of synthesized mycorrhizae in vitro with T. matsutake isolates from China under controlled laboratory conditions. In this study, using pure-culture ager plate systems, we demonstrated that a T. matsutake isolate from Southwestern China could form well-developed ectomycorrhiza with both exotic tree Pinus elliottii and indigenous tree Pinus armandii. The mycorrhizal association included fungal mantle sheaths and well-developed Hartig nets. P. elliottii is widely planted in the world, and it has important economic value in the timber and resin industries, whereas P. armandii is native to China and popularly planted in the central and southwestern China. Interestingly, the formation of mycorrhizae of P. elliottii was earlier and more abundant compared with P. armandii in the pureculture plate system. Our findings provide a new perspective to study the cultivation of T. matsutake in the world, and also to the propagation of the mycorrhizal P. elliottii and P. armandii seedlings in China.