Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.5
4.7
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Interactions Between Plants and Fungal Networks: From Rhizosphere Processes to...
share announcement

Interactions Between Plants and Fungal Networks: From Rhizosphere Processes to Ecosystem Functioning

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2026) | Viewed by 1198

Editor

Dr. Mohamed Hijri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
Interests: environmental microbiology; plant–microbe interaction; mycorrhizal symbiosis; fungal biology; microbial genomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi play a pivotal role in shaping plant health, productivity, and ecosystem stability through complex symbiotic and associative interactions. This Special Issue, “Interactions Between Plants and Fungal Networks: From Rhizosphere Processes to Ecosystem Functioning,” aims to highlight recent advances in understanding the multifaceted relationships between plants and their fungal partners. We welcome studies exploring the ecological, physiological, and molecular aspects of interactions involving mycorrhizal fungi, fungal endophytes, and dark-septate endophytes, as well as their interplay with other soil microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea. Contributions addressing the roles of fungal networks in nutrient cycling, stress tolerance, and soil structure formation are encouraged, along with research integrating multi-omics, microscopy, and ecological modeling approaches. By bringing together studies from diverse ecosystems and experimental frameworks, this Special Issue seeks to deepen our understanding of how fungal–plant–microbe interactions shape plant performance and ecosystem functioning under changing environmental conditions.

Dr. Mohamed Hijri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant–fungal interactions
  • mycorrhizal fungi
  • fungal endophytes
  • dark-septate endophytes
  • rhizosphere microbiome
  • microbial networks
  • soil–plant interactions
  • ecosystem functioning
  • stress tolerance
  • multi-omics approaches

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 5538 KB  
Article
Morphological Characterization and Metabolomic Analysis of the Inhibitory Effects of Pleurotus ostreatus Mycelium on Triticum aestivum L. Growth and Development
by Weiliang Qi, Jianzhao Qi, Zhilong Yao and Minglei Li
Plants 2026, 15(8), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081232 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 767
Abstract
With the continuous expansion of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation, substantial quantities of post-harvest spent mushroom substrate (SMS) are generated. Improper disposal of this organic waste poses potential threats to soil health, including contamination and ecological imbalance. Consequently, a rigorous safety assessment is indispensable to [...] Read more.
With the continuous expansion of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation, substantial quantities of post-harvest spent mushroom substrate (SMS) are generated. Improper disposal of this organic waste poses potential threats to soil health, including contamination and ecological imbalance. Consequently, a rigorous safety assessment is indispensable to support the sustainable and agronomically viable utilization of SMS as a soil amendment. In this study, P. ostreatus SMS was subjected to sterilized and non-sterilized treatments, and a controlled co-culture system integrating P. ostreatus mycelium with wheat was established. This system facilitated a comprehensive evaluation of residual mycelium impacts on wheat growth and development at phenotypic, cytological, and non-targeted metabolomics (LC-MS) levels. Results demonstrated that direct field application of non-sterilized SMS severely compromised wheat performance, inducing root necrosis and significantly reducing grain set. Comparative experiments confirmed that non-sterilized SMS—not its sterilized counterpart—exerted pronounced phytotoxic effects, markedly inhibiting seedling growth and triggering wilting symptoms. To elucidate the temporal dynamics of mycelial interaction, wheat seedlings were inoculated with viable P. ostreatus mycelium and co-cultured for seven days. Under these conditions, the mean root length of the control group (10.82 cm) was approximately threefold that of the treatment group. Histopathological analysis revealed a progressive infection pattern initiating at the root apex and extending basipetally; prolonged exposure ultimately caused complete root system collapse. Scanning electron microscopy further showed extensive mycelial colonization on infected root surfaces, accompanied by characteristic cellular damage—including severe cell wall wrinkling and widespread cell death. LC-MS profiling identified 1867 annotated compounds. Comparative analysis revealed significant dysregulation of secondary metabolism, with 495 metabolites upregulated and 419 metabolites downregulated in the treatment group. Collectively, these findings provide robust evidence that unprocessed P. ostreatus SMS poses tangible agronomic risks upon direct soil application. This study establishes a critical scientific foundation for developing safe, evidence-based protocols for the valorization and integrated management of SMS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions Between Plants and Fungal Networks: From Rhizosphere Processes to Ecosystem Functioning)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop