Interplay of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with transgenic and non-transgenic wheat

Abstract: This study aims to assess whether genes transferred to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.),directed against specific pathogenic fungi, may also influence the beneficial arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The results of our field experiment show: first, the level of fertilizationused according to current farming practices leads to a significant reduction of mycorrhizalcolonization, both in non-transgenic and transgenic wheat lines; second, the destruction of plantsin certain experimental field plots by vandals also significantly affected mycorrhiza formation ofthe remaining healthy plants. Third, although these results must still be confirmed using moresamples from other plots, the differences of root colonization between transgenic and nontransgenicplants do not seem to be significant.