During ectomycorrhizal (ECM) establishment, biochemical signals lead to the development of complex structures
in both the plant and the fungus that ultimately result in the formation of an ectomycorrhiza. The cross-talk
between partners begins before physical contact. Our objective was to investigate the chemical nature of the
signals during the first stages of in vitro mycorrhization of Pinus pinea with Pisolithus arhizus. For this purpose a
double-phase solid liquid medium was expressly developed for the co-culture in order to simplify the extraction
and further molecules analysis. O-coumaric acid ester was identified using HPLC UV and LC DAD MS on the
second day of co-culture and its presence was detected for up to 10 days. These results contribute to the
characterization of biochemical signals during pre-colonization involving conifer species and an ECM fungus,
and demonstrate the suitability of the double-phase medium developed for the growth of both organisms and for the analysis of released chemical mediators.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
