Gene study digs into partnership between fungi and plants

Recently evolved toolkit turned wood-decaying fungi into plants' trading partners

red fly agaric mushrooms - Amanita muscaria

TOADSTOOL TOOLKIT Like other mycorrhizal species, fly agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria) evolved a specialized toolkit that enables the fungi to trade resources with birch and pine trees. 

Francis Martin/INRA

Dig beneath a plant and you’ll probably find an army of fungi.