Reciprocal Rewards Stabilize Cooperation in the Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1208473
• Publication Date: 2011-08-11T18:14:27Z
• Authors: E. Toby Kiers; Marie Duhamel; Yugandhar Beesetty; Jerry A. Mensah; Oscar Franken; Erik Verbruggen; Carl R. Fellbaum; George A. Kowalchuk; Miranda M. Hart; Alberto Bago; Todd M. Palmer; Stuart A. West; Philippe Vandenko...; Jan Jansa; Heike Bücking
• Keywords: Reciprocal

Plants and their arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbionts interact in complex underground networks involving multiple partners. This increases the potential for exploitation defection by individuals, raising question of how partners maintain a fair, two-way transfer resources. We manipulated cooperation plants to show that can detect, discriminate, reward best with more carbohydrates. In turn, enforce increasing nutrient only those roots providing On basis these observations we conclude that, unlike many other mutualisms, symbiont cannot be "enslaved." Rather, mutualism is evolutionarily stable because control bidirectional, offering rate exchange are rewarded.