Title : Context-dependent arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis: An integrative review of plant–rhizosphere interactions and microbiome dynamics
Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic associations with plant roots and contribute to plant nutrition, stress tolerance, soil health, and rhizosphere microbial regulation. Recent transcriptomic, metabolomic, and rhizosphere microbiome analyses have expanded our understanding of microbially induced plant responses (Aroca & Pereira, 2026). Emerging evidence suggests that AMF may influence plant health not only through nutrient acquisition but also by restructuring microbial communities and enhancing plant defense. However, these effects vary across biological and environmental conditions. This integrative review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on AMF-mediated plant–rhizosphere interactions, focusing on microbiome remodeling, plant defense, soil processes, and the ecological and biological factors determining symbiotic outcomes. Recent literature published from 2024 through 2026 was searched using Google Scholar. Search terms included combinations of “arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,” “plant–microbe interactions,” “rhizosphere microbiome,” “plant defense,” “soil carbon,” “metabolomics,” “transcriptomics,” and “metabarcoding.” Studies were selected based on their relevance to AMF-mediated plant responses, rhizosphere microbial dynamics, and symbiotic outcomes. The selected literature was reviewed and synthesized across four domains: plant nutrition and stress responses, rhizosphere microbial composition and potential pathogen suppression, carbon allocation and soil processes, and ecological or genetic factors affecting symbiotic efficiency. Evidence derived from transcriptomic, metabolomic, microbiome, and metabarcoding approaches was also considered to provide an integrated perspective on AMF-mediated interactions. The reviewed evidence indicates that AMF act as multidimensional regulators of the plant–soil–microbiome interface. AMF enhance nutrient acquisition and environmental stress tolerance while contributing to soil aggregation, glomalin production, and beneficial microbial activity (Begum et al., 2024). Microbiome analyses further indicate that combined microbial inoculation can restructure root and rhizosphere communities, enrich beneficial bacterial taxa, and reduce the prevalence of potential pathogens (Darriaut et al., 2025). AMF-associated interactions may also enhance plant defense through improved nutrient status, increased phytoalexin production, and microbiome shifts favoring beneficial microorganisms (Farhaoui et al., 2025). Moreover, AMF increase photosynthate allocation to roots and rhizosphere soils, supporting microbial biomass, soil aggregation, and soil organic carbon dynamics (Umer et al., 2025). Nevertheless, these benefits are not universal. Fungal associations and symbiotic efficiency vary according to ecological proximity, host genetic differentiation, propagule type, soil conditions, microbial partners, and nutrient availability (Arslan et al., 2025; Chien et al., 2024; McCormick et al., 2026). Collectively, these findings suggest that the functions of AMF extend beyond nutrient acquisition to include active regulation of rhizosphere microbial communities, plant defense, and soil processes. Their context-dependent effects highlight the need to identify the ecological and biological conditions that optimize beneficial symbiosis and support the development of microbiome-based strategies for sustainable plant health and disease management.
