The Hartig net is a lattice-like network of hyphae that grow into the plant root from the hyphal mantle at the plant root surface. The hyphae of ectomycorrhizal fungi do not penetrate the plant cells, but occupy the
apoplastic space between cells in the root. This network extends between the
epidermal cells near the root surface, and may also extend between cells in the root
cortex. The hyphae in the Hartig net formed by some ECM fungi are described as having
transfer-cell like structures, with highly folded membranes that increase surface area and facilitate secretion and uptake of resources exchanged in the mutualistic symbiosis. The initiation of hyphal growth into the intercellular space between roots often begins between 2–4 days following the establishment of the hyphal mantle in contact with the root surface. The initial development of the Hartig net likely involves a regulated decrease of plant defense responses, thus allowing fungal infection. Studies carried out with the model ectomycorrhizal fungus
Laccaria bicolor have shown that the fungus secretes a small effector protein (MISSP7) that may regulate plant defense mechanisms by controlling plant response to
phytohormones. Unlike some plant root
pathogenic fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi are largely unable to produce many plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes, but increased
pectin modification enzymes released by
Laccaria bicolor during fungal infection and Hartig net development indicate that pectin degradation may function to loosen the adhesion between neighboring plant cells and allow room for hyphal growth between cells This Hartig net structure is common among ectomycorrhizal fungi, although the depth and thickness of the hyphal network can vary considerably depending on the host species. Fungi associating with plants in the
Pinaceae form a robust Hartig net that penetrates between cells deep into the root cortex, while the Hartig net formation in ectomycorrhizal symbioses with many
angiosperms may not extend beyond the root epidermis. It has also been demonstrated that the depth and development of the Hartig net can vary among different fungi, even among isolates of the same species. Interestingly, an experiment using two isolates of
Paxillus involutus, one of which only developed a loose mantle at the root surface and no developed Hartig net in poplar roots, showed that plant nitrate uptake was still improved by the symbiosis regardless of the presence of internal hyphal structure. As an additional caveat some fungal species such as
Tuber melanosporum can form
arbutoid mycorrhizae, involving some intracellular penetration into plant root cells by fungal hyphae in addition to developing a shallow Hartig-net-like structure between epidermal cells. == Function ==