Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increases glomalin-related soil protein content and PAH removal in soils planted with Medicago sativa L.

This was the first observation of the enhancement of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) content by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation of soils contaminated with pyrene as a representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and GRSP content was significantly positively correlated with PAH removal in mycorrhizal soils. Both total GRSP and easily extractable GRSP promoted the release of pyrene from soil solids into solution, consequently assisting the microbial biodegradation of pyrene in soil. The results provide insight into the role of GRSP in AMF-aided rhizoremediation and will be beneficial for improving remediation efficiency at PAH-contaminated sites. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.