Prospects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations are integral, functioning parts of plant roots and are widely recognized as enhancing plant growth on severely disturbed sites, including those contaminated with heavy metals. They are reported to be present on the roots of plants growing on heavy metal contaminated soils and play an important role in metal tolerance and accumulation. Isolation of the indigenous and presumably stress-adapted AM fungi can be a potential biotechnological tool for inoculation of plants for successful restoration of degraded ecosystems. This review highlights the potential of AM fungi for enhancing phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils.