1. Wprowadzenie. 2. Arbuskularne grzyby mykoryzowe. 3. Budowa i właściwości glomalin. 4. Produkcja i rozkład glomalin. 5. Występowanie glomalin. 6. Terminologia i metodyka oznaczeń. 7. Funkcje glomalin. 8. Czynniki wpływające na spadek produkcji glomalin. 9. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Glomalin is hydrophobic glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF). AMF can excrete glomalin into the soil. Glomalin is an abundant soil protein that could sequester substantial amounts of carbonand natrium on a global scale. It has a positive influence on soil structure by increasing aggregate stability of soil, which correlates linearly with the amount of detected glomalin. Glomalin production has an impact on many environmental factors including soil condition. Its content in soil is dependent on both the types of plants and fungal symbiotic species. Glomalins are especially resistant to destruction and hard to dissolve in water. Their extraction from the soil requires specific conditions: high temperature (121°C) and citrate buffer with neutral or alkaline pH. These properties make glomalins very stable compounds that create a perfect protective “jacket” for soil aggregates against degradation. However, they are also difficult to understand and determining their exact construction is still a challenge.

1. Introduction. 2. Arbuscular mycorhizal fungus. 3. Structure and properties of glomalin. 4. Production and decomposition of glomalin. 5. Origins of glomalin. 6. Terminology and methods. 7. Role of glomalin. 8. Factors affecting glomalin production. 9. Summary