Project Details
Projekt
Characterization of fungal cross-kingdom RNAi in arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Caroline Gutjahr
Subject Area
Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 433194101
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a symbiotic association between about 80% of land plants and fungi of the glomeromycotina, which is based on the exchange of nutrients. The fungi receive organic carbon from the plant in form of sugars and lipids. In turn they provide mineral nutrients to the plant thereby promoting plant productivity and health. For symbiosis to occur roots need to be colonized. Root colonization by AM fungi is a multi-step process, controlled by a plant signaling pathway underlying compatibility. However, chitin fragments and other possible molecular patterns released by the fungi can induce short-term defence responses, which need to be suppressed to allow for symbiotic colonization. Pathogenic fungi and oomycetes have been shown to transfer small RNAs into plant cells to silence immunity genes, a phenomenon called cross-kingdom RNAi. Using the model legume Lotus japonicus and the model AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, we have found evidence that cross kingdom RNAi also occurs in AM symbiosis. here we want to understand: i) which fungal structures and plant cell types are involved in cross-kingdom RNAi in AM symbiosis and ii) which is the role of plant genes targeted by fungal sRNAs. Host specificity has not been described for AM fungi and the question arises whether cross-kingdom RNAi is involved in allowing AM fungi to colonize a wide range of host plants. Therefore, we want to examine whether iii) the same or different sets of sRNAs are produced by an AM fungal species when colonizing two diverse host plants and whether these sRNAs target orthologous genes.
DFG Programme
Research Units
