Transcriptional profiling of Piriformospora indica colonizing living and dead barley roots

ABSTRACT: Recent sequencing projects have provided deep insight into fungal lifestyle-associated genomic adaptations. Here we report on the 25 Mb genome of the mutualistic root symbiont Piriformospora indica (Sebacinales, Basidiomycota) and provide a global characterization of fungal transcriptional responses associated with the colonization of living and dead roots. Extensive comparative analysis of the P. indica genome with other Basidiomycota and Ascomycota fungi that have diverse lifestyles strategies identified features typically associated with both, biotrophism and saprotrophism. The tightly controlled expression of the lifestyle-associated gene sets during the onset of the symbiosis, revealed by microarrays analysis, argues for a biphasic root colonization strategy of P. indica. Our finding provides a significant advance in understanding development of biotrophic plant symbionts and suggests a series of incremental shifts along the continuum from saprotrophy towards biotrophy in the evolution of mycorrhizal association from decomposer fungi. P. indica (DSM 11827, DSMZ) was cultivated on complex medium agar plates or liquid medium as described before (Zuccaro et al., 2009). Barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Golden Promise) were surface sterilized with 3 % sodium hypochlorite, rinsed in water and pregerminated for 3 days. To address the experimental design four different treatments were done (P. indica on barley roots on 1/10 PNM medium, P. indica on autoclaved barley roots on 1/10 PNM medium, P. indica on 1/10 PNM medium and P. indica on CM medium), each in three independent biological replications. Root and fungal material was harvested in liquid nitrogen after 24, 36, 48, 72, 120 and 168 hpi. For each time point roots from 15 to 20 living plants or 21 to 36 autoclaved plants were pooled.

ORGANISM(S): Piriformospora indica

SUBMITTER: Urs Lahrmann 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-31266 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress