Project description:The central part of Brazil, consisting mostly of the Cerrado Biome, is considered to be the new frontier for increasing Brazilian wheat production. However, rainfed wheat production in that area must cope with drought stress. In order to better understand the drought response, we analyzed the mRNA profiling under drought in roots and leaves of the cultivar MGS1 Aliança (a well-adapted cultivar to the Cerrado). We identified 4,422 candidate genes in roots and leaves.
Project description:Vriesea longistaminea is an epiphytic plant species found in the Brazilian Cerrado with ability to thrive in diverse soil conditions. This study presents a comparative proteomic analysis of V. longistaminea tissues collected from canga and quartzite soils, aiming to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its adaptation to different soil substrates. Proteins were extracted from plant tissues and analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The results revealed significant differences in the proteomic profiles between V. longistaminea tissues from canga and quartzite soils. Proteins involved in stress response, nutrient uptake, and metabolism were found to be differentially expressed, suggesting that V. longistaminea adapts its proteome to cope with the distinct soil characteristics. Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of plant adaptation to edaphic factors and highlights the importance of proteomic analysis in understanding plant-soil interactions.
Project description:Understanding the mechanisms underlying the establishment of invasive plants is critical in community ecology. According to a widely accepted theory, plant-soil-microbe interactions mediate the effects of invasive plants on native species, thereby affecting invasion success. However, the roles and molecular mechanisms associated with such microbes remain elusive. Using high throughput sequencing and a functional gene microarray, we found that soil taxonomic and functional microbial communities in plots dominated by Ageratina adenophora developed to benefit the invasive plant. There were increases in nitrogen-fixing bacteria and labile carbon degraders, as well as soil-borne pathogens in bulk soil, which potentially suppressed native plant growth. Meanwhile, there was an increase of microbial antagonism in the A. adenophora rhizosphere, which could inhibit pathogenicity against plant invader. These results suggest that the invasive plant A. adenophora establishes a self-reinforcing soil environment by changing the soil microbial community. It could be defined as a ‘bodyguard/mercenary army’ strategy for invasive plants, which has important insights for the mitigation of plant invasion.