Role of Piriformospora indica in sulphur metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ralf Oelmüller
• Subject Area: Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
• Term: from 2009 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 146371860

Pirirformospra indica is an endophytic fungus which colonizes the roots of many plant species and promotes their growth, seed production and resistance against biotic and abiotic stress. An Arabidopsis mutant impaired in many responses to the fungus has a lesion in SLIM1, a central transcriptional regulator of sulphur (S) metabolism, glucosinolate biosynthesis and a component of the induced systemic resistance (ISR) against pathogens. Another mutant is defective in MYB28, a regulator of the aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. This demonstrates that transcription factors controling S and glucosinolate metabolism are specific targets of P. indica. The aim of the proposal is to understand how the fungus controls (a) the basic S metabolism, (b) the glucosinolate biosynthesis and (c) the ISR through SLIM1. We will test the hypothesis that P. indica controls the S metabolism in Arabidopsis for two reasons: to ensure that S-containing components are not limiting for plant growth and development, in particular under S limitation, and that sufficient Scontaining defense components prevent overcolonization of the roots, which would result in a shift from mutualism to parasitism. Furthermore, we will analyse how P. indica confers ISR by controlling SLIM1 and its interaction partner MYB72.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants