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The endophytic fungus Serendipita indica alters auxin distribution in Arabidopsis thaliana roots through alteration of auxin transport and conjugation to promote plant growth
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  • Stephan Pollmann,
  • Adrián González Ortega-Villaizán,
  • Eoghan King,
  • Manish K. Patel,
  • Marta-Marina Pérez-Alonso,
  • Sandra Scholz,
  • Hitoshi Sakakibara,
  • Takatoshi KIba,
  • Mikiko Kojima,
  • Yumiko Takebayashi,
  • Patricio Ramos,
  • Luis Morales-Quintana,
  • Sarah Breitenbach,
  • Ana Smolko,
  • Branka Salopek-Sondi,
  • Nataša Bauer,
  • Jutta Ludwig-Müller,
  • Anne Krapp,
  • Ralf Oelmüller,
  • Jesús Vicente-Carbajosa
Stephan Pollmann
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Adrián González Ortega-Villaizán
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas
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Eoghan King
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas
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Manish K. Patel
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas
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Marta-Marina Pérez-Alonso
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas
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Sandra Scholz
Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena Institut fur Allgemeine Botanik und Pflanzenphysiologie
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Hitoshi Sakakibara
RIKEN Noshinkei Kagaku Kenkyu Center Joho Center
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Takatoshi KIba
RIKEN Noshinkei Kagaku Kenkyu Center Joho Center
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Mikiko Kojima
RIKEN Noshinkei Kagaku Kenkyu Center Joho Center
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Yumiko Takebayashi
RIKEN Noshinkei Kagaku Kenkyu Center Joho Center
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Patricio Ramos
Universidad de Talca Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas
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Luis Morales-Quintana
Universidad Autonoma de Chile Sede Talca
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Sarah Breitenbach
Technische Universitat Dresden Institut fur Botanik
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Ana Smolko
Institut Ruder Boskovic
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Branka Salopek-Sondi
Institut Ruder Boskovic
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Nataša Bauer
Sveuciliste u Zagrebu
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Jutta Ludwig-Müller
Technische Universitat Dresden Institut fur Botanik
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Anne Krapp
Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin
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Ralf Oelmüller
Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena Institut fur Allgemeine Botanik und Pflanzenphysiologie
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Jesús Vicente-Carbajosa
Centro de Biotecnologia y Genomica de Plantas
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Abstract

Plants share their habitats with a multitude of different microbes. This close vicinity promoted the evolution of inter-organismic interactions between plants and many different microorganisms that provide mutual growth benefits both to the plant and the microbial partner. The symbiosis of Arabidopsis thaliana with the beneficial root colonizing endophyte Serendipita indica represents a well-studied system. Co-colonization of Arabidopsis roots with S. indica significantly promotes plant growth. Due to the notable phenotypic alterations of fungus-infected root systems, the involvement of a reprogramming of plant hormone levels, especially that of indole-3-acetic acid, has been suggested earlier. However, until now, the molecular mechanism by which S. indica promotes plant growth remains largely unknown. This study used comprehensive transcriptomics, metabolomics, reverse genetics, and life cell imaging to reveal the intricacies of auxin-related processes that affect root growth in the symbiosis between A. thaliana and S. indica. Our experiments revealed the essential role of tightly controlled auxin conjugation in the plant–fungus interaction. It particularly highlighted the importance of two GRETCHEN HAGEN 3 ( GH3) genes, GH3.5 and GH3.17, for the fungus infection-triggered stimulation of biomass production, thus broadening our knowledge about the function of GH3s in plants. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the transcriptional alteration of the PIN2 auxin transporter gene in roots of Arabidopsis seedlings infected with S. indica and demonstrate that this transcriptional adjustment affects auxin signaling in roots, which results in increased plant growth.
09 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Apr 20241st Revision Received
10 Apr 2024Submission Checks Completed
10 Apr 2024Assigned to Editor
16 Apr 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
08 May 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending