Transcriptome changes induced\ud by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in\ud sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)\ud roots

摘要

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are essential elements of soil fertility, plant nutrition and\udproductivity, facilitating soil mineral nutrient uptake. Helianthus annuus is a non-model, widely\udcultivated species. Here we used an RNA-seq approach for evaluating gene expression variation at early\udand late stages of mycorrhizal establishment in sunflower roots colonized by the arbuscular fungus\udRhizoglomus irregulare. mRNA was isolated from roots of plantlets at 4 and 16 days after inoculation\udwith the fungus. cDNA libraries were built and sequenced with Illumina technology. Differential\udexpression analysis was performed between control and inoculated plants. Overall 726 differentially\udexpressed genes (DEGs) between inoculated and control plants were retrieved. The number of upregulated\udDEGs greatly exceeded the number of down-regulated DEGs and this difference increased in\udlater stages of colonization. Several DEGs were specifically involved in known mycorrhizal processes,\udsuch as membrane transport, cell wall shaping, and other. We also found previously unidentified\udmycorrhizal-induced transcripts. The most important DEGs were carefully described in order to\udhypothesize their roles in AM symbiosis. Our data add a valuable contribution for deciphering biological\udprocesses related to beneficial fungi and plant symbiosis, adding an Asteraceae, non-model species for future comparative functional genomics studies.