Plant–microbiome Interactions in Plant Growth and Stress Responses
Team name
Plant–microbiome Interactions in Plant Growth and Stress Responses
Principal Investigator
Dr.Yuan Chen
Research Objectives
Based on genome data and microbial metagenomic data, we explore relationship between plants, microbial communities and the environment. Using genetics, molecular biology and plant pathology methods we aim to unveiled the intricate interaction between microorganisms and plants, enhancing plant disease resistant and environmental adaptability.
Team members
l Zhen Wang, Ph.D., Biochemistry and molecular biology, Assistant Researcher, Immune recognition and disease resistance mechanisms of Triticum aestivum and Brachypodium distachyon.
l Ying Liu, Ph.D.,Ecology, Assistant Researcher, trait discovery for salt-tolerant and growth-promoting mechanism of HT-PGPR, and the development and utilization of high-quality salt-tolerant forage germplasm resources.
Research Projects
l Brachypodium as an experimental system for the study of plant disease and immunity in wheat (2022-2024), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province.
Project objectives: Plants have a complex and finely regulated immune system. Understanding the molecular basis of plant immunity is important to protect plants from infection. Investigating immunity in a model cereal like Brachypodium will facilitate the translation of knowledge from a model pathosystem into crops. In this project, we carried out feasibility studies and developed a new model system in Brachypodium to explore the immune response to the bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas syringae). We will take advantage of the Brachypodium T-DNA collection to screen for impaired immune responses to P. syringae and Fusarium. Mutants that differ in their immune or disease responses to the pathogen will be of particular interest, and can be used in future studies for a better understanding of the role of genes involved at different stages of infection. Atthe applied level, R genes are a valuable resource for plant disease control via breeding. The current project will reveal these additional R genes and will thereby provide vital information for future breeding of wheat.
l The roles of transporter protein FgSP1 in DON synthesis and export in Fusarium graminearum (2023-2025), Natural Science for Youth Foundation of Shandong Province.
Project objectives: Fusarium graminearum is an important pathogen that causes the destructive disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab disease on wheat and barley. In addition to the yield losses caused by the infection of cereal spikelets, F. graminearum can also produce harmful mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA), which are extremely toxic to humans and livestock. DON inhibits protein synthesis and exhibits toxicity towards animals, host plants, and the pathogen itself. However, the protective mechanism of F. graminearum to DON is largely unknown. In our preliminary findings, weidentified a novel MFS transporter gene, FgSP1in F. graminearum. Deletion of FgSP1exhibited dramatically increased DON production. Building upon this foundational work, this project aims to furtherelucidate the molecular mechanisms of FgSP1 in the synthesis and transport of DON bygenetic, pathological and protein interactionanalyses. The implement of this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of both toxin production and detoxification mechanisms in F. graminearum. Furthermore, it will provide valuable insights for the development of DON-resistant cultivars and effective strategies to mitigate DON contamination.
l Study on the correlation mechanism between grain amaranth host genes and rhizosphere bacteria under salt stress (2024-2026), Natural Science for Youth Foundation of China.
Project objectives: The plants-rhizosphere microbe interaction is very important for plants to alleviate the damage of stress. The establishment of mutually beneficial relationship between halotolerant plants and microbe is directly affected by plant host genes. However, how to identify the host genes that regulate the assembly of rhizosphere microbial community is a research difficulty. This project is based on the microbiome genome-wide association study to explore the genes and pathways through which halotolerant forage grain amaranth recruits specific rhizosphere microorganisms under salt stress, aiming at comprehensively understanding the rhizosphere microbial assembly mechanism of halotolerant plants regulated by host genes. By revealing the regulation mechanism of grain amaranth genotype on rhizosphere bacterial community composition, and identifying host genes affecting rhizosphere microbe assembly to answer the following scientific questions: what different rhizosphere microorganisms were recruited by different genotypes of grain amaranth under salt stress? which genes regulate the assembly of these microorganisms in grain amaranth? what are the potential regulatory mechanism? The results will be of great significance to deepen the understanding of plant- microbe interaction mechanism under salt stress. At the same time, it will provide more insights for the assembly technology of rhizosphere microbe, improve the resistance of plants to salt stress, and promote the breeding development of salt-tolerant plants in ecological agriculture.
l Study on the assembly mechanism of salt-tolerant growth-promoting bacteria in the rhizosphere of Amaranthus hypochondriacus (2024-2026), Natural Science for Youth Foundation of Shandong Province.
Project objectives: Soil salinization is one of the main causes of global land degradation and the reduction of soil use efficiency. Breeding halophytes and salt-tolerant microorganisms is an effective measure to control saline-alkali land, and has great potential and effect. Plants will actively recruit specific microorganisms to help them alleviate stress. However, how plant genotype drives the assembly of rhizosphere microbiome is still a scientific problem to be solved. Amaranthus hypochondriacus grain amaranth is a high-quality plant germplasm resource with salt tolerance and stress resistance. This project takes different genotypes of grain amaranth and their rhizosphere microorganisms as the research objects, intends to carry out the study on the recruitment mechanism of grain amaranth genotypes to rhizosphere microorganisms under salt stress, through the combination of greenhouse planting and synthetic flora construction, and the comprehensive application of bioinformatics, high-throughput sequencing and other frontier methods. To reveal the interaction mechanism between plants and salt-tolerant growth-promoting bacteria in the rhizosphere under salt stress. This project will help to deeply understand the ecological process of rhizosphere microbial community construction, improve the adaptability and productivity of plants to the environment under salt stress by regulating the microbial composition related to plant genotypes, and lay a solid foundation for the cultivation of salt-tolerant varieties through precise microbiome management in future agricultural systems.