title: Ethylene supports colonization of plant roots by the mutualistic fungus Piriformospora indica.
abstract: The mutualistic basidiomycete Piriformospora indica colonizes roots of mono- and dicotyledonous plants, and thereby improves plant health and yield. Given the capability of P. indica to colonize a broad range of hosts, it must be anticipated that the fungus has evolved efficient strategies to overcome plant immunity and to establish a proper environment for nutrient acquisition and reproduction. Global gene expression studies in barley identified various ethylene synthesis and signaling components that were differentially regulated in P. indica-colonized roots. Based on these findings we examined the impact of ethylene in the symbiotic association. The data presented here suggest that P. indica induces ethylene synthesis in barley and Arabidopsis roots during colonization. Moreover, impaired ethylene signaling resulted in reduced root colonization, Arabidopsis mutants exhibiting constitutive ethylene signaling, -synthesis or ethylene-related defense were hyper-susceptible to P. indica. Our data suggest that ethylene signaling is required for symbiotic root colonization by P. indica.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use, and Nutrition, Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khatabi
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molitor
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindermayr
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pfiffi
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Durner
authors.forename: Diter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Wettstein
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kogel
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schäfer
mesh_terms: D000598:Amino Acids, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000378:metabolism; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001467:Hordeum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008190:Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D057865:Plant Immunity; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D013559:Symbiosis; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D000598:Amino Acids, Cyclic; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005030:Ethylenes; C023863:1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid; C105498:1-methylcyclopropane; C036216:ethylene; D005966:Glucuronidase; D008190:Lyases; C021773:1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylate synthase