title: An integrated functional approach to dissect systemic responses in maize to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
abstract: Most terrestrial plants benefit from the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) mainly under nutrient-limited conditions. Here the crop plant Zea mays was grown with and without AMF in a bi-compartmented system separating plant and phosphate (Pi) source by a hyphae-permeable membrane. Thus, Pi was preferentially taken up via the mycorrhizal Pi uptake pathway while other nutrients were ubiquitously available. To study systemic effects of mycorrhizal Pi uptake on leaf status, leaves of these plants that display an increased biomass in the presence of AMF were subjected to simultaneous ionomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. We observed robust changes of the leaf elemental composition, that is, increase of P, S and Zn and decrease of Mn, Co and Li concentration in mycorrhizal plants. Although changes in anthocyanin and lipid metabolism point to an improved P status, a global increase in C versus N metabolism highlights the redistribution of metabolic pools including carbohydrates and amino acids. Strikingly, an induction of systemic defence gene expression and concomitant accumulation of secondary metabolites such as the terpenoids alpha- and beta-amyrin suggest priming of mycorrhizal maize leaves as a mycorrhiza-specific response. This work emphasizes the importance of AM symbiosis for the physiological status of plant leaves and could lead to strategies for optimized breeding of crop species with high growth potential.
authors: Botanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
authors: Nina
authors: N
authors: Gerlach
authors: Botanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Schmitz
authors: Botanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Polatajko
authors: Department of Biology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, 91058, Germany.
authors: Urte
authors: U
authors: Schlüter
authors: Metanomics GmbH, Berlin, 10589, Germany.
authors: Holger
authors: H
authors: Fahnenstich
authors: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, 14476, Germany.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Witt
authors: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, 14476, Germany.
authors: Alisdair R
authors: AR
authors: Fernie
authors: Botanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
authors: Kalle
authors: K
authors: Uroic
authors: Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, 06466, Germany.
authors: Uwe
authors: U
authors: Scholz
authors: Department of Biology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, 91058, Germany.
authors: Uwe
authors: U
authors: Sonnewald
authors: Botanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
authors: Marcel
authors: M
authors: Bucher
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D055442:Metabolome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010710:Phosphates; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Glomus intraradices; Rhizophagus irregularis; Zea mays; arbuscular mycorrhiza; ionomics; metabolomics; phosphate transporter; systems biology; transcriptomics