Leveraging plant genetic diversity to investigate above- and belowground plant-microbiota interactions

Abstract

Phosphate stands as a significant limiting factor impeding plant productivity. To cope with this constraint, plants have developed various adaptive mechanisms, spanning from intricate adjustments in their root architecture and metabolic processes to the establishment of mutualistic relationships, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. Over the last years, by focusing on the genetic diversity of populations of different AM-forming plant species (among which Lotus japonicus and Lactuca sativa), we investigated the factors influencing phosphate uptake, root morphology, plant interactions with soil microorganisms, and the

composition of leaf microbiota. The integration of high-throughput phenotyping, metabolomic analysis, and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) pinpointed genetic loci and morphological indicators that govern lettuce's response to soil fungi and bacteria. Additionally, our investigations have shed light on pivotal leaf traits that shape the composition of leaf bacterial communities.

Recent publications

Giovannetti M, Binci F, Navazio L, Genre A. Nonbinary fungal signals and calcium-mediated transduction in plant immunity and symbiosis. New Phytologist. 2024 Feb; 241: 1393-1400.

Binci F, Offer E, Crosino A, Sciascia I, Kleine-Vehn J, Genre A, Giovannetti M#, Navazio L#. Spatially and temporally distinct Ca2+ changes in Lotus japonicus roots orient fungal-triggered signalling pathways towards symbiosis or immunity. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2024 Jan 10; 75: 605-619.

Giovannetti M#, Göschl C, Dietzen C, Andersen SU, Kopriva S, Busch W#. Identification of novel genes involved in phosphate accumulation in Lotus japonicus through Genome Wide Association mapping of root system architecture and anion content. PLoS Genetics. 2019 Dec 19; 15: e1008126