Genetic bases and ecological significance of plant-microbe interactions in the rhizospere

微生物生活在植物根际，即与植物根部直接接触的土壤中，影响营养循环和有效性、植物对疾病的敏感性和植物生长。反过来，植物根提供支持微生物群落的资源，并产生影响植物与微生物相互作用的信号。目前，关于植物中影响特定根际群落发育的基因和生化途径，以及这些群落对植物生长、繁殖和竞争能力的影响，人们知之甚少。利用拟南芥和重要的驯化物种生菜及其野生杂草祖先(Lactuca Serriola)，研究人员将识别植物中影响根际微生物群落的关键基因。具体地说，该项目将：1)表征在特定植物基因型的根际建立的微生物群落的组成、演替模式和稳定性；2)确定植物中控制与根相关的微生物种群差异的数量性状基因和候选基因；3)研究这些植物-微生物相互作用对植物生长和竞争能力的影响。该项目将加强多研究者研究计划，加强学生培训，并使教师参与多学科研究和教学。波士顿马萨诸塞大学的低收入、代表不足的少数族裔和第一代大学生的比例很高，调查人员致力于培训他们。在这个项目中开发的研究计划将被整合到几个积极的培训计划中，旨在针对社区大学生、中学教师培训和增强本科生的研究经验。项目成果将促进对植物-微生物相互作用如何改变土壤质量和植物生长条件的理解，并表明根际生态学与从可持续农业到恢复生态学和入侵物种管理等广泛应用学科的相关性。

Microbes living in the plant rhizosphere, the soil in direct contact with a plant's roots, influence nutrient cycling and availability, the plant's susceptibility to disease, and plant growth. Plant roots, in turn, provide resources that support the microbial community, and produce signals that affect plant-microbial interactions. Currently, little is known about the genes and biochemical pathways in plants that influence the development of specific rhizosphere communities, nor the impact that these communities have on the growth, reproduction and competitive ability of plants. Using Arabidopsis thaliana and an important domesticated species, lettuce, and its wild, weedy progenitor (Lactuca serriola), the investigators will identify key genes in plants that affect the microbial communities in the rhizosphere. Specifically, the project will: 1) characterize the composition, successional patterns and robustness of the microbial communities that establish in the rhizosphere of specific plant genotypes; 2) identify quantitative trait loci and candidate genes in the plants that control the differences in microbial populations associated with roots; 3) examine the impact of these plant-microbe interactions on growth and the competitive abilities of plants. This project will cement a multi-investigator research initiative that will enhance student training and engage faculty in multidisciplinary research and teaching. University of Massachusetts, Boston has a high proportion of low income, under-represented minority and first generation college students, and the investigators are dedicated to their training. Research initiatives developed in this project will be integrated into several active training programs aimed at community college students, secondary school teacher training and enhanced undergraduate research experiences. Project results will advance the understanding of how plant-microbe interactions alter the soil quality and growing conditions of plants, and demonstrate the relevance of rhizosphere ecology to a broad cluster of applied disciplines, from sustainable agriculture to restoration ecology and management of invasive species.