In vitro association of non-seed plant gametophytes with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi

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Mycorrhiza sensu stricto are symbiotic associations of vascular plant roots and fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), which are characterized by branched, intracellular structures (arbuscules), are mutualistic, i.e. beneficial for both partners. Ca. 90% of all extant plants are able to associate with AM fungi (AMF), this ability is therefore considered an ancestral trait. AM as well as AM-like associations (AMLA), which occur in non-seed plants, have evolved concomitant with the water-to-land transition of plant life (~450 million years ago) and are assumed to have been instrumental in the occupation of the terrestrial habitat by plants. AMLA evolved at a time when plants did not possess roots and the gametophytic generation was generally more pronounced. Therefore, we want to study the association of AM fungi with rootless gametophytes, in order to better understand how this important symbiotic interaction evolved. As the presence of soil microbes presents a potential severe problem for standardization we will study AMLA in axenic in vitro culture. The proposed project shall study the association of non-seed plant gametophytes with AMF using microscopy, reverse genetics, expression profiling and bioinformatics. The expected outcome is a better comprehension of how plants evolved to interact with fungi in order to conquer the land. The project has potential impact on sustainable agriculture procedures as well as on our understanding of ecosystem nutrient and species diversity fluxes.