The function of NaPNRP in Nicotiana attenuata growth promotion stimulated by Piriformospora indica

病原微生物和食草性昆虫利用植物获取自身利益(营养、繁殖)。然而，一些微生物和昆虫不仅从与植物的相互作用中受益，而且从与植物的相互作用中受益(例如，通过刺激它们的生长或增加对环境压力的抵抗力)。为了根据相互作用的类型(防御或共生)做出反应，植物进化出复杂的机制来识别有益生物和非有益生物。最近的研究表明，植物用来防御入侵的机制和与有益微生物相互作用的机制之间存在重叠。我们以前的工作已经发现了几个与植物识别和响应昆虫食草动物的机制有关的基因，特别是对以烟草为食的鳞翅目幼虫。其中一些基因的特征已被证明有助于理解触发昆虫特异性反应的潜在机制。我们建议研究衰弱线虫基因NaPNRP(假定的线虫抗性蛋白)的作用，该基因最初被认为是一个强烈诱导鳞翅目昆虫幼虫取食的基因。然而，我们最近发现，NaPNRP在受到根部益生菌Piriformospora inda的刺激时，参与了对弱小核桃生长的调节。在这个项目中，我们打算研究NaPNRP在真菌刺激衰弱线虫植物生长中的作用。

Pathogenic microorganisms and herbivorous insects use plants for their own benefit (nutrition, reproduction). However some microorganisms and insects not only benefit themselves from the interaction with plants but also the plants (e.g. by stimulating their growth or increasing resistance to environmental stresses). To react according to the type of interaction (defense or symbiosis), plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to recognize beneficial and non-beneficial organisms. Recent studies have suggested an overlap between the mechanisms used by plants to defend themselves from attackers and to interact with beneficial microorganisms. Our previous work has identified several genes involved in the mechanisms that plants use to recognize and respond to insect herbivores, in particular to lepidopteran larvae feeding on Nicotiana attenuata plants. The characterization of some of these genes has proven instrumental to understand the mechanisms underlying the triggering of insect-specific responses. We propose to investigate the role of the N. attenuata gene NaPNRP (Putative Nematode Resistant Protein) which was originally identified as a gene strongly induced upon lepidopteran larval feeding. However, we have recently found that NaPNRP is involved in the regulation of N. attenuata growth when stimulated by the root beneficial fungus Piriformospora indica. In this project, we propose to investigate the function of NaPNRP during fungal growth stimulation of N. attenuata plants.