Multitrophic interactions in an ectomycorrhiza-plant-insect herbivory system - plant gene expression, resource allocation and performance of plants and herbivores

菌根真菌和植食昆虫是植物生长和生态系统功能的重要决定因素。此外，菌根共生已被证明对植物与食草动物的相互作用很重要，但潜在的机制仍然知之甚少。最近的研究提供了间接证据，表明这些效应可能是由菌根和草食对植物代谢和防御相关基因的表达模式以及植物-真菌系统内资源分配的相互作用引起的。此外，菌根对植物生长的影响取决于其他相关微生物的活性，但它们对植物与食草动物相互作用的潜在影响尚不清楚。本研究拟利用已被充分表征的栎-牛皮体系，研究野毒菌根化与昆虫取食对植物生长、基因表达模式和资源分配的相互作用。分子遗传学、植物生理学和实验生态学的整合为研究多营养相互作用提供了一种新颖和创新的方法，并将提供有关外生菌根共生机制和生态后果的基本信息。我们将进一步评估菌根圈放线菌及其与菌根真菌的相互作用在植物-昆虫草食相互作用中的重要性。

Mycorrhizal fungi and insect herbivores are important determinants of plant growth and ecosystem functioning. Further, mycorrhizal symbioses have been shown to be important for plant interactions with herbivores, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Recent research provides circumstantial evidence that these effects may be triggered by interacting effects of mycorrhiza and herbivory on expression patterns of genes related to plant metabolism and defence as well as the allocation of resources within the plant-fungus system. Further, the effects of mycorrhiza on plant growth are contingent on the activity of other associated microorganisms, but their potential influence on plant interactions with herbivores is unknown. Here we propose to use the well characterized Quercus robur- Piloderma croceum system to study the interacting effects of mycorrhization and insect herbivory by Lymantria dispar on plant growth, gene expression patterns and resource allocation. The integration of molecular genetics, plant physiology and experimental ecology provides a novel and innovative approach for the study of multitrophic interactions and will yield fundamental information on the mechanisms and ecological consequences of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. We will further assess the importance of mycorrhizosphere actinomycetes and their interactions with mycorrhizal fungi for plant-insect herbivore interactions.