Plant cell resistance to antimicrobial peptides from biostimulant fungi; The potential role of calcium and mitochondrial ion transport

Many fungal species in the genus Trichoderma stimulate plant growth and immune system. The fungus also attacks other microorganisms by secreting enzymes and antibiotic peptaibols like alamethicin.

This peptide can also lyse plant cells, but cellulase from Trichoderma induces resistance, a process we have named CIRA.

We have isolated CIRA-deficient mutants for 20 Arabidopsis proteins, among which are several Ca2+-binding proteins, including a mitochondrial putative ion transporter.

We will study the latter to define its action at cellular, biochemical and molecular levels, and how it affects the intracellular homeostasis and dynamics of Ca2+.

A polymorphism in the homologus gene in a crop plant will also be investigated by expression in the Arabidopsis mutants.

The Ca2+-associated CIRA genes will be compared using transcriptomics and in crosses to determine how these proteins together contribute to the CIRA process.The results will increase understanding of a so-far undefined signalling path in a relatively unknown field of plant-microbial interaction and cytosol-mitochondrial communication.

The results may be used for breeding crops with elevated growth and disease control upon Trichoderma treatment.

Four years of funding is sought for a PhD student and for running costs for the project, which will also involve collaboration with several other experts.