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Integrated genomic/transcriptomic/secretomic study of plant-fungal interactions between pines and their symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi in the mushroom genus Suillus


EMSL Project ID
48480

Abstract

We propose an integrated -omic study of symbiotic interactions between pines (Pinus spp.) and their ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) in the genus Suillus. We are developing the Pine-Suillus symbiosis as a model for understanding EME function across diverse pine-dominated forests of North America, including how symbiotic fungi utilize and sequester plant-derived carbon. As the dominant community of symbiotic microbes in forest soils, EMF atransfer nutrients to tree roots and receive plant carbon in exchange. Suillus species are keystone members of the EMF community that exhibit strong host-specific associations with different Pinus spp. This project will combine study of the fungal genome (by JGI), the mycorrhizal transcriptome (by JGI) and proteome/metabolome (by EMSL) of symbiotic fungal/plant pairs to identify genes/transcripts/proteins/metabolites associated with fungal-plant interaction, nutrient acquisition strategies of Suillus, and host-specificity between species of Suillus and Pinus. By simultaneously exploring the biochemistry of the plant-fungal interface and the fungal-soil interface, results from this study will address the full capacity of Pinus and Suillus species to influence carbon cycling and energy flow in ecosystems.

Project Details

Project type
FICUS Research
Start Date
2014-10-01
End Date
2017-03-31
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Rytas Vilgalys
Institution
Duke University

Co-Investigator(s)

Jennifer Bhatnagar
Institution
Boston University

Team Members

Dusan Velickovic
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Hui Ling Liou
Institution
Duke University

Kabir Peay
Institution
Stanford University

Thomas Bruns
Institution
University of California, Berkeley

John Taylor
Institution
University of California, Berkeley

David Hoyt
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory