Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on gene expression of some cell wall and membrane elements of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under water deficit using transcriptome analysis.

Abstract

Mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship is one of the most common collaborations between plant roots and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The first barrier for establishing this symbiosis is plant cell wall which strongly provides protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression changes in cell wall of wheat root cv. Chamran after inoculation with AMF, Funneliformis mosseae under two different irrigation regimes. To carry out this investigation, total RNA was extracted from the roots of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants, and analyzed using RNA-Seq in an Illumina Next-Seq500 platform. The results showed that symbiotic association between wheat and AMF and irrigation not only affect transcription profile of the plant growth, but also cell wall and membrane components. Of the 114428 genes expressed in wheat roots, the most differentially expressed genes were related to symbiotic plants under water stress. The most differentially expressed genes were observed in carbohydrate metabolic process, lipid metabolic process, cellulose synthase activity, membrane transports, nitrogen compound metabolic process and chitinase activity related genes. Our results indicated alteration in cell wall and membrane composition due to mycorrhization and irrigation regimes might have a noteworthy effect on the plant tolerance to water deficit.