Regulatory networks involving small RNAs in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is an intimate interaction between the roots of most land plants and soil fungi of the subphylum Glomeromycotina. This mutualistic interaction, based upon the trading of mineral nutrients from fungi to plants in exchange for carbon compounds, dates back to the Devonian when it was pivotal for plant terrestrial colonization. The establishment of the AM symbiosis is a tightly regulated process that encompasses molecular communication for reciprocal recognition, accommodation of fungal structures inside root tissues and activation of symbiotic functions. A complex network of transcriptional regulation and molecular signaling underlies the cellular and metabolic reprogramming of host cells upon AM fungal colonization. Besides transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements, small RNAs (sRNAs) and the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery are emerging as important components of this gene regulatory network. I will discuss the contribution of sRNAs in the establishment of the AM symbiosis and present the landscape and significance of sRNAs in the fungal symbionts. In particular, we are looking at the potential for fungus to plant sRNAs transfer with functional significance in the regulation of host gene expression through a phenomenon known as cross-kingdom RNAi.

講者: Professor Luisa Lanfranco (Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy)

主持人: Dr. Jian-You Wang (王健祐博士)

時間:2025/12/10 11:00 AM

地點:中央研究院南部院區跨領堿研究大樓(I) 122會議室