Identification of a cDNA from the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices that is expressed during mycorrhizal symbiosis and up-regulated by N fertilization.

A cDNA library was constructed with RNA from Glomus intraradices-colonized lettuce roots and used for differential screening. This allowed the identification of a cDNA (Gi-1) that was expressed only in mycorrhizal roots and was of fungal origin. The function of the gene product is unknown, because Gi-1 contained a complete open reading frame that was predicted to encode a protein of 157 amino acids which only showed little homology with glutamine synthetase from Helicobacter pylori. The time-course analysis of gene expression during the fungal life cycle showed that Gi-1 was expressed only during the mycorrhizal symbiosis and was not detected in dormant or germinating spores of G. intraradices. P fertilization did not significantly change the pattern of Gi-1 expression compared with that in the unfertilized treatment, whereas N fertilization (alone or in combination with P) considerably enhanced the Gi-1 transcript accumulation. This increase in gene expression correlated with plant N status and growth under such conditions. The possible role of the Gi-1 gene product in intermediary N metabolism of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is further discussed.