Medicago truncatula gene responses specific to arbuscular mycorrhiza interactions with different species and genera of Glomeromycota.

Plant genes exhibiting common responses to different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and not induced under other biological conditions have been sought for to identify specific markers for monitoring the AM symbiosis. A subset of 14 candidate Medicago truncatula genes was identified as being potentially mycorrhiza responsive in previous cDNA microarray analyses and exclusive to cDNA libraries derived from mycorrhizal root tissues. Transcriptional activity of the selected plant genes was compared during root interactions with seven AM fungi belonging to different species of Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, or Scutellospora, and under widely different biological conditions (mycorrhiza, phosphate fertilization, pathogenic/beneficial microbe interactions, incompatible plant genotype). Ten of the M. truncatula genes were commonly induced by all the tested AM fungal species, and all were activated by at least two fungi. Most of the plant genes were transcribed uniquely in mycorrhizal roots, and several were already active at the appressorium stage of fungal development. Novel data provide evidence that common recognition responses to phylogenetically different Glomeromycota exist in plants during events that are unique to mycorrhiza interactions. They indicate that plants should possess a mycorrhiza-specific genetic program which is comodulated by a broad spectrum of AM fungi.