New insights into the signaling pathways controlling defense gene expression in rice roots during the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Mycorrhizal fungi form a mutualistic relationship with the roots of most plant species. This association provides the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus with sugars while the fungus improves the uptake of water and mineral nutrients in the host plant. Moreover, the induction of defence gene expression in mycorrhizal roots has been described. While salicylic acid (SA)-regulated Pathogenesis-Related (PR) proteins accumulate in rice roots colonized by the AM fungus G. intraradices, the SA content is not significantly altered in the mycorrhizal roots. Sugars, in addition to being a source of carbon for the fungus, might act as signals for the control of defence gene expression. We hypothesize that increased demands for sugars by the fungus might be responsible for the activation of the host defence responses which will then contribute to the stabilization of root colonization by the AM fungus. An excessive root colonization might change a mutualistic association into a parasitic association.