The Effects of Rhizophagus irregularis Inoculation on Transcriptome of Medicago lupulina Leaves at Early Vegetative and Flowering Stages of Plant Development

Abstract

The study is aimed at revealing the effects of Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation on the transcriptome of Medicago lupulina leaves at the early (second leaf formation) and later (flowering) stages of plant development. A pot experiment was conducted under conditions of low phosphorus (P) level in the substrate. M. lupulina plants were characterized by high mycorrhizal growth response and mycorrhization parameters. Library sequencing was performed on the Illumina HiseqXTen platform. Significant changes in the expression of 4863 (padj < 0.01) genes from 34049 functionally annotated genes were shown by Massive Analysis of cDNA Ends (MACE-Seq). GO enrichment analysis using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was performed, and 244 functional GO groups were identified, including genes contributing to the development of effective AM symbiosis. The Mercator online tool was used to assign functional classes of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The early stage was characterized by the presence of six functional classes that included only upregulated GO groups, such as genes of carbohydrate metabolism, cellular respiration, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, protein biosynthesis, and solute transport. At the later stage (flowering), the number of stimulated GO groups was reduced to photosynthesis and protein biosynthesis. All DEGs of the GO:0016036 group were downregulated because AM plants had higher resistance to phosphate starvation. For the first time, the upregulation of genes encoding thioredoxin in AM plant leaves was shown. It was supposed to reduce ROS level and thus, consequently, enhance the mechanisms of antioxidant protection in M. lupulina plants under conditions of low phosphorus level. Taken together, the obtained results indicate genes that are the most important for the effective symbiosis with M. lupulina and might be engaged in other plant species.