Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EASY-CROPS (Enhancing endosymbiotic interaction to increase crops production)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-07-01 do 2022-06-30
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are essential for all aspects of plant growth. Paradoxically, they are poorly available in soils, leading to extensive use of fertilisers to fulfil the demand of a growing population. However, their synthesis and application in agricultural practices harms the environment. The synthesis of N fertilizers alone consumes 3-5% of the world’s annual natural gas demand, which is equivalent to 1-2% of the world's annual energy consumption. The application of N fertilizers to soils can impair phosphate-natural resources and increase soil and water pollution as well as global warming through emissions of nitrous oxide. In this context, lowering fertiliser inputs and breeding crops with better P and N use efficiency are important goals for sustainable agriculture and food security at a time of rapidly growing population in the current climate change.
The use of plant-symbiotic microorganisms such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-delivering mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural practices can overcome this problem by providing these nutrients to the plants in an environmentally sustainable manner. The success of root symbioses relies on the molecular dialogue between symbionts and plants. After plant-microorganism recognition, the bacteria/fungi colonize the plant root, forming specific structures known as nodules (nitrogen-fixing bacteria) and arbuscules (phosphate-delivering fungi) where the microorganisms live and provide N or P to the plant.
In our lab, we are developing novel strategies to enhancing these symbiotic interactions for their application in agricultural practices. For that, during the ‘EASY-CROPS project’, we developed a line in the model legume Medicago truncatula (EASY line) with increased root symbioses. We study whether the enhanced symbiotic interactions in the EASY line could benefit plant performance and nutrient content of the plant under different soil conditions. Furthermore, we investigated whether the enhanced symbiotic performance of the EASY line is correlated with a higher growth and nitrogen content of the plant under nutrient-depleted conditions.
Cereal crops can interact with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, but not with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Bread wheat is an agriculturally important crop species for UK and EU markets. For this project, the EASY mutation was identified in Cadenza and Kronos wheat cultivars in a collection developed at the John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK). We investigated the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis phenotype in the wheat EASY lines.
The EASY mutation was identified in a protein relevant for the recognition of the plant-symbiotic microorganisms. To better understand the mechanistic role of the EASY mutation during symbiosis, we aimed to determine the structure of this protein. This is a high-risk objective as the structure of these type of proteins have not been determined yet in plants.
The use of plant-symbiotic microorganisms such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-delivering mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural practices can overcome this problem by providing these nutrients to the plants in an environmentally sustainable manner. The success of root symbioses relies on the molecular dialogue between symbionts and plants. After plant-microorganism recognition, the bacteria/fungi colonize the plant root, forming specific structures known as nodules (nitrogen-fixing bacteria) and arbuscules (phosphate-delivering fungi) where the microorganisms live and provide N or P to the plant.
In our lab, we are developing novel strategies to enhancing these symbiotic interactions for their application in agricultural practices. For that, during the ‘EASY-CROPS project’, we developed a line in the model legume Medicago truncatula (EASY line) with increased root symbioses. We study whether the enhanced symbiotic interactions in the EASY line could benefit plant performance and nutrient content of the plant under different soil conditions. Furthermore, we investigated whether the enhanced symbiotic performance of the EASY line is correlated with a higher growth and nitrogen content of the plant under nutrient-depleted conditions.
Cereal crops can interact with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, but not with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Bread wheat is an agriculturally important crop species for UK and EU markets. For this project, the EASY mutation was identified in Cadenza and Kronos wheat cultivars in a collection developed at the John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK). We investigated the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis phenotype in the wheat EASY lines.
The EASY mutation was identified in a protein relevant for the recognition of the plant-symbiotic microorganisms. To better understand the mechanistic role of the EASY mutation during symbiosis, we aimed to determine the structure of this protein. This is a high-risk objective as the structure of these type of proteins have not been determined yet in plants.
The experiments we performed exceeded our expectations. The Medicago truncatula EASY line not only enhanced the symbiotic interaction with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhiza but also increased different aspects of plant growth and development under nutrient-depleted conditions. In addition, we found that the EASY line exhibits increased growth responses with nitrate fertilizer which is attractive for future research.
Interestingly, we observed that the EASY mutation also enhanced the arbuscular colonization in both Cadenza and Kronos wheat cultivars in comparison to the wild-type lines.
These results have positioned the EASY mutation as a novel strategy to increase crop yields in agriculture via the improvement of root symbioses and plant development. For that, we have initiated the process to patent the discoveries.
We have successfully expressed and purified the protein harbouring the EASY mutation. Now, we are determining the structure of this protein and the effect of the EASY mutation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the exploitation, dissemination and outreach activities planned on the EASY-CROPS project. However, the work performed was shared via seminars at the John Innes Centre and the University of Seville, the Pint of Science event (via Twitter https://twitter.com/pabdelcer/status/1394266609292828676(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)) and the John Innes Centre Magazine (Issue #32). In addition, the manuscript containing the results obtained in this project is under preparation and will be published in open access format.
No website has been developed for the project. However, more information related to the project can be found at: https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/myriam-charpentier/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) and https://twitter.com/pabdelcer(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie).
Interestingly, we observed that the EASY mutation also enhanced the arbuscular colonization in both Cadenza and Kronos wheat cultivars in comparison to the wild-type lines.
These results have positioned the EASY mutation as a novel strategy to increase crop yields in agriculture via the improvement of root symbioses and plant development. For that, we have initiated the process to patent the discoveries.
We have successfully expressed and purified the protein harbouring the EASY mutation. Now, we are determining the structure of this protein and the effect of the EASY mutation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the exploitation, dissemination and outreach activities planned on the EASY-CROPS project. However, the work performed was shared via seminars at the John Innes Centre and the University of Seville, the Pint of Science event (via Twitter https://twitter.com/pabdelcer/status/1394266609292828676(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)) and the John Innes Centre Magazine (Issue #32). In addition, the manuscript containing the results obtained in this project is under preparation and will be published in open access format.
No website has been developed for the project. However, more information related to the project can be found at: https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/myriam-charpentier/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) and https://twitter.com/pabdelcer(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie).
The EASY mutation increased endosymbiosis and growth responses under different conditions, including increased symbiosis even in presence of nitrate fertilizer. This is a highly relevant result as the presence of nitrogen in the soil inhibits nitrogen-fixing bacteria symbiosis. The beneficial effect of this mutation has been also observed in bread wheat.
The EU has established recently legal frameworks allowing the introduction of TILLING lines (such as EASY mutation) in agricultural practices. The results of this project have attracted breeding companies to test the novel strategy in the field on further agronomically important crops of interest in the UK or in the EU market. If the results are accepted as intellectual property, the benefits of this technology will be accessible to society.
We have expressed and purified for the first time in the plant field the protein harbouring the EASY mutation. The protocol used and the structure of this protein will be available to the scientific community which will help to understand the mechanistic role of homologue proteins.
The EU has established recently legal frameworks allowing the introduction of TILLING lines (such as EASY mutation) in agricultural practices. The results of this project have attracted breeding companies to test the novel strategy in the field on further agronomically important crops of interest in the UK or in the EU market. If the results are accepted as intellectual property, the benefits of this technology will be accessible to society.
We have expressed and purified for the first time in the plant field the protein harbouring the EASY mutation. The protocol used and the structure of this protein will be available to the scientific community which will help to understand the mechanistic role of homologue proteins.