Medicago truncatula represents a model plant species for understanding legume-bacteria interactions. M. truncatula roots form a specific root-nodule symbiosis with the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation generates high iron (Fe) demands for bacterial nitrogenase holoenzyme and plant leghemoglobin proteins. Leguminous plants acquire Fe via "Strategy I," which includes mechanisms such as rhizosphere acidification and enhanced ferric reductase activity. In the present work, we analyzed the effect of S. meliloti volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the Fe-uptake mechanisms of M. truncatula seedlings under Fe-deficient and Fe-rich conditions. Axenic cultures showed that both plant and bacterium modified VOC synthesis in the presence of the respective symbiotic partner. Importantly, in both Fe-rich and -deficient experiments, bacterial VOCs increased the generation of plant biomass, rhizosphere acidification, ferric reductase activity, and chlorophyll content in plants. On the basis of our results, we propose that M. truncatula perceives its symbiont through VOC emissions, and in response, increases Fe-uptake mechanisms to facilitate symbiosis.
- MeSH
- biomasa MeSH
- chlorofyl analýza MeSH
- FMN-reduktasa metabolismus MeSH
- koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
- kořenové hlízky rostlin mikrobiologie MeSH
- Medicago truncatula chemie růst a vývoj metabolismus mikrobiologie MeSH
- půda chemie MeSH
- Sinorhizobium meliloti metabolismus MeSH
- těkavé organické sloučeniny metabolismus MeSH
- železo metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
