Influence of plant traits, soil microbial properties, and abiotic parameters on nitrogen turnover of grassland ecosystems

International audience; Although it is known that multiple interactions among plant functional traits, microbial properties , and abiotic soil parameters influence the nutrient turnover, the relative contribution of each of these groups of variables is poorly understood. We manipulated grassland plant functional composition and soil nitrogen (N) availability in a multisite mesocosm experiment to quantify their relative effects on soil N turnover. Overall, root traits, arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, denitrification potential, as well as N availability and water availability, best explained the variation in measured ecosystem properties, especially the trade-off between nutrient sequest…

Plant species identities and fertilization influence on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation and soil bacterial activities

International audience; Plant species influence soil microbial communities, mainly through their functional traits. However, mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood, and in particular how plant/ microorganism interactions are affected by plant identities and/or environmental conditions. Here, we performed a greenhouse experiment to assess the effects of three plant species on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization, bacterial potential nitrification (PNA) and denitrification activities (PDA) through their functional traits related to nitrogen acquisition and turnover. Three species with contrasting functional traits and strategies (from exploitative to conservat…

Colonization of flax roots and early physiological responses of flax cells inoculated with pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum

ABSTRACT Fusarium oxysporum includes nonpathogenic strains and pathogenic strains that can induce necrosis or tracheomycosis in plants. The objective of this study was to compare the abilities of a pathogenic strain (Foln3) and a nonpathogenic strain (Fo47) to colonize flax roots and to induce early physiological responses in flax cell culture suspensions. Both strains colonized the outer cortex of the root; however, plant defense reactions, i.e., the presence of wall appositions, osmiophilic material, and collapsed cells, were less frequent and less intense in a root colonized by Foln3 than by Fo47. Early physiological responses were measured in flax cell suspensions confronted with germin…

Effects of mowing on fungal endophytes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in subalpine grasslands

International audience; In French subalpine grasslands, cessation of mowing promotes dominance of Festuca paniculata, which alters plant diversity and ecosystem functioning. One of the mechanisms underpinning such effects may be linked to simultaneous changes in the abundance of fungal symbionts such as endophytes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In field conditions, mowing reduced the abundance of the endophyte Neotyphodium sp. in leaves of F. paniculata by a factor of 6, and increased mycorrhizal densities by a factor of 15 in the soil. In greenhouse experiments, the mycorrhizal colonization of Trifolium pratense and Allium porrum increased 3- fold and 3.8- fold respectively in mown vs u…

La mycorhize : une alliance plante-champigon. Effets bénéfiques sur les produits du terroir

Comparison of the effects of cryptogein and oligogalacturonides on tabacco cells and evidence of different forms of desensitization induced by these elicitors

Abstract The effects of cryptogein and oligogalacturonides (OGs) were compared on tobacco cells by measuring calcium influx and calcium-dependent responses including extracellular alkalinization and H 2 O 2 production. The main difference is the higher calcium influx and the sustained H 2 O 2 production induced by cryptogein compared to OGs. Amplitude and duration of calcium signalling triggered by cryptogein or OGs may explain the necrotic effect of cryptogein, and the absence of necrosis in tobacco plants treated with OGs. We used induction of alkalinization and H 2 O 2 production to investigate cryptogein effects after a first treatment with cryptogein or OGs, and reciprocally. Results s…

Evidence for specific, high-affinity binding sites for a proteinaceous elicitor in tobacco plasma membrane

Abstract Binding of cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor, was studied on tobacco plasma membrane. The binding of the [125I]cryptogein was saturable, reversible and specific with an apparent Kd of 2 nM. A single class of cryptogein binding sites was found with a sharp optimum pH for binding at about pH 7.0. The high-affinity correlates with cryptogein concentrations required for biological activity in vivo.

Comparison of binding properties and early biological effects of elicitins in tobacco cells

Abstract Elicitins are a family of small proteins secreted by Phytophthora species that have a high degree of homology and elicit defense reactions in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). They display acidic or basic characteristics, the acidic elicitins being less efficient in inducing plant necrosis. In this study we compared the binding properties of four elicitins (two basic and two acidic) and early-induced signal transduction events (Ca2+ influx, extracellular medium alkalinization, and active oxygen species production). The affinity for tobacco plasma membrane-binding sites and the number of binding sites were similar for all four elicitins. Furthermore, elicitins compete with one another fo…

Responses of above- and below-ground fungal symbionts to cessation of mowing in subalpine grassland

Abstract The cessation of mowing in subalpine grasslands promotes the dominance of Festuca paniculata leading to the reduction in plant diversity. Moreover, it affects positively the abundance of Epichloe sp. inhabiting F. paniculata leaves and negatively the soil density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We explored how the cessation of mowing influences root AMF communities in F. paniculata and the neighboring plants, and Epichloe sp alkaloids. Thirteen AMF operational taxonomical units were found. The neighboring plants affected positively the abundances of Aalpin and GLOM_7 whereas the interaction plant/management type influenced significantly Claroide_1 , GLOM_1 and GLOM_7 . The N…

Involvement of plasma membrane proteins in plant defense responses. Analysis of the cryptogein signal transduction in tobacco

International audience; Cryptogein, a 98 amino acid protein secreted by the fungus Phytophthora cryptogea, induces a hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum var Xanthi). The mode of action of cryptogein has been studied using tobacco cell suspensions. The recognition of this elicitor by a plasma membrane receptor leads to a cascade of events including protein phosphorylation, calcium influx, potassium and chloride effluxes, plasma membrane depolarization, activation of a NADPH oxidase responsible for active oxygen species (AOS) production and cytosol acidification, activation of the pentose phosphate pathway, and activation of two mitoge…