Understanding multi-kingdom communication in plant-microbe endosymbiosis
- Serrano, Karen
- Advisor(s): Scheller, Henrik V
Abstract
Microbes, plants, and humans are globally interconnected through dynamic symbiotic relationships that influence ecosystem balance, agricultural productivity, and human health. Among these interactions, endosymbiosis, characterized by microorganisms residing within the cells of other species, represents a critical relationship that requires sustained communication across kingdoms. This thesis explores the connections between microbes, plants, and humans and examines recently developed approaches to the study of endosymbiosis and their implications for plant productivity and human nutrition. Starting with a discussion of the new methods by which scientists are beginning to target crop genetic engineering for certain beneficial effects on the human gut microbiome and moving to a discussion of new available RNA-sequencing technologies and their applications in plant-microbe endosymbiosis, I present unique avenues to symbiosis research that overcome barriers to prior investigations. Applying single-nuclei and spatial transcriptomic technologies to the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, I demonstrate the utility of such approaches in the identification of symbiosis-responsive cell populations from both species and present hundreds of new targets for further functional characterization and genetic engineering of an improved symbiosis. Lastly, I analyze the effects of such genetic modifications on symbiotic interactions in agriculturally-relevant plant species, contributing to the development of strategies to enhance symbiosis in agricultural settings. In essence, this thesis presents fundamental discoveries about previously unknown aspects of cross-species communication during symbiosis and offers insights into the latest methodologies applied to analyze symbiosis at a cellular level.