The Medicago truncatula DREPP Protein Triggers Microtubule Fragmentation in Membrane Nanodomains during Symbiotic Infections.

The initiation of intracellular host cell colonization by symbiotic rhizobia in Medicago truncatula requires repolarization of root hairs, including the rearrangement of cytoskeletal filaments. The molecular players governing microtubule (MT) reorganization during rhizobial infections remain to be discovered. Here, we identified M. truncatula DEVELOPMENTALLY REGULATED PLASMA MEMBRANE POLYPEPTIDE (DREPP), a member of the MT binding DREPP/PCaP protein family, and investigated its functions during rhizobial infections. We show that rhizobial colonization of drepp mutant roots as well as transgenic roots overexpressing DREPP is impaired. DREPP relocalizes into symbiosis-specific membrane nanodomains in a stimulus-dependent manner. This subcellular segregation coincides with DREPP-dependent MT fragmentation and a partial loss of the ability to reorganize the MT cytoskeleton in response to rhizobia, which might rely on an interaction between DREPP and the MT-organizing protein SPIRAL2. Taken together, our results reveal that establishment of symbiotic associations in M. truncatula requires DREPP in order to regulate MT reorganization during initial root hair responses to rhizobia.

Commonalities and Differences in Controlling Multipartite Intracellular Infections of Legume Roots by Symbiotic Microbes.

Legumes have the almost unique ability to establish symbiotic associations with rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Forward and reverse genetics have identified a large number of genes that are required for either or both interactions. However, and in sharp contrast to natural soils, these interactions have been almost exclusively investigated under laboratory conditions by using separate inoculation systems, whereas both symbionts are simultaneously present in the field. Considering our recent understanding of the individual symbioses, the community is now promisingly positioned to co-inoculate plants with two or more microbes in order to understand mechanistically how legumes efficiently balance, regulate and potentially separate these symbioses and other endophytic microbes within the same root. Here, we discuss a number of key control layers that should be considered when assessing tri- or multipartite beneficial interactions and that may contribute to colonization patterns in legume roots.

Structure-activity relationships of strigolactones via a novel, quantitative in planta bioassay.

Strigolactones (SLs) are plant hormones with various functions in development, responses to stress, and interactions with (micro)organisms in the rhizosphere, including with seeds of parasitic plants. Their perception for hormonal functions requires an α,ß-hydrolase belonging to the D14 clade in higher plants; perception of host-produced SLs by parasitic seeds relies on similar but phylogenetically distinct proteins (D14-like). D14 and D14-like proteins are peculiar receptors, because they cleave SLs before undergoing a conformational change that elicits downstream events. Structure-activity relationship data show that the butenolide D-ring is crucial for bioactivity. We applied a bioisosteric approach to the structure of SLs by synthetizing analogues and mimics of natural SLs in which the D-ring was changed from a butenolide to a lactam and then evaluating their bioactivity. This was done by using a novel bioassay based on Arabidopsis transgenic lines expressing AtD14 fused to firefly luciferase, in parallel with the quantification of germination-inducing activity on parasitic seeds. The results obtained showed that the in planta bioassay is robust and quantitative, and thus can be confidently added to the SL-survey toolbox. The results also showed that modification of the butenolide ring into a lactam one significantly hampers the biological activity exhibited by SLs possessing a canonical lactonic D-ring.

Heck functionalization of an asymmetric aza-BODIPY core: synthesis of far-red infrared probes for bioimaging applications.

As part of our ongoing work on the synthesis of a new class of plant hormones named Strigolactones (SLs) and their analogues, we became interested in tracing bioactive molecules with red emitting BODIPY fluorophores in order to unravel signaling and distribution of SLs in plants. In this paper we report on an unprecedented Heck functionalization of azadipyrromethenes (aza-DIPY) which allows for the introduction of suitable functional groups to convert aza-BODIPY in bioconjugate complexes useful for untangling biological processes.

Stereochemical Assignment of Strigolactone Analogues Confirms Their Selective Biological Activity.

Strigolactones (SLs) are new plant hormones with various developmental functions. They are also soil signaling chemicals that are required for establishing beneficial mycorrhizal plant/fungus symbiosis. In addition, SLs play an essential role in inducing seed germination in root-parasitic weeds, which are one of the seven most serious biological threats to food security. There are around 20 natural SLs that are produced by plants in very low quantities. Therefore, most of the knowledge on SL signal transduction and associated molecular events is based on the application of synthetic analogues. Stereochemistry plays a crucial role in the structure-activity relationship of SLs, as compounds with an unnatural D-ring configuration may induce biological effects that are unrelated to SLs. We have synthesized a series of strigolactone analogues, whose absolute configuration has been elucidated and related with their biological activity, thus confirming the high specificity of the response. Analogues bearing the R-configured butenolide moiety showed enhanced biological activity, which highlights the importance of this stereochemical motif.

Tailoring fluorescent strigolactones for in vivo investigations: a computational and experimental study.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a new class of plant hormones whose role has been recently defined in shoot branching, root development and architecture, and nodulation. They are also active in the rhizosphere as signalling molecules in the communication between plants, AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and parasitic weeds. In spite of the crucial and multifaceted biological role of SLs, the current knowledge on the SL biosynthetic pathway and the perception/transduction mechanism is still incomplete. Both genetic and molecular approaches are required to understand the molecular mechanism by which SLs regulate plant development. Our contribution to this topic is the design and synthesis of fluorescent labelled SL analogues to be used as probes for the detection in vivo of the receptor(s). Knowledge of the putative receptor structure will boost the research on analogues of the natural substrates as required for agricultural applications.

RPG acts as a central determinant for infectosome formation and cellular polarization during intracellular rhizobial infections.

Host-controlled intracellular accommodation of nitrogen-fixing bacteria is essential for the establishment of a functional Root Nodule Symbiosis (RNS). In many host plants, this occurs via transcellular tubular structures (infection threads - ITs) that extend across cell layers via polar tip-growth. Comparative phylogenomic studies have identified RPG (RHIZOBIUM-DIRECTED POLAR GROWTH) among the critical genetic determinants for bacterial infection. In Medicago truncatula, RPG is required for effective IT progression within root hairs but the cellular and molecular function of the encoded protein remains elusive. Here, we show that RPG resides in the protein complex formed by the core endosymbiotic components VAPYRIN (VPY) and LUMPY INFECTION (LIN) required for IT polar growth, co-localizes with both VPY and LIN in IT tip- and perinuclear-associated puncta of M. truncatula root hairs undergoing infection and is necessary for VPY recruitment into these structures. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) of phosphoinositide species during bacterial infection revealed that functional RPG is required to sustain strong membrane polarization at the advancing tip of the IT. In addition, loss of RPG functionality alters the cytoskeleton-mediated connectivity between the IT tip and the nucleus and affects the polar secretion of the cell wall modifying enzyme NODULE PECTATE LYASE (NPL). Our results integrate RPG into a core host machinery required to support symbiont accommodation, suggesting that its occurrence in plant host genomes is essential to co-opt a multimeric protein module committed to endosymbiosis to sustain IT-mediated bacterial infection.

Stabilization of membrane topologies by proteinaceous remorin scaffolds.

In plants, the topological organization of membranes has mainly been attributed to the cell wall and the cytoskeleton. Additionally, few proteins, such as plant-specific remorins have been shown to function as protein and lipid organizers. Root nodule symbiosis requires continuous membrane re-arrangements, with bacteria being finally released from infection threads into membrane-confined symbiosomes. We found that mutations in the symbiosis-specific SYMREM1 gene result in highly disorganized perimicrobial membranes. AlphaFold modelling and biochemical analyses reveal that SYMREM1 oligomerizes into antiparallel dimers and may form a higher-order membrane scaffolding structure. This was experimentally confirmed when expressing this and other remorins in wall-less protoplasts is sufficient where they significantly alter and stabilize de novo membrane topologies ranging from membrane blebs to long membrane tubes with a central actin filament. Reciprocally, mechanically induced membrane indentations were equally stabilized by SYMREM1. Taken together we describe a plant-specific mechanism that allows the stabilization of large-scale membrane conformations independent of the cell wall.

Formin-mediated bridging of cell wall, plasma membrane, and cytoskeleton in symbiotic infections of Medicago truncatula.

Legumes have maintained the ability to associate with rhizobia to sustain the nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis (RNS). In Medicago truncatula, the Nod factor (NF)-dependent intracellular root colonization by Sinorhizobium meliloti initiates from young, growing root hairs. They form rhizobial traps by physically curling around the symbiont.1,2 Although alterations in root hair morphology like branching and swelling have been observed in other plants in response to drug treatments3 or genetic perturbations,4-6 full root hair curling represents a rather specific invention in legumes. The entrapment of the symbiont completes with its full enclosure in a structure called the "infection chamber" (IC),1,2,7,8 from which a tube-like membrane channel, the "infection thread" (IT), initiates.1,2,9 All steps of rhizobium-induced root hair alterations are aided by a tip-localized cytosolic calcium gradient,10,11 global actin re-arrangements, and dense subapical fine actin bundles that are required for the delivery of Golgi-derived vesicles to the root hair tip.7,12-14 Altered actin dynamics during early responses to NFs or rhizobia have mostly been shown in mutants that are affected in the actin-related SCAR/WAVE complex.15-18 Here, we identified a polarly localized SYMBIOTIC FORMIN 1 (SYFO1) to be required for NF-dependent alterations in membrane organization and symbiotic root hair responses. We demonstrate that SYFO1 mediates a continuum between the plasma membrane and the cell wall that is required for the onset of rhizobial infections.

Shaping Small Bioactive Molecules to Untangle Their Biological Function: A Focus on Fluorescent Plant Hormones.

Modern biology overlaps with chemistry in explaining the structure and function of all cellular processes at the molecular level. Plant hormone research is perfectly located at the interface between these two disciplines, taking advantage of synthetic and computational chemistry as a tool to decipher the complex biological mechanisms regulating the action of plant hormones. These small signaling molecules regulate a wide range of developmental processes, adapting plant growth to ever changing environmental conditions. The synthesis of small bioactive molecules mimicking the activity of endogenous hormones allows us to unveil many molecular features of their functioning, giving rise to a new field, plant chemical biology. In this framework, fluorescence labeling of plant hormones is emerging as a successful strategy to track the fate of these challenging molecules inside living organisms. Thanks to the increasing availability of new fluorescent probes as well as advanced and innovative imaging technologies, we are now in a position to investigate many of the dynamic mechanisms through which plant hormones exert their action. Such a deep and detailed comprehension is mandatory for the development of new green technologies for practical applications. In this review, we summarize the results obtained so far concerning the fluorescent labeling of plant hormones, highlighting the basic steps leading to the design and synthesis of these compelling molecular tools and their applications.

Gate crashing arbuscular mycorrhizas: in vivo imaging shows the extensive colonization of both symbionts by Trichoderma atroviride.

Plant growth-promoting fungi include strains of Trichoderma species that are used in biocontrol, and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, that enhance plant nutrition and stress resistance. The concurrent interaction of plants with these two groups of fungi affects crop performance but has only been occasionally studied so far. Using in vivo imaging of green fluorescent protein-tagged lines, we investigated the cellular interactions occurring between Trichoderma atroviride PKI1, Medicago truncatula and two Gigaspora species under in vitro culture conditions. Trichoderma atroviride did not activate symbiotic-like responses in the plant cells, such as nuclear calcium spiking or cytoplasmic aggregations at hyphal contact sites. Furthermore, T. atroviride parasitized G. gigantea and G. margarita hyphae through localized wall breaking and degradation - although this was not associated with significant chitin lysis nor the upregulation of two major chitinase genes. Trichoderma atroviride colonized broad areas of the root epidermis, in association with localized cell death. The infection of both symbionts was also observed when T. atroviride was applied to a pre-established AM symbiosis. We conclude that - although this triple interaction is known to improve plant growth in agricultural environments - in vitro culture demonstrate a particularly aggressive mycoparasitic and plant-colonizing behaviour of a biocontrol strain of Trichoderma.

Strigolactone analogs as molecular probes in chasing the (SLs) receptor/s: design and synthesis of fluorescent labeled molecules.

Originally identified as allelochemicals involved in plant-parasite interactions, more recently, Strigolactones (SLs) have been shown to play multiple key roles in the rhizosphere communication between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Even more recent is the hormonal role ascribed to SLs which broadens the biological impact of these relatively simple molecules. In spite of the crucial and multifaceted biological role of SLs, there are no data on the receptor(s) which bind(s) such active molecules, neither in the producing plants nor in parasitic weeds or AM fungi. Information about the putative receptor of SLs can be gathered by means of structural, molecular, and genetic approaches. Our contribution on this topic is the design and synthesis of fluorescent labeled SL analogs to be used as probes for the detection in vivo of the receptor(s). Knowledge of the putative receptor structure will boost the research on analogs of the natural substrates as required for agricultural applications.