Analysis of the physiological and molecular effects of the interaction between phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and maize (Zea mays): a multiomic approach

• Grant number: 24/10165-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Maria Carolina Quecine Verdi
• Grantee: Lucas Coan Perez
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/11328-9 - Microorganisms associated with alternative sources of phosphates for greater phosphorus use efficiency by crops, AP.R

Abstract

Phosphorus is an indispensable chemical element for the full development of plants, performing various vital biochemical functions in plant metabolism. However, its root absorption can be limited in highly weathered tropical soils, which is common in Brazil, due to the fixation of the nutrient in minerals, making it unavailable to plants. In this context, the use of bacteria capable of making phosphorus available in agricultural production is one of the strategies for increasing its use efficiency. Among these are the bacterial strains Priestia megaterium CNM13 and Priestia megaterium CNM34, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of maize (Zea mays) and have been studied in detail by the research group, demonstrating excellent results related to phosphorus availability under in vitro conditions, but with an isolated effect in vivo that is still poorly characterized. At the same time, gene expression and the consequent synthesis of proteins and metabolites in plants are influenced by extrinsic factors, such as the availability of nutrients, indicating that the bacteria-plant interaction can directly affect these processes. In this sense, it is hypothesized that the inoculation of these microorganisms in maize plants is capable of promoting plant growth and increasing the phosphorus content in the soil and tissues, which will consequently lead to differential gene expression, triggering several other biological processes in a cascade that are still poorly understood. Thus, this project aims to investigate in detail the influence of P. megaterium (strains CNM13 and CNM34) on the physiology of maize plants, and at the molecular level through a multi-omics approach, enabling a holistic and integrated understanding, through systems biology, of the real role of bacteria capable of making phosphorus available in agricultural systems, with a view to finding sustainable management and alternatives associating soil-plant-bacteria.