Integrative analysis of the interaction between maize (Zea mays) and phosphorus-solubilizing-bacteria: modulation of soil microbiome and plant transcriptome dynamics

• Grant number: 25/11988-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: November 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Carolina Quecine Verdi
• Grantee: Lucas Coan Perez
• Supervisor: Maria Leticia Bonatelli
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/10165-1 - Analysis of the physiological and molecular effects of the interaction between phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and maize (Zea mays): a multiomic approach, BP.MS

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) availability is a critical bottleneck for agricultural productivity, particularly in tropical soils dominated by iron and aluminum oxides that fix phosphorus into insoluble forms. Despite its relatively low uptake by plants (0.2-0.8% of dry weight), phosphorus ranks as the second most applied nutrient in global agriculture, with an alarming use efficiency of only 10-15%. This inefficiency, combined with the finite nature of phosphate rock reserves and environmental consequences of mining, underscore the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Among these, microbial bioinoculants associated with non conventional phosphorus fertilization sources, have emerged as promising tools to enhance phosphorus use efficiency and plant performance. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), such as Priestia megaterium, are being extensively studied as an alternative for improving nutrient use efficiency, especially for phosphorus. However, the broader impacts of these microbial inoculants - particularly on plant gene expression and rhizosphere microbial community structure - remain underexplored. Considering this lack of information in the current literature, this BEPE proposal aims to characterize the plant-soil-microbe interaction, specifically between the previously selected elite-phosphorus-solubilizing strain Priestia megaterium MGB3314, alternative phosphate sources, and maize (Zea mays), from both molecular and ecological perspectives. To support these objectives, a greenhouse experiment employing these factors has been established, generating biological material for downstream analysis. During the BEPE period, maize transcriptomes will be analyzed, as outlined in the original FAPESP research project (2024/10165-1), and the dynamics of the soil microbial community will be assessed through metataxonomic approaches.