Study of the essential genes of growth promotion bacteria Pantoea agglomerans 33.1 in interaction with the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana

• Grant number: 25/12993-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Maria Carolina Quecine Verdi
• Grantee: Mauricio Santos Rosa
• 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

The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria in agriculture is an important strategy for the sustainable increase in agricultural productivity in the face of increasing scarcity of natural resources and climate change. The genus Pantoea has stood out as the 9th most common bacterial genus in bioinput patents. At the same time, this genus presents an extremely interesting duality, with both beneficial and phytopathogenic strains. In general, Pantoea presents a conserved capacity for auxin production as well as the ability to make nutrients available and control phytopathogens. Our group has studied the P. agglomerans strain 33.1 for a long time. It is an endophytic bacterium isolated from Eucalyptus grandis and presents several characteristics related to growth promotion, such as solubilization of phosphorus and potassium, fixation of atmospheric nitrogen and production of auxins. Its practical growth-promoting effects have been observed in several crops, such as eucalyptus, sugarcane, tomato, soybean and maize. However, as with most growth-promoting bacteria, their molecular mechanisms of interaction with plants are still poorly understood. Thus, this project aims to provide an unprecedented understanding of the mechanisms related to the P. agglomerans 33.1-plant interaction using the transposon insert sequencing (TIS) technique. This strategy is incipient in Brazil and consists of large-scale sequencing of transposon insertions to identify the essential genes involved in this interaction process. The project will certainly allow a better understanding of the mechanisms of bacteria-plant interaction, which may contribute to future studies that aim to explore the potential found in this genus.