Influência da auxotrofia bacteriana na complexidade da rizosfera do milho (Zea mays L.) em condições de limitação de fósforo no solo

• Processo: 25/21071-0
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Mestrado
• Data de Início da vigência: 20 de março de 2026
• Data de Término da vigência: 19 de setembro de 2026
• Área de conhecimento: Ciências Biológicas - Microbiologia - Microbiologia Aplicada
• Pesquisador responsável: Simone Raposo Cotta
• Beneficiário: Duber Alejandro Mora Motta
• Supervisor: Josep Ramoneda
• Instituição Sede: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brasil
• Instituição Anfitriã: Centre D'Estudis Avançats De Blanes, Espanha
• Vinculado à bolsa: 25/07364-5 - Enriquecimento de auxotróficos na rizosfera: Desvendando as respostas bacterianas aos exsudados das plantas em condições de estresse nutricional, BP.MS
• Assunto(s): Ecologia microbiana Fósforo Solos Microbiologia do solo
• Palavra(s)-Chave do Pesquisador: Auxotrofia bacteriana | Ecologia microbiana | fósforo | Microbiologia | solo | Microbiologia do solo

Resumo

Soil is a dynamic natural body that changes over time and with management, where microbial communities, interspecies interactions, and environmental conditions constantly influence and shape one another. This project will investigate bacterial auxotrophy-the inability of microorganisms to synthesize specific essential nutrients or compounds, such as amino acids and vitamins, which are vital for their growth-as a key factor in the maize rhizosphere. We hypothesize that P-stressed maize plants release root exudates that support bacterial auxotrophy, which could in turn enhance plant nutrient acquisition. The main objective is to predict the auxotrophic potential of bacterial communities in the maize rhizosphere under different P levels. During a research stay at the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spain, bioinformatic analysis will be performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing data from a controlled greenhouse experiment. Using a novel pipeline combining the Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB) and GapMind, we will identify taxa with auxotrophic potential and explain how P availability affects their prevalence and community structure. The expected outcome is a high-impact publication clarifying the role of auxotrophy in plant-microbe interactions under nutrient stress. These findings could inform sustainable agricultural strategies that leverage specific microbial functions to improve nutrient use efficiency. (AU)