Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve selenium uptake by modulating the root transcriptome of a rice (Oryza stavia L.)

Although selenium (Se) is an essential microelement in humans, Se deficiency has been reported in staple crops globally. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) inoculation can enhance Se uptake in rice (Oryza stavia L.) grown in soil spiked with Se. However, the mechanism by which AMF improves Se uptake in rice at the transcriptome level is unknown. Besides, only a few studies have assessed the ionic metabolic patterns in rice under the combined action of Se and AMF. In this study, Se combined with Funneliformis mosseae (Fm) increased the biomass and Se content of rice plants, altered the ion metabolism pattern of rice roots and shoots, and reduced the antagonistic uptake of Se with Ni, Mo, P, and Cu compared with Se alone group, indicating that Fm can enhance Se-enriched fertilizers. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed that Se and Fm application regulated genes related to protein phosphorylation, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, membrane transport and metal ion binding in rice roots. This study provides a reference for further exploration of genes related to Se uptake in rice under Fm treatment.