Local and distal gene expression responses of the clonal oak Quercus robur DF159 to four mycorrhizal fungi. Quercus robur breed:DF159

The common oak (Quercus robur L.) forms symbiosis with a wide variety of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The establishment of the symbiosis involves morphological modifications of both partners, and involves large alterations in plant and fungal gene expression patterns. The aim of this study was to elucidate how mycorrhizal fungi influence gene regulation in Q. robur, locally at the site of interaction in colonized roots, at short distance in uncolonized lateral roots, and at long distance in leaves. We inoculated genetically identical saplings of Q. robur L. clone DF159 separately with four basidiomycetes: three ectomycorrhizal and one orchid mycorrhizal fungus, and profiled transcripts by Illumina RNA sequencing using oak genome as a reference.