EFFECT OF Rhizophagus irregularis INOCULATION ON AQUAPORIN GENE EXPRESSION IN THE ROOTS OF Medicago lupulina IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Most terrestrial plants form a symbiosis with fungi of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). AM contributes to a significant increase in plant growth and their adaptation to environmental biotic and abiotic stress factors. AM fungi help plants to absorb minerals, improve the aquatic nutrition of the host plant. At the same time, the regulation and transport of water in plants is largely determined by the work of specific aquaporin transporters. An original study was conducted that included an assessment of changes in the expression level of aquaporin genes during the development of AM symbiosis and in the absence of one during various stages of the host plant development under drought conditions. The assessment was carried out in the aboveground organs of M. lupulina plants. It has been shown that the key genes involved in the mechanism of adaptation of mycorrhizal plants to drought may be NIP and TIP aquaporin genes, namely: genes MlNIP1;2, MlNIP1;3, MlNIP1;5, MlNIP4;1, MlNIP4;2 (mainly in the stage of development of the second leaf) and genes MlTIP1;1, MlTIP1;4, MlTIP2;1, MlTIP2;2, MlTIP2;3, MlTIP3;1, MlTIP4;1, MlTIP5;1 (mainly during the flowering stage) in “M. lupulina + R. irregularis” microbial plant system. In the study, previously obtained data on the M. lupulina transcriptome were used to select target genes. The genes involved in the development of effective AM symbiosis in drought conditions have been identified. New information about the mechanisms of formation of effective AM is of practical importance for the development of highly productive microbial and plant systems that will allow the transition from intensive agrotechnologies to biological agriculture with the production of environmentally safe products.