OsIPD3, an ortholog of the Medicago truncatula DMI3 interacting protein IPD3, is required for mycorrhizal symbiosis in rice

Medicago truncatula IPD3 (MtIPD3) is an interacting protein of DMI3 (does not make infections 3), a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) essential for both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and rhizobial symbioses. However, the function of MtIPD3 in root symbioses has not been demonstrated in M. truncatula, because of a lack of knockout mutants for functional analysis. In this study, the availability of IPD3 knockout mutants in rice (Oryza sativa) was exploited to test the function of OsIPD3 in AM symbiosis. Three independent retrotransposon Tos17 insertion lines of OsIPD3 were selected and the phenotypes characterized upon inoculation with the AM fungus Glomus intraradices. Phenotypic and genetic analyses revealed that the Osipd3 mutants were unable to establish a symbiotic association with G. intraradices. In conclusion, IPD3 represents a novel gene required for root symbiosis with AM fungi in plants.