Marchantia polymorpha as a model plant in the evolutionary study of plant-microorganism interactions

Abstract

Marchantia polymorpha is a common liverwort found naturally in different parts of the world. Due to its easy handling in the laboratory and its life cycle with a haploid phase, it is increasingly used as a model organism for physiological, metabolic and genetic studies as well as for evolutionary research. With regard to plant immunity, M. polymorpha can help discern the origin and evolutionary processes of different plant defence routes, ranging from the perception of danger to its response to it. In this sense, few studies related to the Marchantia-microorganism interaction had been performed; however, research groups are increasingly elucidating how this liverwort interacts with both beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms, reporting important results in the understanding of metabolic and evolutionary processes of these beneficial or harmful interactions. The compilation of works in this article is expected to highlight the potential application of M. polymorpha as a model plant in understanding the evolutionary mechanisms behind plant-microorganism interactions.

Keywords

• Marchantia polymorpha
• Liverwort
• Model plant
• Plant immunity
• Plant-microorganism interaction