Project leaders and Projects offered
Corinna Dawid (TU Munich): Molecular assessment of metabolome alterations in diverse genotypes of tomato roots (Solanum lycopersicum) induced by Fusarium oxysporum.
In this project, functional metabolome alterations in diverse tomato genotypes during infection with either beneficial or pathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici will be explored. The central goal is to understand common or genotype-specific diversified metabolic responses that explain quantitative disease resistance in tomato roots. This will allow developing genotype-specific marker metabolites and its pathways, as well as to identify diverse and new chemical structures with antifungal activity.
Caroline Gutjahr (TU Munich): Diversity in the impact of karrikin signalling on arbuscular mycorrhiza development.
The project addresses the role of the karrikin signalling pathway in arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) development. Mutation of the karrikin receptor gene KAI2 leads to qualitatively different AM colonization phenotypes in legumes vs. grasses. The project aims at identifying the physiological state(s) and/or molecular mechanism(s) underlying the differential requirement of karrikin signalling in these divergent angiosperm clades.
Ulrich Hammes (TU Munich): Functional diversity of the transporter landscape in peribacteroid membranes.
Within this project, the functional diversity of the transporter landscapes in peribacteroid membranes will be investigated. The aim of this project is to understand the interaction-specific diversification of the transporter landscape in peribacteroid membranes and if there is an indispensable core consensus set of transporters that are strictly required for symbiotic success.
Birgit Kemmerling (EKU Tübingen): Diversification of the BIR receptor kinase family and its impact on plant health and crop yield.
This project focuses on the regulatory family of BAK1-interacting receptor kinases (BIR). BIRs negatively regulate immune responses by interfering with BAK1 receptor complex formation and are necessary for cell death containment. Both functions are diversifying in an antagonistic manner within the BIR family differentially affecting cell death and immune status. This project aims at the identification of the molecular adaptations made within the BIR family that are determining their receptor interaction strength and their cell death suppressive competence.
Macarena Marín (LMU Munich): Diversification of receptor-like proteins and their role in the root nodule symbiosis.
This project aims at investigating the natural diversity of a specific class of RLPs and their possible role in Lotus RNS. Sequence diversification of RLPs in different Lotus species and ecotypes will be investigated to search for correlations between specific polymorphisms and nodulation phenotypes. Key research questions of this project are: i) how did these RLPs diversify and ii) what is their molecular function?
Katharina Markmann (EKU Tübingen): Genetic and functional diversification enabling phasiRNA-mediated control of root susceptibility to rhizobial infection in Lotus japonicus.
This project will investigate the evolutionary adaptation of susceptibility control in RNS, and the role of phased siRNA (phasiRNAs) source and target loci therein. Based on the diversity at both phenotypic and genetic levels, adaptive diversification of phasiRNA source and target loci serving as possible driving force of ecotype-specific patterns of susceptibility to rhizobial infection will be investigated.
Martin Parniske (LMU Munich): Sequence adaptation of Symbiosis Receptor-like Kinase (SymRK) enabling nitrogen-fixing root nodule development.
The receptor kinase SymRK is required for both arbuscular mycorrhiza and nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis (RNS). SymRK has undergone super-functionalization: while SymRK versions from all tested angiosperms supported AM in symrk mutants of the legume Lotus japonicus, only orthologs from eurosids supported RNS. This project will address the question, which sequence adaptations provided SymRK with signalling competence in the context of the nitrogen-fixing RNS and the mechanistic consequences thereof.
Silke Robatzek (LMU Munich): Genetic diversity determining immunity against Xylella.
With this project, the processes that determine the infection of Xylella fastidiosa in olive will be evaluated by exploring cultivar genetic diversity. Field observations of infected olives have identified a cultivar-depending response of the “Olive Quick Decline Syndrome” (OQDS): “Ogliarola salentina” is highly susceptible to X. fastidiosa while “Leccino” shows a better physiological state with 10-100 times lower bacterial numbers. This project will address whether their different infection outcomes are determined by the genetic diversity of immune receptors.
Korbinian Schneeberger (LMU Munich): Infection-induced diversification rates of resistance genes.
In this project, the mutation rates of R genes without and in response to infection will be investigated. Generating novel genetic diversity by recombining segregating haplotypes is limited by the extent of existing variation. The origin of all novel genetic diversity is genetic mutation, which are limited by their low frequency. This project aims to estimate mutation frequencies within locally repetitive regions in general and R gene clusters in particular in non-infected and infected plants, where homologous recombination has been proposed to be increased.
Remco Stam (TU Munich): The evolution of resistance gene families in wild plant-pathosystems.
This project focuses on the diversity and evolution of the RLP gene family in wild tomato species. Key questions addressed in this project are i) what are the general evolutionary patters of the RLP, ii) how do they evolve on a continental scale, and iii) are there geographical or biological (functional) constraints? Within this project, an overview of all 150 RLPs from 384 plants covering the complete wild tomato geography will be generated, that will enable to model their evolution and to test the functionality of R genes by linking genetic diversity and functional phenotypes.
Martin Stegmann (TU Munich): Dissection of CrRLK1L signalling pathways regulating disease susceptibility and resistance to powdery mildew.
This project examines the molecular mechanisms of FERONIA and related CrRLK1Ls controlling powdery mildew susceptibility and resistance. Genetic diversity of the CrRLK1Ls in A. thaliana and FER clade diversification in barley leads to differential outcomes of powdery mildew infection. This project aims at understanding the molecular determinants underlying FER's opposing function during different plant microbe interactions, whether multiple CrRLK1Ls are involved in powdery mildew accommodation and what is their genetic and biochemical interplay with FER.
Claude Becker (LMU Munich): The role of bacterial genetic diversity in plant interactions.
This project focuses on the effects of plant-derived secondary metabolites on root-associated bacteria and the feedback thereof on plant fitness. The project will address the questions of i) what is the genetic basis of the differential bacterial responses to plant-derived secondary metabolites and their breakdown products, and ii) how does variation of these genetic components affect community properties and plant fitness?
Ralph Hückelhoven/ Aurelien Tellier (TU Munich): The contribution of transposable elements of Blumeria graminis to cross kingdom compatibility with cereal hosts.
With this project, the role of transposable elements (TEs) in shaping the genomic organization and effector repertoire of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei will be examined. As a result of adaptation to the host environment, this obligate parasitic fungus shows a high intra-species diversity at the genome organization as well as effector sequence levels. This project will address the questions, whether i) diversity is observed and selection occurs at candidate effector genes that derive from TE sequences and ii) what is the contribution of TEs to the evolution and regulation of TE-neighbouring housekeeping and effector genes?
Eric Kemen (EKU Tübingen): Genetic diversity within the basidiomycete yeast Dioszegia modulates reproductive fitness of the obligate pathogen Albugo laibachii on Arabidopsis thaliana.
Within this project, the mechanisms of pathogen host colonization mediated through microbe-microbe interactions will be elucidated. Pathogenicity of the white rust causing agent, Albugo laibachii, on A. thaliana can be modulated by isolates of the yeast Dioszegia. Pathogenicity promoting and non-promoting Dioszegia isolates are therefore key to identify novel mechanisms of microbe-microbe-host interaction. Mining a significant number of individuals from our Dioszegia collection for their ability to change A. laibachii host colonization efficiency on different A. thaliana accessions and mutants will be key to identify the full range of Dioszegia genetic diversity relevant for pathogen-host compatibility.
Thomas Lahaye (EKU Tübingen): Effector-induced manipulation of host polyamine levels.
This project aims at investigating how the Ralstonia solanacearum transcription activator-like effector (TALE) protein Brg11 promotes bacterial disease by manipulation of host polyamine levels. Specifically, we want to elucidate which plant processes are manipulated by Brg11 and how R. solanacearum benefits from these changes. In this context we will also study if Brg11-induces changes in the composition of the microbiome and whether or not this promotes R. solanacearum pathogenesis.
Thorsten Nürnberger (EKU Tübingen): Functional diversification within the microbial NLP superfamily.
This project will investigate members of the microbial protein superfamily of necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide 1-like proteins (NLPs). Functional diversification within this protein family has occurred as a fraction of these proteins has lost its cytolytic activity. This project aims at demonstrating a physiological role of non-cytolytic NLPs (ncNLPs) in host plant infection and at elucidating the molecular mode of action of these newly evolved proteins.
Suayb Üstün (EKU Tübingen): Utilizing bacterial, cellular and genetic diversity to decipher the role of autophagy in plant-microbe interactions (ERC Starting Grant DIVERSIPHAGY, start in 2021, postdocs and doctoral candidates)
DIVERSIPHAGY approaches the role of autophagy through bacterial and cellular diversity on the host side. We aim to address following questions:
• Identifying how the bacterial diversity impacts autophagy and vice versa
• Revealing the autophagy degradome and novel autophagy factors
• Identifying tissue and cell-type specific modulation of autophagy by diverse bacteria.
With DIVERSIPHAGY we will reveal the holistic picture of the role of autophagy in plant-microbe
interactions using a mixture of state-of-the-art approaches including metabolomics, proteomics, single-cell
transcriptomics and cell-type specific reverse genetic screens.
Arne Weiberg (LMU Munich): Small RNA effector diversity in Botrytis-host plant cross-kingdom RNAi.
This project focuses on pathogen small RNA (sRNA) effectors that manipulate plant gene expression for host infection through cross-kingdom RNA interference. Many sRNA effectors of the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea derive from retrotransposons expressing enormous sequence diversity to attack plant hosts. This project will uncover sRNA diversity Botrytis field populations, which will be used to investigate the impact of sequence variations in sRNA effectors and host plant target genes, such RLPs and other immunity genes, on Botrytis-tomato co-adaption and specialization.
Rosa Lozano-Duran (EKU Tübingen): Exploring the functional diversification of the C4 proteins encoded by geminiviruses.
This project will illuminate the functional diversity of the C4 protein encoded by geminiviruses, an essential symptom determinant of these pathogens. C4 is the most divergent protein in this virus family, and the only geminiviral protein subjected to positive selection. Taking advantage of the natural variability of the C4 protein, this project will investigate the breadth of functions of this positional homologue that will identify plant pathways/processes/proteins convergently targeted by different C4 variants of geminivirus species
Daniel Lang/ Stephan Hachinger/ Jens Krüger (HMGU Munich, LRZ and EKU Tübingen): InfectionControl - Virtual Environment for Research Data and Analysis (VERDA)
The VERDA project implements the central information infrastructure for the data-driven and computational research of the research community. VERDA will provide active support through a Data Steward, and an extensive training and support program. OpenStack-based computing resources at Tübingen and Munich are made available through a convenient science gateway including access to Jupyter notebooks, workflows, and a wealth of useful tools. VERDA will thus enable researchers with and without IT experience to conduct large-scale bioinformatics and data science analyses, and to efficiently capture, handle, share, annotate and publish their research data targeting all dimensions of diversity in plant-microbe interactions.
Andreas Klingl (LMU Munich): Structural characterization of the interaction diversity of plant tissues with microbes.
This project aims at dissecting the plant-microbe interface (PMI) and the fate and localisation of important players via high-resolution electron microscopy with a so far unprecedented resolution. This project offers to illustrate the whole infection process starting from attachment, epidermal infection, tissue entrance and distribution. This will be carried out in the great variety of diverse PMI systems reflecting the research community. This project will help to address a fundamental question of the structural consequence of genetic variations on the PMI.
Klaus Mayer/ Daniel Lang (HMGU Munich): A multi-scale, comparative framework to study conservation and diversity of plant-microbe interactions.
The central task of this project is to develop and provide methods and resources that build the multi-scale, comparative framework to study conservation and diversity of plant-microbe interactions across all relevant taxonomic and molecular scales. This will comprise comprehensive phylo-, pan- and population genomics analyses in order to provide a common genomic coordinate system e.g. comprising structural and functional orthology relationships for the comparative analyses in this research community. To narrow down and better understand the diversity of the molecular interfaces of plant-microbe interactions, the project will develop, disseminate and apply bioinformatics workflows, perform comparative transcriptomics and reconstruct gene regulatory and other biological networks.