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Mechanisms of specificity during symbiosis signalling (Symbiosis)

Reference	BBS/E/J/000CA336
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Giles Oldroyd
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,602,655
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/05/2008
End date	30/04/2013
Duration	60 months

Abstract

The availability of nitrogen and phosphate are the major limitations to plant growth and many species of plants have entered symbiotic interactions with microbial partners that aid in the uptake of these nutrients from the surrounding environment. Legumes form symbiotic interactions with mycorrhizal fungi that aid in the uptake of phosphate and with nitrogen fixing rhizobial bacteria that provide the plant with a source of nitrogen in the form of ammonium. A better understanding of these symbiotic processes will provide opportunities to improve and expand these symbiotic interactions in important crop species, which could greatly enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. In both of these symbiotic interactions signal exchange between the plant and the symbiont is crucial for the establishment of the interaction. While these two symbioses initiate very different developmental responses in the plant, they share a common symbiosis signalling pathway, that is involved in the recognition of the symbiotic signalling molecules. Despite this conservation in signalling, specificity must be maintained in order to ensure appropriate responses in the plant to the two different symbionts. Calcium acts as a central secondary messenger in the symbiosis signalling pathway and we have evidence suggesting the nature of the calcium signature defines the mechanism of specificity. This project will address how the two symbionts are differentially perceived and the mechanisms by which the calcium signal can define specific symbiotic responses, despite this conservation in the signalling pathway.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Microbiology, Plant Science, Soil Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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