Regulation of growth, nutrition, and symbiosis in plants
Molecular Plant-Microbe interactions, Plant Nutrition
In symbiotic interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the plant attracts the microbial partner with chemical signals. Once the fungus has reached the root surface, the plant helps it to invade and colonize epidermal cells. The mechanisms involved in intracellular accommodation of the endosymbiont, and in the elaboration of the symbiotic machinery remain elusive.
In addition to its promotive mechanisms, the plant has also means to limit the extent of colonization by AM fungi if it is well supplied with nutrients, in particular with phosphate. We are taking a forward genetic approach to identify components involved in establishing and limiting AM symbiosis.
A second project addresses the integration of nutritional and biophysical mechanisms in the regulation of plant growth. Here we seek to identify the limiting components of growth in terms of mineral nutrient acquisition, photosynthesis and transport within the plant. This information is used to build mathematical models of resource partitioning and growth, and of the biophysics of cell expansion in plants.
Research topics
Symbiotic signaling
Intracellular accommodation of endosymbionts
Nutritional regulation of growth and symbiosis
Interdisciplinary
Mathematical modeling of growth
Sequencing of the petunia genome
Transcriptomic analysis of AM symbiosis in petunia
