Monthly Archives: January 2014

Post-doctoral position IAM

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Open position: Two-year postdoctoral position in the team “Stress response and redox regulation” in Nancy

A two-year postdoctoral position is open in the team “Stress response and redox regulation” (UMR1136 Université de Lorraine/INRA) located at the faculty of sciences in Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. The research project, funded by the national funding agency (ANR), aims at dissecting the mechanisms of maturation of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins in plants using a functional genomics approach, focusing on A-type carrier proteins, which are present both in chloroplast and mitochondria. Several roles have been proposed for these proteins, but their exact function is unclear. We want to develop a multidisciplinary project associating plant genetics and physiology as well as molecular, biochemical and structural approaches. This approach will allow delineating the biochemical and spectroscopic properties of recombinant proteins and should help identifying the interaction partners and understanding the transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms necessary to coordinate the expression and activity of the different components of the Fe-S cluster assembly machineries. For the latter aspect, we would like to develop fluorescent probes. Applicants should have a solid background in biochemistry and structural biology, especially concerning metalloproteins if possible. It would also be appreciated that the candidates possess competence in cell imaging.

The position will be open in the first months of 2014. Applicants should send their CV with the names of referees to Nicolas Rouhier (Nicolas.Rouhier@univ-lorraine.fr).

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Article: New Phytologist

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Ethylene and jasmonic acid act as negative modulators during mutualistic symbiosis between Laccaria bicolor and Populus roots. J. Plett, A. Khatchane, M. Ouassou, B. Sundberg, A. Kohler, F. Martin. New Phytologist

Summary

  • The plant hormones ethylene, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid have interconnecting roles during the response of plant tissues to mutualistic and pathogenic symbionts.
  • We used morphological studies of transgenic- or hormone-treated Populus roots as well as whole-genome oligoarrays to examine how these hormones affect root colonization by the mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor S238N.
  • We found that genes regulated by ethylene, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid were regulated in the late stages of the interaction between L. bicolor and poplar. Both ethylene and jasmonic acid treatments were found to impede fungal colonization of roots, and this effect was correlated to an increase in the expression of certain transcription factors (e.g. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1) and a decrease in the expression of genes associated with microbial perception and cell wall modification. Further, we found that ethylene and jasmonic acid showed extensive transcriptional cross-talk, cross-talk that was opposed by salicylic acid signaling.
  • We conclude that ethylene and jasmonic acid pathways are induced late in the colonization of root tissues in order to limit fungal growth within roots. This induction is probably an adaptive response by the plant such that its growth and vigor are not compromised by the fungus.