Mechanisms of Symbiotic Infection

–infectosome complex required for polar growth of infection structures (Liu et al., Nat Commun. 2019. 10:2848.)

–cell cycle related mechanism in rhizobial infection thread formation

–the gene regulatory network controlling rhizobial infection

–the role of touch-sensing in symbiosis

–host genes involved in arbuscular mycorrhizal infection and nutrient exchange

Role of MLOs in beneficial symbioses

–MLO required for colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Jacott et al., New Phytol. 2020 doi: 10.1111/ nph.16465)

–ongoing work: The role of MLOs in endosymbiotic accomodation

Role of flavonoids in determining rhizobial host range

–Identifying the flavonoids M. truncatula involved in nodulation of medicago and pea

Role of NRT1.1s in nodulation

–An unexpected role for a Medicago NRT1.1 ortholog in chloride uptake from soil (Xiao et al., EMBO J. 2021 Sep 15:e106847. doi: 10.15252/embj.2020106847.)

–the role of NRT1.1s in nitrate signaling in legumes

Role of NIN-Like Protein (NLP) transcription factors in nodulation

–Described transcriptional regulon of NIN (Liu et al., Plant Physiol. 2019 179:1704-1722. doi: 10.1104/pp.18.01572. Epub 2019 Feb 1.)

–Showed that NIN, contrary to an earlier study, does not play a role in mycorrhization (Plants (Basel). 2020 Jan 6;9(1). pii: E71. doi: 10.3390/plants9010071)

–Manuscript in press showing regulation of leghemoglobin expression by NLP2 and the evolutionary links between NLPs and non-symbiotic hemoglobin expression.