General Information

Announcement

The competition to enter the PhD course in the following directions of research activities in the laboratory is open:

1. Analysis of the genetic control over legume-rhizobial and legume-endomycorrhizal symbioses from the host-plant side: identification and characterization of plant symbiotic genes and genes affecting symbioses, analysis of their primary structures and function of molecular products.

2. Development of methodology to create highly symbiotically effective plant-microbe systems for sustainable agriculture: development of the protocol to breed new varieties of legumes with high symbiotic potential, formulation of complex microbial inoculants.

The laboratory with the head Dr. Alexey Y. Borisov was established in the institute in 2001 as a result of reorganization of the laboratory of Biotechnology. At present the laboratory belongs to the department of Biotechnology headed by the director of the All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, professor Igor A. Tikhonovich.

Directions of research activities:

Legume plants have an ability to establish two symbioses with nodule bacteria (Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomales) that play an important role in mineral nutrition of host-plants. High symbiotic effectiveness of these endosymbiotic systems is provided by development of specialized symbiotic structures (and even organs). The process of development of those structures is very important for understanding mechanisms of interactions between partners: molecular signal exchange, regulation of coordinated differential expression of their genes, processes of dedifferentiation and differentiation of cells and tissues, genesis of symbiotic structures and organs of the partners and evolutionary establishment of the symbioses.

Special attention in the lab is paid to a creation of model systems for further studying molecular mechanisms of interactions between symbionts at certain developmental stage of the symbioses and identification of an initial material for pea (Pisum sativum L.) breeding to improve its symbiotic potential. Thus, there are two main research activities in the laboratory:

1. Analysis of the genetic control over legume-Rhizobium and legume-endomycorrhizal symbioses from the host-plant side: identification of plant symbiotic genes, analysis of their primary structures and function of molecular products.

2. Development of methodology to create highly symbiotically effective plant-microbe systems for sustainable agriculture: development of the protocol to breed new varieties of legumes with high symbiotic potential, formulation of complex microbial inoculants.

Object for study:

Main objects for study are pea (Pisum sativum L.) that is used as model plant for research in various fields of biology during many decades and is valuable legume crop of Russia and the world as well as microorganisms, symbionts of pea.

Main achievements:

In the laboratory, the only collection in Russia and one of the most numerous genetic collections in the world to study pea symbiotic potential was established. This collection has more than 450 accessions (mutant lines, commercial varieties and genetic lines).

Phenotypic characterization of the collection of symbiotic mutants (being implemented in cooperation with large number of scientists in Russia and throughout the world) allowed identifying discrete developmental stages of nitrogen-fixing nodules and arbuscular mycorrhiza controlled by different groups of pea genes (the function of certain genes is necessary for the development of both endosymbiotic systems).

Detailed phenotypic description and genetic mapping of identified symbiotic genes created conditions for cloning of such genes to analyze their primary structure, structure of their molecular products and regulation of expression. Existence of common plant genes and molecular products for both endosymbiotic systems allowed to conclude that legume plants have a joint genetic system controlling the development of tripartite symbiotic system: legume plant – nodule bacteria – arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Such a conclusion determined the necessity to analyze genetic polymorphism of pea by effectiveness of tripartite symbiosis which demonstrated a possibility to breed new commercial pea varieties with high symbiotic potential.