Martin Parniske

Last updated
Parniske, Martin
Nationality German
Alma mater University of Marburg
Known forplant root endosymbiosis
Awards2013 European Research Council Advanced Grant, Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher 2014 and 2015
Scientific career
FieldsGenetics, Plant Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biotic interactions of plants
Institutions Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Website www.genetik.biologie.uni-muenchen.de

Martin Parniske is a German biologist with a specialisation in genetics, microbiology and biochemistry. He is university professor and head of the Institute of Genetics at the Faculty of Biology of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. [1] Parniske's scientific focus is on the molecular interaction between plants and symbiotic and pathogenic organisms including bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and insects.

Contents

Biography

Parniske studied biology, microbiology, biochemistry and genetics at the universities of Konstanz and Marburg, Germany. From 1986 until 1991 he performed diploma and doctoral studies in the laboratory of Dietrich Werner on chemical communication of the root with the bacterial microbiome with a focus on flavonoids and isoflavonoids. From 1992 until 1994 Parniske carried out biochemical studies on the interaction of plant transcription factors and DNA at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany as a postdoctoral fellow funded by the German Research Foundation. From 1994 until 1998 he studied the evolution of plant disease resistance genes in the lab of Jonathan D. G. Jones. In 1998, Parniske was appointed as an independent group leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK. In 2004 he accepted a call for the chair of Genetics at the Faculty of Biology of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. [1] From 2011 until 2013 he acted as the Dean of the Faculty of Biology of the LMU Munich. As the head of the Institute of Genetics at the Faculty of Biology of the LMU Munich, Martin Parniske teaches students at the Bachelor, Master and Doctoral (Dr. rer. nat.) level. Topics taught include Genetics, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Genetics and Society, Plant Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production.

Scientific contribution

Genetics of plant root endosymbiosis

Parniske identified a set of plant mutants defective in plant root symbioses with both arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria. [2] These mutants enforced the idea that plant root endosymbioses with bacteria and fungi share a common genetic basis. Because arbuscular mycorrhiza dates back to the first land plant and the root nodule symbiosis is much younger, this common gene set revealed that the nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis evolved by co-opting genes from the existing arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis. By map-based identification of so-called “common symbiosis genes”, the Parniske lab contributed to the identification of several components directly or indirectly involved in a plant signal transduction process required for both symbioses. These include a receptor-like kinase, [3] nucleoporins, [4] [5] potassium channels required for nuclear calcium oscillations [6] and a nuclear localized complex comprising a calcium-and-calmodulin dependent protein kinase [7] and its phosphorylation target CYCLOPS, a DNA-binding transcriptional activator. [8] [9] The discovery of these genes and the postulated signal transduction processes had a major impact on this research field. The Parniske lab discovered that CYCLOPS is an interactor and phosphorylation substrate of the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase CCaMK. Moreover, the role of CYCLOPS, initially annotated as a protein with unknown function, was identified as a DNA-binding transcriptional activator. [10] Research in the Parniske lab clarified the role of the CCaMK/CYCLOPS complex as a major regulatory hub in symbiotic signal transduction.

Evolution of plant disease resistance genes

Parniske joined the laboratory of the plant geneticist Jonathan D.G. Jones at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, United Kingdom in November 1994. He addressed the fundamental question in plant disease resistance research, how plants can keep pace with the evolutionary speed of microbial pathogens that have a much shorter generation time than their host plants and thus evade recognition by plant receptors through diversifying selection. Parniske discovered that recombination within and between resistance gene clusters is a key to the evolution of novel recognition specificities of pathogenic microbes by plants. [11] [12]

Chemical communication between bacteria and plant roots

During his doctoral work Parniske observed that incompatible genotypes of soybean and rhizobia can lead to the induction of defense responses inside root nodules including the accumulation of phytoalexins, plant toxins produced upon biotic stress. [13] Parniske discovered that the soybean phytoalexin glyceollin is toxic for soybean rhizobia and that low concentrations of isoflavonoids secreted by soybean roots induce a resistance against this antibiotic plant compound. [14]

Awards

In 2013 Parniske received the European Research Council Advanced Grant for research on the “Evolution of the molecular mechanisms underlying the nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis”. [15] He received postdoctoral fellowships from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the EMBO and the European Union. In 2014 Parniske received the Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher award in recognition of ranking among the top 1% of researchers for most cited documents in the field of animal and plant sciences. [16]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mycorrhiza</span> Fungus-plant symbiotic association

A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, its root system. Mycorrhizae play important roles in plant nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhizobia</span> Nitrogen fixing soil bacteria

Rhizobia are diazotrophic bacteria that fix nitrogen after becoming established inside the root nodules of legumes (Fabaceae). To express genes for nitrogen fixation, rhizobia require a plant host; they cannot independently fix nitrogen. In general, they are gram negative, motile, non-sporulating rods.

<i>Ensifer meliloti</i> Species of bacterium

Ensifer meliloti are an aerobic, Gram-negative, and diazotrophic species of bacteria. S. meliloti are motile and possess a cluster of peritrichous flagella. S. meliloti fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for their legume hosts, such as alfalfa. S. meliloti forms a symbiotic relationship with legumes from the genera Medicago, Melilotus and Trigonella, including the model legume Medicago truncatula. This symbiosis promotes the development of a plant organ, termed a root nodule. Because soil often contains a limited amount of nitrogen for plant use, the symbiotic relationship between S. meliloti and their legume hosts has agricultural applications. These techniques reduce the need for inorganic nitrogenous fertilizers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Root nodule</span> Plant part

Root nodules are found on the roots of plants, primarily legumes, that form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known as rhizobia. This process has evolved multiple times within the legumes, as well as in other species found within the Rosid clade. Legume crops include beans, peas, and soybeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nod factor</span> Signaling molecule

Nod factors, are signaling molecules produced by soil bacteria known as rhizobia in response to flavonoid exudation from plants under nitrogen limited conditions. Nod factors initiate the establishment of a symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia by inducing nodulation. Nod factors produce the differentiation of plant tissue in root hairs into nodules where the bacteria reside and are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere for the plant in exchange for photosynthates and the appropriate environment for nitrogen fixation. One of the most important features provided by the plant in this symbiosis is the production of leghemoglobin, which maintains the oxygen concentration low and prevents the inhibition of nitrogenase activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbuscular mycorrhiza</span> Symbiotic penetrative association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant

An arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a type of mycorrhiza in which the symbiont fungus penetrates the cortical cells of the roots of a vascular plant forming arbuscules. Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a type of endomycorrhiza along with ericoid mycorrhiza and orchid mycorrhiza .They are characterized by the formation of unique tree-like structures, the arbuscules. In addition, globular storage structures called vesicles are often encountered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhizosphere</span> Region of soil or substrate comprising the root microbiome

The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil or substrate that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms known as the root microbiome. Soil pores in the rhizosphere can contain many bacteria and other microorganisms that feed on sloughed-off plant cells, termed rhizodeposition, and the proteins and sugars released by roots, termed root exudates. This symbiosis leads to more complex interactions, influencing plant growth and competition for resources. Much of the nutrient cycling and disease suppression by antibiotics required by plants occurs immediately adjacent to roots due to root exudates and metabolic products of symbiotic and pathogenic communities of microorganisms. The rhizosphere also provides space to produce allelochemicals to control neighbours and relatives.

Horizontal transmission is the transmission of organisms between biotic and/or abiotic members of an ecosystem that are not in a parent-progeny relationship. This concept has been generalized to include transmissions of infectious agents, symbionts, and cultural traits between humans.

<i>Bradyrhizobium</i> Genus of bacteria

Bradyrhizobium is a genus of Gram-negative soil bacteria, many of which fix nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is an important part of the nitrogen cycle. Plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen (N2); they must use nitrogen compounds such as nitrates.

Actinorhizal plants are a group of angiosperms characterized by their ability to form a symbiosis with the nitrogen fixing actinomycetota Frankia. This association leads to the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules.

Microbial inoculants also known as soil inoculants or bioinoculants are agricultural amendments that use beneficial rhizosphericic or endophytic microbes to promote plant health. Many of the microbes involved form symbiotic relationships with the target crops where both parties benefit (mutualism). While microbial inoculants are applied to improve plant nutrition, they can also be used to promote plant growth by stimulating plant hormone production. Although bacterial and fungal inoculants are common, inoculation with archaea to promote plant growth is being increasingly studied.

Robert B. Mellor is a British scientist probably best known for his 1989 "unified vacuole theory", although also made significant contributions to environmental technology and to our understanding of the workings of the tech entrepreneurship ecosystem.

<i>Lotus japonicus</i> Species of legume

Lotus japonicus is a wild legume that belongs to family Fabaceae. Members of this family are very diverse, constituting about 20,000 species. They are of significant agricultural and biological importance as many of the legume species are rich sources of protein and oil and can also fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a species of legume-root nodulating, microsymbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The species is one of many Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria commonly referred to as rhizobia. Within that broad classification, which has three groups, taxonomy studies using DNA sequencing indicate that B. japonicum belongs within homology group II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ENOD40</span>

enod40, also known as early nodulin 40, is a gene found in flowering plants. The gene has characteristics of both protein and Non-coding RNA genes. There is some evidence that the non-coding characteristics of this gene are more widely conserved than the protein coding sequences. In soyabeans enod40 was found to be expressed during early stages of formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules that are associated with symbiotic soil rhizobial bacteria. The gene is also active in roots containing fungi forming phosphate-acquiring arbuscular mycorrhiza. An interaction with a novel RNA-binding protein MtRBP1 investigated in the development of Root nodule suggests ENOD40 has a function of cytoplasmic relocalization of nuclear proteins. In the study of non-legume plants, the over-expression of ENOD40 in transgenic Arabidopsis lines was observed a reduction of cell expansion.

Nitrogen nutrition in the arbuscular mycorrhizal system refers to...

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ectomycorrhiza</span> Non-penetrative symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant

An ectomycorrhiza is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobiont, and the roots of various plant species. The mycobiont is often from the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, and more rarely from the Zygomycota. Ectomycorrhizas form on the roots of around 2% of plant species, usually woody plants, including species from the birch, dipterocarp, myrtle, beech, willow, pine and rose families. Research on ectomycorrhizas is increasingly important in areas such as ecosystem management and restoration, forestry and agriculture.

Mesorhizobium mediterraneum is a bacterium from the genus Mesorhizobium, which was isolated from root nodule of the Chickpea in Spain. The species Rhizobium mediterraneum was subsequently transferred to Mesorhizobium mediterraneum. This species, along with many other closely related taxa, have been found to promote production of chickpea and other crops worldwide by forming symbiotic relationships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symbiosome</span>

A symbiosome is a specialised compartment in a host cell that houses an endosymbiont in a symbiotic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common symbiosis signaling pathway</span>

The common symbiosis signaling pathway (CSSP) is a signaling cascade in plants that allows them to interact with symbiotic microbes. It corresponds to an ancestral pathway that plants use to interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). It is known as "common" because different evolutionary younger symbioses also use this pathway, notably the root nodule symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria. The pathway is activated by both Nod-factor perception, as well as by Myc-factor perception that are released from AMF. The pathway is distinguished from the pathogen recognition pathways, but may have some common receptors involved in both pathogen recognition as well as CSSP. A recent work by Kevin Cope and colleagues showed that ectomycorrhizae also uses CSSP components such as Myc-factor recognition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Prof. Martin Parniske". LMU Munich, Faculty of Biology, Genetics. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  2. ↑ Wegel E, Schauser L, Sandal N, Stougaard J, and Parniske M. 1998. Mycorrhiza Mutants of Lotus japonicus Define Genetically Independent Steps During Symbiotic Infection. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 11: 933–936. link: http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.9.933
  3. ↑ Stracke S, Catherine K, Satoko Y, Lonneke M, Shusei S, Takakazu K, Satoshi T, Sandal N, Stougaard J, Szczyglowski K, and Parniske M. A plant receptor-like kinase required for both bacterial and fungal symbiosis. Nature 417, no. 6892 (June 27, 2002): 959–62. doi : 10.1038/nature00841.
  4. ↑ Saito K, Yoshikawa M, Yano K, Miwa H, Uchida H, Asamizu E, Sato S, Tabata S, Imaizumi-Anraku H, Umehara Y, Kouchi H, Murooka Y, Szczyglowski K, Downie A, Parniske M, Hayashi M, and Kawaguchia M. NUCLEOPORIN85 is Required for Calcium Spiking, Fungal and Bacterial Symbioses, and Seed Production in Lotus japonicus. Plant Cell Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Pages: 610-624 Published: Feb 2007. doi : 10.1105/tpc.106.046938
  5. ↑ Groth M, Naoya T, Jillian P, Uchida H, Dräxl S, Brachmann A, Sato S, Tabata S, Kawaguchi M, Wang TL and Parniske M. NENA, a Lotus japonicus Homolog of Sec13, Is Required for Rhizodermal Infection by Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi and Rhizobia but Dispensable for Cortical Endosymbiotic Development. Plant Cell Volume: 22 Issue: 7 Pages: 2509-2526 Published: Jul 2010. doi : 10.1105/tpc.109.069807
  6. ↑ Charpentier M, Bredemeier R, Wanner G, Takeda N, Schleiff E, and Parniske M. (2008). Lotus japonicus CASTOR and POLLUX Are Ion Channels Essential for Perinuclear Calcium Spiking in Legume Root Endosymbiosis. Plant Cell 20, 3467-3479. doi : 10.1105/tpc.108.063255
  7. ↑ Tirichine L, Imaizumi-Anraku H, Yoshida S, Murakami Y, Madsen LH, Miwa H, Nakagawa T, Sandal N, Albrektsen AS, Kawaguchi M, Downie A, Sato S, Tabata S, Kouchi H, Parniske M, Kawasaki S, and Stougaard J. Deregulation of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase leads to spontaneous nodule development. Nature Volume: 441 Issue: 7097 Pages: 1153-1156 Published: Jun 28 2006. doi : 10.1038/nature04862
  8. ↑ Yano K, Yoshida S, Müller J, Singh S, Banba M, Vickers K, Markmann K, White C, Schuller B, Sato S, Asamizu E, Tabata S, Murooka Y, Jillian P, Wang TL, Kawaguchi M, Imaizumi-Anraku H, Hayashi M, Parniske M. “CYCLOPS, a mediator of symbiotic intracellular accommodation.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, no. 51 (December 23, 2008): 20540–45. doi : 10.1073/pnas.0806858105.
  9. ↑ Singh, S, Katzer K, Lambert J, Cerri M, and Parniske M. “CYCLOPS, a DNA-Binding Transcriptional Activator, Orchestrates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development.” Cell Host & Microbe 15, no. 2 (February 12, 2014): 139–52. doi : 10.1016/j.chom.2014.01.011
  10. ↑ Singh, S, Katzer K, Lambert J, Cerri M, and Parniske M. “CYCLOPS, a DNA-Binding Transcriptional Activator, Orchestrates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development.” Cell Host & Microbe 15, no. 2 (February 12, 2014): 139–52. doi : 10.1016/j.chom.2014.01.011.
  11. ↑ Parniske M, Hammond-Kosack KE, Golstein C, Thomas CM, Jones DA, Harrison K, Wulff BB, and Jones JD. “Novel Disease Resistance Specificities Result from Sequence Exchange between Tandemly Repeated Genes at the Cf-4/9 Locus of Tomato.” Cell 91, no. 6 (December 12, 1997): 821–32. doi : 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80470-5.
  12. ↑ Parniske M, Jones JD. Recombination between diverged clusters of the tomato Cf-9 plant disease resistance gene family. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Volume: 96 Issue: 10 Pages: 5850-5855 Published: MAY 11 1999. doi : 10.1073/pnas.96.10.5850
  13. ↑ Parniske M, Zimmermann C, Cregan PB, and Werner D. Hypersensitive Reaction of Nodule Cells in the Glycine Sp./Bradyrhizobium japonicum‐Symbiosis Occurs at the Genotype‐Specific Level. Botanica Acta 103, no. 2 (May 1, 1990): 143–48. doi : 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1990.tb00140.x
  14. ↑ Parniske M, Ahlborn B, Werner D. Isoflavonoid-inducible resistance to the phytoalexin glyceollin in soybean rhizobia. Journal of Bacteriology Volume: 173 Issue: 11. 3432-3439. Jun 1991. doi : 10.1128/jb.173.11.3432-3439.1991
  15. ↑ "Molecular inventions underlying the evolution of the nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis". European Research Council. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  16. ↑ The world's most influential scientific minds 2014, p. 90
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