In two papers to be published in Current Biology, researchers from JIC and The Sainsbury Laboratory on the Norwich Research Park, and Rothamsted Research and the University of York identify genes that help plants interact with microbes in the soil.

Professor Giles Oldroyd of the John Innes Centre explains how plant roots form beneficial interactions with soil microbes. Almost all plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi to help in the uptake of nutrients such as phosphate. Some plants, particularly legumes, also associate with bacteria that 'fix' atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use as fertiliser.

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More information: Wang, E., Schornack, S., Marsh, J.F., Gobbato, E., Schwessinger, B., Eastmond, P., Schultze, M., Kamoun, S., and Oldroyd, G.E.D. (2012). A common signaling process that promotes mycorrhizal and oomycete colonization of plants. Curr. Biol. Published online November 1, 2012. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.043 Gobbato, E., Marsh, J.F., Vernie , T., Wang, E., Maillet, F., Kim, J., Miller, J.B., Sun, J., Bano, S.A., Ratet, P., et al. (2012). A GRAS-type transcription factor with a specific function in mycorrhizal signalling. Curr. Biol. Published online November 1, 2012. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub

Journal reference: Current Biology

Provided by John Innes Centre

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Plant interaction with friendly bacteria gives pathogens their break