Research outcomes
Doctoral student Tomohiro Kawai (Plant Symbiosis Lab) received the best presentation Award for young scientist on the 30th annual meeting of Japanese Society of Plant Microbe Interactions
Title
Promotion mechanism of mycorrhizal fungal colonization in parasitic plant Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae) by host plants
Award Contents
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic fungi that are known to improve plant growth by providing nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen to plants. Most land plant species have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi as a nutrition acquisition system. Mycorrhizal fungal inoculum is also used in agricultural fields for improving crop growth. On the other hand, parasitic plants have lost a beneficial association with the mycorrhizal fungi because they have acquired the ability of parasitizing other plants and depriving them of nutrients. However, the parasitic Pedicularis spp. (Orobanchaceae) are known to be colonialized by mycorrhizal fungi.in their natural habits in China and Japan. We are investigating how the parasitic plant Pedicularis acquired this evolutionarily unique relationships. Genomic analysis and physiological experiments revealed the role of nearby plants for promotion of mycorrhizal colonization in Pedicularis. This study may suggest presence of a novel mycorrhizal colonization pathway that is different from the previously known pathways in model plants.
Comment
It is an honor to receive the best presentation Award for young scientist on the 30th annual meeting of Japanese Society of Plant Microbe Interactions. I thank Prof. Satoko Yoshida, other teachers, and my colleague Kee Yee Jia, as well as everyone in our laboratory for supporting my research. I would like to continue to devote myself to the further development of my research.
Plant Symbiosis
https://bsw3.naist.jp/eng/courses/courses113.html
https://bsw3.naist.jp/yoshida/index-en.html
( September 28, 2021 )
