Parys Team
Receptor kinase signalling in plant-microbe interactions
Research topics
© Carolin Bleese
Symbiotic interactions between legume roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and/or nitrogen-fixing rhizobia improve plant nutrient acquisition. These interactions are controlled by a sensitive surveillance system that relies on surface perception by receptor-like kinases. Symbiosis Receptor-like Kinase (SymRK) is required for intracellular uptake of microbes in both root endosymbiosis and acts as a convergence receptor for symbiotic signal transduction. Our main research objective is to dissect the molecular and evolutionary characteristics of SymRK receptor family members and their role in symbiotic plant-microbe interactions. We combine in silico, biochemical, and genetic approaches in the model legume Lotus japonicus and the bryophyte Marchantia paleacea.
The two research lines of the group are:
1. Phylogenetic and functional analysis of SymRK receptor family in Lotus japonicus.
SymRK belongs to the family of malectin-like domain leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases. Besides SymRK, six additional receptors have been identified in Lotus japonicus with the same domain architecture. In contrast to SymRK, their function is not really known. We want to determine the evolutionary trajectories of the SymRK receptor family in land plants and map the key evolutionary changes between SymRK and its closest homologs that underlie their functional diversification.
Please find more details below:
https://trr356plantmicrobe.de/projects/a0212/index.html
2. Molecular evolution of SymRK
SymRK is required for both arbuscular mycorrhiza and nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis. Based on previous studies, we propose that SymRK underwent functional adaptation to function in both root endosymbiosis. We aim to identify which residues and structural changes lead to these functional adaptations and to elucidate their molecular mechanisms.
Publications
Parys, K.*, Colaianni, N. R.*, Lee, H.-S.* et al., & Belkhadir, Y. (2021). Signatures of antagonistic pleiotropy in a bacterial flagellin epitope. Cell Host & Microbe 29, 620-634.e629, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.02.008.
Colaianni, N. R.*, Parys, K.*, Lee, H. S.* et al., & Dangl, J. L. (2021). A complex immune response to flagellin epitope variation in commensal communities. Cell Host & Microbe 29, 635-649.e639, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.02.006.
Smakowska-Luzan, E.*, Mott, G. A.*, Parys, K.* et al., & Belkhadir, Y. (2018) An extracellular network of Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. Nature 553, 342-346, DOI: 10.1038/nature25184.
Parys Team
Teaching
Winter semester:
Computational Biology Course, specifically CLC - in silico cloning, Protein Function Prediction and Protein Modelling.
Summer semester:
Practical course and seminar “Friends and Foes”.
If you are interested in pursuing a research course, a bachelor's or master's project in our group, please get in touch k.parys@lmu.de.
Alumni
Alumni:
- Anne Bogusch, a previous master student, is currently a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Biology, University of Würzburg
- Jonathan Jelen, a previous master student, is currently a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Biology, University of Munich
- Maria Spezzati, a previous master student, is currently a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Biology, University of Munich
- Claudio Gemsa, a previous master student.
Cooperations
