Institute of Plant Nutrition, Hohenheim University, 70593 Stuttgart,
Germany: www.uni-hohenheim.de/institutes/plant_nutrition
Effect of microelement and P supply in soil on uptake and translocation
of microelements in mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants.
Position: Graduate student position, starting September 1, 2000, for
initially 2 years
Project description:
In this project, novel molecular and physiological methodology will be
used to contribute to an understanding of regulating mechanisms
responsible for the observed effects of AM mycorrhizal colonisation on
plant microelement, i.e. plant micronutrient (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe) or heavy
metal (Cd, Ni, Al, Pb) acquisition.
Regulating mechanisms could occur at any one of the stages in
microelement acquisition by the plant. These stages are: mobilisation
from the soil, absorption from the soil to the fungus, translocation
through the fungal mycelium, transfer across the fungus/plant interface,
root to shoot transport and partitioning.
Therefore, more specifically, it is the main aim of the project to
determine the role of the following processes in the regulation of
microelement uptake:
(a) Mobilisation of elements by hyphal exudates (Mobilisation)
(b) Microelement concentration in the hyphosphere (Absorption)
(c) Simultaneous uptake/transport of N, P (or S) (Absorption,
Translocation)
(d) Plant or fungus demand for the element (Translocation)
(e) Shoot demand for the element (Shoot: root transport)
It is expected that a combination of new molecular tools (with
co-operation partners), novel micro-analytical techniques (with
co-operation partners) and whole plant physiological and element uptake
studies (expertise of our own laboratory) will contribute significantly
to the understanding of the function of the mycorrhizal symbiosis.
Further information from:
Eckhard George (george at uni-hohenheim.de)
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