U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Genetics of Nodulation by Diazotrophs

该奖项将使怀俄明大学的曾傑瑞D.约翰逊博士能够与澳大利亚堪培拉澳大利亚国立大学的巴里·G·罗尔夫博士合作。他们将调查是什么特性使共生细菌根瘤菌能够在包括大豆和非豆科植物副豆科植物在内的广泛植物宿主上定居。将进行实验，以确定负责在寄主植物根上诱导根瘤形成的各个遗传单位的结构和组织。根瘤菌-寄主植物专一性遗传功能的研究对于深入了解细菌-植物相互作用具有重要意义，对植物的健康和生产力具有广泛的意义。约翰逊博士目前正在研究Frankia细菌群，它与根瘤菌一起构成了能够减少分子氮的细菌-植物共生关系的大部分。罗尔夫博士的实验室非常适合进行复杂的分子遗传学研究，并在根瘤菌方面做了大量工作。

This award will enable Dr. Jerry D. Johnson from the University of Wyoming to collaborate with Dr. Barry G. Rolfe at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. They will investigate what properties enable the symbiotic bacteria Rhizobium to colonize a broad range of plant hosts including soybean and the non-legume Parasponia. Experiments will be conducted to determine the structure and organization of the individual genetic units responsible for induction of nodule formation on the roots of the host plants. The study of genetic functions involved in Rhizobia- host plant specificity is important for fundamental understanding of bacterial-plant interactions with broad implications for plant health and productivity. Dr. Johnson is currently working on the Frankia group of bacteria, which together with Rhizobium, accounts for most of the bacteria-plant symbiotic relationships capable of reducing molecular nitrogen. Dr. Rolfe's lab is well-suited for sophisticated studies in molecular genetics and has done extensive work with Rhizobium.