U.S.-New Zealand Cooperative Research: Diversity and Evolution of Grass Mycosymbionts

题目：美国-新西兰合作研究：该奖项支持肯塔基大学的Christopher L. Schardl博士对梅西大学David Berry Scott教授和科学与工业研究部的g.c.m. Latch博士的实验室进行长期访问（DSIR）都位于新西兰的帕默斯顿北部。研究访问的目的是阐明与寄主物种和地理位置相关的内生菌进化过程，并确定基于序列的系统发育是否与生物学特征(如形态学、内生菌寄主范围及生物碱分布。本研究将利用北帕默斯顿草内生菌协会的收集。宿主合作者在内生菌（Latch）和分子植物-微生物相互作用（Scott）方面有丰富的研究经验。Schardl博士将使用分子系统学的工具探索真菌和草之间的共同进化关系。真菌共生体通过种子传播稳定地维持了许多寄主代。这些真菌共生体的生态和农业重要性源于它们给寄主带来的好处，包括抗草食性和耐旱性。

Title: U.S.-New Zealand Cooperative Research: Diversity and Evolution of Grass Mycosymbionts This award supports a long-term visit by Dr. Christopher L. Schardl of the University of Kentucky to the laboratories of Professor David Berry Scott at Massey University and Dr. G. C. M. Latch at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) both located in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The objectives of the research visit are to elucidate the processes of endophyte evolution as related to host species and geographical locale, and to determine whether the sequence-based phylogeny relates to biological characteristics such as morphology, host range and alkaloid profiles of the endophytes. The study will make use of the collections of grass-endophyte association at Palmerston North. The host collaborators have extensive research experience with endophytes (Latch) and molecular plant-microbe interactions (Scott). Dr. Schardl will explore coevolutionary relationships among fungi and grasses using the tools of molecular systematics. The mycosymbionts are stably maintained for many host generations through seed dissemination. The ecological and agricultural importance of these mycosymbionts stem from the benefits they confer to their hosts, including herbivore resistance and drought tolerance.