| Contact Details |
E: Ulrike.Mathesius@anu.edu.au
T: (+61 2) 6125 2840
F: (+61 2) 6125 0313 |
| Main Research interests |
|
Signals that regulate meristem activity in legume plants.
Signal transduction between plant roots and soil microbes.
Use of proteome analysis as a functional genomics tool to analyse plant
responses to microbial signalling molecules.
|
| Teaching Activities |
BIOL3177
: Advances in Molecular Plant Science
BIOL3161
: Genomics and its Applications
BIOL2171
: Biochemistry and Nutrition
BIOL2121:
Plants: Genes to Environment |
| Current Research Group |
Dr Britta Winterberg (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Karsten Oelkers (PhD student)
Anton Wasson (PhD student)
Cassandra Harris (Research Assistant)
Chooi Hua Goh (Research Assistant)
Samira Hassan (Research Assistant) |
| Research Activities |
Plants have been living together with microbes (including bacteria,
nematodes and fungi) in the soil for millions of years. Both groups
of organisms interact with each other. For example, many microbes feed
on dead and live plant matter or plant exudates. Other microbes manage
to invade plants and feed on their resources. Still others provide nutrients
for plants that the plant could not otherwise access. Examples of these
symbionts are symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria that form nodules on
the roots of legume plants, and mycorrhizal fungi that can mine phosphorus
for plants. These plant-microbe interactions have important impacts
on agriculture and forestry.
Just as the human immune system protects us from infections by bacteria,
plants would be taken over by bacteria if they didn't have systems to
keep microbes at bay. During evolution, microbes and plants have developed
chemical communication systems that signal each other who is there,
what they want and the response of the partner. Often, the outcome of
signal interaction is the development of new root structures harboring
symbiotic or pathogenic microbes. Examples of these are: root nodules
inhabited by nitrogen-fixing bacteria; nematode-induced root galls;
tumours formed by Agrobacterium or arbuscular structures formed by mycorrhizal
fungi.
A central question in our research is how microbial signals orchestrate
plant responses to form a new root structure. Have microbes "hijacked"
or learned to mimic plant signals to manipulate root development?
Our recent work includes studies on the molecular mechanism of root
nodule development and focuses on the role of plant hormones and flavonoids
in regulating nodule development. Further research shows that nodule
formation overlaps in its development and possible regulation with lateral
root development and root gall development induced by parasitic nematodes.
This has led to the hypothesis that microbes might hijack developmental
signals used by plants to regulate their own development. Techniques
used to study the responses in plants to divert signals from microbes
include in situ hybridisation; light, fluorescence and confocal microscopy;
microspectrofluorometry and high pressure liquid chromatography.
More recently, Proteome Analysis has been used to compare the simultaneous
accumulation of hundreds of plant proteins in response to a variety
of bacterial signalling molecules. This technique makes use of two-dimensional
gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to display and identify large
numbers of proteins at a time. Proteome Analysis has given new insights
into the defence systems and developmental responses of plants to microbes.
This work is part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume
Research. |
| Publications |
2009
Grunewald W., van Noorden G.E., van Isterdael G., Beeckman T., Gheysen G. and Mathesius U (2009). Manipulation of auxin transport in plant roots during Rhizobium symbiosis and nematode parasitism. Plant Cell 21: 2553-2562.
Shane MW, Ngo H, Lambers H, Pate JS, Cawthray GR, Mathesius U, Canny MJ, McCully ME (2009)Summer dormancy and winter growth: root survival strategy in a perennial monocotyledon. New Phytologist. 183: 1085-1096
A. Wasson, K. Ramsey, MGK Jones and U Mathesius: (2009) Differing requirements for flavonoids during the formation of lateral roots, nodules and root knot nematode galls in Medicago truncatula. New Phytologist, 183: 167-179.
Mathesius U (2009) Comparative proteomics studies of root-microbe interactions. J Proteomics 72: 353-366.
Mathesius U. (2009) The role of auxin in root-symbiont and root-pathogen interactions – from development to defense. Progress in Botany. (in press).
2008
Mathesius U (2008). Auxin – at the root of nodule development? Functional Plant Biology, 35: 651-668.
Oelkers K, Goffard N, Weiller FG, Gresshoff PM, Mathesius U, Frickey
T (2008) Bioinformatic analysis of the CLE signaling peptide family. BMC
Plant Biology, 8:1.
2007
van Noorden GE, Kerim T, Goffard N, Wiblin R, Pellerone FI, Rolfe BG,
Mathesius U (2007) Overlap of proteome changes in Medicago truncatula
in response to auxin and Sinorhizobium meliloti. Plant Physiology,
114: 1115-1131
de Jong F, Mathesius U, Imin N, Rolfe BG. A proteome study of the proliferation
of cultured Medicago truncatula protoplasts. Proteomics,
7 (5): 722-736
Beveridge C, Mathesius U, Rose RJ, Gresshoff PM (2007)
Common regulatory themes in meristem development and whole plant homeostasis.
Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 10 (1): 44-51.
2006
Prayitno J, Imin N., Rolfe B.G., Mathesius U. (2006) Identification of ethylene-mediated protein changes during nodulation in Medicago truncatula using proteome analysis. Journal of Proteome Research , 5: 3084-3095.
Prayitno J, Rolfe B.G., Mathesius U. (2006) The ethylene insensitive sickle mutant of Medicago truncatula shows altered auxin transport regulation during nodulation. Plant Physiology, 142: 168-180.
Förster, B., Mathesius U. and Pogson B.P. (2006) Comparative proteomics of high light stress in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Proteomics, 6: 4309-4320.
Wasson, A.P., Pellerone, F.I. and Mathesius U. (2006) Silencing the flavonoid pathway in Medicago truncatula inhibits root nodule formation and prevents auxin transport regulation by rhizobia . Plant Cell 18, 1617-1629
Van Noorden, G.E., Ross, J.J, Reid, J.B., Rolfe, B.G. and U. Mathesius (2006) Defective long distance auxin transport regulation in the Medicago truncatula super numeric nodulation mutant. Plant Physiology 140: 1494-1506 .
2005
Bauer W.D., Teplitski, M., Mathesius, U. (2005) Plants deal with bacterial quorum sensing. American Society for Microbiology News, 71: 129-135.
2004
Mathesius, U., Mulders, S., de Jong, F., Keijzers, G., Bauer, W.D.
and Rolfe, B.G. (2004) Proteome analysis of root responses to rhizobia
signalling molecules. In: Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions Volume
4 Molecular Plant –Microbe Interactions: New Bridges Between Past
and future. Tikhonovich I, Lugtenberg B and Provorov N, (Eds.), Published
by the International Society for Molecular Plant–Microbe Interactions, St Paul, Minnesota, USA, 2004, pp 47-50.
Rolfe, B.G. Djordjevic, M.A., Chen H., Hocart, C., Weiller, G. and
Mathesius, U. (2004) Proteomic Analysis of bacterial systems. Molecular
Microbial Ecology Manual, 2nd Edition. Kowalchuk, G.A.; Bruijn, F.J.d.;
Head, I.M.; Akkermans, A.D.; Elsas, J.D.v. (Eds.). 8.12:1-12. Kluwer
Academic Publishers.
Bauer, W. D. and Mathesius, U.(2004) Plant responses to bacterial quorum
sensing signals. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 7: 429-433.
Imin, N., de Jong, F., Mathesius, U., van Noorden, G., Saeed, N., Wang,
X-D., Rose, R.J., and Rolfe, B.G. (2004) Proteome reference maps of Medicago truncatula embryogenic cell cultures generated from
single protoplasts. Proteomics 4: 1883-1896.
2003
Rolfe, B.G., Mathesius, U., Djordjevic, M., Weinman, .J, Hocart, C.,
Weiller G., and Bauer, W.D. (2003) Proteomic analysis of legume-microbe
interactions. Comparative and Functional Genomics, 4: 225-228.
Mathesius U., Imin, N., Natera, S. H. A. and Rolfe, B. G. (2003) Proteomics
as a functional genomics tool. In: Plant Functional Genomics: Methods
and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology Series. Vol. 236.
Ed. E. Grotewold. Humana Press, New Jersey, 395-413.
Ferguson, B.F. and Mathesius U. (2003) Signaling interactions during
nodule development. J. Plant Growth Regul., 22: 47-72.
Mathesius, U. (2003) Signalling pathways between roots and soil microbes
– a comparison of the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis with plant-arbuscular
mycorrhizal and plant nematode interactions. Plant and Soil, 255
(1): 105-119.
Mathesius U., Mulders, S., Gao, M., Teplitski, M., Caetano-Anolles,
G., Rolfe, B. G. and Bauer, W. D. (2003) Extensive and specific responses
of a eukaryote to bacterial quorum sensing signals. Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 100: 1444-1449.
2002
Mathesius, U., Imin, N., Chen, H., Djordjevic, M.A., Weinman, J.J.,
Natera, S.H.A., Morris, A.C., Kerim, T., Paul, S., Menzel, C., Weiller,
G.F., and Rolfe, B.G. (2002) Evaluation of proteome reference maps for
cross-species identification of proteins by peptide mass fingerprinting. Proteomics 2 (9), 1288-1303.
2001
Mathesius, U. (2001). Flavonoids induced in cells undergoing nodule
organogenesis in white clover are regulators of auxin breakdown by peroxidase. Journal of Experimental Botany. 52: 419-426.
Mathesius, U., Keijzers, G., Natera, S.H.A., Weinman, J. J., Djordjevic,
M.A. and Rolfe, B.G. (2001) Establishment of a root proteome reference
map for the model legume Medicago truncatula using the expressed
sequence tag database for peptide mass fingerprinting. Proteomics 1: 1424-1440.
2000
Mistrik, I., Pavlovkin, J., Wächter, R., Pradel, K. S., Schwalm,
K., Hartung, W., Mathesius, U., Stöhr, C., and Ullrich, C. I. (2000).
Impact of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced stem tumors on
NO3- uptake in Ricinus communis. Plant and Soil, 226:
87-98.
Rolfe, B. G., Mathesius, U., Djordjevic, M. A., Weinman, J. J., Guerreiro,
N., Natera, S., Morris, A. (2000). The use of the genus Trifolium for the study of plant-microbe interactions, root development and plant
defence responses. In: Procaryotic Nitrogen Fixation: A Model System
for Analysis of a Biological Process. Horizon Scientific Press, Wymondham,
UK. pp 643-656.
Mathesius, U., Charon, C., Rolfe, B.G., Kondorosi, A. and Crespi, M.
(2000) Temporal and Spatial Order of Events during the Induction of
Cortical Cell Divisions in White Clover by Rhizobium Inoculation or
Localised Cytokinin Addition. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 13: 617-628.
Mathesius, U., Weinman, J.J., Rolfe, B.G. and Djordjevic, M.A. (2000) Rhizobia can induce nodules in white clover by "hijacking"
mature cortical cells activated during lateral root development. Molecular
Plant Microbe Interactions, 13: 170-182.
1999
Hutangura, P., Mathesius, U., Rolfe, B. G. and Jones, M. E. K. (1999).
Auxin induction is a trigger for root gall formation caused by root-knot
nematodes in white clover and is associated with the activation of the
flavonoid pathway. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 26: 221-231.
Müller, A. and Mathesius, U. (1999). The paleoenvironments of
coastal lagoons in the southern baltic sea I. The application of sedimentay
Corg/N ratios as source indicators of organic matter. Paleogeography,
Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology, 145: 1-16.
Rolfe, B. G., Mathesius, U., Prayitno, J., Perrine, F., Weinman, J.
J., Stefaniak, J., Djordjevic, M. A., Guerreiro, N. and Dazzo, F. B.
(1999) Rhizobium nodulation and interaction with legumes and
non-legumes. In: Reddy, P. M. and Ladha, J. K. eds, Prospects for nodulation
and nitrogen fixation in rice. IRRI, Manila, Philippines.
1998
Mathesius, U., Bayliss, C., Weinman, J.J., Schlaman, H.R.M., Spaink,
H.P., Rolfe, B. G. and Djordjevic, M.A. (1998) Flavonoids synthesised
in cortical cells during nodule initiation are early developmental markers
in white clover. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, 11:
1223-1232.
Mathesius, U., Schlaman, H.R.M., Spaink, H.P., Sautter, C., Rolfe,
B.G. and Djordjevic, M.A. (1998) Auxin transport inhibition precedes
nodule formation in white clover roots and is regulated by flavonoids
and derivatives of chitin oligosaccharides. Plant Journal, 14:
23-34.
Mathesius, U., Djordjevic, M. A, Weinman, J. J., Schlaman, H. R. M.,
Spaink, H. P., McCully, M. E., Rolfe, B. G. (1998). Transient auxin
transport inhibition and localised flavonoid induction occurs during
the earliest stages of nodulation in white clover. In: Biological Nitrogen
Fixation for the 21st century. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.
Pp 311-312.
1997
Rolfe, B. G., Djordjevic, M. A., Weinman, J. J., Mathesius, U., Pittock,
C., Gärtner, E., Ride, K. M., Dong, Z., McCully, M. E,. and Mc
Iver, J. (1997). Root morphogenesis in legumes and cereals and the effect
of bacterial inoculation on root development. Plant Soil, 194:
131-144.
Djordjevic, M. A., Mathesius, U., Arioli, T., Weinman, J. J., and Gärtner,
E. (1997). Chalcone synthase gene expression in transgenic subterranean
clover correlates with localised accumulation of flavonoids. Australian
Journal of Plant Physiology, 24: 119-132.
1996
Larkin, P. J., Gibson, J. M., Mathesius, U, Weinman, J. J., Gärtner,
E., Hall, E., Tanner, G. J., Rolfe, B. G. and Djordjevic, M. A. (1996).
Transgenic white clover. Studies with the auxin responsive promoter,
GH3, in root gravitropism and lateral root development. Transgenic
Research, 5: 325-335.
Cleary, A. L. and Mathesius, U. (1996). Rearrangements of F-actin during
stomatogenesis visualised by confocal microscopy in fixed and permeabilised Treadescantia leaf epidermis. Botanica Acta, 109:
15-24.
Mathesius, U., Schlaman, H. R. M., Meijer, D., Lugtenberg, B.J.J.,
Spaink, H.P., Weinman, J.J., Roddam, L.F., Sautter, C., Rolfe, B.G.,
Djordjevic, M.A. (1996). New tools for investigating nodule initiation
and ontogeny: Spot inoculation and microtargeting of transgenic white
clover roots shows auxin involvement and suggests a role for flavonoids.
In: Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions. Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Pp 353-358. |
