First meeting: 09.-10.07.2013

PIs:
Francois Buscot
Sylvie Herrmann

iDiv member:
François Buscot

Project summary:
Ectomycorrhiza (EM) evolved independently in distinct lineages of woody plants and within different groups of saprobic soil fungi (Asco- and Basidiomycota) since 135 Mio Years. The repeated acquisitions of the EM symbiotic habit all seem to correspond to a mixed gain and loss of genes, and the symbiosis formation and functioning is regulated by thousands of genes. Full genome sequencing of the EM fungi Laccaria bicolor and Tuber melanosporum revealed numerous similarities but also differences in their EM habits. Under the coordination of the INRA Nancy (France) and the Joined Genome Institute (California), the genome of 25 mycorrhizal fungi (EM plus some Ericoid and Orchid mycorrhiza) was fully sequenced by an international group of scientists, and the transcriptome sequencing in different combinations of fungal and tree EM partners is in progress. The proposed sDiv workshop will bring experts in EM and bioinformatics together to work on 3 issues: (i) Synthesizing the results of the 25 EM fungi genome sequencing initiative in a high rank article (Nature/Science) followed by a series of detailed studies to be published in a supplementary band of the New Phytologist, (ii) Harmonizing the transcriptome analyses of different EM combinations; (iii) Exchanging with field ecologists on strategies to bridge genomics and metagenomics. The workshop relates to the topic of 3 iDiv groups (EIE, MIE, EA) and to 3 of the iDiv central questions (Emergence, Detection and Consequence of BD).

Participants:
Markus Bönn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Silvia Bortfeld (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology), Francois Buscot (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Laura Coninx (University of Hasselt), Lasse Feldhahn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Kevin Garcia (Institute for Integrative Plant Biology), Gilles Gay (Université Claude-Bernard LYON 1), Mariangela Girlanda (University of Turin), Gwen Grelet (University of Aberdeen), Igor Grigoriev (DOE Joint Genome Institute), Ivo Große Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg), Sylvie Herrmann (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Jacky Hess (Harvard University), Annegret Kohler (Ecogenomics of Interactions Lab), Ursula Kuees (University of Göttingen), Florence Kurth (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Urs Lahrmann (Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology), Francis Martin (Ecogenomics of Interactions Lab), Manja Marz (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena), Emmanuelle Morin (Ecogenomics of Interactions Lab), Claude Murat (Ecogenomics of Interactions Lab), Laszlo Nagy (Clark University), Uwe Nehls (Universität Bremen), Michiel Op De Beek (University of Hasselt), Rodica Pena (Georg-August-University Göttingen), Silvia Perotto (University of Turin), Martina Peter (Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL), Jonathan Michael Plett (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment), Andrea Polle (Georg-August-University Göttingen), Karin Pritsch (Helmholtz Centre Munich), Sabine Recht (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Francois Rineau (University of Hasselt), Firoz Shah (Lund University), Yaron Sitrit (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev), Mike Tarkka (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Anders Tunlid (Lund University), Tesfaye Wubet (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ), Sabine Zimmermann (Biochemistry and Plant Molecular Physiology)

Meeting report