The proposed work is intended to initiate an international collaboration in the area of molecular aspects of beneficial plant-fungal symbiosis. Accordingly, this section introduces the state of the art in the area of arbuscular mycorrihizal symbiosis (AMS) and its analogues in non-host plants, and elucidating evolutionary conserved genetic factors involved in the regulation of beneficial plant-fungal symbioses. This goal was pursued by inviting Dr. Mehdi Ghabooli, Assistant Professor at Malayer University in Iran, to the Bucher lab, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Cologne. Joint experimental work were planned to arrange preliminary results for further research activities in the area of arbuscular mycorrihizal symbiosis (AMS) and its analogues in non-host plants at University of Cologne. In order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of interactions of Arabidopsis with Colletotrichum tofieldiae (Ct), C. incanum (Ci), and Helotiales sp. isolate F229 (F229) on biotic stress tolerance and P acquisition, A. thaliana mutant lines impaired in immunity related genes were studied. Elucidation of evolutionary conserved genetic factors involved in the regulation of beneficial plant-fungal symbiosis will be the major aim of follow-up joint project.
