Genetics of Phytobacterial Infections
María José Soto Misffut (PI)
Professor
Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Granada, Spain
PHONE NUMBER
+34-958-526477 (office); +34-958-526524 (lab)
Other group members
Virginia Cuéllar Maldonado
Technician
Lydia Mª Bernabéu Roda
Postdoc
Research lines
- Identification of bacterial genes and chemical signals crucial for the colonization of plants
- Volatile compounds emitted by Rhizobium: function, mechanism of action and synthesis
- Molecular bases of surface motility in Rhizobium
Representative publications
- Soto MJ, López-Lara IM, Geiger O, Romero-Puertas MC, van Dillewijn P (2021) Rhizobial volatiles: potential new players in the complex interkingdom signaling with legumes. Front Plant Sci 12: 698912 (doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.698912).
- Pech-Canul A, Rivera-Hernández G, Nogales J, Geiger O, Soto MJ, and López-Lara IM (2020) Role of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Escherichia coli long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase FadD in long-term survival. Microorganisms 8: 470 (doi: 10.3390/microorganisms 8040470).
- Crespo-Rivas JC, Navarro-Gómez P, Alias-Villegas C, Shi J, Zhen T, Niu Y, Cuéllar V, Moreno J, Cubo T, Vinardell JM, Ruiz-Sainz JE, Acosta-Jurado S, Soto MJ (2019) Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 RirA is required for oxidative stress resistance and efficient symbiosis with soybean. Int J Mol Sci 20: (doi: 10.3390/ijms20030787).
- Calatrava-Morales N. McIntosh M, Soto MJ (2018) Regulation mediated by N-acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis. Genes 9: 263 (doi: 10.3390/genes9050263).
- López-Lara I.M, Nogales J, Pech-Canul A, Calatrava-Morales N, Bernabéu-Roda LM, Cuéllar V, Durán P, Olivares J, Alvarez L, Palenzuela-Bretones D, Romero, M, Heeb S, Cámara M, Geiger O, Soto MJ (2018) 2-Tridecanone impacts surface-associated bacterial behaviours and hinders plant-bacteria interactions. Environ Microbiol 20: 2049-2065.
- Calatrava-Morales N, Nogales J, Ameztoy K, van Steenbergen B, Soto MJ (2017) The NtrY/NtrX system of Sinorhizobium meliloti GR4 regulates motility, EPS I production, and nitrogen metabolism but is dispensable for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 30: 566-577.
- Peláez-Vico, MA, Bernabéu-Roda L, Kohlen W, Soto MJ, López-Ráez JA (2016) Strigolactones in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis: stimulatory effect on bacterial surface motility and down-regulation of their levels in nodulated plants. Plant Sci 245: 119-127.
- Bernabéu-Roda L, Calatrava-Morales N, Cuéllar V, Soto MJ (2015) Characterization of surface motility in Sinorhizobium meliloti: regulation and role in symbiosis. Symbiosis 67: 79-90.
- Amaya-Gómez CV, Hirsch AM, Soto MJ (2015) Biofilm formation assessment in Sinorhizobium meliloti reveals interlinked control with surface motility. BMC Microbiol 15: 58 (doi: 10.1186/s12866-015-0390-z).
- Charoenpanich P, Soto MJ, Becker A, McIntosh M (2015) Quorum sensing restrains growth and is rapidly inactivated during domestication of Sinorhizobium meliloti. Environ Microbiol Rep 7: 373-382.
Grants
- Soto MJ (IP), van Dillewijn P, López-Lara IM, Geiger O (2022-2025) Deciphering the rhizobial volatilome and the molecular bases underlying its emission and infochemical activity. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PID2021-123540NB-I00.
- Soto MJ (IP), Romero-Puertas MC, van Dillewijn P (2021-2023) Efectos del volatiloma de Rhizobium en plantas: Crecimiento, resistencia a estreses y microbiota asociada. Junta de Andalucía Proyectos Frontera PY20_00225.
- Soto MJ (IP), López-Lara IM, Geiger O (2019-2021) Volátiles de naturaleza lipídica producidos por Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) meliloti: análisis funcional, mecanismo de acción y vías de síntesis. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PGC2018-096477-B-I00.
- Soto MJ (IP), Calatrava M, López-Lara IM, Geiger O (2014-2017) Investigaciones sobre el mecanismo de acción de 2-Tridecanona en los modos de vida libre y simbiótico de Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) meliloti. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. BIO2013-42801-P.
- Soto MJ (IP), Olivares J, Nogales J, Amaya CV, López-Lara IM, Geiger O (2011-2014) Swarming en Sinorhizobium meliloti: bases moleculares implicadas y su posible conexión con formación de biopelículas y colonización de plantas. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. BIO2010-18005.
Relevant methods
- Bacterial genetics
- Bacterial surface motility assays
- Transcriptomic analyses and real time PCR
- Analyses of lipidic compounds
- Symbiotic assays for colonization, infectivity and competitiveness
Collaborations with other national and international research groups
- José Muñoz-Dorado, Juana Pérez, Aurelio Moraleda-Muñoz (Dpto de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada)
- José María Vinardell, José Enrique Ruíz-Sainz, Mª del Rosario Espuny (Dpto de Microbiología, Universidad, Spain)
- María C. Romero Puertas (Dpto. de Bioquímica, Biología Celular y Molecular de Plantas, EEZ-CSIC, Granada, Spain)
- Javier Pozueta (Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora”, UMA-CSIC, Málaga, Spain)
- Isabel Mª López-Lara, Otto Geiger (Centro de Ciencias Genómicas de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Méjico UNAM, Mexico)
- Anke Becker, Elizaveta Krol (SYNMIKRO, Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany)
- Eloise Foo (School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia)
