The Board of Electors to the Russell R. Geiger Professorship of Crop Science invite applications for this Professorship from persons whose work falls within the general field of the Professorship to

Parasite-adaptive manipulation of behavior is a widespread natural phenomenon. While Ophiocordyceps zombie fungi are well-known for hijacking ant behavior to increase their fitness, functionally chara...

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During morphogenesis of multicellular organs, cells acquire distinct identities that meet specific functional requirements. Epidermal identity is widely considered essential for plant morphogenesis du...

Many plants interact symbiotically with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to enhance inorganic phosphorus uptake, and legumes also develop a nodule symbiosis with rhizobia for nitrogen acquisition. The establishment and functioning of both symbioses rely on a common plant signaling pathway activated by structurally related Myc and Nod factors. Recently, a SPARK receptor-like kinase (RLK)/receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) complex was shown to be essential for arbuscular mycorrhiza formation in both monocot and dicot plants. Here, we show that in Aeschynomene legumes, the RLCK component of this receptor complex has undergone a gene duplication event and mediates a unique nodule symbiosis that is independent of rhizobial Nod factors. In Aeschynomene evenia, AeRLCK2 is crucial for nodule initiation but not for arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis. Additionally, AeRLCK2 physically interacts with and is phosphorylated by the cysteine-rich RLK, AeCRK, which is also required for nodulation. This finding uncovers an important molecular mechanism that controls the establishment of nodulation and is associated with Nod-independent symbiosis.

The successful applicant will be expected to build an independent research group to study plant development and/or its natural variation.