Head of the group:

Dr. Natalia Requena

Curriculum scientificae:

Date of Birth: 1967
Bachelor of Science: University of Granada, Spain (1990)
Master Thesis: University of Granada, Spain (1992)
Ph.D.: Estación  Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC), University of Granada, Spain (1996)
Postdoc:  Max-Planck-Institute für terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Marburg, Germany (1997 - 2000)
Research Associate: Physiologische Ökologie der Pflanzen, University of Tübingen, Germany (since 2000)

Aim of the group: Our team is interested in ascertaining the molecular secrets of the intriguing arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. This symbiosis develops in the soil between the roots of most vascular plants you can imagine and a certain group of ancient fungi forming the new fungal phyllum the Glomeromycota (Schüßler et al., 2001). The symbiosis is actually so old as the land colonization by vascular plants. The origin of these fungi has been recently dated up to 460 million years (Redecker, 2000) and in that time, the fungal partner has become so dependent on the plant that can not complete its life cycle in the absence of its green partner. The key feature of this symbiosis is the nutrient transfer between partners. Thus, the fungus is provided with fixed carbon from the photosynthesis allocated to the root while the plant gets in turn a whole supply of mineral nutrients with especial relevance of phosphate. Our research interest is on one hand the exchange of signals between plant and fungus and the interpretation of those signals that allows the development of the symbiosis; and on the other hand, we are interested how and where the carbon transport from the plant to the fungus takes place.

Schüßler A, Schwarzott D, Walker C (2001): A new fungal phylum, the Glomeromycota: phylogeny and evolution. Mycological Research 105(12): 1413-1421
Redecker D, Kodner R, Graham LE (2000): Glomalean fungi from the Ordovician. Science 289: 1920-1921

Group Members

Postdoc: Magdalene Breuninger
Ph.D. students: Esther Serrano, Carmen Trujillo, Aurora Ocon

Our research is supported by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) inside an ongoing research focus in Germany called "Molecular basis of the mycorrhizal symbiosis", as well as by funds from the University of Tübingen.