Contact Information:
Post doc
Center for Life Sciences,
Department of Microbial Ecology
P.O. BOX 11103 / Postbus 11103
9700CC Groningen, the Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0) 50 363 2169
Email: R.M.Nissinen@rug.nl
Projects:
Diversity and beneficial properties of bacterial endophyte communities of arctic plants
Plants in all climates and in all ecosystems are associated with a diverse array of microbes. Endophytic bacteria have been isolated from a large diversity of plants, where they form non-pathogenic, often mutualistic, relationships with their hosts.
Although the presence of endophytic bacteria has been known for long, awareness of their abundance and potential benefitshas grown rapidly in recent years.
Most of the reported research on endophytic bacteria concerns agricultural systems in warm or temperate climate zones. In contrast, there are only a handful of studies on endophytic bacteria in natural ecosystems, and currently there is no data on endophytic bacterial diversity in arctic flora.
The main objective of the project is to explore the diversity and putative ecological roles of endophytic bacterial communities associated with arctic plant species. We are approaching this by (1) I
solating endophytic bacterial communities from representative arctic plant species, and by (2) Characterizing the endophyte community diversity and composition by cultivation and by direct DNA-based methods. (3) We are also screening the isolates for traits of potential ecological and ecophysiological significance. In particular, traits associated with adaptation to cold, drought and the uptake and processing of nutrients are screened for.
The results will broaden our understanding of plant adaptation to arctic environments and the role of endophytes therein, as well as broaden our knowldege on bacterial diversity in the arctic.
Interests:
- plant-microbe interactions
- plant associated bacteria
- arctic microbiology
Publications:
Nissinen, R., Xia, Y., Mattinen, L., Ishimaru, C.A., Knudson D.L., Brown, S. Metzler M.C. and Pirhonen, M. 2009: Putative secreted protease Chp-7 of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus is needed for full virulence and for induction of hypersensitive response. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interact. 22(7), 809-819.
Bocsanczy, A.M., Nissinen, R.M., Oh C.H. and Beer S.V. 2008: HrpN of Erwinia amylovora functions in the translocation of DspA/E into plant cells. Mol. Plant Path.9(4), 425-434.
Mattinen, L., Somervuo, P., Nykyri, J., Nissinen, R., Kouvonen, P., Corthals, G., Auvinen,P., Aittamaa, M., Valkonen, J.P.T. and Pirhonen, M. 2008: Microarray profiling of host-extract-induced genes and characterization of the type VI secretion cluster in the potato pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum. Microbiology 154, 2387-2396.
Aittamaa M., Somervuo P., Pirhonen M., Mattinen L., Nissinen R. and Valkonen J.P.T. 2008: Distinguishing bacterial pathogens of potato using a genome-wide microarray approach. Mol Plant Path. 9(5),705-717.
Mattinen L., Nissinen R, Riipi T., Kalkkinen N and Pirhonen M 2007: Host-extract induced changes in the secretome of the plant pathogenic bacterium Pectobacterium atrosepticum. Proteomics 7(19), 3527-3537.
Nissinen R.M., Ytterberg A.J., Bogdanove, A, van Wijk, K. and Beer S.V. 2007: Analyses of the secretomes of Erwinia amylovora and selected hrp mutants reveal novel type III secreted proteins and an effect of HrpJ on extracellular harpin levels., Mol. Plant Path. 8 (1), 55-67.
Bocsanczy A.M., Nissinen R.M., Oh C.H., and Beer S.V. 2006: HrpJ and HrpN Function in the Translocation into Plant Cells of DspE, an Effector of Erwinia amylovora into plant cells. Acta Hort. 704: 467-472.
Meng, X., Bonasera, J.M, Kim, J.F., Nissinen, R. M. and Beer, S.V. 2006: Apple Proteins that Interact with DspA/E, a Pathogenicity Effector of Erwinia amylovora, the Fire Blight Pathogen. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 19: 53-61.
Asselin J.E., Oh C.-S., Nissinen R.M., Beer S.V. 2006. The secretion of EopB from Erwinia amylovora. Acta Hort.704: 409-416.
Borejsza-Wysocka E.E., Malnoy M., Meng X., Bonasera J.M., Nissinen R.M., Kim J.F., Beer S.V., Aldwinckle H.S. 2006. The Fire Blight resistance of apple clones in which DspE-interacting proteins are silenced. Acta Hort. 704: 509-514.
Borejsza-Wysocka, E.E., Malnoy, M., Meng, X., Bonasera, J.M., Nissinen, R.M., Kim, J.F., Beer, S.V. and Aldwinckle, H.S. 2004. Silencing of apple proteins that interact with dspE, a pathogenicity effector from Erwinia amylovora, as a strategy to increase resistance to fire blight. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 663:469-474.
Meng X, Bonasera J, Kim JF, Nissinen RM and Beer SV 2002: DspE of Erwinia amylovora interacts with receptor kinases of apple. Proceedings of the Ninth International Workshop on Fire Blight. Acta Hort. 590, 463-466.
Nissinen, R., Kassuwi, S., Peltola, R. and Metzler, M.C. 2001: In planta – complementation of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus strains deficient in cellulase production or HR induction restores virulence. European Journal of Phytopathology 107: 175-182.
Laine, M.J., Haapalainen M., Wahlroos, T., Kankare, K., Nissinen, R., Kassuwi, S. and Metzler, M.C. 2000: The cellulase encoded by the native plasmid of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus plays a role in virulence and contains an expansin-like domain. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 57: 221-233.
Nissinen, R., Lai, F.-M.,Laine, M., Bauer, P., Reilley, A., Li, X., DeBoer, S., Ishimaru, C., Metzler, M. 1997: Clavibacter michiganensis subspecies sepedonicus elicits a hypersensitive response in tobacco and secretes hypersensitive response-inducing protein(s). Phytopathology 87:678-684.
Haapalainen, M., Nissinen, R., Metzler, M. 1997: Pathogenicity factors and molecular biology of the plant pathogenic genus Clavibacter. Recent Res. Devel. in Microbiology 1:209-216.
