Rhizobia-Legume Interactions

Readings

General

Rhizobia-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizobia

Scientific Literature

Here are some papers from the scientific literature examining this system. We don't expect you to understand everything in these papers, but we would like you to see the diversity of approaches that moderm scientists are using to study this system.

Lifestyle alternatives for rhizobia: mutualism, parasitism,
and forgoing- symbiosis
http://people.umass.edu/lsadler/adlersite/kiers/Alternativelifestyles1.pdf

Host sanctions and the legume–rhizobium mutualism-
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v425/n6953/abs/nature01931.html (then click on "full text"

A mechanistic molecular test of the plant-sanction hypothesis in legume–rhizobia mutualism
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VR3-4WPS9PP-1&_user=2605799&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1100808123&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000055350&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2605799&md5=491bf0585068046d9ae2f49e3bb7a905

Powerpoint Presentation

Plant-Microbe Interactions: Rhizobia/Legumes
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/AZNj5BIH5bqGC8

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss how and why participants in an apparently mutualistic relationship should be "selfish"

- describe the pattern of nodule formation

- discuss the importance of nitrogenase and leghaemogolbin for nitrogen fixation

- discuss circumstances under which plants would like to limit nodulation or nitrogen fixation by rhizobia

- discuss "partner choice" and "santioning" in this system

- intepret data and draw conclusions in experiments examining rhizobia-legume interactions

Writing Assignment # 4

Reading

A Mutual Affair- http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/a-mutual-affair/

Assignment

This article by Olivia Judson from the New York Times discusses a number of interesting issues in mutualisms. In this class we have discussed the roles that microbes play as parasites, predators, competitors, and mutualists.

Using the knowledge you have gained during this course, and from reading the assignmed article, discuss the variety of ecological roles through which microbes affect humans. For each of the ecological roles that you discuss in your paper, we would like you to mention at least one interesting or "cool" thing that you have learned about the behavior of microbes in those interactions.

Your essay should be a minimum of two pages and a maximum of three pages in length.

Important Dates

Tuesday November 24th- Rough draft due

Thursday November 26th- Eat excessive amounts of turkey (or tofurkey)

Thusday December 3rd- Workshop papers (and remind Dr. McG that it is his Mom's birthday)

Tuesday December 9th- Final draft due

Microbial Diseases

Readings

Understanding Microbes in Sickness or Health- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/microbes/PDF/microbesbook.pdf

Websites

Nanobugs- http://www.nanobugs.com/
This website, designed for kids, is cool/cute/creepy but it might give you some basic background on important microbial diseases.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss reservoirs for diseases
- discuss how microbes can enter their hosts
- discuss strategies microbes use to adhere, colonize, and invade their hosts
- discuss ways that microbes evade host defenses
- discuss the production of virulence factors
- discuss the endysymbiotic origin in mitochondria
- define pathogenicity islands
- define PROMISCUOUS and use it in a sentence

Global Climate Change Webinar

Here is the link to the Climate change webinar that Dr. San Francisco talked about.

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall09/NOAA/webseminar1.aspx

Microbes and Coral Reefs

Readings

Coral reefs- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_reef

Threats to Coral Reefs-
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Threats_to_coral_reefs

Cnidaria- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cnidaria

Zooxanthellae- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Zooxanthellae

Global warming takes a toll on coral reefs
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming_takes_a_toll_on_coral_reefs

Patterns of CAribbean coral loss
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Patterns_of_Caribbean_coral_loss

Coral disease-
http://www.reef.crc.org.au/discover/coralreefs/Coraldisease.htm

Coral stress and disease
http://www.reefrelief.org/Image_archive/diseases/index.shtml

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/MXAjnaF502X8PL

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student will be able to

- discuss the characteristics or the cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae that make up a corals

- discuss the "dilema of the inverteed trophic pyramid" and the role that the discovery of zooxanthellae played in solving that mystery

- discuss the mutualism between cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae

- discuss some of the threats facing coral reefs

- discuss coral bleaching and some of the proposed mechanisms of bleaching

- discuss the characteristics of some of the important coral diseases