The Groups > Dr Susan Barker
 

Dr Susan Barker
Senior Lecturer
School of Plant Biology
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
The University of Western Australia

Email sbarker@agric.uwa.edu.au

Research Aims
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The Big Question

  • To understand the molecular basis for successful establishment of an arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) symbiosis

The Short-term goals

  • To clone the tomato gene Rmc that is an essential component for the development of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis by some AM fungi.
  • To investigate the role of programmed cell death in AM symbiosis and in necrotrophic fungal pathogen susceptibility of dicots.
  • To compare the functional genomes of different AM fungal species to determine the basis for their in/ability to colonise rmc tomato.
Research Interests
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  • Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
  • Plant Molecular biology
  • Molecular development and evolution of plants
  • Plant Molecular genetics
  • Molecular mapping and marker assisted selection in Plant breeding
  • Plant disease resistance
Group (lab) Members and areas of research
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  • Mr Nick Larkan Molecular genetic mapping of the Rmc gene in tomato
  • Ms Caixia Gao Role of programmed cell death in blackleg susceptibility of canola
  • Mr Teguh Wijayanto The role of programmed cell death in necrotrophic fungal pathogen resistance of lupin and chickpea
  • Mr James Ponds Assessment of genotype diversity in the national narrow leafed lupin breeding program
  • Ms Tammy Edmonds Cloning the Rmc gene and functional characterisation of the rmc mutant tomato
Funding
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Current

  • 1999-04 GRDC Project Grant UWA309 ($2,479,238) with Dr P.M. Smith, UWA. "Transgenic Pulse Development Project"
  • 2002-04 ARC International Linkage Grant LX0346900 (amt) W.A. Cowling(UWA), S.J. Barker and D.G. Gilchrist (UC Davis) "Isolation and characterization of cell signalling systems that activate or suppress apoptosis in pathogenic and symbiotic fungal:-plant interactions.
  • 2003-05 ARC Discovery Grant DP0342496 ($315,000) with Professors SE and FA Smith, The University of Adelaide "Targeted analysis of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis phenome in a model host, tomato.
  • 2003-05 ARC Linkage grant LP0348023 ($80,246) Barker, Jones (Murdoch) and Buirchell (WADA) "Genetic variation in narrow leafed lupin (NLL) accessions and breeding programs"

Applications submitted or planned

2005-07 ARC Discovery grant DP0557289 Barker " Functional genomic analysis of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus"

Techniques in the Laboratory
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Currently active

  • Legume transformation, tomato hairy root preparation, map based cloning

In development

  • Dyna mic molecular combing (FISH), in vitro axenic growth of AM fungi
Main Areas of expertise
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Top three areas of knowledge

  1. Plant molecular biology,
  2. plant molecular genetics,
  3. plant-microbe interactions

Top three technical skills

  1. mRNA extraction and analysis,
  2. plant tissue culture,
  3. preparation of F1 tomato seed
A statement on the most significant contributions to this research field
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I became fascinated by AM symbiosis in the late 1980's. An article I read included the comment that, as many plants did not survive without their symbiotic fungal partners, perhaps the species concept should be revised to include all the members of the living unit. I have become particularly intrigued by the genetic aspects of AM symbiosis, including bi-directional shuttling of fungal nuclei and the movement of the plant cell nucleus to be enveloped by coils or arbuscules; phenomena strongly suggestive of novel mechanisms of information transfer at a most fundamental level. The opportunity to initiate a significant research program on the symbiosis was seized in late 1992 when I moved to a Lectureship at Adelaide University . In collaboration with Professor Sally Smith I established molecular genetic research on the development of AM symbiosis in tomato. I have applied my background and expertise in molecular biological research to the supervision of projects under our joint ARC Large/Discovery grants (Smith and Barker 1994-1996, Smith and Barker 1999-2001, Smith Barker and Smith 2003-2005) and independently in the ARC SRC for Basic and Applied Plant Molecular Biology (Langridge and Symons 1993-1999). The latter project uncovered novel AM fungal genes that are differentially expressed during development of the symbiosis (Delp et al. 2000; 2003). I have continued this research collaboration since my move to UWA as we have complementing training, roles and interests in our research programs. Our research has been the first in the world to use a model non-legume host for this type of research and this has achieved international recognition as shown by invited reviews and conference seminars detailed below. Also, the development of our tomato mutant rmc as a research tool has included my distribution of seed as a free resource to now more than 20 labs around the world. It is being used for research projects in a broad range of disciplines including plant nutrition, root architecture, organic agriculture, pest and disease resistance, soil structure, and water relations. I have been fortunate to be invited to present my ideas and research on AM symbiosis verbally to international audiences (Molecular Biology of Tomato, Wageningen, the Netherlands 1994 and Berkeley, 1996; Keystone Symposium Taos, USA 2000; ICOM 3 2001) and in writing (Barker et al. 1998; Barker and Tagu 2000; Barker and Larkan 2002; Barker et al. 2002). Reviews written with Dr Tagu were particularly rewarding as these for the first time compare the molecular development of endo- and ecto-mycorrhizas.

Other evidence of impact and contributions to the field
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Invited contributor, Faculty of 1000 <see http://www.facultyof1000.com /about/> appointed to the Plant Biotic Interactions Section in 2003. This site, published by PubMed, is a novel online research service run by scientists, for scientists, which provides reviews of "the most interesting papers published in the biological sciences, based on the recommendations of a faculty of well over 1000 selected leading researchers." One of my latest evaluations reached number 3 of the "Top 10 Hidden Jewels of Plant Biology" list, which is an independent and internationally based validation of my academic judgement.

WA Linkgroup Convenor Women in Science Enquiry Network (WISENET) <http://www.wisenet-australia.org> from January 2004. In this role I am editor of the Autumn quarter newsletter, and I am also responsible for dissemination of information from sources such as FASTS, responding to parliamentary enquiries, invited attendee of workshops on issues of relevance to (women) scientists and so on.

Member of the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) from 1998 to 2000. Aside from duties directly associated with that committee I have given more than 30 invited public presentations on the topic of Regulation of GMOs since early 1999.

Manuscript review for: Advances in Horticulture; Canadian Journal of Botany; Developmental Biology; Gene; Genes and Development; Molecular and General Genetics; Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions; Mycological Research; Mycorrhiza; New Phytologist; Plant and Soil; Plant Physiology; The Plant Cell; 12 th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference.

Invited book and article reviews for Trends in Plant Sciences

Grant proposals reviewed for the following granting agencies: Australian Research Council (Large and SPIRT); Australian Research Council (Small; Univ. Sydney); National Science Foundation ( USA ), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ( Canada ).

Invitation to assess academic/research staff for contract renewal/promotion from The University of Adelaide and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, USA

PhD thesis assessor: The University of Sydney

My recent promotion to Senior Lecturer was based on peer review by international assessors.

I am listed on the Australian Vice Chancellors Committee Register of Senior University Women

Publications - Last 5 years
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Journal articles

  • Bian XY, Friedrich A, Bai JR, Hayman DL, Barker SJ and Langridge P (2004) High-resolution mapping of the S and Z loci in Phalaris coerulescens . Genome in press

  • Nelson M, Wilke C, Barker S and Cowling W (2004) Towards a framework genetic map for narrow-leaf lupin. Crop Updates, Perth February 2004 In : Lupin Updates 2004 W Parker (Ed.) Department of Agriculture, WA, pp 2-3.

  • Cowling WA, Li C, Barker SJ and Gilchrist DG (2003) The potential role of apoptosis in the host-parasite interaction of Leptosphaeria maculans with Brassica napus . In : Proc. 11 th Int. Rapeseed Congress, Copenhagen , July 2003 Vol. 1 H. Sorensen (Ed.), The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen pp 42-45.

  • Delp G , Timonen S, Rosewarne GM , Barker SJ   & Smith S  (2003) Differential expression of Glomus intraradices genes in external mycelium and mycorrhizal roots of tomato and barley. Mycological Research, 107 :1083-1093.

  • Hart KW, Barker SJ , Skerritt JW and Vercoe PE (2003) The gene for white fleece in alpacas is homologous to a wt , the gene for white fleece in sheep. In : Proceedings of the 15 th Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics Conference, Melbourne , July 2003, pp 82-85.

  • Barker SJ , Duplessis S and Tagu D (2002) The application of genetic approaches for investigations of mycorrhizal symbioses. Plant and Soil, 244: 85-95.

  • Barker SJ and Larkan NJ. (2002) Molecular approaches to understanding mycorrhizal symbioses. Plant and Soil, 244: 107-116.

  • Smith SE and Barker SJ (2002) Plant phosphate transporter genes help harness the nutritional benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. (Invited and refereed research paper review) Trends in Plant Sciences 7 , 189 - 190.

  • Lonergan PF , Graham RD , Barker SJ and Paull JG (2001) Mapping of chromosome regions associated with increased vegetative zinc accumulation using a barley doubled haploid population. XIV International Plant Nutrition Colloquium, Hannover , July 2001. In Plant Nutrition-Food security and sustainability of agro-ecosystems. WJ Horst et al. (Eds.) Kluwer Academic Publishers pp 84-85.

  • Barker SJ (2000) A potluck of progress and proposals in mycorrhizal research. (Invited book review) Trends in Plant Sciences 5, 402.

  • Barker SJ and Tagu D (2000) . The roles of auxins and cytokinins in mycorrhizal symbioses. J. Plant Growth Regulation 19 , 144-154.

  • Barker S , Higgins TJ, Smith P and Wylie S (2000) "Transformation Technology and the Lupin Industry" in Proceedings of the Lupin Industry Forum, Burswood Convention Centre Perth , 19 October 2000.

  • Delp G, Smith SE and Barker SJ (2000) Isolation by differential display of three cDNAs coding for proteins from the VA mycorrhizal fungus G. intraradices , Mycological Research 104: 293-300.

  • Huang C, Barker SJ , Langridge P, Smith FW, Graham RD. (2000) Zinc deficiency up-regulates expression of high-affinity phosphate transporter genes in both phosphate-sufficient and -deficient barley roots. Plant Physiology 124 , 415-422.

  • Lonergan PF, Barker SJ , Paull JG, Lorimer M and Graham RD (2000) Increasing grain zinc density for plant and human health. In: Proc. 8th International Barley Genetics Symposium. Vol. II S Logue (Ed.), Manning Printers Pty. Ltd. pp 294-296.

  • Pallotta, MA, Graham, RD, Langridge P, Sparrow DHB and Barker SJ (2000) RFLP mapping of manganese efficiency in barley. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 101 , 1100-1108.

  • Rosewarne GM, Barker SJ, Smith SE, Smith FA and Schachtman DP (1999) A Lycopersicon esculentum phosphate transporter ( LePT1 ) involved in phosphorus uptake from a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. New Phytologist 144 , 507-516.

  • Schachtman DP and Barker SJ (1999) . Molecular approaches for increasing the micronutrient density in edible portions of food crops. In: R.M. Welch and R.D. Graham (Eds.) "Sustainable Field Crop Systems for Enhancing Human Health: Agricultural Approaches to Balanced Micronutrient Nutrition" Field Crops Research Vol 60 ElsevierScience B.V., The Netherlands pp 81-92.

  • Smith SE, Ayling SM, Rosewarne G, Dickson S, Schachtman DP, Barker SJ, Reid RJ, Delp G and Smith FA (1999) Transport of nutrients between vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal symbionts: insights from molecular and physiological studies. In : Proceedings of International Conference on Mycorrhizas in Sustainable Tropical Agriculture and Forest Ecosystems, Bogor , Indonesia . October 27-30 1997.

  • Smith SE, Rosewarne GM, Ayling SM, Dickson S, Schachtman DP, Barker SJ and Smith FA (1999) Mycorrhizal involvement in plant mineral nutrition: a molecular and cell biology perspective. In : Plant Nutrition- Molecular Biology and Genetics. Proceedings of the 6 th International Symposium on Genetics and Molecular Biology of Plant Nutrition. G Gissel-Nielsen and A Jensen (Eds.) Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht . pp 303-310.

Book Chapters (4 total)

# corresponding author

  • Schachtman DP# and Barker SJ (1999) . Molecular approaches for increasing the micronutrient density in edible portions of food crops. In: R.M. Welch and R.D. Graham (Eds.) "Sustainable Field Crop Systems for Enhancing Human Health: Agricultural Approaches to Balanced Micronutrient Nutrition" Field Crops Research Vol 60 ElsevierScience B.V., The Netherlands pp 81-92.

Conference papers (11 total)

  • Smith SE#, Ayling SM, Rosewarne G, Dickson S, Schachtman DP, Barker SJ, Reid RJ, Delp G and Smith FA (1999) Transport of nutrients between vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal symbionts: insights from molecular and physiological studies. In : Proceedings of International Conference on Mycorrhizas in Sustainable Tropical Agriculture and Forest Ecosystems, Bogor , Indonesia . October 27-30 1997.

  • Smith SE#, Rosewarne GM, Ayling SM, Dickson S, Schachtman DP, Barker SJ and Smith FA (1999) Mycorrhizal involvement in plant mineral nutrition: a molecular and cell biology perspective. In : Plant Nutrition- Molecular Biology and Genetics. Proceedings of the 6 th International Symposium on Genetics and Molecular Biology of Plant Nutrition. G Gissel-Nielsen and A Jensen (Eds.) Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht . pp 303-310.

  • Barker S# , Higgins TJ, Smith P and Wylie S (2000) "Transformation Technology and the Lupin Industry" in Proceedings of the Lupin Industry Forum, Burswood Convention Centre Perth , 19 October 2000.

  • Lonergan PF#, Barker SJ , Paull JG, Lorimer M and Graham RD (2000) Increasing grain zinc density for plant and human health. In: Proc. 8th International Barley Genetics Symposium. Vol. II S Logue (Ed.), Manning Printers Pty. Ltd. pp 294-296.

  • Lonergan PF# , Graham RD , Barker SJ and Paull JG (2001) Mapping of chromosome regions associated with increased vegetative zinc accumulation using a barley doubled haploid population. XIV International Plant Nutrition Colloquium, Hannover , July 2001. In Plant Nutrition-Food security and sustainability of agro-ecosystems. WJ Horst et al. (Eds.) Kluwer Academic Publishers pp 84-85.

  • Cowling WA#, Li C, Barker SJ and Gilchrist DG (2003) The potential role of apoptosis in the host-parasite interaction of Leptosphaeria maculans with Brassica napus . In : Proc. 11 th Int. Rapeseed Congress, Copenhagen , July 2003 Vol. 1 H. Sorensen (Ed.), The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen pp 42-45.

  • Hart KW#, Barker SJ , Skerritt JW and Vercoe PE (2003) The gene for white fleece in alpacas is homologous to a wt , the gene for white fleece in sheep. In : Proceedings of the 15 th Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics Conference, Melbourne , July 2003, pp 82-85.

  • Nelson M#, Wilke C, Barker S and Cowling W (2004) Towards a framework genetic map for narrow-leaf lupin. Crop Updates, Perth February 2004 In : Lupin Updates 2004 W Parker (Ed.) Department of Agriculture, WA, pp 2-3.

Other Publications (8 total)

  • Barker SJ (2000) A potluck of progress and proposals in mycorrhizal research. (Invited book review) Trends in Plant Sciences 5, 402.

  • Smith SE# and Barker SJ (2002) Plant phosphate transporter genes help harness the nutritional benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. (Invited and refereed research paper review) Trends in Plant Sciences 7 , 189 - 190.

Ten career-best publications
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# corresponding author *Relevant to this application

  1. Barker SJ, Harada JJ and Goldberg RB# (1988) Cellular localization of soybean storage protein mRNA in transformed tobacco seeds. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85 , 458-462 This research paper is the first publication to show in situ localisation of seed protein mRNAs.in a transgenic plant. The in situ hybridisation image used in the paper won a "runner-up" award in Bethesda Research Laboratories Life Sciences Photography contest (1997) and was reproduced in the 1998 BRL Catalogue, following which it was requested for display in the offices of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

  2. Goldberg RB# Barker SJ and Perez-Grau L (1989) Regulation of gene expression during plant development. Cell 56 , 149-160. This review was written towards the end of my PhD. It has been cited more than 225 times.

  3. Harada JJ, Barker SJ and Goldberg RB# (1989) Soybean ß-conglycinin genes are clustered in several DNA regions and are regulated by transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. Plant Cell 1 , 415-425. My contribution to this paper was the sequence analysis of a gene family member and identification of a complex endo-reduplication event in evolution of gene family sub classes.

  4. Salmeron JM, Barker SJ, Carland FM, Mehta AY and Staskawicz BJ# (1994) Tomato mutants altered in bacterial disease resistance provide evidence for a new locus controlling pathogen recognition. Plant Cell 6 , 511-520. John Salmeron, Francine Carland and I worked collaboratively to generate a 2,200 family mutagenised population that we screened for mutations in bacterial speck disease resistance and fenthion insecticide sensitivity. By maintaining separate families in the population (my specific additional contribution) we were able to show that some of the mutations were not in the disease resistance gene Pto , but in a new gene previously unidentified that controlled both resistance to Pto and sensitivity to fenthion. We called the gene Prf . Partial screening of this population identified the mycorrhizal mutant rmc .

  5. *Zézé A#, Sulistyowati E, Ophel-Keller K, Barker S and Smith SE (1997) Intrasporal variation of the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus ( Gigaspora margarita ) revealed by M13 minisatellite primed-PCR. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63 , 676-678. The nuclear composition of mycorrhizal fungi is complex. This paper demonstrated that single spore nuclei are heterogeneous. This will be an important consideration for any attempt at transformation of mycorrhizal fungi.

  6. *Barker SJ, Stummer B, Gao L, Dispain I., O'Connor PJ and Smith SE# (1998) A mutant in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. with highly reduced VA mycorrhizal colonization: isolation and preliminary characterisation. Plant J. 15 , 791-797. This paper gives the first report of a non legume mycorrhizal mutant. The use of the model dicotyledon tomato will enable map-based cloning of the mutant gene and thus molecular insight into a gene that is essential for ingress of some mycorrhizal fungi to the root cortex.

  7. *Barker SJ#, Tagu D and Delp G (1998) Regulation of root and fungal morphogenesis in mycorrhizal symbioses. UPDATE, Plant Physiology 116, 1201-1207 This review was highly commended by the Journal editor (Martin Chrispeels) for its clarity. It was the first review in the field to compare and contrast molecular development of arbuscular mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas. It has received more than 80 reprint requests, including a comment from Prof. Don Kaplan (UC Berkeley) that it will be of great use in his teaching and in preparation of a new text book.

  8. Barker SJ# and Tagu D (2000) . The roles of auxins and cytokinins in mycorrhizal symbioses. J. Plant Growth Regulation 19 , 144-1540 This review has elicited more than 70 reprint requests. It is the first publication to develop an integrated model that incorporates research on plant growth regulators, plant nutrition and plant root development in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

  9. Pallotta MA#, Graham RD, Langridge P, Sparrow DHB and Barker SJ (2000) RFLP mapping of manganese efficiency in barley. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 101 , 1100-1108 Genetic research on plant trace element nutrition has lagged severely behind other agronomically important traits. This paper identifies the genetic map location of a major component of the quantitative trait, manganese efficiency, and also demonatrates that marker assisted selection for the QTL identified will enable plant breeders to select for this difficult trait by showing that markers identified by pot bioassays are also predictive of field performance.

  10. *Barker SJ #, Duplessis S and Tagu D (2002) The application of genetic approaches for investigations of mycorrhizal symbioses. Plant and Soil, 244: 85-95. In this paper I have presented a model that describes for non-specialists the concept of molecular evolution of symbioses from the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis gene set.

 

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