Dr. Péter Kaló - MATE Research
Overview
Péter Kaló is a Research Advisor at the Genetic and Biotechnology Institute.
His research focuses on the symbiotic nitrogen fixation between leguminous species and rhizobia. His expertise lies in legume genomics and genetic analysis of symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Péter Kaló’s work contributes to the questions of how the symbiotic nitrogen fixation is regulated and what genes are involved in the establishment and functioning of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Across his research, he uses forward and reverse genetic approaches to study symbiosis.
He authored and co-authored around 40 research articles in high-impact scientific journals.
Péter Kaló has collaborated with several research groups across Europe/worldwide, and he has successfully applied for OTKA, ICGEB and NKFIH research grants nationally and internationally.
He is an Associate Editor of the Scientific Reports and Frontiers in Plants Science journals.
Research keywords:
Publications
Horváth, B., Güngör, B., Tóth, M., Domonkos, Á., Ayaydin, F., Saifi, F., ... & Kaló, P. (2023). The Medicago truncatula nodule‐specific cysteine‐rich peptides, NCR343 and NCR‐new35 are required for the maintenance of rhizobia in nitrogen‐fixing nodules. New Phytologist, 239(5), 1974-1988. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19097
Güngör, B., Biró, J. B., Domonkos, Á., Horváth, B., & Kaló, P. (2023). Targeted mutagenesis of Medicago truncatula Nodule-specific Cysteine-Rich (NCR) genes using the Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 20676. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47608-5
Horváth, B., Domonkos, Á., Kereszt, A., Szűcs, A., Ábrahám, E., Ayaydin, F., ... & Kaló, P. (2015). Loss of the nodule-specific cysteine rich peptide, NCR169, abolishes symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the Medicago truncatula dnf7 mutant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(49), 15232-15237. https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1500777112
Domonkos, A., Horvath, B., Marsh, J. F., Halasz, G., Ayaydin, F., Oldroyd, G. E., & Kalo, P. (2013). The identification of novel loci required for appropriate nodule development in Medicago truncatula. BMC Plant Biology, 13, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2229-13-157
Horváth, B., Yeun, L. H., Domonkos, Á., Halász, G., Gobbato, E., Ayaydin, F., ... & Kaló, P. (2011). Medicago truncatula IPD3 is a member of the common symbiotic signaling pathway required for rhizobial and mycorrhizal symbioses. Molecular plant-microbe interactions, 24(11), 1345-1358. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-01-11-001
Projects
2021-1.2.6-TÉT-IPARI-MA-2022-00005 - Development of rhizobacteria inoculum to improve faba bean production and its agroecological services under climate change
The aim of the project is to produce a prototype soil inoculum containing drought-stress-resistant bacteria, the application of which can mitigate the harmful effects of dry periods and make the cultivation of faba beans safer. In the course of the project, rhizobium and other soil bacteria tolerant to water deficiency are isolated and characterized, strains suitable for inoculum production are selected based on their favourable properties, their effect on faba bean plants is studied, and the growing conditions necessary for inoculum production are developed.
OTKA K-132646 - Functional analysis of lipid transfer proteins required for endosymbiotic interactions
The proposal focuses on the molecular and biochemical characterization of a symbiosis-specific lipid transfer protein (symLTP) that facilitates the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between rhizobia and Medicago truncatula. Mtsymltp is proposed to act in the NF signal transduction pathway or have nutrient or structural function at the early stage of nodule initiation and we perform the detailed phenotypic analysis of the mutant Mtsymltp to define the relative position and activity of symLTP in the NF signaling pathway.
OTKA K-119652 - The functional study of nodule-specific cystein-rich (NCR) peptide genes required for bacterial differentiation in Medicago truncatula
One of the main objectives of this proposal wasthe (i) analysis of the regulatory elements in the promoters of the NCR168 and NCR2111 genes and define the residues essential for the function of the encoded peptides. The mutants deficient in NCR169 and NCR211 were used to test modified versions a promoters and peptides and gain more insights into the regulation and action of the essential NCRs. Forward and state-of-the-art reverse genetic approaches have been applied to achieve the other main objective of the proposal, the (ii) identification of additional NCRs and another symbiotic gene that might have non-redundant role controlling bacterial differentiation.
