Montpellier Scientific Community



Laboratory of tropical and Mediterranean symbioses (LSTM)

Director: Michel Lebrun
Website :
Research area
The Laboratory of tropical and Mediterranean symbioses (LSTM) is a microbiology and plant biology Unit, specialised in the analysis of biodiversity and functional mechanisms of symbiotic microorganims, and the plant response to microorganims and environmental adverse conditions. Research at LSTM is focused on rhizobia / legume and plant / mycorhizal symbioses. LSTM fundamental and applied research is mainly dedicated to mediterranean and tropical areas in which plant/micro-organisms symbioses can play a crucial role in agronomic production, forestry and in restauration of threatened environments, especially in South countries.
Research highlights
The scientific targets of the LSTM include undertaking fundamental and applied research on the biology, ecology and use of plant-microorganism symbioses in tropical and Mediterranean areas. During the last years, the LSTM major results have contributed to establish the strong international identity of the Laboratory, such as the discovery of symbiotic beta-proteobacteria, the discovery of the nod-independent symbiosis between photosynthetic Rhizobium and tropical plants, and more generally several studies including bacterial diversity and relationships among plant, bacteria and fungi in various ecological systems.
Staff profile
Research Org.Researchers Professors Research Eng.Techn. & Admin StaffPhD
IRD, Cirad, INRA, Mtp SupAgro, UM2
21
7
6
11
9
Research teams
  • Nod-independent symbiotic mechanisms
  • Diversity and adaptation of Rhizobium to symbiosis
  • Adaptation of micro-organisms and symbiosis to soil constraints
  • Symbiosis and resilience of ecosystems
Most important international partnerships
  • Microbiology Laboratory, University Cheikh Anta Diop, ISRA, Dakar, Senegal
  • Rhizobiology Laboratory, University of Oran Es-Senia, Algeria
  • International Mixte Laboratory, University Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco
  • Institute of Bioorganic chemistry, Poznan, Poland
  • Scottish crop research institute, Dundee, UK - Agrobiologia laboratory, Embrapa, Seropedica, Brazil
Representative publications
Ahlgren, N.A., Harwood, C.S., Schaefer, A.L., Giraud, E., Greenberg, E.P. (2011). Aryl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing in stem-nodulating photosynthetic bradyrhizobia.PNAS. 108: 7183-7188.

Bailly, X., Olivieri, I., Brunel, B., Cleyet-Marel, J.C., Béna, G. (2007). Horizontal gene transfer and homologous recombination drive the evolution of the nitrogen-fixing symbionts of Medicago species. J Bacteriol. 189: 5223-5236.

Bailly, X., Olivieri, I., De Mita, S., Cleyet-Marel, J.C., Béna, G. (2006). Recombination and selection shape the molecular diversity pattern of nitrogen-fixing Sinorhizobium sp. associated to Medicago. Mol Ecol. 15: 2719-2734.

Bonaldi, K., Gherbi, H., Franche, C., Bastien, G., Fardoux, J., Barker, D., Giraud, E., Cartieaux, F. (2010). The Nod factor-independent symbiotic signaling pathway: development of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation for the legume Aeschynomene indica. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 23(12):1537-44.

Cartieaux, F., Contesto, C., Gallou, A., Desbrosses, G., Kopka, J., Taconnat, L., Renou, J.P., Touraine, B. (2008). Simultaneous interaction of Arabidopsis thaliana with Bradyrhizobium sp. ORS278 and Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 leads to complex transcriptome changes. Mol Plant Microbe In. 21: 244-259.

de Faria, S.M., Diedhiou, A.G., de Lima, H.C., Ribeiro, R.D., Galiana, A., Castilho, A.F., Henriques, J.C. (2010). Evaluating the nodulation status of leguminous species from the Amazonian forest of Brazil. J. Exp. Bot. 61: 3119-3127.

Demanèche, S., Sanguin, H., Poté, J., Navarro, E., Bernillon, D., Mavingui, P., Wildi, W., Vogel, T.M., Simonet, P. (2008). Antibiotic-resistant soil bacteria in transgenic plant fields. P Natl Acad Sci USA. 105: 3957-3962.

Ducousso, M., Ramanankierana, H., Duponnois, R., Rabevohitra, R., Randrihasipara, L., Vincelette, M., Dreyfus, B., Prin Y. (2008). Mycorrhizal status of native trees and shrubs from eastern Madagascar littoral forests with special emplasis on one new ectomycorrhizal endemic family, the Asteropeiaceae. New Phytol. 178: 233-238.

Giraud E, Fardoux J, Fourrier N, Hannibal L, Genty B, Bouyer P, Dreyfus B, Verméglio A. (2002) Bacteriophytochrome controls photosystem synthesis in anoxygenic bacteria. Nature 417:202-205.
Giraud E., Moulin L., D. Vallenet, V. Barbe, E. Cytryn, J-C. Avarre, M. Jaubert, D. Simon, F. Cartieaux, Y. Prin, G. Bena, L. Hannibal, J. Fardoux, M. Kojadinovic, L. Vuillet, A. Lajus, S. Cruveiller, Z. Rouy, S. Mangenot, B. Segurens, C. Dossat, W. L. Franck, W-S. Chang, E. Saunders, D. Bruce, P. Richardson, P. Normand, B. Dreyfus, D. Pignol, G. Stacey, D. Emerich, A. Vermeglio, C. Medigue, And M. Sadowsky. (2007). Legumes Symbioses: Absence of Nod Genes in Photosynthetic Bradyrhizobia. Science 316: 1307-1312

Gyaneshwar, P., Hirsch, A.M., Moulin, L., Chen, W.M., Elliott, G.N., Bontemps, C., Estrada de Los Santos, P., Gross, E., Dos Reis Junior, F.B., Sprent, J., Young, P.W., James, E.K.. (2011). Legume-nodulating betaproteobacteria: diversity, host range and future prospects. Mol Plant Microbe Interact.
Héry, M., Philippot, L., Mériaux, E., Poly, F., Le Roux, X., Navarro, E. (2005). Nickel mine spoils revegetation attempts : Effect of pioneer plants on two functional bacterial communities involved in the N cycle. Environ Microbiol. 4: 486-498.

Jourand P, Ducousso M, Loulergue-Majorel C, Hannibal L, Santoni S, Prin Y, Lebrun M. (2010) Ultramafic soils from New Caledonia structure Pisolithus albus in ecotype. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 72 :328-349.
Laguerre, G., Depret, G., Bourion, V., Duc, G. (2007). Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae genotypes interact with pea plants in developmental responses of nodules, roots and shoots. New Phytol. 100: 589-598.

Le Roux, C., Tentchev, D., Prin, Y., Goh, D., Japarudin, Y., Perrineau, M.M., Duponnois, R., Domergue, O., de Lajudie, P., Galiana, A. (2009).Bradyrhizobia Nodulating the Acacia mangium x A. auriculiformis Interspecific Hybrid Are Specific and Differ from Those Associated with Both Parental Species.Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75(24): 7752-7759

Mahieu, S., Frérot, H., Vidal, C., Galiana, A., Heulin, K., Maure, L., Brunel, B., Lefèbvre, C., Escarré, J., Cleyet-Marel, J.C. (2011). Anthyllis vulneraria - Mesorhizobium metallidurans, an efficient symbiotic nitrogen-fixing association able to grow in mine tailings highly contaminated by Zn, Pb and Cd. Plant Soil. 342: 405-417.

Masson-Boivin, C., Giraud, E., Perret, X. Batut, J. (2009). Establishing nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with legumes: how many rhizobium recipes? Trends Microbiol. 17(10): 458-466.
Pillon Y., Munzinger J., Amir H., Lebrun M. (2010) Ultramafic soils and species sorting in the flora of New Caledonia. J. Ecology 98:1108-116.

Remigi, P., Faye, A., Kane, A., Deruaz, M., Thioulouse, J., Cisoko, M., Prin, Y., Galiana, A., Dreyfus, B., Duponnois, R. (2008). The exotic legume tree species Acacia holosericea alters microbial soil functionalities and the structure of the arbuscular mycorrhizal community. Appl Environ Microb. 74: 1485-1493.

Vuillet, L., Kojadinovic, M., Zappa, S., Jaubert, M., Adriano, J.M., Fardoux, J., Hannibal, L., Pignol, D., Verméglio, A. and Giraud, E. (2007) Evolution of a bacteriophytochrome from light to redox sensor. EMBO J. 6:3322-31
Total annual budget
2008 2009 2010
Total annual budget (excluding salaries)
608 466
535 559 685 069
External contracts: 
ANR 144 868 
191 362
201 312 
EU
32 000 - 20 000
Private sector
12 000
- -
Others 13 262 5 000 50 000