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microbe-plant interactions

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Molecular Microbial Ecology

Portrait: Dr. Michael Rothballer


Dr. Michael Rothballer

 

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Scientific background

Michael Rothballer studied biology with main focus on microbiology at the Technical University of Munich. Additional fields of study were Genetics and Biophysics. His diploma thesis with the topic "Construction of knock-out-mutations in genes gltB and nasT of Pseudomonas putida" was carried out in the "Quorum sensing" group of Prof. Dr. Leo Eberl at the chair of microbiology. Michael Rothballer graduated as Dipl.-Biol. Univ in 2000. As a PhD student he worked at the GSF research center in Neuherberg close to Munich in the group "Plant-Microbe interactions" of the institute of soil ecology with Prof. Dr. Anton Hartmann as supervisor. He finished his PhD thesis on "In situ localization, PGPR-effect and regulation of the ipdC gene of Azospirillum brasilense strains Sp7 and Sp245 on different wheat varieties, and endophytic colonization by Herbaspirillum sp. N3" in November 2003. Since January 2004 he is employed as postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Hartmann.


Publication list

Diploma Thesis

Rothballer M. 2000. Konstruktion von Knock-out-mutationen in den Genen gltB und nasT von Pseudomonas putida


PhD Thesis

Rothballer M. 2003. In situ Lokalisierung, PGPR-Effekt und Regulation des ipdC-Gens der Azospirillum brasilense Stämme Sp7 und Sp245 bei verschiedenen Weizensorten, sowie endophytische Kolonisierung durch Herbaspirillum sp. N3. Dissertation am Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, angefertigt am GSF-Forschungszentrum, Institut für Bodenökologie


Publications in peer reviewed journals

  1. Eberl L., Ammendola A., Rothballer M., Givskov M., Sternberg C., Kilstrup M., Schleifer K.-H., and Molin S. (2000). Inactivation of gltB abolishes expression of the assimilatory nitrate reductase gene (nasB) in Pseudomonas putida KT2442. J. Bacteriol. 182: 3368–3376
  2. Rothballer M., Schmid M., and Hartmann A. (2003). In situ localization and PGPR-effect of Azospirillum brasilense strains colonizing roots of different wheat varieties. Symbiosis 34: 261-279
  3. Herschkovitz Y., Lerner A., Davidov Y., Rothballer M., Hartmann A., Okon Y., and Jurkevitch E. (2005). Inoculation with the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum brasilense causes little disturbance in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of maize (Zea mays). Microb. Ecol. 50: 277-288
  4. Rothballer M., Schmid M., Fekete A., and Hartmann A. (2005). Comparative in situ analysis of ipdC-gfpmut3 promoter fusions of Azospirillum brasilense strains Sp7 and Sp245. Environ. Microbiol. 7(11): 1839-1846
  5. Rothballer M., Schmid M., Klein I., Gattinger A., Grundmann, S., and Hartmann A. (2006). Herbaspirillum hiltneri sp. nov., isolated from surface sterilized wheat roots. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Micr. 56: 1341-1348
  6. Müller J., Kuttler C., Hense B.A., Rothballer M., and Hartmann A. (2006). Cell-cell communication by quorum sensing and dimension-reduction. J. Math. Biol. 53: 672-702
  7. Li X., Fekete A., Englmann M., Götz C., Rothballer M., Buddrus K., Cai C., Schröder P., Hartmann A., Chen G., and Schmitt-Kopplin P. (2006). Development of a solid phase extraction – ultra performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of bacterial N-acylhomoserine lactones from complex samples. J. Chromatogr. A 1134: 186-193
  8. Fekete A., Frommberger M., Rothballer M., Li X., Englmann M., Fekete J., Hartmann A., Eberl L., and Schmitt-Kopplin P. (2007). Identification of bacterial N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) with a combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry, and in-situ biosensors. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 387(2): 455-467
  9. Hense B.A., Kuttler C., Müller J., Rothballer M., Hartmann A., and Kreft J.-U. (2007). Does efficiency sensing unify diffusion and quorum sensing? Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 5: 230-239
  10. Hartmann A., Rothballer M., and Schmid M. (2008). Lorenz Hiltner, a pioneer in rhizosphere microbial ecology and soil bacteriology research. Plant Soil 312: 7-14
  11. Rothballer M., Eckert B., Schmid M., Klein I., Fekete A., Schloter M., and Hartmann A. (2008). Endophytic root colonization of gramineous plants by Herbaspirillum frisingense. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 66(1): 85-95
  12. Sharma M., Schmid M., Rothballer M., Hause G., Zuccaro A., Imani J., Kämpfer P., Schäfer P., Hartmann A., and Kogel K.-H. (2008). Detection and identification of bacteria intimately associated with representatives of the order Sebacinales. Cell. Microbiol. 10(11): 2235–2246
  13. Malik A.K., Fekete A., Gebefuegi I., Rothballer M., and Schmitt-Kopplin P. (2009). Single drop microextraction of homoserine lactone based quorum sensing signal molecules and their enantiomers separation using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the presence of biological matrices. Microchim. Acta 166: 101-107
  14. Nabti E., Sahnoune M., Ghoul M., Fischer D., Hofmann A., Rothballer M., Schmid M., and Hartmann A. (2010). Restoration of growth of durum wheat (Triticum durum var. waha) under saline conditions due to inoculation with the rhizosphere bacterium Azospirillum brasilense NH and extracts of the marine alga Ulva lactuca. J. Plant Growth Regul. 29: 6-22
  15. Fekete A.*, Kuttler C.*, Rothballer M.*, Hense B.A., Fischer D., Buddrus-Schiemann K., Lucio M., Müller J., Schmitt-Kopplin P., and Hartmann A. (2010). Dynamic regulation of N-acyl-homoserine lactone production and degradation in Pseudomonas putida IsoF. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 72: 22-34   *These authors contributed equally to this work
  16. Chen X., Buddrus-Schiemann K., Rothballer M., Krämer P., and Hartmann A. (2010). Detection of AHL quorum sensing molecules in Burkholderia cepacia culture supernatants with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 398: 2669-2676
  17. Barbarossa M.V., Kuttler C., Fekete A., and Rothballer M. (2010). A delay model for quorum sensing of Pseudomonas putida. BioSystems 102: 148-156
  18. Li D.*, Rothballer M.*, Schmid M., Esperschütz J., and Hartmann A. (2011). Acidovorax radicis sp. nov., a rhizosphere bacterium isolated from wheat roots. IJSEM 61: 2589-2594   *These two authors contributed equally to this work
  19. de-Bashan L.E., Schmid M., Rothballer M., Hartmann A., and Bashan Y. (2011). Cell-cell interaction in the eukaryote-prokaryote model of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense immobilized in polymer beads. J. Phycol. 47: 1350–1359
  20. Picot M., Lapinsonnière L., Rothballer M., and Barrière F. (2011). Graphite anode surface modification with controlled reduction of specific aryl diazonium salts for improved microbial fuel cells power output. Biosens. Bioelectron. 28(1): 181-188
  21. Trejo A., de-Bashan L.E., Hartmann A., Hernandez J.-P., Rothballer M., Schmid M., and Bashan Y. (2012). Recycling waste debris of immobilized microalgae and plant growth-promoting bacteria from wastewater treatment as a resource to improve fertility of eroded desert soil. Environ. Experiment. Bot. 75: 65-73
  22. Kaestli M., Schmid M., Mayo M., Rothballer M., Harrington G., Richardson L., Hill A., Hill J., Tuanyok A., Keim P., Hartmann A., and Currie B.J. (2012). Out of the Ground: Aerial and Exotic Habitats of the Melioidosis Bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei in Grasses in Australia. Env. Microbiol. DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02671.x
  23. Li D., Rothballer M., Engel M., Hoser J., Schimdt T., Kuttler C., Schmid M., Schloter M., and Hartmann A. (2012). Phenotypic variation in Acidovorax radicis N35 influences plant growth promotion. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 79(3): 751-762
  24. Timmers R.A.*, Rothballer M.*, Strik D.P.B.T.B., Engel M., Schulz S., Schloter M., Hartmann A., Hamelers B., and Buisman C. (2012). Microbial community structure elucidates performance of Glyceria maxima plant microbial fuel cell. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 94(2): 537-548   *These authors contributed equally to this work


Book chapters and other publications

  1. Hartmann A., Pukall R., Rothballer M., Gantner S., Metz S., Schloter M., and Mogge B. (2004). Microbial community analysis in the rhizosphere by in situ and ex situ application of molecular probing, biomarker and cultivation techniques. In: Plant Surface Microbiology (eds.: A. Varma, L. Abbott, D. Werner, R. Hampp). Berlin, Germany: Springer Verlag, pp. 449-469
  2. Schmid M., Rothballer M., Aßmus B., Hutzler P., Schloter M., and Hartmann A. (2004). Detection of microbes by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In: Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual, 2nd edition (eds.: G.A. Kowalchuk, F.J. de Bruijn, I.M. Head, A.D.L. Akkermans, J.D. van Elsas). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Chapter 4.03., pp. 875-910
  3. Schmid M., Selesi D., Rothballer M., Schloter M., Lee N., Kandeler E., and Hartmann A. (2006). Localization and visualization of microbial community structure and activity in soil microhabitats. In: Soil Biology, Volume 6. Intestinal Microorganisms of Termites and Other Invertebrates (eds.: H. König, A. Varma). Berlin, Germany: Springer Verlag, pp. 439-455
  4. Schmid M., Rothballer M., and Hartmann A. (2007). Analysis of microbial communities in soil microhabitats using fluorescence in situ hybridization. In: Modern Soil Microbiology, 2nd edition (eds.: J.D. van Elsas, J.K. Jansson, J. Trevors). Boca Raton, Florida, USA: CRC-press, chapter 12, pp. 317-335
  5. Rothballer M., and Hartmann A. (2007). In situ detection of bacterial gene expression in the rhizosphere using gfp promoter fusions. In: COST 631 – Handbook of Methods Used in Rhizosphere Research (eds.: J. Luster, R. Finlay). Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland, Chapter 4.1.: Microbial growth and visualization of bacteria and fungi, pp. 403-404
  6. Hense B.A., Kuttler C., Müller J., Rothballer M., Hartmann A., Kreft J.-U. (2008). Efficiency Sensing – was messen Autoinduktoren wirklich? Biospektrum 01.08: 18-21
  7. Rothballer M., Schmid M., and Hartmann A. (2009). Diazotrophic bacterial endophytes in Gramineae and other plants. In: Microbiology Monographs: Procaryotic endosymbionts in plants (ed.: K. Pawlowski). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Verlag, pp. 273-302
  8. Fekete A., Rothballer M., Hartmann A., and Schmitt-Kopplin P. (2010). Identification of bacterial autoinducers. In: Bacterial Signaling (eds.: R. Krämer, K. Jung). Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag, pp. 95-111
  9. Blossfeld S., Hickmann T., Kuhn A.J., Hartmann A., and Rothballer M. (2010). Die biologische Brennstoffzelle.  HZwei Magazin 07/10: 20-21
  10. Lee N.M., Meisinger D.B., Schmid M., Rothballer M., and Löffler F.E. (2011). Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH). In: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, Encyclopedia of Geobiology, Part 6 (eds. J. Reitner, V. Thiel). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Verlag, pp. 373-393

  11. Rothballer M., Engel M., Strik D.P., Timmers R., Schloter M., Hartmann A. (2011). Comparison of bacterial rhizosphere communities from plant microbial fuel cells with different current production by 454 amplicon sequencing. Commun. Agric. Appl. Biol. Sci. 76(2): 31-32


Honors and Awards

Erwin-Schrödinger-Preis 2007, Scientific Award of the "Stifterverband" for extraordinary interdisciplinary cooperation