Prof. Dr.

Erika Kothe

Professor for Microbial Phytopathology, Institute of Microbiology,

Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Institute of Microbiology
Neugasse 25
07743 Jena

Phone +49 (0)3641 949291

Fax +49 (0)3641 949292

www.mikrobiologie.uni-jena.de

erika.kothe@uni-jena.de

JSMC Projects:
Deletion of dhc1 to investigate mating-dependent nuclear migration in the
basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune
Microarray analysis and investigation of new pheromone receptors in
Schizophyllum commune

Research interests and areas of supervision

basidiomycete pheromone perception and response

ectomycorrhizal host specificity and gene regulation
streptomycete heavy metal response

Education and scientific career

Since 1997 Professor for Microbial Phytopathology, FSU Jena

1997 Associate Professor C2, University of Marburg
1997 Habilitation in Genetics and Mycology, University of Marburg
1991 - 1997 Scientific assistent, C1, University of Marburg
1991 Postdoctoral fellow at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, NL, DFG grant
1989 - 1991 Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Vermont, USA, DFG grant
1988 PhD, University of Marburg
1984 Diploma in Biology, University of Marburg

Interdisciplinary affiliation


Since 2009 Coordinator of the project "UMBRELLA" within the 7th EU Research
Framework Programme Recovery of soil resources
Since 2009 Member of the Centre for Innovation Competence "INFLUINS" funded by
the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Since 2008 Member of the Executive Committee of the Jena Graduate Academy at
the FSU Jena
Since 2007 Member of the Steering Committee of the graduate training programme
HIGRADE of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Since 2007 Co-coordinator of JSMC, Jena
Since 2006 Faculty member of the ILRS Jena
Since 2006 Coordinator of DFG GRK 1257 "Alteration and element mobility at
microbe-mineral interfaces"
Since 2005 Vice president of the Vereinigung fr Angewandte Botanik
Since 2003 Faculty member of the IMPRS on "The Exploration of Ecological
Interactions with Molecular and Chemical Techniques", MPI-CE, Jena, Germany

Administrative experience

Since 2011 Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Helmholtz Centre
Dresden-Rossendorf
Since 2010 Member of the Steering Committee of the IMPRS Global
biogeochemical cycles, Jena
Since 2009 Member of the DFG Senate Commission on "Collaborative research in
geosciences"
Since 2007 Senator at the FSU Jena
Since 2005 Member of Expert Committee for Natural Sciences in the implementation
of Curricula at German Universities, Acquin, Bayreuth
2004 - 2011 Trustee of the FSU Jena towards the DFG
2003 - 2007 Dean of Studies Affairs, Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy, FSU Jena
2001 - 2003 Officer for Equal Opportunities at the Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy,
FSU Jena
Since 2000 Editor in Chief for Journal of Basic Microbiology, Wiley VCH, Weinheim

Ten most important publications

1. Walter A, Reinicke M, Bocklitz T, Schumacher W, Rsch P, Kothe E, Popp J

(2011) Raman spectroscopic detection of physiology changes in plasmid-
bearing Escherichia coli with and without antibiotic treatment. Anal Bioanal
Chem 400, 2763-2773.
2. Haferburg G, Kothe E (2010) Metallomics: lessons for metalliferous soil
remediation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 87, 1271-1280.


3. Ohm RA, de Jong JF, Lugones LG, Aerts A, Kothe E, Stajich JE, de Vries RP,
Record E, Levasseur A, Baker SE, Bartholomew KA, Coutinho PM, Erdmann
S, Fowler TJ, Gathman AC, Lombard V, Henrissat B, Knabe N, Kes U, Lilly
WW, Lindquist E, Lucas S, Magnuson JK, Piumi F, Raudaskoski M, Salamov
A, Schmutz J, Schwarze F, van Kuyk PA, Horton JS, Grigoriev IV, Wsten
HAB (2010) Genome sequence of the model mushroom Schizophyllum
commune. Nature Biotechnol 28, 957-963.
4. Raudaskoski M, Kothe E (2010) Basidiomycete mating type genes and
pheromone signaling. Eukaryot Cell 9, 847-859.
5. Dimkpa CO, Merten D, Svatos A, Bchel G, Kothe E (2009) Metal-induced
oxidative stress impacting plant growth in contaminated soil is alleviated by
microbial siderophores. Soil Biol Biochem 41, 154-162.
6. Dimkpa CO, Merten D, Svatos A, Bchel G, Kothe E (2009) Siderophores
mediate reduced and increased uptake of cadmium by Streptomyces tendae
F4 and sunflower (Helianthus annuus), respectively. J Appl Microbiol 107,
1687-1696.
7. Dimkpa CO, Svatos A, Dabrowska P, Schmidt A, Boland W, Kothe E (2008)
Involvement of siderophores in the reduction of metal-induced inhibition of
auxin synthesis in Streptomyces spp. Chemosphere 74, 19-25.
8. Haferburg G, Klss G, Schmitz W, Kothe E (2008) "Ni-struvite" - A new
biomineral formed by a nickel resistant Streptomyces acidiscabies.
Chemosphere 72, 517-523.
9. Schmidt M, Zahn S, Carella M, Ohlenschlger O, Grlach M, Kothe E, Weston
J (2008) Solution structure of a functional biomimetic and mechanistic
implications for nickel superoxide dismutases. ChemBioChem 9, 2135-2146.
10. Schubert D, Raudaskoski M, Knabe N, Kothe E (2006) Ras GTPase-activating
protein Gap1 of the homobasidiomycete Schizophyllum commune regulates
hyphal growth orientation and sexual development. Eukaryot Cell 5, 683-695.