The molecular basis of pre- and post-invasion defense mechanisms in plants

植物病害不断对我们的环境和可持续的世界粮食供应构成威胁。然而，大多数植物利用它们的先天免疫力成功地抵御了绝大多数攻击它们的病原体的感染。植物已经进化出了大量的机械和化学防御，这些防御在病原体进入和生长的渗透和入侵后阶段部署。尽管如此，在过去的几十年里，已经进行了广泛的研究，以破译宿主利用的机制，以抵御潜在的病原体，但仍然需要更多的工作，将获得的信息纳入一个成功的抗性育种计划。为了了解抗病性的分子决定因素，我们以前构建了一个cDNA文库小麦表皮挑战接种白粉病。从该文库中产生的表达序列标签的深入分析和随后鉴定的基因的表达谱分析揭示了植物免疫系统的新组分的鉴定。为了确定它们在防御相关途径中的功能作用和意义，我们的目标是对已建立的真菌致病系统进行突变，遗传和生化分析。这项研究还将揭示潜在的代谢途径和信号介质的拟南芥免疫。因此，这里提出的研究的目标是目录这些不可或缺的组件，并将它们组装在一个集成的网络。该项目的成果将为在经济上重要的作物（如油菜和其他芸苔）中设计持久的广谱抗病性提供蓝图。

Plant diseases are constantly posing threats to our environment and sustainable world food supply. However, most plants exploit their innate immunity to successfully withstand infection by the vast majority of pathogens that attack them. Plants have evolved an enormous array of mechanical and chemical defenses that are deployed at the penetration- and post-invasion stages of pathogen ingress and growth. Nevertheless, over the past decades, extensive research has been conducted to decipher mechanisms utilized by hosts to ward off would-be pathogens, but much more work is still needed to incorporate the information gained into a successful resistance breeding program. Towards the understanding of molecular determinants of disease resistance, we previously constructed a cDNA library from wheat epidermis challenge-inoculated with powdery mildew. In-depth analysis of expressed sequence tags generated from this library and subsequent expression profiling of identified genes divulged the identification of novel components of the plant immune system. To determine their functional roles and implication in defense-associated pathways, we aim to conduct mutational, genetic and biochemical analyses of well established Arabidopsis-fungal pathosystems. This study will also unveil potential metabolic pathways and signalling mediators of Arabidopsis immunity. Therefore, the objective of the research proposed here is to catalogue these indispensable components and to assemble them in an integrated network. The output of this project will bring about a blueprint to engineer durable, broad-spectrum disease resistance in economically important crops, such as canola and other brassicas.