The Role of Receptor Like Cytoplasmic Kinase Mediated Signaling in Plant Responses to Necrotrophic and Biotrophic Pathogens

坏死性病原体是真菌和细菌的一种，它们通过在植物宿主中诱导细胞死亡(坏死)而引起疾病。在这个项目中，将研究调节宿主对坏死性病原体反应的分子和细胞机制。拟南芥的芽孢杆菌诱导蛋白1(BIK1)基因被认为是植物防御反应的重要调节基因。缺乏BIK1的植物对坏死性真菌病原菌灰霉病菌和油菜赤星病菌表现出更高的敏感性，但对细菌病原菌丁香假单胞菌表现出更强的抗性。这些发现表明，BIK1控制着对生物营养型和坏死型病原体的防御反应，最终导致不同的反应，使BIK1成为研究防御途径之间相互作用的理想靶点。介导对生物营养型和坏死型病原菌抗性的防御途径之间的拮抗相互作用已经建立。然而，这些拮抗相互作用的分子机制和遗传控制仍然知之甚少。通过研究BIK1的功能及其信号中间产物，该项目提供了关于对抗感染所需的细胞因子以及不同抗病机制如何相互作用的新知识。本项目的具体目标旨在阐明BIK1的功能。将研究BIK1与拟南芥防御的其他成分之间的遗传相互作用，以确定BIK1在抗病中的总体作用。此外，还将确定BIK1调控的防御途径的组成部分并确定它们的功能。将产生关于植物分子因子的知识，这些分子因子向坏死性病原体携带的信号发送信号，以及这些信号如何到达激活或抑制抗病的分子靶标。该项目提供本科生、研究生和研究生的培训机会，以提高植物科学的技术技能。将在社区论坛上介绍旨在提高公众对生物技术在作物改良中的作用的认识的活动。该项目还将培训在科学界代表性不足的群体的学生。

Necrotrophic pathogens are fungal and bacterial species that cause diseases by inducing cell death (necrosis) in their plant hosts. In this project, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate host response to necrotrophic pathogens will be studied. The Botrytis-induced kinase (BIK1) gene of Arabidopsis was identified as an important regulator of plant defense responses. Plants lacking BIK1 show increase susceptibility to necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola but show increased resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. These findings suggest that BIK1 controls defense responses to biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens culminating in distinct responses, making BIK1 an ideal target for investigating the interactions between defense pathways. Antagonistic interactions between defense pathways mediating resistance to biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens have been established. However, the molecular mechanisms and the genetic control of these antagonistic interactions are still poorly understood. By studying BIK1 function and its signaling intermediates, this project provides new knowledge on cellular factors required to fight infections and how different disease resistance mechanisms interact. The specific objectives in this project are designed to elucidate the functions of BIK1. The genetic interactions between BIK1 and other components of the Arabidopsis defense will be studied to determine the overall role BIK1 in disease resistance. In addition, the components of the BIK1 regulated defense pathway will be identified and their function determined. Knowledge will be generated on plant molecular factors that signal necrotrophic pathogen borne signals and how these signals reach molecular targets to activate or repress disease resistance. This project provides training opportunity at the undergraduate, graduate and post graduate levels to enhance technical skills in the plant sciences. Activities designed to increase public awareness on the role of biotechnology in crop improvement will be presented at community forums. The project will also train students from groups underrepresented in science.