Award details

Susceptibility

Reference	BBS/E/J/000PR9797
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Saskia Hogenhout
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Janneke Balk, Professor Mark Banfield, Professor Raymond Alan Dixon, Dr Christine Faulkner, Professor Matthew Hutchings, Professor Jonathan Jones, Professor Sophien Kamoun, Dr Vinod Kumar, Professor Wenbo Ma, Dr Jacob Malone, Professor Richard Morris, Professor Paul Nicholson, Dr Christopher Ridout, Professor Nicholas Talbot
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	6,063,684
Status	Current
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2017
End date	31/03/2023
Duration	59 months

Abstract

Plant recognition and response processes are modulated so that plants become susceptible to colonisation. To promote colonisation, pathogens and pests produce virulence factors, called effectors, which interact with specific plant targets to re-programme plant pathways, a process referred to as effector-triggered susceptibility. Effectors include proteins, mimics of plant hormones and non-proteinaceous toxins28. Some effectors induce dramatic developmental changes in plants, such as pustules, galls and witch’s brooms that provide a local habitat for the pests or pathogens and that promote their dispersal. In other cases, particularly in beneficial symbiotic associations, signal exchange between the microbe and the plant activates developmental processes that facilitate colonisation of the host plant. With the knowledge that we have already generated on effectors, their targets and associated signalling processes, we are in a unique position to investigate the specificities of effector-target interactions and the signalling pathways activated to regulate downstream processes that eventually promote plant colonisation. Research on effectors has not only led to a better understanding of the biology of colonisers, but has also uncovered important plant processes. For example, effectors led to the discovery of plant factors that mediate cell identity and cell division31-34, identification of plant transcription factors with dual roles in plant development and plant defence responses and the elucidation of novel components of intra- and intercellular trafficking processes. We will investigate the functions of these plant factors targeted by effectors and use this new knowledge to manipulate the balance between defence responses and yield, resistance to necrotrophic versus biotrophic pathogens, and responses to harmful versus beneficial organisms. We have shown that a wide range of factors have major impacts on the outcome of plant-biotic interactions. For example, higher temperatures can increase susceptibility to pathogens and affect interactions with beneficial non-symbiotic diazotrophic soil bacteria. In addition, soil Pseudomonas spp. modulate plant defence responses that directly and indirectly affect plant interactions with pathogens, pests and symbionts and plant growth. However, it is not clear how signals from the environment ultimately define the outcome of plant-biotic interactions. Uncovering these mechanisms will be important for understanding how alterations in the environment, such as climate change, will impact on susceptibility to plant pathogens and pests and the ability of plants to establish interactions with symbionts.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Microbiology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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