transcriPTIon · Understanding transcriptional regulation in plant PAMP-triggered immunity
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-09-21 → 2018-09-20
- EU contribution
- €183,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Understanding transcriptional regulation in plant PAMP-triggered immunity
Like animals, plants possess an immune system, capable of fending off most pathogens. However, like animals, the plant immune system can fail to suppress some infections, leading to disease. In the case of agricultural crop production, these diseases reduce yields, sometimes estimated up to 25% worldwide. Agricultural pathogens and the insects that spread them can be controlled by chemical sprays, but these sprays can have detrimental effects on the ecosystem and frequently are quickly overcome by resistant pathogens. Integrated pest management systems seek to work with the environment and the plant’s own immune system, but in order to effectively manage and even improve plants’ immune systems, we must understand why and how they work. Significant work towards this problem has already been done, revealing an intricate system in which plants first recognize the presence of microbes through plant cell membrane-bound pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which recognize conserved core microbial signatures, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). This recognition triggers a series of responses in the plant, which culminate in increased resistance to infection, called pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Although some pathogens can suppress PTI, leading to further plant-microbe biochemical warfare, PTI is frequently enough to reduce or eliminate disease appearance in plants. One of the core aspects of PTI is a massive transcriptional reprogramming, in which the plant changes which genes are expressed/not expressed, and thus which proteins are present/not present. Although this transcriptional reprogramming has been studied for over a decade, many questions remain unanswered, such as the complement and nature of the transcription factors which control it. The transcriPTIon project was conceived to identify core PTI-regulating TFs, the upstream mechanisms by which they themselves were regulated, and the specific downstream genes each controlled. I have investigated these questions through a large RNAseq experiment, using an unprecedented diversity of PAMPs and resolution of timing. Through this I have identified previously unexplored aspects of PTI-associated transcription, including identification of several transcription factors proven or implicated to have key roles in PTI.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Plants are constantly exposed to a range of microbial pathogens. As plants lack an adaptive immune system, recognition and signalling in the cells directly exposed to pathogens is vital for plant defence and survival, and thus agricultural yields. Initial detection of pathogens is mediated by plant recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), perceived by pattern recognition receptors at the plasma membrane. These receptors activate an array of signalling events, culminating in a massive transcriptional reprogramming, leading to PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Although this transcriptional reprogramming is vital for establishing plant defence, our knowledge of the mechanisms by which it is mediated remains fragmented. Here I propose to utilize the TRANSPLANTA collection of Arabidopsis thaliana lines that inducibly express individual transcription factors (TFs) to generate a more cohesive understanding of transcription in plant defence. Specifically, I propose to (1) identify TFs that affect PTI when overexpressed, (2) select top candidates, acting broadly in PTI regardless of pathogen, (3) elucidate their mode of regulation, using immunoblotting and protein co-immunoprecipitation, and (4) identify their target genes via chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing, and effect on transcription via RNA-seq. Knowledge of the identity, regulation, and targets of TFs involved in establishing PTI will allow the exploration of heretofore unknown transcriptional networks in plant immunity, providing not only insight into this signalling process but also targets for biotechnological strategies for crop protection. My graduate work on regulation of early plant stress responses has prepared me for this project, while the experience and mentorship offered by the host lab and institution in new techniques, scientific communication, and international collaboration make this an ideal opportunity to prepare me for a future as an independent research leader.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY · NorwichCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union