Project Details
Projekt
Long distance signaling during pathogen-induced systemic acquired resistance in plants: lipid requisites and their interface(s) with salicylates
Applicant
Dr. Caroline Clara von Dahl
Subject Area
Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
Term
from 2009 to 2012
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 156530520
Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a potent long-lasting resistance that is induced throughout the plant by an initial pathogen infection. This increased protection of healthy tissue is triggered by a set of recognition systems that elicit distinct local defense responses and is effective against a broad spectrum of plant pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and oomycetes. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) was identified as a mobile signal initiating SAR in Nicotiana tabacum; it also has been implicated as an SAR signal in Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, lipid signaling has been proposed to have a role in SAR, based on experiments with Arabidopsis mutants. These findings raise several questions, including: i) what is the nature of the lipid signal(s) involved in SAR activation and ii) do the lipid signals and MeSA act independently or are they connected in a single signaling pathway? The proposed research will investigate the hypothesis that MeSA-based signaling requires specific lipid preconditions, which will be assessed by characterizing salicylic acid (SA)-signaling in several lipid-related Arabidopsis mutants. 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be used to identify the putative lipid-derived mobile signal through bioassay-aided analysis of the phloem exudates of these mutant plants. Finally, by performing detailed analyses of three putative SA-binding proteins involved in lipid metabolism, my research will explore potential new interfaces between SA and lipid-signaling.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
USA
Cooperation Partner
Professor Dr. Frank Clemens Schröder
