Priming of plant defence against pathogens and herbivores by DNA damage signalling (B05)

• Subject Area: Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 190578797

Phytopathogen infections lead to plant DNA damage; several components of DNA damage responses are required for activation of plant innate immunity. Application of bleomycin, a DNA double strand break-inducing glycopeptide, can prime the expression of plant defence genes against subsequent pathogen stress over several days. Project B5 will study molecular mechanisms underlying this priming effect. Insect oviposition on leaves leads to transcriptome changes that resemble those upon pathogen attack. Therefore, we will also assess if oviposition elicits DNA lesions and whether molecular responses to DNA damage contribute to oviposition-mediated anti-herbivore priming.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 973: Priming and Memory of Organismic Responses to Stress
• Applicant Institution: Freie Universität Berlin
• Project Head: Dr. Lennart Wirthmüller