Non-self recognition and signaling mechanisms in plants

Plants and animals sense invading microorganisms through detection of non-self components via immune receptors. The primary plant immune response is triggered by the detection of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) via cell surface-resident pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), largely encoded by receptor-like kinases (RLKs). Compared to animals, sessile plants have evolved a largely expanded collection of RLKs. These RLKs sense not only PAMPs but also diverse intrinsic and extrinsic signals, and relay the signaling cascades to various downstream outputs that are central to plant growth, development, immunity and stress adaptation. My laboratory is mainly interested in the RLK-mediated signaling mechanisms in plant innate immunity, and the regulation of the shared regulators for a trade-off between growth and immunity. The Arabidopsis RLK FLS2 recognizes bacterial flagellin and initiates immune signaling by association with another RLK BAK1, a convergent point in plant immunity and development. Using genetic and biochemical approaches, we are studying the functional plasticity of shared modules in diverse signaling receptorsomes controlling plant immunity, growth and cell differentiation. The recent progresses on the layered regulation of plant immune sensory complex and signaling relay to global immune gene activation will be discussed in the talk.