Mechanisms Regulating Plant Immune Homeostasis

Plants have evolved a multi-faceted immune system to fight against pathogen infection. While necessary for survival, pathogen perception and the activation of immune responses are energetically taxing for the host and have been linked to considerable fitness costs. Although defense signaling pathways must therefore be tightly regulated, very little is known about the biochemical mechanisms that tailor signaling to maintain cellular homeostasis. My research focuses on understanding the regulatory mechanisms that allow plants to defend against a vast array of potential pathogens while maintaining normal growth and development. Using a forward-genetics approach in an immune-deficient background, I previously identified a number of new players involved in immune homeostasis. In this talk I will discuss some of these players and highlight some projects currently underway in my new lab at Queen’s.