Max-Planck-Institute of Plant Breeding Dept. of Plant Microbe Interactions (P. Schulze-Lefert) Research areas: -Recognition and Signalling in Disease Resistance (Paul Schulze-Lefert) -Molecular Mechanisms of Defence Suppression (Ralph Panstruga) -Signaling mechanisms in Plant Innate Immunity (Jane Parker) -Molecular basis of Fungal Biotrophy (Richard O'Connell) -Regulatory Protein Complexes in Plant Defense (Erich Kombrink) -Transcriptional Regulation in Plant Defence (Imre E. Somssich) -The Mechanism of FL2 Signaling in Plant Innate Immunity (Silke Robatzek) -Functional Genomics in Barley (Thomas Koprek); until end of 2005

Mlo wildtypemlo mutant Mutations in barley Mlo confer resistance to all isolates of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei BUT: mlo mutants are more susceptible to certain hemibiotrophic (Magnaporthe grisea) and necrotrophic (Bipolaris sorokiniana) fungi

TPS 8, 263, 2003

Inducibility and expression kinetics of parsley genes upon Pmg elicitor treatment A B probe: nuclear run-on transcript

W1 box CTTACACACTTAATTTGACCGAGTAACATTCG W2 box CAATTACAGCCATCAAAGTTGACCAATAATA W3 box CTATTATGACTAAATAGTCAGAATTTCCAA E17 box TGTCAATGGTCAACATTCAAC D box TACAATTCAAACATTGTTCAAACAAGGAACC U box TGTGCCATGAAGTTGAAATTCAATAGTGTGC S box CAGCCACCAAAGAGGACCCAGAAT GCC box CAGCCGCCAAAGAGGACCCAGAAT Gst1 box TTCTAGCACCAGATTTGACCAAAC Fungal Elicitor Responsive Cis-acting Elements Rushton et al., Plant Cell l4, 749 (2002)

cis-element TATA-box 4 x D box 2 x (W2/S/ D) box 4 x W1 box 4 x S box MgCl P. syringae B. graminis P. parasitica

The WRKY family of transcription factors WRKYC-C-H-HC-C-H-H C-C-H-HC-C-H-H Group I WRKY C-C-H-HC-C-H-H HARFWRKYC-C-H-HC-C-H-H LZ WRKYC-C-H-HC-C-H-H Group II C-C- -H-CWRKY Group III LZ WRKYC-C- -H-C WRKY domain:

The WRKY Family of Transcription Factors Novel Zn finger type DNA binding proteins Translocated into the plant cell nucleus via NLS motif Bind to cis-regulatory element: W box (C/T TGAC T/C) Phosphorylation increases DNA binding affinity Contain functional transactivation domains Capable of activating but also repressing gene expression AG TTGACC AA AG A TGACC AA AG G TGACC AA AG C TGACC AA AG TTGAC A AA AG TTGAC G AA AG TTGAC T AA AG T A GACC AA AG TT C ACC AA AG TTGA A C AA AG TTGACC AA WRKY11 At4g31550

WRKY genes are found outside of the plant phyla

Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY Family

Response of AtWRKY KO lines to Ralstonia solanacearum 8 days post root inoculation with strain GMI1000 (virulent on wt Col-0 plants) Wt AtWRKY27 KO mutant

Disease Index 0 : no wilt symptom 1 : 0 – 25 % wilted leaves 2 : 25 – 50 % wilted leaves 3 : 50 – 75 % wilted leaves 4 : 75 – 100 % wilted leaves Disease Index (50 plants from each line root inoculated) Days post-inoculation Control-Col-0 W27ETL-Col-1 Control-Col-1 W27-SALK-Col-0 AtWRKY27 KO lines show enhanced resistance towards Rastonia solanacearum (GMI1000) infection

Col-0 WRKY53 KO Col-0 WRKY40 bacteria log cfu/cm2 Days WRKY WRKY53 WRKY40 KO AtWRKY knockout lines are more susceptible towards P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000