1. 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

2. 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

3. TPS 8, 263, 2003

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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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:

8. 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

9. WRKY genes are found outside of the plant phyla

10. Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY Family

11. 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

12. 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 0 1 2 3 4 02468101214 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

13. Col-0 WRKY53 KO Col-0 WRKY40 bacteria log cfu/cm2 Days WRKY18 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 024 WRKY53 WRKY40 KO AtWRKY40 + 53 knockout lines are more susceptible towards P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000