Roles of microbiota in autoimmunity in Arabidopsis leaves.

Over the past three decades, researchers have isolated plant mutants that show constitutively activated defence responses in the absence of pathogen infection. These mutants are called autoimmune mutants and are typically dwarf and/or bearing chlorotic/necrotic lesions. Here, from a genetic screen for Arabidopsis genes involved in maintaining a normal leaf microbiota, we identified TIP GROWTH DEFECTIVE 1 (TIP1), which encodes an S-acyltransferase, as a key player in guarding leaves against abnormal microbiota level and composition under high-humidity conditions.

Roles of microbiota in autoimmunity in Arabidopsis.

Over the past three decades, researchers have isolated plant mutants that display constitutively activated defense responses in the absence of pathogen infection. These mutants are called autoimmune mutants and are typically dwarf and/or bearing chlorotic/necrotic lesions. From a genetic screen for genes involved in maintaining a normal leaf microbiota, we identified (), which encodes a S-acyltransferase, as a key player in guarding leaves against abnormal microbiota level and composition under high humidity conditions.

Peat-based gnotobiotic plant growth systems for Arabidopsis microbiome research.

The complex structure and function of a plant microbiome are driven by many variables, including the environment, microbe-microbe interactions and host factors. Likewise, resident microbiota can influence many host phenotypes. Gnotobiotic growth systems and controlled environments empower researchers to isolate these variables, and standardized methods equip a global research community to harmonize protocols, replicate experiments and collaborate broadly.

Repression of jasmonate signaling by a non-TIFY JAZ protein in Arabidopsis.

JAsmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins repress the activity of transcription factors that execute responses to the plant hormone jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile). The ZIM protein domain recruits the co-repressors NINJA and TOPLESS to JAZ-bound transcription factors, and contains a highly conserved TIF[F/Y]XG motif that defines the larger family of TIFY proteins to which JAZs belong. Here, we report that diverse plant species contain genes encoding putative non-TIFY JAZ proteins, including a previously unrecognized JAZ repressor in Arabidopsis (JAZ13, encoded by At3g22275).

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated inactivation of the hormone jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine by multiple members of the cytochrome P450 94 family in Arabidopsis.

The plant hormone jasmonate (JA) controls diverse aspects of plant immunity, growth, and development. The amplitude and duration of JA responses are controlled in large part by the intracellular level of jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile). In contrast to detailed knowledge of the JA-Ile biosynthetic pathway, little is known about enzymes involved in JA-Ile metabolism and turnover.

Recombineering and stable integration of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61 hrp/hrc cluster into the genome of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1.

Many Gram-negative bacteria use a type III secretion system (T3SS) to establish associations with their hosts. The T3SS is a conduit for direct injection of type-III effector proteins into host cells, where they manipulate the host for the benefit of the infecting bacterium. For plant-associated pathogens, the variations in number and amino acid sequences of type-III effectors, as well as their functional redundancy, make studying type-III effectors challenging.