Role of SnRK1-mediated energy signaling in plant biotic stress responses: towards a quantitative clubroot resistance in Brassica crops

Biotic stress is increasingly responsible for significant crop yield losses worldwide. But while research on plant stress tolerance is focusing on innate immunity and hormone action, less attention is given to the role of primary (energy) metabolism. A tight control of energy balance is crucial to growth and survival of all living organisms and central to eukaryotic energy homeostasis are the conserved AMPK/SNF1/SnRK1 protein kinases, that act as the cellular fuel gauges. Consistently, an increasing number of studies suggest an important role for plant SnRK1 signaling in biotic stress tolerance. This project aims at elucidating the exact role and mechanisms of SnRK1 signaling in resistance to clubroot disease (caused by the soil-borne biotrophic protist Plasmodiophora brassicae and affecting many economically important species of the crucifer/brassicaceae family, that also includes the model plant Arabidopsis) and takes steps towards the development of a more sustainable, quantitative resistance in rapeseed (Bra ssica napus).

Keywords:SnRK1, Arabidopsis, canola, Clubroot, Plasmodiophora brassicae, Brassica crops

Disciplines:Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry, Molecular and cell biology, Plant biology, Systems biology, Biophysics