Head: Dierk Scheel & Justin Lee

Perception of microbes via plant surveillance systems is channelled into the appropriate immune responses through complex intracellular signal transduction. One of the earliest responses after receptor-mediated recognition of MAMP (microbe-associated molecular pattern) is ion fluxes at the plasma membrane, which is tightly linked to an increase in cytoplasmic calcium levels. This is followed by activation of protein kinases such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), ROS (reactive oxygen species) production, changes in phytohormone levels and ultimately defence gene expression. The temporally and spatially fine-tuned defence response calls for an integrative coordination of all the subsets of signalling events. Our research focuses on unravelling such cellular signalling network using Arabidopsis and parsley as model plant systems.