Poster
Sudip Paul
PhD
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Wenjun Xie
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Ole Reppien Christensen
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Hans Thordal-Christensen
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark
carsten Pedersen
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Zizhang Li
University of Maryland
Maryland, Maryland, United States
The use of mutants to enhance pathogen resistance in plants is well established. A notable example is mlo-based resistance in barley, which provides protection against the powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria hordei. Recently, we made a genetic screen in the eds1 background of Arabidopsis and identified a novel mutant, imm1, which exhibits immunity to the powdery mildew fungus, Golovinomyces orontii. To uncover the molecular basis of this resistance, we conducted a time-course RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) study. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that imm1 closely resembles the well-characterized mlo mutant, suggesting it exists in a primed state for atypical defense responses. Notably, differential gene expression and pathway enrichment analyses highlighted the indolic glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway as a key factor in imm1-mediated resistance. Additionally, yeast two-hybrid assays suggest a potential interaction between IMM1 and NHL3, a known regulator of callose deposition. To investigate this interaction further, we aim to generate a double mutant (imm1 nhl3) and assess its impact on immunity. Moreover, CRISPR-Cas9 induced mutations in IMM1 homologs in barley reduced fungal penetration by B. hordei. This study advances our understanding of innate antifungal immunity and may contribute to the development of disease-resistant crops that can benefit the agriculture industry.