Calcium/Calmodulin-mediated Signaling During Plant-microbe Interactions

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Abstract

Calcium/calmodulin-mediated signaling plays critical roles in plant growth and development as well as in response to biotic and abiotic stimuli. This project follows up on recent work from the PI's laboratory on identifying, characterizing and manipulating calcium/calmodulin-binding proteins in the context of calcium/calmodulin-mediated regulation of plant growth, plant-microbe interactions during bacterial and fungal symbioses and plant immune/defense responses. AtSR1/CaMTA3 and CCaMK/DMI3 are two examples of calcium/calmodulin-regulated proteins that play central roles in plant-microbe interactions. AtSR1/CaMTA3 acts as a negative regulator and controls plant immunity/defense mediated by salicylic acid (an aspirin-like compound). CCaMK/DMI3 plays a central role in controlling bacterial and fungal symbioses in plants. Despite recent advances in the understanding how calcium/calmodulin is involved in the regulation of AtSR1/CaMTA3 and CCaMK/DMI3, many underlying basic questions are not clear and warrant further research. This investigation will use multi-disciplinary approaches to dissect the AtSR1/CaMTA3 and the CCaMK/DMI3-mediated signaling. Specifically, this investigation will identify interaction partners and study their functional significance during plant-microbe interactions. This research could have major impacts on future agricultural and environmental issues. Studies on plant defense could lead to the production of disease-resistant crop plants while studies on plant-microbe symbioses could lead to the production of crop plants with increased nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition, thereby reducing the dependence on fossil fuel-based fertilizers. The broader impacts include training of undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who are interested in careers in science.