Investigating the interaction between plant cell wall integrity maintenance and innate immunity

The plant cell wall provides structural support to individual cells in addition to acting as a physical barrier between the cell and the environment. Therefore, the cell wall serves as an important barrier to plant pathogens. In order to establish an infection, pathogens must bypass the cell wall to exert their influence on the host and to access its nutrients. Plants have evolved a complex innate immune system which enables the detection of conserved pathogen features, or the damage-associated products of their activity, which activate defence responses. Plant cells also possess a cell wall integrity (CWI) maintenance mechanism whereby receptors monitor the mechanical properties of the cell wall and trigger compensatory responses following cell wall damage. These two systems have been found to interact which influences plant defence responses. However, the molecular components that mediate this interaction are not well characterised. Furthermore, the effect of biotic stress on the mechanical properties of the cell wall and its consequences for the outcome of an infection remain poorly understood. Therefore, this project aims to characterise how the mechanical properties of the cell wall change during innate immunity. Additionally, the molecular components which mediate the interaction between CWI maintenance and innate immunity will be investigated. Understanding novel biotic stress tolerance mechanisms will help direct future strategies to improve the disease resistance of important crop species, helping to ensure food security in the 21st century.