Research Projects

Plant pathogens and diseases significantly reduce crop yields, cause economic losses, and impact global food security. Plants use specialized plasma membrane-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRPs) to detect invading microbes, fungi, or herbivores, and these receptors activate the MAP Kinase (MPK) signaling pathway. Plants also regulate developmental growth processes through endogenous peptides. The plant hormone auxin regulates plant development and is transported directionally within the plant via auxin transporters. The intracellular trafficking of PIN auxin transport proteins may be impacted during pathogen infections, and MPK signaling targets PIN proteins. It is unknown whether pathogens and developmental pathways directly converge on PIN phosphoregulation and how MPK-dependent PIN phosphoregulation regulates PIN trafficking and function. A unique tool kit has been developed to conduct in-depth cell biological and genetic analysis of PIN phosphoregulation by MPK signaling during pathogen invasion and development. The research aims to identify the function of auxin transporters in PAMP, DAMP, and endogenous peptides signaling pathways, ultimately helping to understand the reaction and contribution of auxin transport to plant pathogen responses.