Identification of molecular patterns triggering Zinc-mediated immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana

Previous results by our lab and others have shown that plants use zinc to fend-off pathogens. However, the molecular bases of this response and how it is elicited have not been defined yet, an important aspect when considering their possible use in crop pathogen-management strategies. In this proposal, we would like to use the X-ray fluorescence capabilities at ID21 to determine how different immune response-triggering molecules affect the local zinc accumulation characteristic of the zinc-mediated immune (ZiMI) response. This will be an important step in our current studies on how ZiMI response is initiated and how it integrates in the more canonical plant immune response pathways.