Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana Guard Cells. Arabidopsis thaliana strain:Columbia (Col-0)

Stomata are formed by a pair of specialized guard cells that control the opening and closing of the stomatal pores on the leaf surface. These pores are the main route for microbe penetration into leaves. However, plants show a remarkable ability to close the pore when sensing the presence of microbial invaders; a phenomenon recently described as stomatal immunity. This study was initiated to understand the transcriptional regulation of this early plant defense against pathogens.