Plant receptor kinases as targets for microbial effectors (D04)

• Subject Area: Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems ; Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics ; Structural Biology
• Term: from 2014 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 232631280

Affinities of the bacterial effector protein AvrPto to kinase domains of plant receptor kinases BAK1 and FLS2 will be determined in vivo by means of fluorescence cross correlation spectroscopy. These studies complement studies conducted in vitro during the first funding period. Application of this method in plant biochemistry is quite novel and rather generally allows to determine molecular affinities or stimulus-induced changes thereof in a cellular context. In addition, a crystal structure of the effector protein in complex with the BAK1 protein kinase domain will be solved to elucidate the moelcular basis for high-affinity binding.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1101: Molecular Encoding of Specificity in Plant Processes
• Applicant Institution: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Thorsten Nürnberger; Professor Dr. Thilo Stehle