Posttranslational modification of histones modulates gene expression affecting diverse biological functions. We showed that the Arabidopsis thaliana histone methyl transferases SET DOMAIN GROUP8 (SDG8) and SDG25 regulate pep1-, flg22-, and effector-triggered immunity as well as systemic acquired resistance. Genome-wide basal and induced transcriptome changes regulated by SDG8 and/or SDG25 showe...

Effector-triggered immunity (ETI) is activated when plant disease resistance (R) proteins recognize the presence of pathogen effector proteins delivered into host cells. The ETI response generally encompasses a defensive 'hypersensitive response' (HR) that involves programmed cell death at the site of pathogen recognition. While many R protein and effector protein pairs are known to trigger HR,...

A commentary on Phylogenomics of Xanthomonas field strains infecting pepper and tomato reveals diversity in effector repertoires and identifies determinants of host specificity Crop diseases impact both yield and product quality and result in important health, economic, environmental, and societal issues worldwide (Scholthof, 2003; Strange and Scott, 2005). These diseases are caused by microorg...

Natural killer (NK) cells are effector cells of the innate immune system that exert direct cytotoxic functions. Ubiquitously-expressed toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been recognized as one of the major components promoting dendritic cell (DC) maturation, which may induce polarized immune responses beneficial to cancer immunotherapy. TLR-activated NK cells and DCs are prerequisite for robust ac...

Plant disease resistance can be seen as a process of a dual nature: both qualitative and quantitative.The nature of non-self molecules perceived by plants has led to the depiction of plant immunity as a two-layer defence system. The first layer is mediated by cell surface and intracellular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which perceive conserved microbial elicitors, termed pathogenassociat...

The phenomenon of concomitant tumor immunity involves a tumor-bearing host rejecting another similar tumor at a distant site and suggests the existence of tumor-specific immunity. Loss of this immunity may contribute to tumor metastasis. However, mechanisms underlying the loss of concomitant immunity are largely unknown. We set up a concomitant tumor immunity model in which this immunity is gra...

Plants are constantly exposed to a large and diverse array of microbes; however, most plants are immune to the majority of potential invaders and susceptible to only a small subset of pathogens. The cytoskeleton comprises a dynamic intracellular framework that responds rapidly to biotic stresses and supports numerous fundamental cellular processes including vesicle trafficking, endocytosis and ...