Abstract
MAP kinase (MAPK) cascades are major components downstream of receptors or sensor that transduce extracellular stimuli into intracellular response. In plant, MAPK are activated by abiotic stress and by pathogen. A MAPK cascade functions downstream of the elicitor receptor FLS2 in Arabidopsis, and tobacco MAPKs are involved in reactive oxygen species production, cell death and defense gene activation. Rice MAPK genes are induced by rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) and fungal elicitor, however little is known about MAPK cascade and disease resistance.
We are characterizing a new rice MAPK quickly activated by rice blast elicitor in cell culture and by incompatible rice blast infection in plant. This MAP kinase shows high homology to the plant NtSIPK and AtMPK6 involved in cell death and disease resistance. Therefore we are using multiple approaches (transgenic plants, transient assay) to further investigate the role of this MAPK in cell death and defense signaling in rice.
