Objective
This project will (1) reveal design principles of paired immune receptor complexes and (2) elevate plant disease resistance by enabling design of immune receptors with new recognition capacities.
Plant immunity is triggered upon pathogen detection by dedicated immune receptors. Like animal Nod-like receptors (NLRs), plant immune receptors have a modular structure and can work in pairs, both of which are required for defence activation upon recognition of specific pathogen proteins. How such intracellular immune receptor complexes activate defence solely upon recognition of microbial molecules is poorly understood.
Using novel high risk/high gain methods such as domain/domain cross-linking with mass spectrometry (XL-MS) and cryo-electron microscopy, as well as X-ray crystallography, genetics and cell biology, we will define at a structural level the domain/domain interactions within an immune receptor complex, and how these change upon pathogen perception. The Arabidopsis RPS4/RRS1 immune receptor acts in the cell nucleus to detect when pathogen effectors target WRKY transcription factors, converting effector interactions with the RRS1 WRKY domain into defence activation via RPS4. We will reveal the intra-molecular reconfigurations required for signalling and thus tackle a problem of broad significance, both for immune receptors, and for other intracellular receptors that are activated by ligand-dependent release from negative regulation.
We will also create and test derivatives of RPS4/RRS1 or related complexes that are designed to respond to effectors that target other host protein domains. As Richard Feynman said, “What I cannot create, I do not understand”. By designing immune receptors to recognize other pathogen effectors, we will test models of how plant immune receptors activate defence, but only upon effector recognition. This second objective is ambitious and high risk/high gain, but potentially game-changing for crop disease control.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture sustainable agriculture
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology mineralogy crystallography
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences chemical sciences analytical chemistry mass spectrometry
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology structural biology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2014-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
NR47UH Norwich
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.