A constitutive PR-1::luciferase expression screen identifies Arabidopsis mutants with differential disease resistance to both biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens

Mol Plant Pathol. 2005 Jan 1;6(1):31-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2004.00261.x.

Abstract

SUMMARY A complex signal transduction network involving salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene underlies disease resistance in Arabidopsis. To understand this defence signalling network further, we identified mutants that expressed the marker gene PR-1::luciferase in the absence of pathogen infection. These cir mutants all display constitutive expression of a suite of defence-related genes but exhibit different disease resistance profiles to two biotrophic pathogens, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Peronospora parasitica NOCO2, and the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. We further characterized cir3, which displays enhanced resistance only to the necrotrophic pathogen. Cir3-mediated resistance to B. cinerea is dependent on accumulated salicylic acid and a functional EIN2 protein.