Browsing by Author "Karjalainen, Eveliina"

Yeasts are significant plant pathogens, yet plant-yeast interactions are poorly understood. Mammals have immune receptors for yeast-specific MAMPs (microbe-associated molecular patterns), suggesting that plants might have similar receptors as well. Detection of MAMPs by PRRs (pattern recognition receptors) triggers the plant immune system, leading to the first phase of PTI (pattern-triggered immunity). The yeast cell wall is layered, so only some of the potential MAMP molecules, like mannans, are easily available for the plant receptors. In order to utilize yeasts and PRR-based yeast resistance in agriculture and forestry, it is crucial to identify these receptors and gain a better understanding of their functions in plant-yeast interactions. PRRs can be divided into two groups, RLPs (receptor-like proteins) and RLKs (receptor-like kinases). Some of the L-type lectin receptor kinases have already been shown to participate in the interactions between plants and fungi or fungal like pathogens, making them promising candidates for yeast receptors. G-type lectins remain less studied but have promising genes as well. In this thesis, we use forward and reverse genetics methods to show that lectin receptor kinases might include putative yeast pattern recognition receptors. We also establish the first protocol and genetic screen for the identification of plant PRRs participating in the recognition of yeast cell wall MAMPs. Only genes present in both silver birch (Betula pendula) and arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) were examined to enable following studies with an Arabidopsis model system of the interactions between silver birch and the dimorphic birch pathogen Taphrina betulina. This information can later be used in plant production with other plants and their yeasts as well.