title: Plant disease resistance is augmented in uzu barley lines modified in the brassinosteroid receptor BRI1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brassinosteroid hormones regulate many aspects of plant growth and development. The membrane receptor BRI1 is a central player in the brassinosteroid signaling cascade. Semi-dwarf 'uzu' barley carries a mutation in a conserved domain of the kinase tail of BRI1 and this mutant allele is recognised for its positive contribution to both yield and lodging resistance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we show that uzu barley exhibits enhanced resistance to a range of pathogens. It was due to a combination of preformed, inducible and constitutive defence responses, as determined by a combination of transcriptomic and biochemical studies. Gene expression studies were used to determine that the uzu derivatives are attenuated in downstream brassinosteroid signaling. The reduction of BRI1 RNA levels via virus-induced gene silencing compromised uzu disease resistance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pathogen resistance of uzu derivatives may be due to pleiotropic effects of BRI1 or the cascade effects of their repressed BR signaling.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland. shahinsharif.ali@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shahin S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Lokanadha R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Gunupuru
authors.forename: G B Sunil
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Mojibur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scofield
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Doohan
mesh_terms: D060406:Brassinosteroids / Q000378:metabolism; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D001467:Hordeum / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D060406:Brassinosteroids; D010940:Plant Proteins