Dissecting the functional diversity of TIRs for robust plant immunity in a warming climatecore
Plant-RISE · Horizon Europe grant · 2027-06-01–2029-05-31
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF · scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF · topic HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF-01-01. CORDIS record →
Objective
Currently, plant diseases significantly reduce crop yield in agriculture, posing a substantial societal and economic threat globally. Moreover, climate change is intensifying the incidence and severity of plant diseases. Plant disease resistance is largely mediated by intracellular NLR immune receptors, which detect pathogen effectors and activate defence pathways. However, NLR function is often compromised at elevated temperatures, limiting their effectiveness under temperature stress. In contrast, recent work has shown that signalling TIR (Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor) domains isolated from NLRs and naturally occurring non-canonical TIR-containing proteins (ncTIRs) can retain immune signalling activity even under heat stress. These proteins may represent a novel class of immune components with temperature-resilient properties, but the molecular mechanisms behind their function and thermotolerance remain poorly understood.This project aims at dissecting how canonical and ncTIR domains operate under elevated temperature conditions. To address this question, I have designed a multidisciplinary project that will be carried out in the lab of Dr. Maud Bernoux (LIPME), an expert in the field of plant immunity and TIR signalling. Using a combination of confocal microscopy, proximity proteomics, and protein biochemistry, I will explore the functional diversity of TIR proteins in Arabidopsis and dissect the molecular mechanisms that regulate these proteins. Importantly, I will investigate the impact of high temperatures on these mechanisms to bring novel insights in the potential of TIRs for engineering robust plant immunity and enhancing crop resilience in a warming world.
Beneficiaries (2)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT | FR | coordinator | €226,421 | |
| EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAET TUEBINGEN | DE | associatedPartner | — |
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