ZINMUNITY · Molecular bases of zinc-mediated immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana

Recent studies have shown that plants locally increase zinc concentrations to fend-off invading microbes, a process in which Zn2+- ATPases HMA2 and HMA4 are essential. ZINMUNITY aims to unveil the molecular mechanisms controlling plant-zinc based immunity, connect it to the known defence signalling pathways, and determine the mechanisms allowing HMA2 and HMA4 to locally increase zinc levels. To do this, I will be trained in the patho-system Arabidopsis thaliana-Plectosphaerella cucumerina BMM, in metal imaging, confocal microscopy, transcriptomic and proteomic data analyses, and biochemistry of Zn2+-ATPases. In exchange, I will contribute with my experience in protein-protein interaction and in computational analyses of protein docking. At the end of this project, I should not only have placed zinc-toxicity mechanisms within the general plant immune responses, but also identified the molecular patterns triggering it, and determined the identity of the zinc-donor proteins to HMA2 and HMA4, impacting both the plant immunity and nutrition areas. As relevant will be setting the foundations for the development of new strategies of crop protection based on the use of zinc enriched bio-estimulants or fertilizers, with important societal (reduction of polluting/toxic and expensive pesticides), and economical implications (lower costs for farmers, new markets for the zinc-fertilizer industry). Moreover, this proposal will set the basis for me to reach a position of scientific independence, since ZINMUNITY will deliver a number of interesting genes for future characterization. This next career step will also be facilitated by many of the transferable skills acquired, such as grant applications, paper publication, research supervision and FAIR data management.