@article{karre_kim_kim_khangura_sermons_dilkes_johal_balint-kurti_2021, title={Maize Plants Chimeric for an Autoactive Resistance Gene Display a Cell-Autonomous Hypersensitive Response but Non–Cell Autonomous Defense Signaling}, volume={34}, ISSN={0894-0282 1943-7706}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-04-20-0091-R}, DOI={10.1094/MPMI-04-20-0091-R}, abstractNote={The maize gene Rp1-D21 is a mutant form of the gene Rp1-D that confers resistance to common rust. Rp1-D21 triggers a spontaneous defense response that occurs in the absence of the pathogen and includes a programed cell death called the hypersensitive response (HR). Eleven plants heterozygous for Rp1-D21, in four different genetic backgrounds, were identified that had chimeric leaves with lesioned sectors showing HR abutting green nonlesioned sectors lacking HR. The Rp1-D21 sequence derived from each of the lesioned portions of leaves was unaltered from the expected sequence whereas the Rp1-D21 sequences from nine of the nonlesioned sectors displayed various mutations, and we were unable to amplify Rp1-D21 from the other two nonlesioned sectors. In every case, the borders between the sectors were sharp, with no transition zone, suggesting that HR and chlorosis associated with Rp1-D21 activity was cell autonomous. Expression of defense response marker genes was assessed in the lesioned and nonlesioned sectors as well as in near-isogenic plants lacking and carrying Rp1-D21. Defense gene expression was somewhat elevated in nonlesioned sectors abutting sectors carrying Rp1-D21 compared with near-isogenic plants lacking Rp1-D21. This suggests that, whereas the HR itself was cell autonomous, other aspects of the defense response initiated by Rp1-D21 were not.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .}, number={6}, journal={Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions®}, publisher={Scientific Societies}, author={Karre, Shailesh and Kim, Saet-Byul and Kim, Bong-Suk and Khangura, Rajdeep S. and Sermons, Shannon M. and Dilkes, Brian and Johal, Guri and Balint-Kurti, Peter}, year={2021}, month={Jun}, pages={606–616} } @article{wagner_tang_salvato_clouse_bartlett_vintila_phillips_sermons_hoffmann_balint-kurti_et al._2021, title={Microbe-dependent heterosis in maize}, volume={118}, ISSN={0027-8424 1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2021965118}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.2021965118}, abstractNote={Significance Almost all grain crops grown on commercial farms are hybrid cultivars because these hybrid plants are reliably healthier, larger, and more productive than their inbred parent lines. The widespread and valuable phenomenon of hybrid superiority is called heterosis. Despite over a century of intensive research into heterosis, it is unclear how or why hybrid genomes give rise to superior phenotypes. Most hypotheses and research thus far have focused on genetic and physiological mechanisms of heterosis. In contrast, this article presents evidence for a microbe-driven mechanism of heterosis, whereby the activity of live soil microbes affects the expression of heterosis. This finding will open lines of research that could advance our understanding of heterosis.}, number={30}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Wagner, Maggie R. and Tang, Clara and Salvato, Fernanda and Clouse, Kayla M. and Bartlett, Alexandria and Vintila, Simina and Phillips, Laura and Sermons, Shannon and Hoffmann, Mark and Balint-Kurti, Peter J. and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jul} }