激发子模仿植物和病原菌的非亲和互作，诱发植物的免疫反应。尽管很多信号分子参与激发子的信号传导，但完整的激发子信号转导链鲜有报道。申请者前期工作鉴定到核盘菌角质酶SsCut是一类重要的激发子，同时发现本氏烟NbMADS1参与SsCut诱发的气孔关闭和对病原菌的抗性。本项目根据NbMADS1及其同源蛋白的结构信息，应用生物信息学技术筛选NbMADS1互作蛋白，并进行体外和体内互作验证，通过候选基因的沉默植株鉴定调控SsCut诱发的气孔关闭和病原菌抗性的NbMADS1互作蛋白；并对其进行组织和亚细胞定位；明确互作的关键位点和结构域；分析候选基因介导的植物抗病性及其与SA、JA、ET等防卫信号的关系；比较候选基因介导的气孔免疫与生物、非生物胁迫诱发的气孔关闭的异同点。研究结果有助于阐明NbMADS1互作蛋白在SsCut诱发的植物免疫中的作用机制，为设计高效、低毒的植物病害控制策略提供理论依据。

Elicitor can mimic plant-microbe interaction to trigger plant immunity. Despite some key signal factors have been reported to be involved in elicitor signaling transduction, the integrated signaling pathway can not be drawn. We have previously reported a Sclerotinia sclerotiorum cutinase, SsCut, which acts as an elicitor to trigger defense responses in plants. We have also found that Nicotiana benthamian MADS-box transcription factor, NbMADS1, is a key regulator in SsCut-induced stomatal closure and plant resistance. This proposal is to identify NbMADS1-interacting proteins based on bioinformatic analysis of NbMADS1 and its homologue proteins and in vitro or in vivo interaction experiments. In addition to interactions analysis, disease resistance and stomatal assays on gene-silenced plants can help to identify NbMADS1-interacting proteins required for SsCut-induced stomatal closure and plant resistance. The site or domain critical for interaction can be verified through tissue and subcellular localization and interaction experiments. Further biological analysis can help to clarify the relationship between NbMADS1-interacting proteins mediated plant resistance and salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, ethylene signaling pathways. It is interesting to review the signaling events in stomatal closure induced by abiotic and biotic stress to determine the common and unique steps in each pathway. These studies will contribute to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of NbMADS1-interacting proteins in SsCut-induced plant immunity, and help to design efficient strategies to protect crops.