Brian J Staskawicz

Maxine J. Elliot Professor
Chair, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology
Ph.D.  Plant pathology    University of California, Berkeley, 1980
BA   Biology    Bates College, 1974

241A Koshland
Berkeley, California 94720
stask@berkeley.edu
office: 510-642-3721   lab: 510-643-7133   fax:  510-642-4995

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The major effort of our laboratory is to understand the molecular basis of plant disease resistance. We use several model systems to clone genes from both the host and the pathogen that specify plant disease resistance. We employ as model the interaction of Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato and pepper with several phytopathogenic bacteria in the genera Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas. Our ultimate goal is to genetically engineer plants for disease resistance in such a way as to reduce the use of environmentally damaging pesticides.

We have successfully cloned and characterized several avirulence genes from both Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas that specifically induce a resistant response on plants containing the corresponding disease resistance gene. More recently our laboratory has concentrated on the host. We seek to develop strategies to clone genetically defined disease-resistance genes and other genes involved in signal transduction processes. We employ two genetic approaches to identify plant genes that control disease to phytopathogenic bacteria. One takes advantage of the natural variation that occurs for disease resistance uses map-based cloning strategies to clone these naturally occurring resistance genes. The second approach involves genetically dissecting the recognition and signal transduction pathways and to identify and map disease-susceptible plant mutants that are altered in their disease resistance phenotype.

Our tomato research has focused on the semi-dominant gene Pto, that confers resistance to Pseudomonas strains that contain the corresponding avrPto avirulence gene. Our research has revealed that in addition to the Pto gene, there is a second gene, Prf, which is also important to both bacterial resistance and the sensitivity to the fenthion insecticide.

The major focus of Arabidopsis research has been to clone the RPS2 disease-resistance gene. Employing a map-based strategy we have recently cloned and characterized the RPS2 gene. Currently, we are dissecting genetically the pathway for disease resistance in Arabidopsis. We have also identified additional loci required for disease resistance. We are concentrating on one particular mutant (ndr1) that seems to alter resistance to both bacterial and fungal pathogens. Our current goal is to clone and characterize the role of this gene in the signal transduction pathway leading to disease resistance.

Chisholm ST, Coaker G, Day B, Staskawicz BJ. Host-microbe interactions: shaping the evolution of the plant immune response. Cell. 2006 Feb 24;124(4):803-14. Review.

Day B, Dahlbeck D, Huang J, Chisholm ST, Li D, Staskawicz BJ. Molecular basis for the RIN4 negative regulation of RPS2 disease resistance. Plant Cell. 2005 Apr;17(4):1292-305. Epub 2005 Mar 4.

Leister RT, Dahlbeck D, Day B, Li Y, Chesnokova O, Staskawicz BJ. Molecular genetic evidence for the role of SGT1 in the intramolecular complementation of Bs2 protein activity in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Cell. 2005 Apr;17(4):1268-78. Epub 2005 Mar 4.

Metz M, Dahlbeck D, Morales CQ, Al Sady B, Clark ET, Staskawicz BJ. The conserved Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria effector protein XopX is a virulence factor and suppresses host defense in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant J. 2005 Mar;41(6):801-14.

Chisholm ST, Dahlbeck D, Krishnamurthy N, Day B, Sjolander K, Staskawicz BJ. Molecular characterization of proteolytic cleavage sites of the Pseudomonas syringae effector AvrRpt2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Feb 8;102(6):2087-92. Epub 2005 Jan 31.

Coppinger P, Repetti PP, Day B, Dahlbeck D, Mehlert A, Staskawicz BJ. Overexpression of the plasma membrane-localized NDR1 protein results in enhanced bacterial disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 2004 Oct;40(2):225-37.

Axtell MJ, Chisholm ST, Dahlbeck D, Staskawicz BJ. Genetic and molecular evidence that the Pseudomonas syringae type III effector protein AvrRpt2 is a cysteine protease. Mol Microbiol. 2003 Sep;49(6):1537-46.

Banno S, Kimura M, Tokai T, Kasahara S, Higa-Nishiyama A, Takahashi-Ando N, Hamamoto H, Fujimura M, Staskawicz BJ, Yamaguchi I. Cloning and characterization of genes specifically expressed during infection stages in the rice blast fungus. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2003 May 28;222(2):221-7.

Axtell MJ, Staskawicz BJ. Initiation of RPS2-specified disease resistance in Arabidopsis is coupled to the AvrRpt2-directed elimination of RIN4. Cell. 2003 Feb 7;112(3):369-77.

Casper-Lindley C, Dahlbeck D, Clark ET, Staskawicz BJ. Direct biochemical evidence for type III secretion-dependent translocation of the AvrBs2 effector protein into plant cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Jun 11;99(12):8336-41.

Chang JH, Tai YS, Bernal AJ, Lavelle DT, Staskawicz BJ, Michelmore RW. Functional analyses of the Pto resistance gene family in tomato and the identification of a minor resistance determinant in a susceptible haplotype. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2002 Mar;15(3):281-91.

Staskawicz BJ, Mudgett MB, Dangl JL, Galan JE. Common and contrasting themes of plant and animal diseases. Science. 2001 Jun 22;292(5525):2285-9. Review.

Chang JH, Tobias CM, Staskawicz BJ, Michelmore RW. Functional studies of the bacterial avirulence protein AvrPto by mutational analysis. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2001 Apr;14(4):451-9.

Axtell MJ, McNellis T, Mudgett MB, Hsu C, Staskawicz BJ. Mutational Analysis of the Arabidopsis RPS2 Disease Resistance Gene and the Corresponding Pseudomonas syringae avrRpt2 Avirulence Gene. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2001 Feb;14(2):181-8.

Staskawicz BJ. Genetics of plant-pathogen interactions specifying plant disease resistance. Plant Physiol 2001 Jan;125(1):73-6.

Gassman W, Dahlbeck D, Chesnokova O, Minsavage GV, Jones JB, Staskawicz BJ. Molecular Evolution of Virulence in Natural Field Strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. J. Bacteriol. 2000 Dec; 182(24):7053-9.

Orth K, Xu Z, Mudgett MB, Bao ZQ, Palmer LE, Bliska JB, Mangel WF, Staskawicz BJ, Dixon JE. Disruption of Signaling by Yersinia Effector YopJ, a Ubiquitin-Like Protein Protease. Science. 2000 Nov 24; 290(5496)1594-7.

Mudgett MB, Chesnokova O, Dahlbeck D, Clark ET, Rossier O, Bonas U, Staskawicz BJ. Molecular signals required for type III secretion and translocation of the Xanthomonas campestris AvrBs2 protein to pepper plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Nov 21; 97(21)13324-9.

Chang JH, Rathjen JP, Bernal AJ, Staskawicz BJ, Michelmore RW. avrPto enhances growth and necrosis caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato in tomato lines lacking either Pto or Prf. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 2000 13:568-71.

Tai TH, Staskawicz BJ. Construction of a yeast artificial chromosome library of pepper (Capsicum annum L.) and identification of clones from the Bs2 resistance locus. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 2000 100:112-7.

Gassmann W, Hinsch ME, Staskawicz BJ. The Arabidopsis RPS4 bacterial-resistance gene is a member of the TIR-NBS-LRR family of disease-resistance genes. Plant J. 1999 Nov;20(3):265-77.

Tobias CM, Oldroyd GED, Chang JH, Staskawicz BJ. Plant expressing the Pto disease resistance gene confer resistance to recombinant PVX containing the avirulence gene AvrPto. Plant J 1999 17:41-50.