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Tanaka Lab – Research
Plants are continuously exposed to various stresses caused by changes in the environment and attacks by other organisms, i.e., abiotic and biotic stresses. Therefore, plants require sophisticated surveillance systems to detect potentially life-threatening events by recognizing danger signals. Indeed, plants have evolved a large number of receptor kinases, most of which are likely involved in the response to different stresses. These receptors recognize not only exogenous, enemy-derived molecules (i.e., MAMP and HAMP) but also endogenous molecules from own damaged cells and tissues as danger signals, referred to as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Plants sense those molecular patterns to evoke immune responses and damage healing. Our research focuses on the function of DAMP signals for in-depth understanding of plant defense mechanisms against pathogen and insect attacks.
Latest Research Projects
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Extracellular ATP signaling in plant defense – a damaged-self recognition system
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Improved disease control strategies for potato powdery scab
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Testing defense elicitation compounds to control silver scurf
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Assessing and Implementing Sustainable Alternatives for Potato Plant Protection
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Systems view of pathogenesis and host defense response at specific infection stages of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Funding sources
Tanaka lab – Home | Research | Publications | Personnel | Opportunities | Lab News
Department of Plant Pathology | Washington State University | PO Box 646430, Pullman, WA 99164-6430