Details of LS4208 (Spring 2026)
| Level: 4 | Type: Theory | Credits: 4.0 |
| Course Code | Course Name | Instructor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| LS4208 | Plant Stress Biology | Sreeramaiah N Gangappa |
| Preamble |
|---|
| Plant stress biology focuses on understanding how plants respond to various environmental stressors, such as drought, extreme temperatures, salinity, and pathogen attacks. When plants experience stress, they activate complex signaling pathways to adjust their metabolic processes, often by producing stress-responsive proteins, hormones, and antioxidants to protect themselves. This includes mechanisms like altering gene expression, adjusting cellular structures, and enhancing protective compounds to minimize damage. While some stress responses are temporary and reversible, prolonged stress can lead to physiological changes, reduced growth, and even death. Research in plant stress biology aims to uncover these adaptive strategies to improve crop resilience and ensure food security in the face of changing environmental conditions. |
| Syllabus |
|---|
| Syllabus
Brief outline of causes and the effects of various plant stresses on plants: Cold, dehydration, salinity, heat, heavy metals, Insects, bacteria, fungus, plant parasites on plant growth and physiology. Mechanisms of abiotic Stress signaling: Drought stress, Heat stress, Cold stress, flooding and submergence, Salinity stress, Heavy metal stress Mechanisms of Biotic Stress signaling: Plant - Herbivory/Insect interaction: Plants strategies against herbivory/insects, Jasmonic acid Signaling: Role of MAPK and Ca2+ signaling, COI receptor, MYC Transcription factors, JAZ transcriptional regulators, and the downstream signaling Concepts of Resistance, Tolerance and Susceptibility: Acquired and innate immunity in plants; Hypersensitive response; Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) Various plant stress hormones and their biosynthetic pathways Mechanisms of Biotic Stress signaling: Plant pathogen interaction: PTI and Receptors signaling, PRRs, FLS2, BAK1, etc., Role of MAPK pathway and Ca2+ signaling in plant defense responses ETI and ETS response: Effectors and NB - LRR proteins interaction, Role of NPR1- 3, SNC1, EDS1 etc. Role of PR proteins: Antimicrobial compounds and downstream signaling pathway Concept of growth - defense trade-off: Mechanisms of growth defense trade-off Role of environmental factors in mediating plant-pathogen interaction Plant-Insect and disease management: Secondary metabolites in plant defense, Biotechnological tools and techniques for the generation of climate resilient varieties etc. Resistant gene(s) and or the mechanism of resistance against economically important insects and pathogens in Rice, wheat, Maize, Pulses, Fruit crops, Vegetable crops, etc. |
| References |
|---|
| References
1. Plant - Pathogen Interactions. Editors: Ronald, Pamela C. (Ed.) 2. Molecular Plant Immunity. Editor(s): Guido Sessa 3. Annual Plant Reviews, Plant - Pathogen Interactions. Edited by Nicholas J. Talbot 4. Host - Pathogen Interactions in Plant Disease. By J. E. Vanderplank 5. Biology and Molecular Biology of Plant - Pathogen Interactions. Edited by John A. Bailey 6. Annual Plant Reviews, Insect - Plant Interactions. Edited by Claudia Voelckel, Georg Jander 7. Selena Gimenez - Ibanez and Roberto Solano. Nuclear jasmonate and salicylate signaling and crosstalk in defense against pathogens. Front. Plant Sci., 05 April 2013 8. Alexandre Robert - Seilaniantz, Murray Grant, and Jonathan D.G. Jones. Hormone Crosstalk in Plant Disease and Defense: More Than Just JASMONATE - SALICYLATE Antagonism. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 2011. 49:317 43 9. Jones JD, Dangl JL. The plant immune system. Nature. 2006 Nov 16;444(7117):323 - 9 10. Macho AP, Zipfel C. Plant PRRs and the activation of innate immune signaling. Mol Cell. 2014 24;54(2):263 - 72 11. Zipfel C. Plant pattern - recognition receptors. Trends Immunol. 201435(7):345 - 51 |
Course Credit Options
| Sl. No. | Programme | Semester No | Course Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IP | 2 | Elective |
| 2 | IP | 4 | Elective |
| 3 | MP | 2 | Elective |
| 4 | MP | 4 | Not Allowed |
| 5 | MR | 2 | Elective |
| 6 | MR | 4 | Elective |
| 7 | MS | 10 | Elective |
| 8 | MS | 4 | Not Allowed |
| 9 | MS | 6 | Not Allowed |
| 10 | MS | 8 | Elective |
| 11 | RS | 1 | Elective |
| 12 | RS | 2 | Elective |