Plant small monomeric G-proteins (RAC/ROPs) of barley are common elements of susceptibility to fungal leaf pathogens, cell expansion and stomata development

Abstract

Small monomeric RAC/ROP GTPases act as molecular switches in signal transduction processes of plant development and stress responses. They emerged as crucial players in plant-pathogen interactions either by supporting susceptibility or resistance. In a recent publication, we showed that constitutively activated (CA) mutants of different barley (Hordeum vulgare) RAC/ROPs regulate susceptibility to barley fungal leaf pathogens of different life style in a contrasting way. This illustrates the distinctive signalling roles of RAC/ROPs for different plant-pathogen combinations. We also reported the involvement of RAC/ROPs in plant epidermis development in a monocotyledonous plant. Here we further discuss a failure of CA HvRAC/ROP-expressing barley to normally develop stomata.