SHEL 202, 1825 University Blvd.  Birmingham, AL 35294-2182

Functional Genomics and Systems Biology

PhD (Genetics), 2005, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany

Research Interests:

Genomics and Systems Biology are rapidly evolving disciplines of Biology generating an unprecedented amount of information about gene function and organization of the cell. My research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions using genomics and systems level approaches.

Interactions between diverse pathogenic microbes and their hosts are complex and dynamic. Their outcomes depend upon the ability of the microbe to cause disease and the capacity of the host to mount effective defense responses. Microbial virulence proteins, host surface receptors and intracellular molecules form the foundation for communication between pathogen and host. Pathogenic virulence determinants interact with cellular host targets, and modulate host defenses and/or metabolism in a manner conducive to pathogen proliferation and dispersal. On the other hand, host senses microbes via diverse receptors including pattern-recognition receptors and NOD-like receptors. Experimental determination of a host immune protein-protein interaction network comprised of pathogen effectors, their host targets and immune-related proteins would significantly extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens successfully parasitize the host, and how hosts actively combat them by triggering effective defenses.

To achieve the above listed goals, I employ diverse cutting-edge technologies including high-throughput sequencing, transcriptomics, protein-protein interactions, degradomics, forward and reverse genetics and bioinformatics. My work allows a global understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in disease resistance and unraveling novel disease resistance signaling pathways to diverse pathogens.

Selected publications:

1. Moreno A*, Mukhtar MS*, Blanco F, Boatwright JL, Moreno I, Jordan MR, Chen Y, Brandizzi F, Dong X, Orellana A*, Pajerowska-Mukhtar KM* (2011) The IRE1 pathway of the unfolded protein response is activated by biotic stress and involves the splicing of bZIP60 mRNA in Arabidopsis. Under Review

* These authors contributed equally.

2. Baltrus DA, Nishimura MT, Biswas S, Mukhtar MS Vicente J, Holub EB, Dangl JL (2011) The molecular basis of host specialization in bean pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae. ACCEPTED to Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions.

3.    Klopffleisch K, Phan N, Augustin K*, Booker S*, Botella JR*,4 Carpita NC*, Carr T*, Chen JG*, Cooke TR*, Delgado M*, Escudero V*, Frick-Chen A*, Friedman E*, Hahn MG*, Jiang K*, Jorda L*, Kruppe L*, Liu C*, Lorek J*, McCann MC*, Molina A*, Moriyama EN*, Mukhtar MS*, Mudgil Y*, Pattathil S*, Schwarz J*, Seta S*, Tan M*, Temp U*, Trusov Y*,  Urano D*, Welter B*, Yang J*, Panstruga R, Uhrig JF, Jones AM. (2011). The Arabidopsis G protein network: linking G protein signaling, cell wall carbohydrates and plant morphogenesis. Molecular Systems Biology 7:532

* These authors are listed alphabetically.

4.    Mukhtar MS*, Carvunis A-R*, Dreze M*, Epple P*, Steinbrenner J, Moore J, Tasan M, Galli M, Hao T, Nishimura MT, Pevzner SJ, Donovan SE, Ghamsari L, Santhanam B, Romero V, Poulin MM, Gebreab F, Gutierrez BJ, Tam S, Monachello D, Boxem M, Harbort CJ, McDonald N, Gai L, Chen H, He Y, EU Effectoromics Consortium, Vandenhaute J, Roth FP, Hill DE, Ecker JR, Vidal M*, Beynon J*, Braun P* and Dangl JL* (2011) Independently evolved virulence effectors converge onto hubs in a plant immune system network. Science, 333: 596-601.

(The article is featured in SCIENCE 333: 532-533, Nature Reviews Genetics 12, 586, on websites of NSF and American Society of Plant Biologists and several other news forums and press releases).

5. The Arabidopsis Interactome Mapping Consortium (2011) Evidence for Network Evolution in an Arabidopsis Interactome Map. Science, 333: 601-607.

6. Baltrus DA, Nishimura MT, Romanchuk A, Chang JH, Mukhtar MS, Law TF, Cherkis K, Roach J, Grant SR, Jones CD and Dangl JL (2011) Dynamic evolution of pathogenicity revealed by sequencing and comparative genomics of 19 Pseudomonas syringae isolates. PLoS PATHOGENS 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002132.

7. Mukhtar MS, Nishimura MT, Dangl JL (2009) NPR1 in Plant Defense: It's Not Over 'til It's Turned over. CELL, 29:804-806.

8. Mukhtar MS, Deslandes L, Auriac MC, Marco Y and Somssich IE (2008) The Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY27 influences wilt disease symptom development caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. THE PLANT JOURNAL, 56:935-47.

9. Pajerowska-Mukhtar KM, Mukhtar MS, Guex N, Halim VA, Rosahl S, Somssich IE, Gebhardt C (2008) Natural variation of potato allene oxidesynthase 2 causes differential levels of jasmonates and pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis. PLANTA, 228:293–306.

10. Ulker B, Mukhtar MS and Somssich IE (2007) The WRKY70 transcription factor of Arabidopsis influences both the plant senescence and defense signaling pathways. PLANTA 226:125-137.

11. Mukhtar MS, Rahman M and Zafar Y (2002) Assessment of genetic diversity among wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. EUPHYTICA 128: 417–425.

12. Mansoor S, Mukhtar MS, Hussain M, Amin I, Zafar Y, Malik KA and Markham PG (2000) Widespread occurrence of cotton leaf curl virus on Radish in Pakistan. PLANT DISEASE 84-02:809.