Prof. Dr. Gunther Döhlemann

Our research aims to identify and understand molecular mechanisms of microbe-plant interactions. One main interest of our research is on effector proteins of biotrophic microbes, which mediate communication with host immunity and metabolism, or modulate intermicrobial interactions. Complementary, we are investigating plant immune signaling, with an emphasis on the role of proteases and peptide signals for immunity and regulated cell death. Within CEPLAS, we are interested, how the interplay of plant proteases and microbial protease inhibitors modulates host immunity and root-microbiome assembly.

1. Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Stolze SC, Nakagami H, Doehlemann G (2023) A transcriptional activator effector of Ustilago maydis regulates hyperplasia in maize during pathogen-induced tumor formation. Nat Commun 14(1):6722. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42522-w.
2. Ökmen B, Jaeger E, Schilling L, Finke N, Klemd A, Lee YJ, Wemhöner R, Pauly M, Neumann U, Doehlemann G (2022) A conserved enzyme of smut fungi facilitates cell-to-cell extension in the plant bundle sheath. Nat Commun 13(1):6003. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33815-7.
3. Zuo W, Depotter JR, Gupta DK, Thines M, Doehlemann G (2021) Cross-species analysis between the maize smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum highlights the role of transcriptional change of effector orthologs for virulence and disease. New Phytol. doi: 10.1111/nph.17625.
4. Eitzen K, Sengupta P, Kroll S, Kemen E, Doehlemann G (2021) A fungal member of the Arabidopsis thaliana phyllosphere antagonizes Albugo laibachii via a GH25 lysozyme. Elife 10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.65306.
5. Misas Villamil JC, Mueller AN, Demir F, Meyer U, Ökmen B, Schulze Hüynck J, Breuer M, Dauben H, Win J, Huesgen PF, Doehlemann G (2019) A fungal substrate mimicking molecule suppresses plant immunity via an inter-kingdom conserved motif. Nat Commun 10(1):1576. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09472-8.
6. Ziemann S, van der Linde K, Lahrmann U, Acar B, Kaschani F, Colby T, Kaiser M, Ding Y, Schmelz E, Huffaker A, Holton N, Zipfel C, Doehlemann G (2018) An apoplastic peptide activates salicylic acid signalling in maize. Nat Plants 4(3):172-180. doi: 10.1038/s41477-018-0116-y.
7. Redkar A, Hoser R, Schilling L, Zechmann B, Krzymowska M, Walbot V, Doehlemann G (2015) A Secreted Effector Protein of Ustilago maydis Guides Maize Leaf Cells to Form Tumors. Plant Cell 27(4):1332-1351. doi: 10.1105/tpc.114.131086.
8. van der Linde K, Mueller AN, Hemetsberger C, Kashani F, van der Hoorn RA, Doehlemann G (2012) The maize cystatin CC9 interacts with apoplastic cysteine proteases. Plant Signal Behav 7(11):1397-1401. doi: 10.4161/psb.21902.
9. Skibbe DS, Doehlemann G, Fernandes J, Walbot V (2010) Maize tumors caused by Ustilago maydis require organ-specific genes in host and pathogen. Science 328(5974):89-92. doi: 10.1126/science.1185775.
10. Doehlemann G, van der Linde K, Assmann D, Schwammbach D, Hof A, Mohanty A, Jackson D, Kahmann R (2009) Pep1, a secreted effector protein of Ustilago maydis, is required for successful invasion of plant cells. PLoS Pathog 5(2):e1000290. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000290.