The overall goal of our research is to help understand how specific signaling pathways are induced during host-pathogen interaction, how these pathways communicate with each other and the molecular, genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying such regulations. We are using Arabidopsis as a model plant system and are studying its interaction with bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, viral pathogen turnip crinkle virus (TCV) and fungal pathogens Colletotrichum higginsianum and Botrytis cinerea. With regards to signaling mechanisms our main interest is to decipher the role of fatty acid, lipid and cuticular pathways in local and systemic acquired resistance, to characterize resistance (R) protein-mediated signaling and to understand interaction between light and defense signaling.