The first aim is still being optimized. The second aim has successfully been completed. It applied real-time quantitative PCR to identity GH3 genes that respond to auxin treatment and M. phaseolina infection. Based on the results, we identify GH3.2, GH3.3 , and GH3.5 as auxin-inducible, all of which showed more than 2-fold increase in expression when plants were treated with IAA. M. phaseolina infection resulted in rapid increases in expression of GH3.2, GH3.3, GH3.4 and GH3.7. However, the induction seems to be transient for GH3.4 and GH3.7, which showed decreased expression at 48 hpi and 36 hpi respectively. To further understand the role of these GH3 genes in disease resistance, we have applied funding to support the second year of the project that uses a genetics approach to examine the effect of GH3 gene mutations on plant disease responses to M. phaseolina.