Transcriptional events defining plant immune responses

•Newly identified transcriptional regulators of immunity.•Interactions between transcriptional regulators and with their target genes.•The effect of phytohormones in modulating the key immune co-regulator NPR1.•The role of Mediator subunits in plant immunity.•New techniques to facilitate the establishment of transcription regulatory networks.

Rapid and massive transcriptional reprogramming upon pathogen recognition is the decisive step in plant-phytopathogen interactions. Plant transcription factors (TFs) are key players in this process but they require a suite of other context-specific co-regulators to establish sensory transcription regulatory networks to bring about host immunity. Molecular, genetic and biochemical studies, particularly in the model plants Arabidopsis and rice, are continuously uncovering new components of the transcriptional machinery that can selectively impact host resistance toward a diverse range of pathogens. Moreover, detailed studies on key immune regulators, such as WRKY TFs and NPR1, are beginning to reveal the underlying mechanisms by which defense hormones influence the function of these factors. Here we provide a short update on such recent developments.