Structural dynamics of a plant NLR resistosome: transition from autoinhibition to activation

Helper NLRs Nrc2 and Nrc3 act codependently with Prf/Pto and activate MAPK signaling to induce immunity in tomato

Plant intracellular immune receptors, primarily nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs), detect pathogen effector proteins and activate NLR-triggered immunity (NTI). Recently, 'sensor' NLRs have been reported to function with 'helper' NLRs to activate immunity. We investigated the role of two helper NLRs, Nrc2 and Nrc3, on immunity in tomato to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) mediated by the sensor NLR Prf and the Pto kinase. An nrc2/nrc3 mutant no longer activated Prf/Pto-mediated NTI to Pst containing the effectors AvrPto and AvrPtoB. An nrc3 mutant showed intermediate susceptibility between wild-type plants and a Prf mutant, while an nrc2 mutant developed only mild disease. These observations indicate that Nrc2 and Nrc3 act additively in Prf-/Pto-mediated immunity. We examined at what point Nrc2 and Nrc3 act in the Prf/Pto-mediated immune response. In the nrc2/3 mutant, programmed cell death (PCD) normally induced by constitutively active variants of AvrPtoB, Pto, or Prf was abolished, but that induced by M3Kα or Mkk2 was not. PCD induced by a constitutively active Nrc3 was also abolished in a Nicotiana benthamiana line with reduced expression of Prf. MAPK activation triggered by expression of AvrPto in the wild-type tomato plants was completely abolished in the nrc2/3 mutant. These results indicate that Nrc2 and Nrc3 act with Prf/Pto and upstream of MAPK signaling. Nrc2 and Nrc3 were not required for PCD triggered by Ptr1, another sensor NLR-mediating Pst resistance, although these helper NLRs do appear to be involved in resistance to certain Pst race 1 strains.

Distinct Responses to Pathogenic and Symbionic Microorganisms: The Role of Plant Immunity

Plants must balance both beneficial (symbiotic) and pathogenic challenges from microorganisms, the former benefitting the plant and agriculture and the latter causing disease and economic harm. Plant innate immunity describes a highly conserved set of defense mechanisms that play pivotal roles in sensing immunogenic signals associated with both symbiotic and pathogenic microbes and subsequent downstream activation of signaling effector networks that protect the plant. An intriguing question is how the innate immune system distinguishes “friends” from “foes”. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the role and spectrum of innate immunity in recognizing and responding to different microbes. In addition, we also review some of the strategies used by microbes to manipulate plant signaling pathways and thus evade immunity, with emphasis on the use of effector proteins and micro-RNAs (miRNAs). Furthermore, we discuss potential questions that need addressing to advance the field of plant–microbe interactions.

Arabidopsis ADR1 helper NLR immune receptors localize and function at the plasma membrane in a phospholipid dependent manner

Activation of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) results in immunity and a localized cell death. NLR cell death activity requires oligomerization and in some cases plasma membrane (PM) localization. The exact mechanisms underlying PM localization of NLRs lacking predicted transmembrane domains or recognizable lipidation motifs remain elusive. We used confocal microscopy, genetically encoded molecular tools and protein-lipid overlay assays to determine whether PM localization of members of the Arabidopsis HeLo-/RPW8-like domain 'helper' NLR (RNL) family is mediated by the interaction with negatively charged phospholipids of the PM. Our results show that PM localization and stability of some RNLs and one CC-type NLR (CNL) depend on the direct interaction with PM phospholipids. Depletion of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate from the PM led to a mis-localization of the analysed NLRs and consequently inhibited their cell death activity. We further demonstrate homo- and hetero-association of members of the RNL family. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of NLR localization and defines an important role of phospholipids for CNL and RNL PM localization and consequently, for their function. We propose that RNLs interact with anionic PM phospholipids and that RNL-mediated cell death and immune responses happen at the PM.

How activated NLRs induce anti-microbial defenses in plants

Plants utilize cell-surface localized and intracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) immune receptors to detect pathogens and to activate defense responses, including transcriptional reprogramming and the initiation of a form of programmed cell death of infected cells. Cell death initiation is mainly associated with the activation of nucleotide-binding LRR receptors (NLRs). NLRs recognize the presence or cellular activity of pathogen-derived virulence proteins, so-called effectors. Effector-dependent NLR activation leads to the formation of higher order oligomeric complexes, termed resistosomes. Resistosomes can either form potential calcium-permeable cation channels at cellular membranes and initiate calcium influxes resulting in activation of immunity and cell death or function as NADases whose activity is needed for the activation of downstream immune signaling components, depending on the N-terminal domain of the NLR protein. In this mini-review, the current knowledge on the mechanisms of NLR-mediated cell death and resistance pathways during plant immunity is discussed.

Genome sequencing of the bacterial blight pathogen DY89031 reveals its diverse virulence and origins of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strains

The bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), belonging to Xanthomonas sp., causes one of the most destructive vascular diseases in rice worldwide, particularly in Asia and Africa. To better understand Xoo pathogenesis, we performed genome sequencing of the Korea race 1 strain DY89031 (J18) and analyzed the phylogenetic tree of 63 Xoo strains. We found that the rich diversity of evolutionary features is likely associated with the rice cultivation regions. Further, virulence effector proteins secreted by the type III secretion system (T3SS) of Xoo showed pathogenesis divergence. The genome of DY89031 shows a remarkable difference from that of the widely prevailed Philippines race 6 strain PXO99A, which is avirulent to rice Xa21, a well-known disease resistance (R) gene that can be broken down by DY89031. Interestingly, plant inoculation experiments with the PXO99A transformants expressing the DY89031 genes enabled us to identify additional TAL (transcription activator-like) and non-TAL effectors that may support DY89031-specific virulence. Characterization of DY89031 genome and identification of new effectors will facilitate the investigation of the rice-Xoo interaction and new mechanisms involved.

Cross Kingdom Immunity: The Role of Immune Receptors and Downstream Signaling in Animal and Plant Cell Death

Both plants and animals are endowed with sophisticated innate immune systems to combat microbial attack. In these multicellular eukaryotes, innate immunity implies the presence of cell surface receptors and intracellular receptors able to detect danger signal referred as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Membrane-associated pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), receptor-like kinases (RLKs), and receptor-like proteins (RLPs) are employed by these organisms for sensing different invasion patterns before triggering antimicrobial defenses that can be associated with a form of regulated cell death. Intracellularly, animals nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors or plants nucleotide-binding domain (NBD)-containing leucine rich repeats (NLRs) immune receptors likely detect effectors injected into the host cell by the pathogen to hijack the immune signaling cascade. Interestingly, during the co-evolution between the hosts and their invaders, key cross-kingdom cell death-signaling macromolecular NLR-complexes have been selected, such as the inflammasome in mammals and the recently discovered resistosome in plants. In both cases, a regulated cell death located at the site of infection constitutes a very effective mean for blocking the pathogen spread and protecting the whole organism from invasion. This review aims to describe the immune mechanisms in animals and plants, mainly focusing on cell death signaling pathways, in order to highlight recent advances that could be used on one side or the other to identify the missing signaling elements between the perception of the invasion pattern by immune receptors, the induction of defenses or the transmission of danger signals to other cells. Although knowledge of plant immunity is less advanced, these organisms have certain advantages allowing easier identification of signaling events, regulators and executors of cell death, which could then be exploited directly for crop protection purposes or by analogy for medical research.