Kinase-mediated orchestration of NADPH oxidase in plant immunity

Using Transcriptomics to Determine the Mechanism for the Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight of a Wheat-Th. elongatum Translocation Line

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by the Fusarium graminearum species complex, is a destructive disease in wheat worldwide. The lack of FHB-resistant germplasm is a barrier in wheat breeding for resistance to FHB. Thinopyrum elongatum is an important relative that has been successfully used for the genetic improvement of wheat. In this study, a translocation line, YNM158, with the YM158 genetic background carrying a fragment of diploid Th. elongatum 7EL chromosome created using 60Co-γ radiation, showed high resistance to FHB under both field and greenhouse conditions. Transcriptome analysis confirmed that the horizontal transfer gene, encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST), is an important contributor to FHB resistance in the pathogen infection stage, whereas the 7EL chromosome fragment carries other genes regulated by F. graminearum during the colonization stage. Introgression of the 7EL fragment affected the expression of wheat genes that were enriched in resistance pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol signaling system, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, plant-pathogen interaction, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway at different stages after F. graminearium infection. This study provides a novel germplasm for wheat resistance to FHB and new insights into the molecular mechanisms of wheat resistance to FHB.

Protein Kinases as Potential Targets Contribute to the Development of Agrochemicals

Using agrochemicals against pest insects, fungi, and weeds plays a major part in maintaining and improving crop yields, which helps to solve the issue of food security. Due to the limited targets and resistance of agrochemicals, protein kinases are regarded as attractive potential targets to develop new agrochemicals. Recently, a lot of investigations have shown the extension of agrochemicals by targeting protein kinases, implying an increasing concern for this kind of method. However, few people have summarized and discussed the targetability of protein kinases contributing to the development of agrochemicals. In this work, we introduce the research on protein kinases as potential targets used in crop protection and discuss the prospects of protein kinases in the field of agrochemical development. This study may not only provide guidance for the contribution of protein kinases to the development of agrochemicals but also help nonprofessionals such as students learn and understand the role of protein kinases quickly.

Receptor for Activated C Kinase1B (OsRACK1B) Impairs Fertility in Rice through NADPH-Dependent H2O2 Signaling Pathway

The scaffold protein receptor for Activated C Kinase1 (RACK1) regulates multiple aspects of plants, including seed germination, growth, environmental stress responses, and flowering. Recent studies have revealed that RACK1 is associated with NADPH-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling in plants. ROS, as a double-edged sword, can modulate several developmental pathways in plants. Thus, the resulting physiological consequences of perturbing the RACK1 expression-induced ROS balance remain to be explored. Herein, we combined molecular, pharmacological, and ultrastructure analysis approaches to investigate the hypothesized connection using T-DNA-mediated activation-tagged RACK1B overexpressed (OX) transgenic rice plants. In this study, we find that OsRACK1B-OX plants display reduced pollen viability, defective anther dehiscence, and abnormal spikelet morphology, leading to partial spikelet sterility. Microscopic observation of the mature pollen grains from the OX plants revealed abnormalities in the exine and intine structures and decreased starch granules in the pollen, resulting in a reduced number of grains per locule from the OX rice plants as compared to that of the wild-type (WT). Histochemical staining revealed a global increase in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the leaves and roots of the transgenic lines overexpressing OsRACK1B compared to that of the WT. However, the elevated H₂O₂ in tissues from the OX plants can be reversed by pre-treatment with diphenylidonium (DPI), an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, indicating that the source of H₂O₂ could be, in part, NADPH oxidase. Expression analysis showed a differential expression of the NADPH/respiratory burst oxidase homolog D (RbohD) and antioxidant enzyme-related genes, suggesting a homeostatic mechanism of H₂O₂ production and antioxidant enzyme activity. BiFC analysis demonstrated that OsRACK1B interacts with the N-terminal region of RbohD in vivo. Taken together, these data indicate that elevated OsRACK1B accumulates a threshold level of ROS, in this case H₂O₂, which negatively regulates pollen development and fertility. In conclusion, we hypothesized that an optimal expression of RACK1 is critical for fertility in rice plants.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase OsMEK2 and OsMPK1 Signaling Is Required for Ferroptotic Cell Death in Rice-Magnaporthe oryzae Interactions

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is required for plant cell death responses to invading microbial pathogens. Iron- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptotic cell death occurs in rice (Oryza sativa) during an incompatible rice-Magnaporthe oryzae interaction. Here, we show that rice MAP kinase (OsMEK2 and OsMPK1) signaling cascades are involved in iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death responses of rice to M. oryzae infection using OsMEK2 knock-out mutant and OsMEK2 and OsMPK1 overexpression rice plants. The OsMPK1:GFP and OsWRKY90:GFP transcription factor were localized to the nuclei, suggesting that OsMPK1 in the cytoplasm moves into the nuclei to interact with the WRKY90. M. oryzae infection in ΔOsmek2 knock-out plants did not trigger iron and ROS accumulation and lipid peroxidation, and also downregulated OsMPK1, OsWRKY90, OsRbohB, and OsPR-1b expression. However, 35S:OsMEK2 overexpression induced ROS- and iron-dependent cell death in rice. The downstream MAP kinase (OsMPK1) overexpression induced ROS- and iron-dependent ferroptotic cell death response to virulent M. oryzae infection. The small-molecule ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 suppressed iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death in 35S:OsMPK1 overexpression plants. However, the small-molecule inducer erastin triggered iron- and lipid ROS-dependent, but OsMEK2-independent, ferroptotic cell death during M. oryzae infection. Disease (susceptibility)-related cell death was lipid ROS-dependent, but iron-independent in the ΔOsmek2 knock-out mutant during the late M. oryzae infection stage. These combined results suggest that OsMEK2 and OsMPK1 expression positively regulates iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death, and blast disease (susceptibility)-related cell death was ROS-dependent but iron-independent in rice-M. oryzae interactions.

The Effect of Environmental pH during Trichothecium roseum (Pers.:Fr.) Link Inoculation of Apple Fruits on the Host Differential Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolism

Trichothecium roseum is an important postharvest pathogen, belonging to an alkalizing group of pathogens secreting ammonia during fungal growth and colonization of apple fruits. Fungal pH modulation is usually considered a factor for improving fungal gene expression, contributing to its pathogenicity. However, the effects of inoculation with T. roseum spore suspensions at increasing pH levels from pH 3 up to pH 7, on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and scavenging capability of the apple fruits, affecting host susceptibility, indicate that the pH regulation by the pathogens also affects host response and may contribute to colonization. The present results indicate that the inoculation of T. roseum spores at pH 3 caused the lowest cell membrane permeability, and reduced malondialdehyde content, NADPH oxidases activity, O₂^●− and H₂O₂ production in the colonized fruit. Observations of the colonized area on the 9th day after inoculation at pH 3, showed that the rate of O₂^●− production and H₂O₂ content was reduced by 57% and 25%, compared to their activities at pH 7. In contrast, antioxidative activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidases of fruit tissue inoculated with spores’ suspension in the presence of a solution at pH 3.0 showed their highest activity. The catalase and peroxidases activities in the colonized tissue at pH 3 were higher by almost 58% and 55.9%, respectively, on the 6th day after inoculation compared to inoculation at pH 7. The activities of key enzymes of the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and their substrates and products by the 9th day after fruit inoculation at pH 3 showed 150%, 31%, 16%, and 110% higher activities of ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase, respectively, compared to pH 7. A similar pattern of response was also observed in the accumulation of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbate which showed a higher accumulation at pH 3 compared to the colonization at pH 7. The present results indicate that the metabolic regulation of the pH environment by the T. roseum not only modulates the fungal pathogenicity factors reported before, but it induces metabolic host changes contributing both together to fungal colonization.

Hijacking of host cellular components as proviral factors by plant-infecting viruses

Plant viruses are important pathogens that cause serious crop losses worldwide. They are obligate intracellular parasites that commandeer a wide array of proteins, as well as metabolic resources, from infected host cells. In the past two decades, our knowledge of plant-virus interactions at the molecular level has exploded, which provides insights into how plant-infecting viruses co-opt host cellular machineries to accomplish their infection. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of how plant viruses divert cellular components from their original roles to proviral functions. One emerging theme is that plant viruses have versatile strategies that integrate a host factor that is normally engaged in plant defense against invading pathogens into a viral protein complex that facilitates viral infection. We also highlight viral manipulation of cellular key regulatory systems for successful virus infection: posttranslational protein modifications for fine control of viral and cellular protein dynamics; glycolysis and fermentation pathways to usurp host resources, and ion homeostasis to create a cellular environment that is beneficial for viral genome replication. A deeper understanding of viral-infection strategies will pave the way for the development of novel antiviral strategies.

Oxidative post-translational modifications controlling plant-pathogen interaction

Pathogen recognition is linked to the perception of microbe/pathogen-associated molecular patterns triggering a specific and transient accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the pathogen attack site. The apoplastic oxidative "burst" generated at the pathogen attack site depends on the ROS-generator systems including enzymes such as plasma membrane NADP (H) oxidases, cell wall peroxidases and lipoxygenase. ROS are cytotoxic molecules that inhibit invading pathogens or signalling molecules that control the local and systemic induction of defence genes. Post-translational modifications induced by ROS are considered as a potential signalling mechanism that can modify protein structure and/or function, localisation and cellular stability. Thus, this review focuses on how ROS are essential molecules regulating the function of proteins involved in the plant response to a pathogen attack through post-translational modifications.

ROS-induced ROS release in plant and animal cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key signaling role in plant and animal cells. Among the many cellular mechanisms used to generate and transduce ROS signals, ROS-induced ROS release (RIRR) is emerging as an important pathway involved in different human pathologies and plant responses to environmental stress. RIRR is a process in which one cellular compartment or organelle generates or releases ROS, triggering the enhanced production or release of ROS by another compartment or organelle. It was initially described in animal cells and proposed to mediate mitochondria-to-mitochondria communication, but later expanded to include communication between mitochondria and plasma membrane-localized NADPH oxidases. In plants a process of RIRR was demonstrated to mediate long distance rapid systemic signaling in response to biotic and abiotic stress. This process is thought to involve the enhanced production of ROS by one cell that triggers the enhanced production of ROS by a neighboring cell in a process that propagates the enhanced "ROS production state" all the way from one part of the plant to another. In contrast to the intracellular nature of the RIRR process of animal cells, the plant RIRR process is therefore primarily studied at the cell-to-cell communication level. Studies on intracellular (organelle-to-organelle, or organelle-to-NADPH oxidase) RIRR pathways are very scarce in plants, whereas studies on cell-to-cell RIRR are very scarce in animals. Here we will attempt to highlight what is known in both systems and what each system can learn from the other.

Herbivore-derived fatty-acid amides elicit reactive oxygen species burst in plants

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be elicited by many forms of stress, including pathogen attack, abiotic stress, damage and insect infestation. Perception of microbe- or damage-associated elicitors triggers an ROS burst in many plant species; however, the impact of herbivore fatty-acid amides on ROS elicitation remains largely unexplored. In this study we show that the lepidopteran-derived fatty-acid amide elicitor N-linolenoyl-L-glutamine (GLN18:3) can induce a ROS burst in multiple plant species. Furthermore, in Arabidopsis this ROS burst is partially dependent on the plasma membrane localized NADPH oxidases RBOHD and RBOHF, and an Arabidopsis rbohD/F double mutant produces enhanced GLN18:3-induced jasmonic acid. Quantification of GLN18:3-induced ROS in phytohormone-deficient lines revealed that in Arabidopsis reduced levels of jasmonic acid resulted in a larger elicitor-induced ROS burst, while in tomato reduction of either jasmonic acid or salicylic acid led to higher induced ROS production. These data indicate that GLN18:3-induced ROS is antagonistic to jasmonic acid production in these species. In biological assays, rbohD/F mutant plants were more resistant to the generalist herbivores Spodoptera exigua and Trichoplusia ni but not to the specialist Plutella xylostella. Collectively, these results demonstrate that in Arabidopsis herbivore-induced ROS may negatively regulate plant defense responses to herbivory.

Regulation of stilbene biosynthesis in plants

This review analyzes the advances in understanding the natural signaling pathways and environmental factors regulating stilbene biosynthesis. We also discuss the studies reporting on stilbene content and repertoire in plants. Stilbenes, including the most-studied stilbene resveratrol, are a family of phenolic plant secondary metabolites that have been the subject of intensive research due to their valuable pharmaceutical effects and contribution to plant disease resistance. Understanding the natural mechanisms regulating stilbene biosynthesis in plants could be useful for both the development of new plant protection strategies and for commercial stilbene production. In this review, we focus on the environmental factors and cell signaling pathways regulating stilbene biosynthesis in plants and make a comparison with the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. This review also analyzes the recent data on stilbene biosynthetic genes and summarizes the available studies reporting on both stilbene content and stilbene composition in different plant families.

Harnessing host ROS-generating machinery for the robust genome replication of a plant RNA virus

As sessile organisms, plants have to accommodate to rapid changes in their surrounding environment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signaling molecules to transduce biotic and abiotic stimuli into plant stress adaptations. It is established that a respiratory burst oxidase homolog B of Nicotiana benthamiana (NbRBOHB) produces ROS in response to microbe-associated molecular patterns to inhibit pathogen infection. Plant viruses are also known as causative agents of ROS induction in infected plants; however, the function of ROS in plant-virus interactions remains obscure. Here, we show that the replication of red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), a plant positive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] virus, requires NbRBOHB-mediated ROS production. The RCNMV replication protein p27 plays a pivotal role in this process, redirecting the subcellular localization of NbRBOHB and a subgroup II calcium-dependent protein kinase of N. benthamiana (NbCDPKiso2) from the plasma membrane to the p27-containing intracellular aggregate structures. p27 also induces an intracellular ROS burst in an RBOH-dependent manner. NbCDPKiso2 was shown to be an activator of the p27-triggered ROS accumulations and to be required for RCNMV replication. Importantly, this RBOH-derived ROS is essential for robust viral RNA replication. The need for RBOH-derived ROS was demonstrated for the replication of another (+)RNA virus, brome mosaic virus, suggesting that this characteristic is true for plant (+)RNA viruses. Collectively, our findings revealed a hitherto unknown viral strategy whereby the host ROS-generating machinery is diverted for robust viral RNA replication.

NADPH oxidases as electrochemical generators to produce ion fluxes and turgor in fungi, plants and humans

The NOXs are a family of flavocytochromes whose basic structure has been largely conserved from algae to man. This is a very simple system. NADPH is generally available, in plants it is a direct product of photosynthesis, and oxygen is a largely ubiquitous electron acceptor, and the electron-transporting core of an FAD and two haems is the minimal required to pass electrons across the plasma membrane. These NOXs have been shown to be essential for diverse functions throughout the biological world and, lacking a clear mechanism of action, their effects have generally been attributed to free radical reactions. Investigation into the function of neutrophil leucocytes has demonstrated that electron transport through the prototype NOX2 is accompanied by the generation of a charge across the membrane that provides the driving force propelling protons and other ions across the plasma membrane. The contention is that the primary function of the NOXs is to supply the driving force to transport ions, the nature of which will depend upon the composition and characteristics of the local ion channels, to undertake a host of diverse functions. These include the generation of turgor in fungi and plants for the growth of filaments and invasion by appressoria in the former, and extension of pollen tubes and root hairs, and stomatal closure, in the latter. In neutrophils, they elevate the pH in the phagocytic vacuole coupled to other ion fluxes. In endothelial cells of blood vessels, they could alter luminal volume to regulate blood pressure and tissue perfusion.