Maize ZmRACK1 is involved in the plant response to fungal phytopathogens

The dynamic TaRACK1B-TaSGT1-TaHSP90 complex modulates NLR-protein-mediated antiviral immunity in wheat

Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins contribute widely to plant immunity by regulating defense mechanisms through the elicitation of a hypersensitive response (HR). Here, we find that TaRACK1B (the receptor for activated C-kinase 1B) regulates wheat immune response against Chinese wheat mosaic virus (CWMV) infection. TaRACK1B recruits TaSGT1 and TaHSP90 to form the TaRACK1B-TaSGT1-TaHSP90 complex. This complex is essential for maintaining NLR proteins' stability (TaRGA5-like and TaRGH1A-like) in order to control HR activation and inhibit viral infection. However, the cysteine-rich protein encoded by CWMV can disrupt TaRACK1B-TaSGT1-TaHSP90 complex formation, leading to the reduction of NLR-protein stability and suppression of HR activation, thus promoting CWMV infection. Interestingly, the 7K protein of wheat yellow mosaic virus also interferes with this antiviral immunity. Our findings show a shared viral counter-defense strategy whereby two soil-borne viruses may disrupt the TaRACK1B-TaSGT1-TaHSP90 complex, suppressing NLR-protein-mediated broad-spectrum antiviral immunity and promoting viral infection in wheat.

Maize yields have stagnated in sub-Sahara Africa: a possible transgenic solution to weed, pathogen and insect constraints

Despite major breeding efforts by various national and international agencies, yields for the ~40 million hectares of maize, the major food crop in sub-Saharan Africa, have stagnated at <2 tons/ha/year for the past decade, one-third the global average. Breeders have succeeded in breeding increased yield with a modicum of tolerance to some single-weed or pathogen stresses. There has been minimal adoption of these varieties because introgressing polygenic yield and tolerance traits into locally adapted material is very challenging. Multiple traits to deal with pests (weeds, pathogens, and insects) are needed for farmer acceptance, because African fields typically encounter multiple pest constraints. Also, maize has no inherent resistance to some of these pest constraints, rendering them intractable to traditional breeding. The proposed solution is to simultaneously engineer multiple traits into one genetic locus. The dominantly inherited multi-pest resistance trait single locus can be bred simply into locally adapted, elite high-yielding material, and would be valuable for farmers, vastly increasing maize yields, and allowing for more than regional maize sufficiency. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Translation machinery: the basis of translational control

Messenger RNA (mRNA) translation consists of initiation, elongation, termination, and ribosome recycling, carried out by the translation machinery, primarily including tRNAs, ribosomes, and translation factors (TrFs). Translational regulators transduce signals of growth and development, as well as biotic and abiotic stresses, to the translation machinery, where global or selective translational control occurs to modulate mRNA translation efficiency (TrE). As the basis of translational control, the translation machinery directly determines the quality and quantity of newly synthesized peptides and, ultimately, the cellular adaption. Thus, regulating the availability of diverse machinery components is reviewed as the central strategy of translational control. We provide classical signaling pathways (e.g., integrated stress responses) and cellular behaviors (e.g., liquid-liquid phase separation) to exemplify this strategy within different physiological contexts, particularly during host-microbe interactions. With new technologies developed, further understanding this strategy will speed up translational medicine and translational agriculture.

Polysome-bound mRNAs and translational mechanisms regulate drought tolerance in rice

Plants evolved several acquired tolerance traits for drought stress adaptation to maintain the cellular homeostasis. Drought stress at the anthesis stage in rice affects productivity due to the inefficiency of protein synthesis machinery. The effect of translational mechanisms on different pathways involved in cellular tolerance plays an important role. We report differential responses of translation-associated mechanisms in rice using polysome bound mRNA sequencing at anthesis stage drought stress in resistant Apo and sensitive IR64 genotypes. Apo maintained higher polysomes with 60 S-to-40 S and polysome-to-monosome ratios which directly correlate with protein levels under stress. IR64 has less protein levels under stress due to defective translation machinery and reduced water potential. Many polysome-bound long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) were identified in both genotypes under drought, influencing translation. Apo had higher levels of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modifications that contributed for sustained translation. Translation machinery in Apo could maintain higher levels of photosynthetic machinery-associated proteins in drought stress, which maintain gas exchange, photosynthesis and yield under stress. The protein stability and ribosome biogenesis mechanisms favoured improved translation in Apo. The phytohormone signalling and transcriptional responses were severely affected in IR64. Our results demonstrate that, the higher translation ability of Apo favours maintenance of photosynthesis and physiological responses that are required for drought stress adaptation.

Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Related to Defense Responses in Arabidopsis Plants Transformed with the rolB Oncogene

During Agrobacterium rhizogenes-plant interaction, the rolB gene is transferred into the plant genome and is stably inherited in the plant's offspring. Among the numerous effects of rolB on plant metabolism, including the activation of secondary metabolism, its effect on plant defense systems has not been sufficiently studied. In this work, we performed a proteomic analysis of rolB-expressing Arabidopsis thaliana plants with particular focus on defense proteins. We found a total of 77 overexpressed proteins and 64 underexpressed proteins in rolB-transformed plants using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI mass spectrometry. In the rolB-transformed plants, we found a reduced amount of scaffold proteins RACK1A, RACK1B, and RACK1C, which are known as receptors for activated C-kinase 1. The proteomic analysis showed that rolB could suppress the plant immune system by suppressing the RNA-binding proteins GRP7, CP29B, and CP31B, which action are similar to the action of type-III bacterial effectors. At the same time, rolB plants induce the massive biosynthesis of protective proteins VSP1 and VSP2, as well as pathogenesis-related protein PR-4, which are markers of the activated jasmonate pathway. The increased contents of glutathione-S-transferases F6, F2, F10, U19, and DHAR1 and the osmotin-like defense protein OSM34 were found. The defense-associated protein PCaP1, which is required for oligogalacturonide-induced priming and immunity, was upregulated. Moreover, rolB-transformed plants showed the activation of all components of the PYK10 defense complex that is involved in the metabolism of glucosinolates. We hypothesized that various defense systems activated by rolB protect the host plant from competing phytopathogens and created an effective ecological niche for A. rhizogenes. A RolB → RACK1A signaling module was proposed that might exert most of the rolB-mediated effects on plant physiology. Our proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037959.

Overproduction of OsRACK1A, an effector-targeted scaffold protein promoting OsRBOHB-mediated ROS production, confers rice floral resistance to false smut disease without yield penalty

Grain formation is fundamental for crop yield but is vulnerable to abiotic and biotic stresses. Rice grain production is threatened by the false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, which specifically infects rice floral organs, disrupting fertilization and seed formation. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the U. virens-rice interaction and the genetic basis of floral resistance. Here, we report that U. virens secretes a cytoplasmic effector, UvCBP1, to facilitate infection of rice flowers. Mechanistically, UvCBP1 interacts with the rice scaffold protein OsRACK1A and competes its interaction with the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase OsRBOHB, leading to inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Although the analysis of natural variation revealed no OsRACK1A variants that could avoid being targeted by UvCBP1, expression levels of OsRACK1A are correlated with field resistance against U. virens in rice germplasm. Overproduction of OsRACK1A restores the OsRACK1A-OsRBOHB association and promotes OsRBOHB phosphorylation to enhance ROS production, conferring rice floral resistance to U. virens without yield penalty. Taken together, our findings reveal a new pathogenic mechanism mediated by an essential effector from a flower-specific pathogen and provide a valuable genetic resource for balancing disease resistance and crop yield.

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.

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals insights into the dynamic responses of maize (Zea mays L.) to Setosphaeria turcica infection

Maize (Zea mays L.) production is severely affected by northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), which is a destructive foliar disease caused by Setosphaeria turcica. In recent years, studies on the interaction between maize and S. turcica have been focused at the transcription level, with no research yet at the protein level. Here, we applied tandem mass tag labelling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the proteomes of maize leaves at 24 h and 72 h post-inoculation (hpi) with S. turcica. In total, 4740 proteins encoded by 4711 genes were quantified in this study. Clustering analyses provided an understanding of the dynamic reprogramming of leaves proteomes by revealing the functions of different proteins during S. turcica infection. Screening and classification of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) revealed that numerous defense-related proteins, including defense marker proteins and proteins related to the phenylpropanoid lignin biosynthesis, benzoxazine biosynthesis and the jasmonic acid signalling pathway, participated in the defense responses of maize to S. turcica infection. Furthermore, the earlier induction of GST family proteins contributed to the resistance to S. turcica. In addition, the protein-protein interaction network of DEPs suggests that some defense-related proteins, for example, ZmGEB1, a hub node, play key roles in defense responses against S. turcica infection. Our study findings provide insight into the complex responses triggered by S. turcica at the protein level and lay the foundation for studying the interaction process between maize and S. turcica infection.

Ribosomal protein QM/RPL10 positively regulates defence and protein translation mechanisms during nonhost disease resistance

Ribosomes play an integral part in plant growth, development, and defence responses. We report here the role of ribosomal protein large (RPL) subunit QM/RPL10 in nonhost disease resistance. The RPL10-silenced Nicotiana benthamiana plants showed compromised disease resistance against nonhost pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato T1. The RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that many genes involved in defence and protein translation mechanisms were differentially affected due to silencing of NbRPL10. Arabidopsis AtRPL10 RNAi and rpl10 mutant lines showed compromised nonhost disease resistance to P. syringae pv. tomato T1 and P. syringae pv. tabaci. Overexpression of AtRPL10A in Arabidopsis resulted in reduced susceptibility against host pathogen P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. RPL10 interacts with the RNA recognition motif protein and ribosomal proteins RPL30, RPL23, and RPS30 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. Silencing or mutants of genes encoding these RPL10-interacting proteins in N. benthamiana or Arabidopsis, respectively, also showed compromised disease resistance to nonhost pathogens. These results suggest that QM/RPL10 positively regulates the defence and translation-associated genes during nonhost pathogen infection.

ZmGLR, a cell membrane localized microtubule-associated protein, mediated leaf morphogenesis in maize

Microtubule arrays play notable roles in cell division, cell movement, cell morphogenesis and signal transduction. Due to their important regulation of microtubule dynamic instability and array-ordering processes, microtubule-associated proteins have been a cutting-edge issue in research. Here, a new maize microtubule-associated protein, ZmGLR (Zea mays glutamic acid- and lysine-rich), was found. ZmGLR bundles microtubules in vitro and targets the cell membrane through an interaction between 24 conserved N-terminal amino acids and specific phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PtdInsPs). Increased Ca²⁺ levels in the cytoplasm lead to ZmGLR partially dissociating from the cell membrane and moving into the cytoplasm to associate with microtubule. Overexpression and RNAi of ZmGLR both resulted in misoriented microtubule arrays, which led to dwarf maize plants and curved leaves. In addition, the expression of ZmGLR was regulated by BR and auxin through ZmBES1 and ZmARF9, respectively. This study reveals that the microtubule-associated protein ZmGLR plays a crucial role in cortical microtubule reorientation and maize leaf morphogenesis.

Functional analysis of drought and salt tolerance mechanisms of mulberry RACK1 gene

The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) protein acts as a central hub for the integration of many physiological processes in eukaryotic organisms. Plant RACK1 is implicated in abiotic stress responses, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of stress adaptation remain largely unknown. Here, the overexpression of the mulberry (Morus alba L.) RACK1 gene in Arabidopsis decreased tolerance to drought and salt stresses and MaRACK1 overexpression changed expression levels of genes in response to stress and stimuli. We developed a simple and efficient transient transformation system in mulberry, and the mulberry seedlings transiently expressing MaRACK1 were hypersensitive to drought and salt stresses. The expression levels of guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein) encoding genes in mulberry and Arabidopsis were not affected by MaRACK1 overexpression. The interactions between RACK1 and G-proteins were confirmed, and the RACK1 proteins from mulberry and Arabidopsis could not interact with their respective G-proteins, which indicated that RACK1 may regulate stress responses independently of G-proteins. Additionally, MaRACK1 may regulate drought and salt stress tolerances by interacting with a fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying RACK1 functions in abiotic stress responses and important information for their further characterization.

Molecular diversity and selective sweeps in maize inbred lines adapted to African highlands

Little is known on maize germplasm adapted to the African highland agro-ecologies. In this study, we analyzed high-density genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data of 298 African highland adapted maize inbred lines to (i) assess the extent of genetic purity, genetic relatedness, and population structure, and (ii) identify genomic regions that have undergone selection (selective sweeps) in response to adaptation to highland environments. Nearly 91% of the pairs of inbred lines differed by 30-36% of the scored alleles, but only 32% of the pairs of the inbred lines had relative kinship coefficient <0.050, which suggests the presence of substantial redundancy in allelic composition that may be due to repeated use of fewer genetic backgrounds (source germplasm) during line development. Results from different genetic relatedness and population structure analyses revealed three different groups, which generally agrees with pedigree information and breeding history, but less so by heterotic groups and endosperm modification. We identified 944 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers that fell within 22 selective sweeps that harbored 265 protein-coding candidate genes of which some of the candidate genes had known functions. Details of the candidate genes with known functions and differences in nucleotide diversity among groups predicted based on multivariate methods have been discussed.

Integration of RACK1 and ethylene signaling regulates plant growth and development in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis RACK1 (Receptors for Activated C Kinase 1) are versatile scaffold proteins that have been shown to be involved in the regulation of plant response to plant hormones including auxin, ABA, gibberellin and brassinosteroid, but not ethylene. By characterizing the double and triple mutants of RACK1 genes, we found that rack1 mutants showed reduced sensitivity to ethylene. By characterizing double and high order mutants generated between ein2, a loss-of-function mutant of the key ethylene signaling regulator gene EIN2 (Ethylene INsensitive 2), and rack1 mutants, we found that loss-of-function of EIN2 partially recovered some phenotypes observed in the rack1 mutants, such as low-fertility and reduced root length and rosette size. On the other hand, the ein2 rack1 mutants produced more rosette leaves, and flowered late when compared with ein2 and the corresponding rack1 mutants. We also found that the curled leaves and twisted petioles phenotypes observed in the ein2 mutants were enhanced in the ein2 rack1 mutants. However, assays in yeast indicated that EIN2 may not physically interact with RACK1. On the other hand, RT-PCR results showed that the expression level of EIN2 was reduced in the rack1 mutants. Taken together, our results suggest that RACKl may integrate ethylene signaling to regulate plant growth and development in Arabidopsis.

Hijacking a host scaffold protein, RACK1, for replication of a plant RNA virus

Receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is strictly conserved across eukaryotes and acts as a versatile scaffold protein involved in various signaling pathways. Plant RACK1 is known to exert important functions in innate immunity against fungal and bacterial pathogens. However, the role of the RACK1 in plant-virus interactions remains unknown. Here, we addressed the role of RACK1 of Nicotiana benthamiana during infection by red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), a plant positive-stranded RNA virus. NbRACK1 was shown to be recruited by the p27 viral replication protein into endoplasmic reticulum-derived aggregated structures (possible replication sites). Downregulation of NbRACK1 by virus-induced gene silencing inhibited viral cap-independent translation and p27-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, which are prerequisite for RCNMV replication. We also found that NbRACK1 interacted with a host calcium-dependent protein kinase (NbCDPKiso2) that activated a ROS-generating enzyme. Interestingly, NbRACK1 was required for the interaction of p27 with NbCDPKiso2, suggesting that NbRACK1 acts as a bridge between the p27 viral replication protein and NbCDPKiso2. Collectively, our findings provide an example of a viral strategy in which a host multifaceted scaffold protein RACK1 is highjacked for promoting viral protein-triggered ROS production necessary for robust viral replication.

Kale BoRACK1 is involved in the plant response to salt stress and Peronospora brassicae Gaumann

The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) belongs to a protein subfamily containing a tryptophan-aspartic acid-domain (WD) repeat structure. Compelling evidence indicates that RACK1 can interact with many signal molecules and affect different signal transduction pathways. In this study, a kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala f.tricolor) RACK1 gene (BoRACK1) was cloned by RT-PCR. The amino acid sequence of BoRACK1 had seven WD repeats in which there were typical GH (glycine-histidine) and WD dipeptides. Comparison with AtRACK1 from Arabidopsis revealed 87.1% identity at the amino acid level. Expression pattern analysis by RT-PCR showed that BoRACK1 was expressed in all analyzed tissues of kale and that its transcription in leaves was down-regulated by salt, abscisic acid, and H₂O₂ at a high concentration. Overexpression of BoRACK1 in kale led to a reduction in symptoms caused by Peronospora brassicae Gaumann on kale leaves. The expression levels of the pathogenesis-related protein genes, PR-1 and PRB-1, increased 2.5-4-fold in transgenic kale, and reactive oxygen species production was more active than in the wild-type. They also exhibited increased tolerance to salt stress in seed germination. H₂O₂ may also be involved in the regulation of BoRACK1 during seed germination under salt stress. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that the transcript levels of BoRbohs genes were significantly higher in overexpression of BoRACK1 transgenic lines. Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that BoRACK1 could interact with WNK8, eIF6, RAR1, and SGT1. This study and previous work lead us to believe that BoRACK1 may form a complex with regulators of plant salt and disease resistance to coordinate kale reactions to pathogens.

Expression Profiling Coupled with In-silico Mapping Identifies Candidate Genes for Reducing Aflatoxin Accumulation in Maize

Aflatoxin, produced by Aspergillus flavus, is hazardous to health of humans and livestock. The lack of information about large effect QTL for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation is a major obstacle to employ marker-assisted selection for maize improvement. The understanding of resistance mechanisms of the host plant and the associated genes is necessary for improving resistance to A. flavus infection. A suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) cDNA library was made using the developing kernels of Mp715 (resistant inbred) and B73 (susceptible inbred) and 480 randomly selected cDNA clones were sequenced to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to A. flavus infection and map these clones onto the corn genome by in-silico mapping. A total of 267 unigenes were identified and majority of genes were related to metabolism, stress response, and disease resistance. Based on the reverse northern hybridization experiment, 26 DEGs were selected for semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis in seven inbreds with variable resistance to aflatoxin accumulation at two time points after A. flavus inoculation. Most of these genes were highly expressed in resistant inbreds. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis validated upregulation of PR-4, DEAD-box RNA helicase, and leucine rich repeat family protein in resistant inbreds. Fifty-six unigenes, which were placed on linkage map through in-silico mapping, overlapped the QTL regions for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation identified in a mapping population derived from the cross between B73 and Mp715. Since majority of these mapped genes were related to disease resistance, stress response, and metabolism, these should be ideal candidates to investigate host pathogen interaction and to reduce aflatoxin accumulation in maize.

Arabidopsis receptor of activated C kinase1 phosphorylation by WITH NO LYSINE8 KINASE

Receptor of activated C kinase1 (RACK1) is a versatile scaffold protein that binds to numerous proteins to regulate diverse cellular pathways in mammals. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), RACK1 has been shown to regulate plant hormone signaling, stress responses, and multiple processes of growth and development. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying these regulations. Here, we show that an atypical serine (Ser)/threonine (Thr) protein kinase, WITH NO LYSINE8 (WNK8), phosphorylates RACK1. WNK8 physically interacted with and phosphorylated RACK1 proteins at two residues: Ser-122 and Thr-162. Genetic epistasis analysis of rack1 wnk8 double mutants indicated that RACK1 acts downstream of WNK8 in the glucose responsiveness and flowering pathways. The phosphorylation-dead form, RACK1A(S122A/T162A), but not the phosphomimetic form, RACK1A(S122D/T162E), rescued the rack1a null mutant, implying that phosphorylation at Ser-122 and Thr-162 negatively regulates RACK1A function. The transcript of RACK1A(S122D/T162E) accumulated at similar levels as those of RACK1(S122A/T162A). However, although the steady-state level of the RACK1A(S122A/T162A) protein was similar to wild-type RACK1A protein, the RACK1A(S122D/T162E) protein was nearly undetectable, suggesting that phosphorylation affects the stability of RACK1A proteins. Taken together, these results suggest that RACK1 is phosphorylated by WNK8 and that phosphorylation negatively regulates RACK1 function by influencing its protein stability.

Phosphorylation of RACK1 in plants

Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) is a versatile scaffold protein that interacts with a large, diverse group of proteins to regulate various signaling cascades. RACK1 has been shown to regulate hormonal signaling, stress responses and multiple processes of growth and development in plants. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying these regulations. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Arabidopsis RACK1 is phosphorylated by an atypical serine/threonine protein kinase, WITH NO LYSINE 8 (WNK8). Furthermore, RACK1 phosphorylation by WNK8 negatively regulates RACK1 function by influencing its protein stability. These findings promote a new regulatory system in which the action of RACK1 is controlled by phosphorylation and subsequent protein degradation.

Plant Ribosomal Proteins, RPL12 and RPL19, Play a Role in Nonhost Disease Resistance against Bacterial Pathogens

Characterizing the molecular mechanism involved in nonhost disease resistance is important to understand the adaptations of plant-pathogen interactions. In this study, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS)-based forward genetics screen was utilized to identify genes involved in nonhost resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana. Genes encoding ribosomal proteins, RPL12 and RPL19, were identified in the screening. These genes when silenced in N. benthamiana caused a delay in nonhost bacteria induced hypersensitive response (HR) with concurrent increase in nonhost bacterial multiplication. Arabidopsis mutants of AtRPL12 and AtRPL19 also compromised nonhost resistance. The studies on NbRPL12 and NbRPL19 double silenced plants suggested that both RPL12 and RPL19 act in the same pathway to confer nonhost resistance. Our work suggests a role for RPL12 and RPL19 in nonhost disease resistance in N. benthamiana and Arabidopsis. In addition, we show that these genes also play a minor role in basal resistance against virulent pathogens.

The Receptor for Activated C Kinase in Plant Signaling: Tale of a Promiscuous Little Molecule

Two decades after the first report of the plant homolog of the Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) in cultured tobacco BY2 cells, a significant advancement has been made in the elucidation of its cellular and molecular role. The protein is now implicated in many biological functions including protein translation, multiple hormonal responses, developmental processes, pathogen infection resistance, environmental stress responses, and miRNA production. Such multiple functional roles are consistent with the scaffolding nature of the plant RACK1 protein. A significant advance was achieved when the β-propeller structure of the Arabidopsis RACK1A isoform was elucidated, thus revealing that its conserved seven WD repeats also assembled into this typical topology. From its crystal structure, it became apparent that it shares the structural platform for the interaction with ligands identified in other systems such as mammals. Although RACK1 proteins maintain conserved Protein Kinase C binding sites, the lack of a bona fide PKC adds complexity and enigma to the nature of the ligand partners with which RACK1 interacts in plants. Nevertheless, ligands recently identified using the split-ubiquitin based and conventional yeast two-hybrid assays, have revealed that plant RACK1 is involved in several processes that include defense response, drought and salt stress, ribosomal function, cell wall biogenesis, and photosynthesis. The information acquired indicates that, in spite of the high degree of conservation of its structure, the functions of the plant RACK1 homolog appear to be distinct and diverse from those in yeast, mammals, insects, etc. In this review, we take a critical look at the novel information regarding the many functions in which plant RACK1 has been reported to participate, with a special emphasis on the information on its currently identified and missing ligand partners.