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Plants deploy cell-surface and intracellular leucine rich-repeat domain (LRR) immune receptors to detect pathogens 1 . LRR receptor kinases and LRR receptor proteins at the plasma membrane recognize microorganism-derived molecules to elicit pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), whereas nucleotide-binding LRR proteins detect microbial effectors inside cells to confer effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Although PTI and ETI are initiated in different host cell compartments, they rely on the transcriptional activation of similar sets of genes 2 , suggesting pathway convergence upstream of nuclear events. Here we report that PTI triggered by the Arabidopsis LRR receptor protein RLP23 requires signalling-competent dimers of the lipase-like proteins EDS1 and PAD4, and of ADR1 family helper nucleotide-binding LRRs, which are all components of ETI. The cell-surface LRR receptor kinase SOBIR1 links RLP23 with EDS1, PAD4 and ADR1 proteins, suggesting the formation of supramolecular complexes containing PTI receptors and transducers at the inner side of the plasma membrane. We detected similar evolutionary patterns in LRR receptor protein and nucleotide-binding LRR genes across Arabidopsis accessions; overall higher levels of variation in LRR receptor proteins than in LRR receptor kinases are consistent with distinct roles of these two receptor families in plant immunity. We propose that the EDS1-PAD4-ADR1 node is a convergence point for defence signalling cascades, activated by both surface-resident and intracellular LRR receptors, in conferring pathogen immunity., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase subfamily VII (RLCK-VII) proteins are the central immune kinases in plant pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) complexes, and they orchestrate a complex array of defense responses against bacterial and fungal pathogens. However, the role of RLCK-VII in plant-oomycete pathogen interactions has not been established. Phytophthora capsici is a notorious oomycete pathogen that infects many agriculturally important vegetables. Here, we report the identification of RXLR25, an RXLR effector that is required for the virulence of P. capsici. In planta expression of RXLR25 significantly enhanced plants' susceptibility to Phytophthora pathogens. Microbial pattern-induced immune activation in Arabidopsis was severely impaired by RXLR25. We further showed that RXLR25 interacts with RLCK-VII proteins. Using nine rlck-vii high-order mutants, we observed that RLCK-VII-6 and RLCK-VII-8 members are required for resistance to P. capsici. The RLCK-VII-6 members are specifically required for Phytophthora culture filtrate (CF)-induced immune responses. RXLR25 directly targets RLCK-VII proteins such as BIK1, PBL8, and PBL17 and inhibits pattern-induced phosphorylation of RLCK-VIIs to suppress downstream immune responses. This study identified a key virulence factor for P. capsici, and the results revealed the importance of RLCK-VII proteins in plant-oomycete interactions., (© 2021 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2021 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), which consist of receptor kinases (RKs) and receptor-like proteins, sense microbe- and host-derived molecular patterns associated with pathogen infection to trigger immune responses in plants. Several kinases of the 46-member Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) subfamily VII play important roles in pattern-triggered immunity, but it is unclear whether different RLCK VII members act specifically or redundantly in immune signaling. Here, we constructed nine higher order mutants of this subfamily (named rlck vii-1 to rlck vii-9 ) and systematically characterized their immune phenotypes. The mutants rlck vii-5 , - 7 , and - 8 had compromised reactive oxygen species production in response to all patterns tested, indicating that the corresponding members are broadly required for the signaling of multiple PRRs. However, rlck vii-4 was defective specifically in chitin-induced reactive oxygen species production, suggesting that RCLK VII-4 members mediate the signaling of specific PRRs. Furthermore, RLCK VII-4 members were required for the chitin-triggered activation of MAPK, demonstrating that these kinases link a PRR to MAPK activation. Moreover, we found that RLCK VII-6 and -8 also were required for RK-mediated root growth. Together, these results show that numerous RLCK VII members are involved in pattern-triggered immune signaling and uncover both common and specific roles of these kinases in plant development and immunity mediated by various RKs., (© 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

Plants deploy numerous cell surface-localized pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) to perceive host- and microbe-derived molecular patterns that are specifically released during infection and activate defense responses. The activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases MPK3, MPK4, and MPK6 (MPK3/4/6) is a hallmark of immune system activation by all known PRRs and is crucial for establishing disease resistance. The MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) MEKK1 controls MPK4 activation, but the MAPKKKs responsible for MPK3/6 activation downstream of diverse PRRs and how the perception of diverse molecular patterns leads to the activation of MAPKKKs remain elusive. Here, we show that two highly related MAPKKKs, MAPKKK3 and MAPKKK5, mediate MPK3/6 activation by at least four PRRs and confer resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens in Arabidopsis thaliana The receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases VII (RLCK VII), which act downstream of PRRs, directly phosphorylate MAPKKK5 Ser-599, which is required for pattern-triggered MPK3/6 activation, defense gene expression, and disease resistance. Surprisingly, MPK6 further phosphorylates MAPKKK5 Ser-682 and Ser-692 to enhance MPK3/6 activation and disease resistance, pointing to a positive feedback mechanism. Finally, MEKK1 Ser-603 is phosphorylated by both RLCK VII and MPK4, which is required for pattern-triggered MPK4 activation. These findings illustrate central mechanisms by which multiple PRRs activate MAPK cascades and disease resistance., (© 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G proteins regulate diverse processes by coupling to single-transmembrane receptors. One such receptor is the FLS2 receptor kinase, which perceives bacterial flagellin epitope flg22 to activate immunity through a class of cytoplasmic kinases called BIK1/PBLs. Unlike animal and fungal heterotrimeric G proteins that are activated by a ligand-induced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), plant heterotrimeric G proteins are self-activating. How plant receptors regulate heterotrimeric G proteins in response to external ligands remains unknown. Here we show that RGS1, a GTPase accelerating protein, maintains Arabidopsis G proteins in an inactive state in complex with FLS2. Activation of FLS2 by flg22 induces a BIK1/PBL-mediated phosphorylation of RGS1 at Ser428 and Ser431 and that promotes RGS1 dissociation from the FLS2-G protein complex. This relieves G proteins from the RGS1-mediated repression and enables positive regulation of immune signaling. We additionally show that RGS1 is similarly regulated by multiple immune receptors. Our results uncover ligand-induced de-repression as a mechanism for G protein signaling in plants that is distinct from previously reported mechanism underlying the activation of heterotrimeric G proteins in other systems.

Plant stem cells are hypersensitive to environmental hazards throughout their life cycle, but the mechanism by which plants safeguard stem cell homeostasis in response to environmental hazards is largely unknown. The homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) protein maintains the stem cell pool in the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis. Here, we demonstrate that the translation of WUS mRNA is directed by an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) located in the 5'-untranslated region. The AtLa1 protein, an RNA-binding factor, binds to the 5'-untranslated region and initiates the IRES-dependent translation of WUS mRNA. Knockdown of AtLa1 expression represses the WUS IRES-dependent translation and leads to the arrest of growth and development. The AtLa1 protein is mainly located in the nucleoplasm. However, environmental hazards promote the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation of the AtLa1 protein, which further enhances the IRES-dependent translation of WUS mRNA. Genetic evidence indicates that the WUS protein increases the tolerance of the shoot apical meristem to environmental hazards. Based on these results, we conclude that the stem cell niche in Arabidopsis copes with environmental hazards by enhancing the IRES-dependent translation of WUS mRNA under the control of the AtLa1 protein., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)