Karelina, D. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2023

Sensing of viral RNA in plants via a DICER-LIKE Ribonuclease

Sensors of intracellular double-stranded RNA are central components of metazoan innate antiviral immunity, but such sensors have not been identified in plants. RNA interference (RNAi) constitutes a potent plant antiviral defense mechanism that relies on conversion of viral RNA into small interfering RNAs by two DICER-LIKE (DCL) ribonucleases, DCL4 and DCL2. Here, we show that while plant DCL4 is dedicated to RNAi, cytoplasmic dicing by DCL2 also triggers RNAi-independent defense gene expression via at least two intracellular nucleotide-binding domain/leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors. Combined DCL4/NLR inactivation abrogates basal resistance to a positive strand RNA virus. Our results redefine the basis of plant antiviral immunity, including autoimmunity as an explanation for DCL2-dependent growth arrest in dcl and RNA decay mutants in several plant species. One sentence summaryThe plant immune system uses Dicer-like ribonucleases for both antiviral RNA interference and double-stranded RNA sensing.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Arabidopsis cell surface LRR immune receptor signaling through the EDS1-PAD4-ADR1 node

Plants use both cell surface and intracellular immune receptors with leucine rich-repeat (LRRs) to detect pathogens. LRR receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) and LRR receptor-like proteins (LRR-RPs) recognize extracellular microbe-derived molecules to confer pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), while nucleotide-binding LRR (NLR) proteins detect microbial effectors inside the cell to confer effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Despite PTI and ETI signaling being initiated in different compartments, both rely on the transcriptional activation of similar sets of genes, suggesting convergence in signaling upstream of nuclear events. Here we report that two sets of molecules, helper NLRs from the ADR1 (ACTIVATED DISEASE RESISTANCE 1) family as well as lipase-like proteins EDS1 (ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1) and PAD4 (PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4), are required not only for ETI, but also for PTI. A further similarity is seen in the evolutionary patterns of some PTI and ETI receptor genes, with both often being highly polymorphic, and with nevertheless distinct roles of LRR-RK and LRR-RP receptors in immunity. We find that the LRR-RK SOBIR1 directly links LRR-RPs with the ADR1 helper NLR as well as EDS1 and PAD4, suggesting the formation of constitutive supramolecular signalosome complexes at the inner side of the plasma membrane. We propose that the EDS1-PAD4-ADR1 node is an essential component and convergence point for immune signaling cascades activated by both surface-resident LRR-RP receptors and intracellular NLR receptors.

plant biology↗