Journal Article

Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat receptor–like kinase NILR1 is required for induction of innate immunity to parasitic nematodes

Wang’ombe, Mary Wanjiku, Mendy, Badou, Grundler, Florian M. W., Chopra, Divykriti, Siddique, Shahid, Holbein, Julia, Radakovic, Zoran S., Zipfel, Cyril, Holton, Nick, Ilyas, Muhammad

2017

Overview

Plant-parasitic nematodes are destructive pests causing losses of billions of dollars annually. An effective plant defence against pathogens relies on the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by surface-localised receptors leading to the activation of PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Extensive studies have been conducted to characterise the role of PTI in various models of plant-pathogen interactions. However, far less is known about the role of PTI in roots in general and in plant-nematode interactions in particular. Here we show that nematode-derived proteinaceous elicitor/s is/are capable of inducing PTI in Arabidopsis in a manner dependent on the common immune co-receptor BAK1. Consistent with the role played by BAK1, we identified a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, termed NILR1 that is specifically regulated upon infection by nematodes. We show that NILR1 is essential for PTI responses initiated by nematodes and nilr1 loss-of-function mutants are hypersusceptible to a broad category of nematodes. To our knowledge, NILR1 is the first example of an immune receptor that is involved in induction of basal immunity (PTI) in plants or in animals in response to nematodes. Manipulation of NILR1 will provide new options for nematode control in crop plants in future.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Acids / Animals / Apoptosis / Arabidopsis / Arabidopsis - cytology / Arabidopsis - enzymology / Arabidopsis - genetics / Arabidopsis - immunology / Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics / Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism / Bioinformatics / Biology and Life Sciences / Cell division / Charitable foundations / Gene expression / Host-Parasite Interactions / Immunity / Immunology / Infections / Innate immunity / Kinases / Laboratories / Leucine / Medicine and Health Sciences / Nematodes / Pathogens / Pattern recognition receptors / Pests / Physiology / Plant biology / Plant Diseases - immunology / Plant Immunity / Plant Roots - cytology / Plant Roots - enzymology / Plant Roots - genetics / Plant Roots - immunology / Protein Kinases - genetics / Protein Kinases - metabolism / Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics / Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism / Proteins / Reactive oxygen species / Receptors / Research and Analysis Methods / Research parks / Roundworms / Signal Transduction / Studies / Tylenchoidea - physiology