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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Plant Gene Expression Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408429
Research Project: Enhancing Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stress Through Understanding the Microbiome and Immune Signaling Mechanisms

Location: Plant Gene Expression Center

Title: Conserved transcription factors NRZ1 and NRM1 regulate NLR receptor-mediated immunity

Author
item ZHANG, QINGLING - Huazhong Agricultural University
item WANG, JUBIN - Huazhong Agricultural University
item LI, YUANYUAN - University Of California, Davis
item TUNG, JEFFREY - University Of California Berkeley
item DENG, YINGTIAN - Huazhong Agricultural University
item Baker, Barbara
item DINESH-KUMAR, S - (NCE, CECR)networks Of Centres Of Exellence Of Canada, Centres Of Excellence For Commercilization A
item LI, FENG - Huazhong Agricultural University

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/6/2023
Publication Date: 2/2/2024
Citation: Zhang, Q., Wang, J., Li, Y., Tung, J., Deng, Y., Baker, B.J., Dinesh-Kumar, S.P., Li, F. 2024. Conserved transcription factors NRZ1 and NRM1 regulate NLR receptor-mediated immunity. Plant Physiology. 195(1):832-849. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae054.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae054

Interpretive Summary: A conserved transcriptional network regulates NLR-mediated immunity. Microbial pathogens cause 10-40 percent (%) crop loss annually worldwide and are a threat to global food security. Plants are naturally protected from microbial disease by nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat (NLR) proteins, which recognize pathogens and trigger resistance responses. NLR proteins play a central role plant immunity, however our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of NLR resistance is limited. We identified two transcription factor proteins that are required for the NLR, Necrosis (N)-mediated resistance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). These findings provide plant researchers with new tools for application to development of sustainable crop defense.

Technical Abstract: A conserved transcriptional network regulates Necrosis (N)-mediated immunity to tobacco mosaic virus. A major class of immune receptors the intracellular nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat (NLR) proteins recognize pathogen effectors, trigger resistance responses, and protect plants from microbial disease. Although NLR-mediated effector recognition and receptor activation have been described, understanding of the transcriptional regulation NLR resistance and downstream signaling components is lacking. Using combination of RNA transcriptome analysis and protein approaches we identified two transcription factors N-required C3H (Cysteine3Histidine) Zinc finger 1 (NRZ1) and N-required MYB (myeloblastosis)-like transcription factor 1 (NRM1) that activate the N (Necrosis) NLR following TMV infection. These findings uncovered a conserved transcriptional regulatory network that is central to NLR-mediated cell death and immune signaling in plants.