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Updated: May 7, 2026
10:07
Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes
Published on: February 22, 2014
Evolution and Conservation of Plant NLR Functions.
Florence Jacob1, Saskia Vernaldi, Takaki Maekawa
1Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research , Cologne , Germany ; Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Evry Val d'Essone , Evry , France.
Frontiers in Immunology
|October 5, 2013
Summary
Plant and animal nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeats (NLR) proteins are key to innate immunity. Despite similarities, plant and animal NLRs evolved independently, yet share conserved immune principles across plant species.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Immunology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeats (NLR) proteins are crucial for innate immunity in both plants and animals.
- NLRs share similar protein structures and biological functions across kingdoms.
- Comparative genomic analyses suggest independent evolutionary origins of plant and animal NLRs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of plant NLRs.
- To summarize current understanding of plant NLR signaling pathways.
- To explore potential evolutionary conservation of NLR-mediated immunity.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genome-wide analyses of NLRs and NLR-like genes.
- Review of existing literature on plant NLR evolution and signaling.
- Analysis of interfamily transfer of plant NLR functions.
Main Results:
- Plant and animal NLRs appear to have evolved independently despite functional and structural similarities.
- Evidence suggests evolutionary conservation of NLR-mediated immune principles across diverse plant species.
- Interfamily transfer of plant NLR functions highlights conserved mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Plant NLR evolution is a complex process with independent origins from animal counterparts.
- Plant NLR signaling mechanisms may represent evolutionarily conserved immune pathways.
- Understanding plant NLR evolution provides insights into fundamental immune principles.
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