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Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay modulates immune receptor levels to regulate plant antibacterial defense

Jiradet Gloggnitzer1, Svetlana Akimcheva1, Arunkumar Srinivasan2

  • 1Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

Cell Host & Microbe
|September 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) regulates plant immunity by controlling immune receptor mRNA levels. Host-regulated NMD fine-tunes the plant immune response, enhancing disease resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Plant biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a crucial RNA surveillance pathway in eukaryotes.
  • NMD dysfunction in Arabidopsis thaliana activates immune responses and boosts antibacterial resistance, but mechanisms remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of NMD in Arabidopsis innate immunity.
  • To investigate how NMD controls the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) immune receptors.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated NMD's role in Arabidopsis innate immunity.
  • Analyzed the impact of NMD on Toll-like receptor (TLR) mRNA turnover.
  • Examined the effects of NMD impairment and bacterial infection on plant defense.

Main Results:

  • NMD regulates the turnover of numerous TIR domain-containing, nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat (TNL) immune receptor mRNAs.
  • NMD impairment leads to autoimmunity dependent on TNL signaling, exemplified by RPS6 deregulation.
  • Bacterial infection inhibits NMD, stabilizing TNL transcripts and enhancing plant defense.

Conclusions:

  • NMD is a key regulator of plant innate immunity by controlling TNL immune receptor mRNA levels.
  • Host-regulated NMD determines the threshold for TNL pathway activation, crucial for disease resistance.

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