Plant SYP12 syntaxins mediate an evolutionarily conserved general immunity to filamentous pathogens
Hector M Rubiato1, Mengqi Liu1, Richard J O'Connell2
1University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science, CPSC, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Elife
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Plant immune responses involving papillae and encasements rely on SYP12 syntaxins (PEN1 and SYP122) for defense against filamentous pathogens. This ancient defense mechanism evolved early in land plants and remains effective today.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Molecular plant-microbe interactions
- Plant immunity
Background:
- Filamentous fungi and oomycetes cause plant diseases by penetrating leaf cell walls.
- Plant preinvasive immunity is effective against nonadapted pathogens and involves papillae and encasements.
- The formation and function of these defense structures remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of SYP12 syntaxins in plant preinvasive immunity.
- To determine if SYP12s are essential for papillae and encasement formation.
- To explore the evolutionary conservation of SYP12-mediated immunity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of loss-of-function mutants in Arabidopsis.
- Complementation studies using SYP12s from Marchantia polymorpha.
- Pathogen inoculation assays with filamentous pathogens.
Main Results:
- PEN1 and SYP122 are indispensable for papillae and encasement formation in Arabidopsis.
- Mutants lacking functional SYP12s showed impaired preinvasive immunity against diverse pathogens.
- SYP12s from Marchantia polymorpha rescued the immunity defect, indicating ancient conservation.
Conclusions:
- SYP12 syntaxins are crucial for plant preinvasive immunity against filamentous pathogens.
- This defense mechanism, mediated by SYP12s, is ancient and conserved across land plants.
- Understanding this defense may reveal how pathogens overcome it.
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