Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes
Published on: February 22, 2014
A phospho-switch constrains BTL2-mediated phytocytokine signaling in plant immunity
Xiao Yu1, Yingpeng Xie2, Dexian Luo3
1Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
Abstract:
Enabling and constraining immune activation is of fundamental importance in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Depleting BAK1 and SERK4, the co-receptors of multiple pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), abolishes pattern-triggered immunity but triggers intracellular NOD-like receptor (NLR)-mediated autoimmunity with an elusive mechanism. By deploying RNAi-based genetic screens in Arabidopsis, we identified BAK-TO-LIFE 2 (BTL2), an uncharacterized receptor kinase, sensing BAK1/SERK4 integrity. BTL2 induces autoimmunity through activating Ca2+ channel CNGC20 in a kinase-dependent manner when BAK1/SERK4 are perturbed. To compensate for BAK1 deficiency, BTL2 complexes with multiple phytocytokine receptors, leading to potent phytocytokine responses mediated by helper NLR ADR1 family immune receptors, suggesting phytocytokine signaling as a molecular link connecting PRR- and NLR-mediated immunity. Remarkably, BAK1 constrains BTL2 activation via specific phosphorylation to maintain cellular integrity. Thus, BTL2 serves as a surveillance rheostat sensing the perturbation of BAK1/SERK4 immune co-receptors in promoting NLR-mediated phytocytokine signaling to ensure plant immunity.
More Related Videos
08:54Imaging Spatial Reorganization of a MAPK Signaling Pathway Using the Tobacco Transient Expression System
Published on: March 20, 2016
11:50Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem
Published on: October 1, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Cell Signaling in Plants
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade
Riboswitches
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
Plant Cell Wall
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores