Pseudomonas syringae effector HopZ3 suppresses the bacterial AvrPto1-tomato PTO immune complex via acetylation

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Nov 1;17(11):e1010017. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010017. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Abstract

The plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae secretes multiple effectors that modulate plant defenses. Some effectors trigger defenses due to specific recognition by plant immune complexes, whereas others can suppress the resulting immune responses. The HopZ3 effector of P. syringae pv. syringae B728a (PsyB728a) is an acetyltransferase that modifies not only components of plant immune complexes, but also the Psy effectors that activate these complexes. In Arabidopsis, HopZ3 acetylates the host RPM1 complex and the Psy effectors AvrRpm1 and AvrB3. This study focuses on the role of HopZ3 during tomato infection. In Psy-resistant tomato, the main immune complex includes PRF and PTO, a RIPK-family kinase that recognizes the AvrPto effector. HopZ3 acts as a virulence factor on tomato by suppressing AvrPto1Psy-triggered immunity. HopZ3 acetylates AvrPto1Psy and the host proteins PTO, SlRIPK and SlRIN4s. Biochemical reconstruction and site-directed mutagenesis experiments suggest that acetylation acts in multiple ways to suppress immune signaling in tomato. First, acetylation disrupts the critical AvrPto1Psy-PTO interaction needed to initiate the immune response. Unmodified residues at the binding interface of both proteins and at other residues needed for binding are acetylated. Second, acetylation occurs at residues important for AvrPto1Psy function but not for binding to PTO. Finally, acetylation reduces specific phosphorylations needed for promoting the immune-inducing activity of HopZ3's targets such as AvrPto1Psy and PTO. In some cases, acetylation competes with phosphorylation. HopZ3-mediated acetylation suppresses the kinase activity of SlRIPK and the phosphorylation of its SlRIN4 substrate previously implicated in PTO-signaling. Thus, HopZ3 disrupts the functions of multiple immune components and the effectors that trigger them, leading to increased susceptibility to infection. Finally, mass spectrometry used to map specific acetylated residues confirmed HopZ3's unusual capacity to modify histidine in addition to serine, threonine and lysine residues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Acetyltransferases / genetics
  • Acetyltransferases / immunology
  • Acetyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Antigen-Antibody Complex / immunology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Plant Diseases / immunology*
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / immunology
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Pseudomonas syringae / pathogenicity*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / immunology*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / microbiology
  • Virulence
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / immunology
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigen-Antibody Complex
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • avrPto protein, Pseudomonas syringae
  • Acetyltransferases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation (www.nsf.gov) grants NSF2010: Functional Genomics of NBS-LRR Mediated Resistance to RWM and JTG (IOS 0822393), Rol:FELS EAGER: Emergent functions of secreted microbial effectors to JTG (NSF MCB 1837824) and NSF: Post-translational Modifications as Modulators of Crop Plant Defense Signaling: a Systems Approach to JTG and SJK (IOS 1238201). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.