Mediated plastid RNA editing in plant immunity

PLoS Pathog. 2013 Oct;9(10):e1003713. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003713. Epub 2013 Oct 31.

Abstract

Plant regulatory circuits coordinating nuclear and plastid gene expression have evolved in response to external stimuli. RNA editing is one of such control mechanisms. We determined the Arabidopsis nuclear-encoded homeodomain-containing protein OCP3 is incorporated into the chloroplast, and contributes to control over the extent of ndhB transcript editing. ndhB encodes the B subunit of the chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH) involved in cyclic electron flow (CEF) around photosystem I. In ocp3 mutant strains, ndhB editing efficiency decays, CEF is impaired and disease resistance to fungal pathogens substantially enhanced, a process recapitulated in plants defective in editing plastid RNAs encoding NDH complex subunits due to mutations in previously described nuclear-encoded pentatricopeptide-related proteins (i.e. CRR21, CRR2). Furthermore, we observed that following a pathogenic challenge, wild type plants respond with editing inhibition of ndhB transcript. In parallel, rapid destabilization of the plastidial NDH complex is also observed in the plant following perception of a pathogenic cue. Therefore, NDH complex activity and plant immunity appear as interlinked processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / immunology
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / immunology
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / immunology
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • NADH Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • NADH Dehydrogenase / immunology
  • NADH Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Plant Immunity / physiology*
  • Plastids / genetics
  • Plastids / immunology
  • Plastids / metabolism*
  • RNA Editing / physiology*
  • RNA Stability / physiology*
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / immunology
  • RNA, Plant / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • OCP3 protein, Arabidopsis
  • RNA, Plant
  • Transcription Factors
  • ndhB protein, Arabidopsis
  • NADH Dehydrogenase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Spanish MICINN (CONSOLIDER and BFU2012 to PV), and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo2010/020 to PV). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.