A Phytophthora sojae effector PsCRN63 forms homo-/hetero-dimers to suppress plant immunity via an inverted association manner

Sci Rep. 2016 May 31:6:26951. doi: 10.1038/srep26951.

Abstract

Oomycete pathogens produce a large number of effectors to promote infection. Their mode of action are largely unknown. Here we show that a Phytophthora sojae effector, PsCRN63, suppresses flg22-induced expression of FRK1 gene, a molecular marker in pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI). However, PsCRN63 does not suppress upstream signaling events including flg22-induced MAPK activation and BIK1 phosphorylation, indicating that it acts downstream of MAPK cascades. The PsCRN63-transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed increased susceptibility to bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato (Pst) DC3000 and oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. The callose deposition were suppressed in PsCRN63-transgenic plants compared with the wild-type control plants. Genes involved in PTI were also down-regulated in PsCRN63-transgenic plants. Interestingly, we found that PsCRN63 forms an dimer that is mediated by inter-molecular interactions between N-terminal and C-terminal domains in an inverted association manner. Furthermore, the N-terminal and C-terminal domains required for the dimerization are widely conserved among CRN effectors, suggesting that homo-/hetero-dimerization of Phytophthora CRN effectors is required to exert biological functions. Indeed, the dimerization was required for PTI suppression and cell death-induction activities of PsCRN63.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / chemistry
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / immunology
  • Arabidopsis / microbiology
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / immunology
  • Cell Death
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phytophthora / genetics*
  • Phytophthora / growth & development
  • Phytophthora / metabolism
  • Plant Cells / immunology
  • Plant Cells / microbiology
  • Plant Diseases / genetics*
  • Plant Diseases / immunology
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Plant Immunity / genetics*
  • Plant Leaves / genetics*
  • Plant Leaves / immunology
  • Plant Leaves / microbiology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / immunology
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / immunology
  • Protoplasts / immunology
  • Protoplasts / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas syringae / genetics
  • Pseudomonas syringae / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • FRK1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Protein Kinases
  • BIK1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases