Temperature modulates plant defense responses through NB-LRR proteins.

An elevated growth temperature often inhibits plant defense responses and renders plants more susceptible to pathogens. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this modulation are unknown. To genetically dissect this regulation, we isolated mutants that retain disease resistance at a higher gro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ying Zhu, Weiqiang Qian, Jian Hua
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010-04-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2848567?pdf=render
Description
Summary:An elevated growth temperature often inhibits plant defense responses and renders plants more susceptible to pathogens. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this modulation are unknown. To genetically dissect this regulation, we isolated mutants that retain disease resistance at a higher growth temperature in Arabidopsis. One such heat-stable mutant results from a point mutation in SNC1, a NB-LRR encoding gene similar to disease resistance (R) genes. Similar mutations introduced into a tobacco R gene, N, confer defense responses at elevated temperature. Thus R genes or R-like genes involved in recognition of pathogen effectors are likely the causal temperature-sensitive component in defense responses. This is further supported by snc1 intragenic suppressors that regained temperature sensitivity in defense responses. In addition, the SNC1 and N proteins had a reduction of nuclear accumulation at elevated temperature, which likely contributes to the inhibition of defense responses. These findings identify a plant temperature sensitive component in disease resistance and provide a potential means to generate plants adapting to a broader temperature range.
ISSN:1553-7366
1553-7374