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Publications - Stress and Develop Biology

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Publications

Trempel, F.; Eschen‐Lippold, L.; Bauer, N.; Ranf, S.; Westphal, L.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; A mutation in Asparagine‐Linked Glycosylation 12 (ALG12) leads to receptor misglycosylation and attenuated responses to multiple microbial elicitors FEBS Lett. 594, 2440-2451, (2020) DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13850

Changes in cellular calcium levels are one of the earliest signalling events in plants exposed to pathogens or other exogenous factors. In a genetic screen, we identified an Arabidopsis thaliana ‘changed calcium elevation 1 ’ (cce1 ) mutant with attenuated calcium response to the bacterial flagellin flg22 peptide and several other elicitors. Whole genome re‐sequencing revealed a mutation in ALG12 (Asparagine‐Linked Glycosylation 12 ) that encodes the mannosyltransferase responsible for adding the eighth mannose residue in an α‐1,6 linkage to the dolichol‐PP‐oligosaccharide N ‐glycosylation glycan tree precursors. While properly targeted to the plasma membrane, misglycosylation of several receptors in the cce1 background suggests that N ‐glycosylation is required for proper functioning of client proteins.
Publications

Westphal, L.; Strehmel, N.; Eschen-Lippold, L.; Bauer, N.; Westermann, B.; Rosahl, S.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; pH effects on plant calcium fluxes: lessons from acidification-mediated calcium elevation induced by the γ-glutamyl-leucine dipeptide identified from Phytophthora infestans Sci. Rep. 9, 4733, (2019) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41276-0

Cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) elevation is an early signaling response upon exposure to pathogen-derived molecules (so-called microbe-associated molecular patterns, MAMPs) and has been successfully used as a quantitative read-out in genetic screens to identify MAMP receptors or their associated components. Here, we isolated and identified by mass spectrometry the dipeptide γ-Glu-Leu as a component of a Phytophthora infestans mycelium extract that induces [Ca2+]cyt elevation. Treatment of Arabidopsis seedlings with synthetic γ-Glu-Leu revealed stimulatory effects on defense signaling, including a weak enhancement of the expression of some MAMP-inducible genes or affecting the refractory period to a second MAMP elicitation. However, γ-Glu-Leu is not a classical MAMP since pH adjustment abolished these activities and importantly, the observed effects of γ-Glu-Leu could be recapitulated by mimicking extracellular acidification. Thus, although γ-Glu-Leu can act as a direct agonist of calcium sensing receptors in animal systems, the Ca2+-mobilizing activity in plants reported here is due to acidification. Low pH also shapes the Ca2+ signature of well-studied MAMPs (e.g. flg22) or excitatory amino acids such as glutamate. Overall, this work serves as a cautionary reminder that in defense signaling studies where Ca2+ flux measurements are concerned, it is important to monitor and consider the effects of pH.
Publications

Maldonado-Bonilla, L. D.; Eschen-Lippold, L.; Gago-Zachert, S.; Tabassum, N.; Bauer, N.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; The Arabidopsis Tandem Zinc Finger 9 Protein Binds RNA and Mediates Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern-Triggered Immune Responses Plant Cell Physiol. 55, 412-425, (2014) DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pct175

Recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) induces multiple defense mechanisms to limit pathogen growth. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana tandem zinc finger protein 9 (TZF9) is phosphorylated by PAMP-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and is required to trigger a full PAMP-triggered immune response. Analysis of a tzf9 mutant revealed attenuation in specific PAMP-triggered reactions such as reactive oxygen species accumulation, MAPK activation and, partially, the expression of several PAMP-responsive genes. In accordance with these weaker PAMP-triggered responses, tzf9 mutant plants exhibit enhanced susceptibility to virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Visualization of TZF9 localization by fusion to green fluorescent protein revealed cytoplasmic foci that co-localize with marker proteins of processing bodies (P-bodies). This localization pattern is affected by inhibitor treatments that limit mRNA availability (such as cycloheximide or actinomycin D) or block nuclear export (leptomycin B). Coupled with its ability to bind the ribohomopolymers poly(rU) and poly(rG), these results suggest involvement of TZF9 in post-transcriptional regulation, such as mRNA processing or storage pathways, to regulate plant innate immunity.
Books and chapters

Eschen-Lippold, L.; Bauer, N.; Löhr, J.; Palm-Forster, M. A. T.; Lee, J.; Rapid Mutagenesis-Based Analysis of Phosphorylation Sites in Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Substrates (Komis, G. & Šamaj, J., eds.). Methods Mol. Biol. 1171, 183-192, (2014) ISBN: 978-1-4939-0922-3 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0922-3_15

In eukaryotes, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are one of the best studied pathways for posttranslational modification-mediated regulation of protein functions. Here, we describe a rapid in vitro method to screen potential protein phosphorylation sites targeted by MAPKs. The method is based on PCR-mediated mutagenesis together with a type IIs restriction digest. Screening for the successfully mutated clones is further facilitated through introduction of a second diagnostic restriction site. Besides time-saving, this reduces the cost for sequencing confirmation of the positive clones, which are used for subsequent recombinant protein production and kinase assay validation.
Publications

Eschen-Lippold, L.; Bethke, G.; Palm-Forster, M. A. T.; Pecher, P.; Bauer, N.; Glazebrook, J.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; MPK11—a fourth elicitor-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase in Arabidopsis thaliana Plant Signal Behav. 7, 1203-1205, (2012) DOI: 10.4161/psb.21323

Recognition of pathogen attack or elicitation with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) leads to defense signaling that includes activation of the three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs), MPK3, MPK4 and MPK6 in Arabidopsis. Recently, we demonstrated the activation of a fourth MPK, MPK11, after treatment with flg22, a 22 amino acid PAMP derived from bacterial flagellin. Here, we extended the study by examining elicitation with two other PAMPs, elf18 (derived from bacterial elongation factor EF-Tu) and ch8 (N-acetylchitooctaose derived from fungal chitin). Both PAMPs led to rapid MPK11 transcript accumulation and increased MPK11 kinase activity, suggesting that multiple PAMPs (or stresses) can activate MPK11. However, probably due to functional redundancies, bacteria-induced phytoalexin accumulation does not absolutely require MPK11.
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