Publikation
Eschen-Lippold, L.; Draeger, T.; Teichert, A.; Wessjohann, L.; Westermann, B.; Rosahl, S.; Arnold, N.; Antioomycete Activity of γ-Oxocrotonate Fatty Acids against P. infestans J. Agr. Food Chem. 57, 9607-9612, (2009) DOI: 10.1021/jf902067k
Infections with Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato and tomato late blight disease, are difficult to control and can lead to considerable agricultural losses. Thus, the development of new effective agents against the pathogen is of great interest. In previous work, (E)-4-oxohexadec-2-enoic acid (3) was isolated from Hygrophorus eburneus, which exhibited fungicidal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum. Here, the inhibitory effect of 3 on P. infestans spore germination and mycelium growth in vitro is demonstrated. The in vivo effect on infections of whole potato plants was investigated by spraying plants with the sodium salt of 3, sodium (2E)-4-oxohexadec-2-enoic acid (4), prior to P. infestans inoculation. Additionally, the influence of 3 on mycelium growth of Colletotrichum coccodes, the causal agent of potato black dot disease, was analyzed. In all approaches, a significant inhibition of pathogen development was achieved. Importantly, the unsaturated fatty acid exerted no toxic effect when sprayed on plants, a prerequisite for its commercial use.
Publikation
Engelhardt, S.; Lee, J.; Gäbler, Y.; Kemmerling, B.; Haapalainen, M.-L.; Li, C.-M.; Wei, Z.; Keller, H.; Joosten, M.; Taira, S.; Nürnberger, T.; Separable roles of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola accessory protein HrpZ1 in ion-conducting pore formation and activation of plant immunity Plant J. 57, 706-717, (2009) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03723.x
The HrpZ1 gene product from phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae is secreted in a type‐III secretion system‐dependent manner during plant infection. The ability of HrpZ1 to form ion‐conducting pores is proposed to contribute to bacterial effector delivery into host cells, or may facilitate the nutrition of bacteria in the apoplast. Furthermore, HrpZ1 is reminiscent of a pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that triggers immunity‐associated responses in a variety of plants. Here, we provide evidence that the ion pore formation and immune activation activities of HrpZ1 have different structure requirements. All HrpZ1 orthologous proteins tested possess pore formation activities, but some of these proteins fail to trigger plant defense‐associated responses. In addition, a C‐terminal fragment of HrpZ1 retains the ability to activate plant immunity, whereas ion pore formation requires intact HrpZ1. Random insertion mutagenesis of HrpZ1 further revealed the C terminus to be important for the PAMP activity of the protein. HrpZ1 binds to plant membranes with high affinity and specificity, suggesting that the activation of plant immunity‐associated responses by HrpZ1 is receptor‐mediated. Our data are consistent with dual roles of HrpZ1 as a virulence factor affecting host membrane integrity, and as a microbial pattern governing the activation of plant immunity during infection.
Publikation
Cheng, Y. T.; Germain, H.; Wiermer, M.; Bi, D.; Xu, F.; García, A. V.; Wirthmueller, L.; Després, C.; Parker, J. E.; Zhang, Y.; Li, X.; Nuclear Pore Complex Component MOS7/Nup88 Is Required for Innate Immunity and Nuclear Accumulation of Defense Regulators in Arabidopsis Plant Cell 21, 2503-2516, (2009) DOI: 10.1105/tpc.108.064519
Plant immune responses depend on dynamic signaling events across the nuclear envelope through nuclear pores. Nuclear accumulation of certain resistance (R) proteins and downstream signal transducers are critical for their functions, but it is not understood how these processes are controlled. Here, we report the identification, cloning, and analysis of Arabidopsis thalianamodifier of snc1,7 (mos7-1), a partial loss-of-function mutation that suppresses immune responses conditioned by the autoactivated R protein snc1 (for suppressor of npr1-1, constitutive 1). mos7-1 single mutant plants exhibit defects in basal and R protein–mediated immunity and in systemic acquired resistance but do not display obvious pleiotropic defects in development, salt tolerance, or plant hormone responses. MOS7 is homologous to human and Drosophila melanogaster nucleoporin Nup88 and resides at the nuclear envelope. In animals, Nup88 attenuates nuclear export of activated NF-κB transcription factors, resulting in nuclear accumulation of NF-κB. Our analysis shows that nuclear accumulation of snc1 and the defense signaling components Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1 and Nonexpresser of PR genes 1 is significantly reduced in mos7-1 plants, while nuclear retention of other tested proteins is unaffected. The data suggest that specifically modulating the nuclear concentrations of certain defense proteins regulates defense outputs.
Publikation
Böttcher, C.; Westphal, L.; Schmotz, C.; Prade, E.; Scheel, D.; Glawischnig, E.; The Multifunctional Enzyme CYP71B15 (PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT3) Converts Cysteine-Indole-3-Acetonitrile to Camalexin in the Indole-3-Acetonitrile Metabolic Network of Arabidopsis thaliana Plant Cell 21, 1830-1845, (2009) DOI: 10.1105/tpc.109.066670
Accumulation of camalexin, the characteristic phytoalexin of Arabidopsis thaliana, is induced by a great variety of plant pathogens. It is derived from Trp, which is converted to indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN) by successive action of the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP79B2/B3 and CYP71A13. Extracts from wild-type plants and camalexin biosynthetic mutants, treated with silver nitrate or inoculated with Phytophthora infestans, were comprehensively analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This metabolomics approach was combined with precursor feeding experiments to characterize the IAN metabolic network and to identify novel biosynthetic intermediates and metabolites of camalexin. Indole-3-carbaldehyde and indole-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were shown to originate from IAN. IAN conjugates with glutathione, γ-glutamylcysteine, and cysteine [Cys(IAN)] accumulated in challenged phytoalexin deficient3 (pad3) mutants. Cys(IAN) rescued the camalexin-deficient phenotype of cyp79b2 cyp79b3 and was itself converted to dihydrocamalexic acid (DHCA), the known substrate of CYP71B15 (PAD3), by microsomes isolated from silver nitrate–treated Arabidopsis leaves. Surprisingly, yeast-expressed CYP71B15 also catalyzed thiazoline ring closure, DHCA formation, and cyanide release with Cys(IAN) as substrate. In conclusion, in the camalexin biosynthetic pathway, IAN is derivatized to the intermediate Cys(IAN), which serves as substrate of the multifunctional cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP71B15.
Publikation
Bethke, G.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; Sometimes new results raise new questions: the question marks between mitogen-activated protein kinase and ethylene signaling Plant Signal Behav. 4, 672-674, (2009) DOI: 10.4161/psb.4.7.9039
In Arabidopsis thaliana, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades that contain MPK3, MPK4 and MPK6 have been implicated in various aspects of developmental processes and stress responses. We identified an ethylene response factor (ERF104), which controls innate immunity, to be a specific substrate of MPK6 and showed that ethylene signaling regulates the release of the ERF104 substrate from its kinase. Implications and questions that arise from our findings are addressed. To promote discussions, previously unpublished data, that are rather confounding, are presented and possible explanation provided on how these may fit into our current model.
Publikation
Bethke, G.; Unthan, T.; Uhrig, J. F.; Pöschl, Y.; Gust, A. A.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; Flg22 regulates the release of an ethylene response factor substrate from MAP kinase 6 in Arabidopsis thaliana via ethylene signaling Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 8067-8072, (2009) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0810206106
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)–mediated responses are in part regulated by the repertoire of MAPK substrates, which is still poorly elucidated in plants. Here, the in vivo enzyme–substrate interaction of the Arabidopsis thaliana MAP kinase, MPK6, with an ethylene response factor (ERF104) is shown by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The interaction was rapidly lost in response to flagellin-derived flg22 peptide. This complex disruption requires not only MPK6 activity, which also affects ERF104 stability via phosphorylation, but also ethylene signaling. The latter points to a novel role of ethylene in substrate release, presumably allowing the liberated ERF104 to access target genes. Microarray data show enrichment of GCC motifs in the promoters of ERF104–up-regulated genes, many of which are stress related. ERF104 is a vital regulator of basal immunity, as altered expression in both erf104 and overexpressors led to more growth inhibition by flg22 and enhanced susceptibility to a non-adapted bacterial pathogen.
Publikation
Barak, N. N.; Neumann, P.; Sevvana, M.; Schutkowski, M.; Naumann, K.; Malešević, M.; Reichardt, H.; Fischer, G.; Stubbs, M. T.; Ferrari, D. M.; Crystal Structure and Functional Analysis of the Protein Disulfide Isomerase-Related Protein ERp29 J. Mol. Biol. 385, 1630-1642, (2009) DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2008.11.052
The protein disulfide isomerase-related protein ERp29 is a putative chaperone involved in processing and secretion of secretory proteins. Until now, however, both the structure and the exact nature of interacting substrates remained unclear. We provide for the first time a crystal structure of human ERp29, refined to 2.9 Å, and show that the protein has considerable structural homology to its Drosophila homolog Wind. We show that ERp29 binds directly not only to thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin-derived peptides in vitro but also to the Wind client protein Pipe and Pipe-derived peptides, although it fails to process Pipe in vivo. A monomeric mutant of ERp29 and a D domain mutant in which the second peptide binding site is inactivated also bind protein substrates, indicating that the monomeric thioredoxin domain is sufficient for client protein binding. Indeed, the b domains of ERp29 or Wind, expressed alone, are sufficient for binding proteins and peptides. Interacting peptides have in common two or more aromatic residues, with stronger binding for sequences with overall basic character. Thus, the data allow a view of the two putative peptide binding sites of ERp29 and indicate that the apparent, different processing activity of the human and Drosophila proteins in vivo does not stem from differences in peptide binding properties.
Publikation
Andreou, A.-Z.; Hornung, E.; Kunze, S.; Rosahl, S.; Feussner, I.; On the Substrate Binding of Linoleate 9-Lipoxygenases Lipids 44, 207-215, (2009) DOI: 10.1007/s11745-008-3264-4
Lipoxygenases (LOX; linoleate:oxygen oxidoreductase EC 1.13.11.12) consist of a class of enzymes that catalyze the regio‐ and stereo specific dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Here we characterize two proteins that belong to the less studied class of 9‐LOXs, Solanum tuberosum StLOX1 and Arabidopsis thaliana AtLOX1. The proteins were recombinantly expressed in E. coli and the product specificity of the enzymes was tested against different fatty acid substrates. Both enzymes showed high specificity against all tested C18 fatty acids and produced (9S )‐hydroperoxides. However, incubation of the C20 fatty acid arachidonic acid with AtLOX1 gave a mixture of racemic hydroperoxides. On the other hand, with StLOX1 we observed the formation of a mixture of products among which the (5S )‐hydroperoxy eicosatetraenoic acid (5S‐ H(P)ETE) was the most abundant. Esterified fatty acids were no substrates. We used site directed mutagenesis to modify a conserved valine residue in the active site of StLOX1 and examine the importance of space within the active site, which has been shown to play a role in determining the positional specificity. The Val576Phe mutant still catalyzed the formation of (9S )‐hydroperoxides with C18 fatty acids, while it exhibited altered specificity against arachidonic acid and produced mainly (11S )‐H(P)ETE. These data confirm the model that in case of linoleate 9‐LOX binding of the substrate takes place with the carboxyl‐group first.
Publikation
Widjaja, I.; Lassowskat, I.; Bethke, G.; Eschen-Lippold, L.; Long, H.-H.; Naumann, K.; Dangl, J. L.; Scheel, D.; Lee, J.; A protein phosphatase 2C, responsive to the bacterial effector AvrRpm1 but not to the AvrB effector, regulates defense responses in Arabidopsis Plant J. 61, 249-258, (2010) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2009.04047.x
Using a proteomics approach, a PP2C‐type phosphatase (renamed PIA1, for PP2C induced by AvrRpm1) was identified that accumulates following infection by Pseudomonas syringae expressing the type III effector AvrRpm1, and subsequent activation of the corresponding plant NB‐LRR disease resistance protein RPM1. No accumulation of PIA1 protein was seen following infection with P. syringae expressing AvrB, another type III effector that also activates RPM1, although PIA transcripts were observed. Accordingly, mutation of PIA1 resulted in enhanced RPM1 function in response to P. syringae pathover tomato (Pto) DC3000 (avrRpm1) but not to Pto DC3000 (avrB). Thus, PIA1 is a protein marker that distinguishes AvrRpm1‐ and AvrB‐dependent activation of RPM1. AvrRpm1‐induced expression of the pathogenesis‐related genes PR1, PR2 and PR3, and salicylic acid accumulation were reduced in two pia1 mutants. By contrast, expression of other defense‐related genes, including PR5 and PDF1.2 (plant defensin), was elevated in unchallenged pia1 mutants. Hence, PIA1 is required for AvrRpm1‐induced responses, and confers dual (both positive and negative) regulation of defense gene expression.
Publikation
Sopeña-Torres, S.; Jordá, L.; Sánchez-Rodríguez, C.; Miedes, E.; Escudero, V.; Swami, S.; López, G.; Piślewska-Bednarek, M.; Lassowskat, I.; Lee, J.; Gu, Y.; Haigis, S.; Alexander, D.; Pattathil, S.; Muñoz-Barrios, A.; Bednarek, P.; Somerville, S.; Schulze-Lefert, P.; Hahn, M. G.; Scheel, D.; Molina, A.; YODA MAP3K kinase regulates plant immune responses conferring broad-spectrum disease resistance New Phytol. 218, 661-680, (2018) DOI: 10.1111/nph.15007
Mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) cascades play essential roles in plants by transducing developmental cues and environmental signals into cellular responses. Among the latter are microbe‐associated molecular patterns perceived by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which trigger immunity.We found that YODA (YDA) – a MAPK kinase kinase regulating several Arabidopsis developmental processes, like stomatal patterning – also modulates immune responses. Resistance to pathogens is compromised in yda alleles, whereas plants expressing the constitutively active YDA (CA‐YDA) protein show broad‐spectrum resistance to fungi, bacteria, and oomycetes with different colonization modes. YDA functions in the same pathway as ERECTA (ER) Receptor‐Like Kinase, regulating both immunity and stomatal patterning.ER‐YDA‐mediated immune responses act in parallel to canonical disease resistance pathways regulated by phytohormones and PRRs. CA‐YDA plants exhibit altered cell‐wall integrity and constitutively express defense‐associated genes, including some encoding putative small secreted peptides and PRRs whose impairment resulted in enhanced susceptibility phenotypes. CA‐YDA plants show strong reprogramming of their phosphoproteome, which contains protein targets distinct from described MAPKs substrates.Our results suggest that, in addition to stomata development, the ER‐YDA pathway regulates an immune surveillance system conferring broad‐spectrum disease resistance that is distinct from the canonical pathways mediated by described PRRs and defense Hormones.