The allelic rice immune receptor Pikh confers extended resistance to strains of the blast fungus through a single polymorphism in the effector binding interface

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009368
• Publication Date: 2021-03-01T18:35:57Z
• Authors: Juan Carlos De la...; Josephine H. R. M...; Apinya Longya; Gui Xiao; Marina Franceschetti; Mark J. Banfield
• Keywords: Immune receptor; Antigenic variation

Arms race co-evolution drives rapid adaptive changes in pathogens and the immune systems of their hosts. Plant intracellular NLR receptors detect effectors delivered by to promote susceptibility, activating an response that halts colonization. As a consequence, pathogen evolve escape recognition are highly variable. In turn, one most diverse protein families plants, this variability underpins differential effector variants. The molecular mechanisms underlying natural variation NLRs starting be elucidated. rice pair Pik-1/Pik-2 recognizes AVR-Pik from blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae , triggering responses limit infection. Allelic heavy metal associated (HMA) domain integrated receptor Pik-1 confers binding variants, determining resistance specificity. Previous mechanistic studies uncovered how Pik allele, Pikm, has extended variants through specialized HMA/AVR-Pik interface. Here, we reveal basis specificity conferred another Pikh. A single residue Pikh-HMA increases leading planta. crystal structure complex with variant confirmed Pikh Pikm use similar mechanism extend profile. This study shows different alleles functionally converge effectors.