Plant “helper” immune receptors are Ca 2+ -permeable nonselective cation channels

• DOI: 10.1126/science.abg7917
• Publication Date: 2021-06-17T19:20:16Z
• Authors: Pierre Jacob; Nak Hyun Kim; Feihua Wu; Farid El-Kasmi; Yuan Chi; William G. Walton; Oliver J. Furzer; Adam D. Lietzan; Sruthi Sunil; Korina Kempthorn; Matthew R. Redinbo; Zhen-Ming Pei; Li Wan; Jeffery L. Dangl
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; 0303 health sciences; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Cell Death; Arabidopsis Proteins; Cell Membrane; Arabidopsis; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; NLR Proteins; Protein Structure, Secondary; 03 medical and health sciences; HEK293 Cells; Protein Domains; Humans; Calcium; Calcium Channels; Calcium Signaling; HeLa Cells

Calcium signaling for host cell death

In response to microbial pathogens, some plants kill off their own cells to limit further spread of infection. The Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor/Resistance class of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (known as TNLs) function in plants as immune receptors. These TNLs work together with a dedicated set of helper proteins. Jacob et al. reveal the structure of one of these helpers known as NRG1 (N REQUIREMENT GENE 1). The structure resembles a known animal cation channel. The authors demonstrate that helper NLRs directly control calcium ion influx to initiate host cell death, providing a mechanism for TNL outputs.

Science , abg7917, this issue p. 420