Studying the link between DNA-damage and NLR-mediated immune responses
M. KNIP (1), M. Cann (2), F. Takken (3) (1) University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; (2) Durham University, United Kingdom; (3) University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nucleotide-binding Leucine-rich Repeat proteins (NLRs) are a highly conserved, major class of immune receptors. We’ve developed a system that allows studying the newly discovered ability of NLRs to bind and nick DNA in planta in relation to the onset of immune responses. NLR-type immune receptors are present in both the nucleus and the cytosol and require both localizations to be fully functional. Very little is known about the molecules targeted by NLR’s in immunity. In collaboration with the Cann laboratory, our group has recently found that NLRs can bind and nick DNA in vitro. It was also found that DNA binding occurs in vivo, and relies on the activation of the NLR receptor following recognition of its genuine effector. These findings could provide an explanation why NLR-receptors require a nuclear localization to function: Activated NLRs might trigger immune responses by directly binding and/or nicking DNA. To study the nuclear function of NLR proteins, we’ve developed a system that allows synchronized induction of NLR-triggered immune responses, by using N. benthamiana plants that constitutively express the potato NLR-protein Rx1 in combination with controlled expression of the PVX-coat protein. This system allows us to study the occurrence, localization and timing of NLR-induced DNA-damage using TUNEL and COMET assays and to monitor the onset of subsequent specific immune responses by, among other methods, qPCR.

Abstract Number: P17-548
Session Type: Poster