Deciphering the role of NLR immune receptors DNA binding/damage in plant immunity
M. RICHARD (1), M. Knip (1), T. Aalders (1), M. Cann (2), F. Takken (1) (1) Molecular Plant Pathology, SILS, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; (2) School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute, Durham University, United Kingdom

Plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to protect individual cells, and hence safeguard the entire plant, against pathogen infection. Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors perceive non-self and modified-self molecules inside host cells and are the key actors of resistance success. However, how NLR proteins are able to initiate immune signaling remains largely unknown. The potato NLR protein Rx1 confers resistance to Potato Virus X (PVX) by recognition of its viral coat protein (CP). CP recognition leads to activation of the Rx1 protein, and it has recently been shown that activated Rx is able to bind DNA in planta and in vitro and to induce DNA damage in vitro. The role of this unexpected biochemical activity of NLR-type immune receptors in resistance against pathogens remain to be discovered. This study aims to uncover (i) which sequences are targeted by Rx1 and (ii) which correlation exist between Rx1 DNA binding sequences and the rapid transcriptional reprogramming observed during early defense responses. For this purpose, we will take advantage of Rx1 temperature sensitivity in order to synchronize immune signaling and generate material for chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and RNA sequencing analyses.

Abstract Number: P17-596
Session Type: Poster