EMBO Members Review
- The EMBO Journal (2007) 26, 4293 - 4301
- doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601854
Published online: 13 September 2007
Subject Categories:
Rumble in the nuclear jungle: compartmentalization, trafficking, and nuclear action of plant immune receptors
Qian-Hua Shen1 and Paul Schulze-Lefert1
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, Köln, Germany
Correspondence to:
Paul Schulze-Lefert, Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linne-Weg 10, Köln 50829, Germany. Tel.: +49 221 5062350; Fax: +49 221 5062313; E-mail: schlef@mpiz-koeln.mpg.de
Received 1 June 2007; Accepted 23 August 2007
Abstract
Plants and animals have evolved structurally related innate immune sensors inside cells to detect the presence of microbial molecules. An evolutionary ancient folding machinery becomes engaged for the synthesis of autorepressed receptor forms in both kingdoms. The receptors act as regulatory signal transduction switches and are activated upon direct or indirect perception of non-self structures. Recent findings indicate that nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning and nuclear activity is critical for the function of several plant immune sensors, thereby linking receptor function to transcriptional reprogramming of host cells for pathogen defense. This implies short signalling pathways and reveals parallels with regulatory control mechanisms of animal steroid receptors.
Keywords:
- disease resistance,
- innate immunity,
- NB-LRR proteins,
- nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking,
- pathogen recognition
