Plant Immune Mechanisms:From Reductionistic to Holistic Points of View

After three decades of the amazing progress made on molecular studies of plant-microbe interactions(MPMI),we have begun to ask ourselves"what are the major questions still remaining?"as if the puzzle has only a few pieces missing.Such an exercise has ultimately led to the realization that we still have many more questions than answers.Therefore,it would be an impossible task for us to project a coherent"big picture"of the MPMI field in a single review.Instead,we provide our opinions on where we would like to go in our research as an invitation to the community to join us in this exploration of new MPMI frontiers.

Translational Regulation of Metabolic Dynamics during Effector-Triggered Immunity

Recent studies have shown that global translational reprogramming is an early activation event in pattern-triggered immunity,when plants recognize microbe-associated molecular patterns.However,it is not fully known whether translational regulation also occurs in subsequent immune responses,such as effector-triggered immunity(ETI).In this study,we performed genome-wide ribosome profiling in Arabidopsis upon RPS2-mediated ETI activation and discovered that specific groups of genes were translationally regulated,mostly in coordination with transcription.These genes encode enzymes involved in aromatic amino acid,phenylpropanoid,camalexin,and sphingolipid metabolism.The functional significance of these components in ETI was confirmed by genetic and biochemical analyses.Our findings provide new insights into diverse translational regulation of plant immune responses and demonstrate that translational coordination of metabolic gene expression is an important strategy for ETI.

Membrane Trafficking in Plant Immunity

Plants employ sophisticated mechanisms to interact with pathogenic as well as beneficial microbes. Of those, membrane trafficking is key in establishing a rapid and precise response. Upon interaction with pathogenic microbes, surface-localized immune receptors undergo endocytosis for signal transduction and activity regulation while cell wall components, antimicrobial compounds, and defense proteins are delivered to pathogen invasion sites through polarized secretion. To sustain mutualistic associations, host cells also reprogram the membrane trafficking system to accommodate invasive structures of symbi- otic microbes. Here, we provide an analysis of recent advances in understanding the roles of secretory and endocytic membrane trafficking pathways in plant immune activation. We also discuss strategies deployed by adapted microbes to manipulate these pathways to subvert or inhibit plant defense.

A Highway for War and Peace： The Secretory Pathway in Plant-Microbe Interactions

Secretion of proteins and other molecules is the primary means by which a cell interacts with its surroundings. The overall organization of the secretory system is remarkably conserved among eukaryotes, and many of the components have been investigated in detail in animal models. Plant cells, because of their sessile lifestyle, are uniquely reliant on the secretory pathway to respond to changes in their environments, either abiotic, such as the absence of nutrients, or biotic, such as the presence of predators or pathogens. In particular, most plant pathogens are extracellular, which demands a robust and efficient host secretory system directed at the site of attack. Here, we present a summary of recent advances in our understanding of the molecular details of the secretory pathway during plant-microbe interactions. Secretion is required not only for the delivery of antimicrobial molecules, but also for the biogenesis of cell surface sensors to detect microbes. The deposition of extracellular material is important in the defense against classical bacterial pathogens as well as in the so-called ＂non-host＇ resistance. Finally, boosting the protein secretion capacity is vital for avoiding infection as well as for achieving symbiosis, even though in the latter case, the microbes are engulfed in intracellular compartments. The emerging evidence indicates that secretion provides an essential interface between plant hosts and their associated microbial partners.