Receptor discovered that protects plants against exceptionally broad group of pathogens

Plant scientists from Utrecht University and their colleagues from Germany and China have discovered a receptor protein in plants that recognises an exceptionally large group of pathogens. This protein can help offer plants better protection against these pathogens, such as the causal agent of potato blight, which causes major losses to the potato harvest. This oomycete is currently intensively treated using fungicides, but the results of this research may eventually contribute to a more environmentally friendly alternative. The results of the study were published in Nature Plants on 5 October.

The group of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes in question, secrete NLP proteins, which have one facet in common, allowing the same receptor protein to recognise these NLP-secreting pathogens. This process of recognition is vital, because it leads to the activation of the plant’s immune system.

Fascinating

“Plant species all have very different detection systems, so it is fascinating to see how the plant can detect such divergent pathogens using a relatively simple receptor. Unfortunately, important crops like potatoes and tomatoes lack this receptor”, explains Dr. Guido van den Ackerveken of the Institute of Environmental Biology of Utrecht University Utrecht University.

Reduced susceptibility

The researchers, therefore, inserted the receptor into potato plants and then exposed them to Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato blight. This did indeed reduce the plant’s susceptibility to this disease. “When exchanging receptors, it always remains to be seen whether it will remain active in the new plant. We have now proven that the receptor can be successfully exchanged from one plant to another. It would be wonderful if our discovery can lead to a successful application, says Van den Ackerveken.

Serendipity

This study builds on a serendipitous discovery made two years ago. The biologists from Utrecht and Germany were actually studying the role that NLP proteins play in the plant’s disease process using the model plant Arabidopsis. To their surprise, they discovered that the NLP proteins did not make the Arabidopsis susceptible to the diseases, but actually displayed a strong immune reaction. This was because the plant could recognize one specific piece of the NLP proteins that was shared between all these pathogens. “This discovery is unique in that we have found such a similarity in immune reaction to such a large group of organisms”, according to Van den Ackerveken.

Publication

'An RLP23–SOBIR1–BAK1 complex mediates pattern-triggered immunity in plants' Isabell Albert, Hannah Böhm, Markus Albert, Christina E. Feiler, Julia Imkampe, Niklas Wallmeroth, Caterina Brancato, Tom M. Raaymakers*, Stan Oome*, Heqiao Zhang, Elzbieta Krol, Christopher Grefen, Andrea A. Gust, Jijie Chai, Rainer Hedrich, Guido Van den Ackerveken* and Thorsten Nürnberger
Nature Plants, 5 October 2015, doi: 10.1038/nplants.2015.140.

* Affiliated with the group Plant-Microbe Interactions of the Institute of Environmental Biology of Utrecht University

Future Food

This research falls under Utrecht University’s interdisciplinary research theme Future Food Utrecht. In this programme, we work to find solutions for a sustainable, healthy, acceptable and accessible food supply for the global population. To this end, we focus on solutions based on an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and on integrating the insights and ideas from all food-related fields of study. Future Food Utrecht combines the efforts of biologists, pharmaceutical researchers, social scientists, urban geographers, medical and veterinary researchers, ethicists and economists. More information: Future Food Utrecht

This research was funded in part by the NWO programme ‘Meer met minder’.