Plant and Animal Innate Immunity Complexes: Fighting Different Enemies with Similar Weapons. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mermigka, Glykeria; Amprazi, Maria; Mentzelopoulou, Adriani; Amartolou, Argyro; Sarris, Panagiotis F.
• Is Part Of: Trends in plant science. Volume 25:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 80
• Page End: 91
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Botany -- Periodicals; Botanique -- Périodiques; Botany; Periodicals; 580.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.09.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-1385

Abstract

Abstract : Both animals and plants express intracellular innate immunity receptors known as NLR (N OD-l ike r eceptors or n ucleotide-binding domain and l eucine-rich repeat r eceptors, respectively). For various mammalian systems, the specific formation of macromolecular structures, such as inflammasomes by activated NLR receptors, has been extensively reported. However, for plant organisms, the formation of such structures was an open scientific question for many years. This year, the first plant 'resistosome' structure was reported, revealing significant structural similarities to mammalian apoptosome and inflammasome structures. In this review, we summarize the key components comprising the mammalian apoptosome/inflammasome structures and the newly discovered plant resistosome, highlighting their commonalities and differences. Highlights: The recent characterization of macromolecular structures involved in plant innate immunity, the resistosomes, highlights the commonalities observed between plant and animal innate systems. Plants and animals have a repertoire of intracellular immune receptors with similar domain structure, which perceive pathogens and initiate a cascade, leading, in both systems, to cell death. Their mode of action is similar, although in plants more sophisticated pathways of recognition have been reported, such as the 'integrated sensor/decoy' model. dATP exchange in the nucleotide-binding domain of the core proteins of apoptosome/resistosome is crucial for their activation. In animals, caspases seem to be key players in immunity responses, with a similar activity not yet confirmed for plant proteases.