APIP5 functions as a transcription factor and an RNA-binding protein to modulate cell death and immunity in rice. Issue 9 (7th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Fan; Fang, Hong; Wang, Min; He, Feng; Tao, Hui; Wang, Ruyi; Long, Jiawei; Wang, Jiyang; Wang, Guo-Liang; Ning, Yuese
• Is Part Of: Nucleic acids research. Volume 50:Issue 9(2022)
• Page Start: 5064
• Page End: 5079
• Publication Date: 2022-05-07
• Subjects: Nucleic acids -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; 572.805
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac316
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-1048

Abstract

Abstract: Many transcription factors (TFs) in animals bind to both DNA and mRNA, regulating transcription and mRNA turnover. However, whether plant TFs function at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels remains unknown. The rice ( Oryza sativa ) bZIP TF AVRPIZ-T-INTERACTING PROTEIN 5 (APIP5) negatively regulates programmed cell death and blast resistance and is targeted by the effector AvrPiz-t of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae . We demonstrate that the nuclear localization signal of APIP5 is essential for APIP5-mediated suppression of cell death and blast resistance. APIP5 directly targets two genes that positively regulate blast resistance: the cell wall-associated kinase gene OsWAK5 and the cytochrome P450 gene CYP72A1 . APIP5 inhibits OsWAK5 expression and thus limits lignin accumulation; moreover, APIP5 inhibits CYP72A1 expression and thus limits reactive oxygen species production and defense compounds accumulation. Remarkably, APIP5 acts as an RNA-binding protein to regulate mRNA turnover of the cell death- and defense-related genes OsLSD1 and OsRac1 . Therefore, APIP5 plays dual roles, acting as TF to regulate gene expression in the nucleus and as an RNA-binding protein to regulate mRNA turnover in the cytoplasm, a previously unidentified regulatory mechanism of plant TFs at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.