Emerging role for RNA‐based regulation in plant immunity. Issue 2 (19th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Staiger, Dorothee; Korneli, Christin; Lummer, Martina; Navarro, Lionel
• Is Part Of: New phytologist. Volume 197:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 394
• Page End: 404
• Publication Date: 2012-11-19
• Subjects: miRNA -- plant immunity -- post‐transcriptional -- RNA‐binding protein -- siRNA -- splicing; Botany -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.12022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-646X

Abstract

Summary: Infection by phytopathogenic bacteria triggers massive changes in plant gene expression, which are thought to be mostly a result of transcriptional reprogramming. However, evidence is accumulating that plants additionally use post‐transcriptional regulation of immune‐responsive mRNAs as a strategic weapon to shape the defense‐related transcriptome. Cellular RNA‐binding proteins regulate RNA stability, splicing or mRNA export of immune‐response transcripts. In particular, mutants defective in alternative splicing of resistance genes exhibit compromised disease resistance. Furthermore, detection of bacterial pathogens induces the differential expression of small non‐coding RNAs including microRNAs that impact the host defense transcriptome. Phytopathogenic bacteria in turn have evolved effector proteins to inhibit biogenesis and/or activity of cellular microRNAs. Whereas RNA silencing has long been known as an antiviral defense response, recent findings also reveal a major role of this process in antibacterial defense. Here we review the function of RNA‐binding proteins and small RNA‐directed post‐transcriptional regulation in antibacterial defense. We mainly focus on studies that used the model system Arabidopsis thaliana and also discuss selected examples from other plants. Contents Summary I. Introduction II. RNA decay III. Pre‐mRNA splicing IV. The nuclear mRNA export machinery V. General RBPs VI. Gene silencing VII. Perspective Acknowledgements References