Direct acetylation of the conserved threonine of an immune regulator by bacterial effectors activates RPM1-dependent immunity in Arabidopsis

Abstract

Plant pathogenic bacteria deliver effectors into plant cells to suppress immunity and promote pathogen survival (Buttner, 2016; Deslandes and Rivas, 2012); however, these effectors can be recognised by plant disease resistance (R) proteins to activate innate immunity (Jones and Dangl, 2006; Spoel and Dong, 2012). The bacterial acetyltransferase effectors HopZ5 and AvrBsT trigger immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes lacking SUPPRESSOR OF AVRBST-ELICITED RESISTANCE 1 (SOBER1) (Choi et al., 2018; Jayaraman et al., 2017). Using an Arabidopsis accession, Tscha-1, that naturally lacks functional SOBER1 but is unable to recognise HopZ5, we demonstrate that RESISTANCE TO P. SYRINGAE PV MACULICOLA 1 (RPM1) and RPM1-INTERACTING PROTEIN 4 (RIN4) are indispensable for HopZ5- or AvrBsT-triggered immunity. Remarkably, T166 of RIN4, the phosphorylation of which is induced by AvrB and AvrRpm1, was directly acetylated by HopZ5 and AvrBsT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that acetylation of RIN4 T166 is required and sufficient for activation of HopZ5- or AvrBsT-triggered defence. Finally, we show that SOBER1 interferes with HopZ5- or AvrBsT-triggered immunity by deacetylating RIN4 T166. Our findings indicate that multiple pathogen effectors with distinct biochemical properties modify a single residue in a guardee protein and activate a plant NLR immune receptor. We have thus elucidated detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the activation and suppression of plant innate immunity triggered by bacterial acetyltransferases.