Regulation of Plant Immunity by the Proteasome

Abstract

Plants rely on a sophisticated innate immune system to recognize pathogens and defend against pathogen attacks. The immune system must be precisely regulated to be capable of mounting a strong and effective defense response while avoiding autoimmunity. Targeted protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays crucial roles in both negative and positive regulations of immunity. In the absence of pathogens, the UPS targets immune receptors and downstream signaling components to maintain their homeostasis. Following pathogen recognition, UPS activity is also required for immune signaling and defense responses. Here we provide an overview of the diverse components of the UPS known to affect plant immunity.

Keywords: NLR receptor; Plant immunity; Proteasome; Protein degradation; Ubiquitination.