Autophagy, as an intracellular degradation system, plays a critical role in plant immunity. However, the involvement of autophagy in the plant immune system and its function in plant nematode resistance are largely unknown. Here, we show that root-knot nematode (RKN;
Beyond its role in cellular homeostasis, autophagy plays anti‐ and promicrobial roles in host–microbe interactions, both in animals and plants. One prominent role of antimicrobial autophagy is to degrade intracellular pathogens or microbial molecules, in a process termed xenophagy. Consequently, microbes evolved mechanisms to hijack or modulate autophagy to escape elimination. Although well‐described in animals, the extent to which xenophagy contributes to plant–bacteria interactions remains unknown. Here, we provide evidence that
- PAR ID:
- 10370877
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The EMBO Journal
- Volume:
- 41
- Issue:
- 13
- ISSN:
- 0261-4189
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Meloidogyne incognita ) infection induces autophagy in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ) and differentatg mutants exhibit high sensitivity to RKNs. The jasmonate (JA) signaling negative regulators JASMONATE-ASSOCIATED MYC2-LIKE 1 (JAM1), JAM2 and JAM3 interact with ATG8s via an ATG8-interacting motif (AIM), and JAM1 is degraded by autophagy during RKN infection. JAM1 impairs the formation of a transcriptional activation complex between ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1) and MEDIATOR 25 (MED25) and interferes with transcriptional regulation of JA-mediated defense-related genes by ERF1. Furthermore, ERF1 acts in a positive feedback loop and regulates autophagy activity by transcriptionally activatingATG expression in response to RKN infection. Therefore, autophagy promotes JA-mediated defense against RKNs via forming a positive feedback circuit in the degradation of JAMs and transcriptional activation by ERF1. -
Abstract Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by dystrophin deficiency, leads to progressive and fatal muscle weakness through yet‐to‐be‐fully deciphered molecular perturbations. Emerging evidence implicates RhoA/Rho‐associated protein kinase (ROCK) signalling in DMD pathology, yet its direct role in DMD muscle function, and related mechanisms, are unknown.
Methods Three‐dimensionally engineered dystrophin‐deficient
mdx skeletal muscles andmdx mice were used to test the role of ROCK in DMD muscle functionin vitro andin situ , respectively. The role of ARHGEF3, one of the RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), in RhoA/ROCK signalling and DMD pathology was examined by generatingArhgef3 knockoutmdx mice. The role of RhoA/ROCK signalling in mediating the function of ARHGEF3 was determined by evaluating the effects of wild‐type or GEF‐inactive ARHGEF3 overexpression with ROCK inhibitor treatment. To gain more mechanistic insights, autophagy flux and the role of autophagy were assessed in various conditions with chloroquine.Results Inhibition of ROCK with Y‐27632 improved muscle force production in 3D‐engineered
mdx muscles (+25% from three independent experiments,P < 0.05) and in mice (+25%,P < 0.001). Unlike suggested by previous studies, this improvement was independent of muscle differentiation or quantity and instead related to increased muscle quality. We found that ARHGEF3 was elevated and responsible for RhoA/ROCK activation inmdx muscles, and that depleting ARHGEF3 inmdx mice restored muscle quality (up to +36%,P < 0.01) and morphology without affecting regeneration. Conversely, overexpressing ARHGEF3 further compromisedmdx muscle quality (−13% vs. empty vector control,P < 0.01) in GEF activity‐ and ROCK‐dependent manner. Notably, ARHGEF3/ROCK inhibition exerted the effects by rescuing autophagy which is commonly impaired in dystrophic muscles.Conclusions Our findings uncover a new pathological mechanism of muscle weakness in DMD involving the ARHGEF3‐ROCK‐autophagy pathway and the therapeutic potential of targeting ARHGEF3 in DMD.
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Abstract Autophagy is a fundamental eukaryotic process that mediates clearance of unwanted molecules and facilitates nutrient release. The bacterial pathogen
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