Journal ArticlePlant “helper” immune receptors are Ca ²⁺ -permeable nonselective cation channelsJacob, Pierre; Kim, Nak Hyun; Wu, Feihua; El-Kasmi, Farid; Chi, Yuan; Walton, William G.; Furzer, Oliver J.; Lietzan, Adam D.; Sunil, Sruthi; Kempthorn, Korina; Redinbo, Matthew R.; Pei, Zhen-Ming; Wan, Li; Dangl, Jeffery L.Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) regulate immunity and cell death. In Arabidopsis , a subfamily of “helper” NLRs is required by many “sensor” NLRs. Active NRG1.1 oligomerized, was enriched in plasma membrane puncta, and conferred cytoplasmic calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) influx in plant and human cells. NRG1.1-dependent Ca 2+ influx and cell death were sensitive to Ca 2+ channel blockers and were suppressed by mutations affecting oligomerization or plasma membrane enrichment. Ca 2+ influx and cell death mediated by NRG1.1 and ACTIVATED DISEASE RESISTANCE 1 (ADR1), another helper NLR, required conserved negatively charged N-terminal residues. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings demonstrated that Arabidopsis helper NLRs form Ca 2+ -permeable cation channels to directly regulate cytoplasmic Ca 2+ levels and consequent cell death. Thus, helper NLRs transduce cell death signals directly.2021-07-2310323914Science3736553420 to 4250036-8075https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg79171758400National Science Foundation