Plants and animals detect pathogen infection using intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) that directly or indirectly recognize pathogen effectors and activate an immune response. How effector sensing triggers NLR activation remains poorly understood. Here we describe the 3.8-angstrom-resolution cryo–electron microscopy structure of the activated ROQ1 (recognition of XopQ 1), an NLR native to Nicotiana benthamiana with a Toll-like interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain bound to the Xanthomonaseuvesicatoria effector XopQ (Xanthomonas outer protein Q). ROQ1 directly binds to both the predicted active site and surface residues of XopQ while forming a tetrameric resistosome that brings together the TIR domains for downstream immune signaling. Our results suggest a mechanism for the direct recognition of effectors by NLRs leading to the oligomerization-dependent activation of a plant resistosome and signaling by the TIR domain.

Summary The rice XA21‐mediated immune response is activated on recognition of the RaxX peptide produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo ). The 60‐residue RaxX precursor is post‐translationally modified to form a sulfated tyrosine peptide that shares sequence and functional similarity with the plant sulfated tyrosine (PSY) peptide hormones. The 5‐kb raxX‐raxSTAB gene cluster of Xoo encodes RaxX, the RaxST tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase, and the RaxA and RaxB components of a predicted type I secretion system. To assess raxX‐raxSTAB gene cluster evolution and to determine its phylogenetic distribution, we first identified rax gene homologues in other genomes. We detected the complete raxX‐raxSTAB gene cluster only in Xanthomonas spp., in five distinct lineages in addition to X. oryzae . The phylogenetic distribution of the raxX‐raxSTAB gene cluster is consistent with the occurrence of multiple lateral (horizontal) gene transfer events during Xanthomonas speciation. RaxX natural variants contain a restricted set of missense substitutions, as expected if selection acts to maintain peptide hormone‐like function. Indeed, eight RaxX variants tested all failed to activate the XA21‐mediated immune response, yet retained peptide hormone activity. Together, these observations support the hypothesis that the XA21 receptor evolved specifically to recognize Xoo RaxX.

The rice immune receptor XA21 confers resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), and upon recognition of the RaxX21-sY peptide produced by Xoo, XA21 activates the plant immune response. Here we screened 21 000 mutant plants expressing XA21 to identify components involved in this response, and reported here the identification of a rice mutant, sxi4, which is susceptible to Xoo. The sxi4 mutant carries a 32-kb translocation from chromosome 3 onto chromosome 7 and displays an elevated level of DCL2a transcript, encoding a Dicer-like protein. Silencing of DCL2a in the sxi4 genetic background restores resistance to Xoo. RaxX21-sY peptide-treated leaves of sxi4 retain the hallmarks of XA21-mediated immune response. However, WRKY45-1, a known negative regulator of rice resistance to Xoo, is induced in the sxi4 mutant in response to RaxX21-sY peptide treatment. A CRISPR knockout of a short interfering RNA (TE-siRNA815) in the intron of WRKY45-1 restores the resistance phenotype in sxi4. These results suggest a model where DCL2a accumulation negatively regulates XA21-mediated immunity by altering the processing of TE-siRNA815.